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Psychological empowerment in French nuclear power plants

Fillol, Charlotte (2011), Psychological empowerment in French nuclear power plants, International Journal of nuclear safety and simulation, 2, 1, p. 1-11

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Type
Article accepté pour publication ou publié
External document link
http://www.ijnsweb.com/?type=subscriber&action=articleinfo&id=44
Date
2011
Journal name
International Journal of nuclear safety and simulation
Volume
2
Number
1
Publisher
Symbio Community Forum : Harbin Engineering University
Pages
1-11
Metadata
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Author(s)
Fillol, Charlotte
Abstract (EN)
Since the eighties, nuclear safety has been discussed in organizational studies and constitutes nowadays a specific stream with several standpoints. Regarding the reliability of nuclear plants, the nuclear safety literature has emphasized on the crucial role of individuals and human factors. Especially, some researchers have noticed rule breaking behavior and the impact of individual self-confidence on thebehavior; but without deepening their analyses. As high self-esteem and confidence, i.e. psychological empowerment, naturally lead to innovation and rule breaking, the behavior can be analyzed, in such a regulated industry, as opposite to safety. Thus, this article aims at explaining the roots and discernable features of the observed psychological empowerment. Methods include an in-depth qualitative study in 4 nuclear power plants owned by Electricité de France (EDF), the French national nuclear operator. Focused on the leading team of the plant, the set of data is composed of 35 interviews, 6 weeks of non-participant observation and internal documents. The content analysis has revealed two main pillars of psychological empowerment. On the first hand, the strong professional identity developed at the opening of the plants is based on initiative and risk-taking. In some ways, this professional identity fostered by commitment to a demanding job and the team, influences behavior more than do professional rules. On the second hand, the management discourse is perceived as ambiguous towards the strict application of the rules and tacitly legitimizes rule breaking behavior. This article details and exemplifies these phenomena and discusses the implications.
Subjects / Keywords
Psychological empowerment; Professional identity; Rule breaking behavior
JEL
D02 - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
J29 - Other

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