Narratives of Safety: Storytelling and Learning from Safety Incidents across Cultural Boundaries.
(2025) FLMU16 20242Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
- Abstract
- The Energy Services industry has a global footprint and an incredibly geographically and culturally diverse workforce. This research explores how storytelling is used in safety training in a multinational energy service organisation, particularly examining national cultural influences on storytelling, safety communications, and organisational learning.
The subject organisation employs a variety of techniques in for safety training and has recently rolled out a storytelling-based training program to over 15,000 frontline employees.
This qualitative research involved a multi-case study across four geographical regions of the target organisation, using focus groups and document reviews to explore how storytelling is employed in... (More) - The Energy Services industry has a global footprint and an incredibly geographically and culturally diverse workforce. This research explores how storytelling is used in safety training in a multinational energy service organisation, particularly examining national cultural influences on storytelling, safety communications, and organisational learning.
The subject organisation employs a variety of techniques in for safety training and has recently rolled out a storytelling-based training program to over 15,000 frontline employees.
This qualitative research involved a multi-case study across four geographical regions of the target organisation, using focus groups and document reviews to explore how storytelling is employed in communicating findings, recommendations, and good practices derived from investigating safety incidents. Fifteen participants participated in focus groups across the four regions, and the outputs of these engagements were analysed for similarities and differences.
The study has identified several findings that contribute to a deeper understanding of storytelling in safety learning across cultures. Firstly, there is a universal desire for increased communication and knowledge sharing about safety incidents, highlighting the importance of transparency and information flow in promoting organisational learning.
Secondly, the research emphasises the crucial role of organisational learning and a strong safety culture in enabling effective storytelling. Organisations that prioritise learning from mistakes, encourage open communication, and foster psychological safety are more likely to reap the benefits of storytelling as an effective learning tool. Storytelling is widely recognised for its value as a tool for enhancing safety training and knowledge retention, mainly due to its ability to engage individuals emotionally and facilitate a deeper understanding of complex concepts.
Thirdly, the research underscores the need for cultural sensitivity and local adaptation in storytelling approaches. A one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate for conveying the nuanced learning required across geographies, and narratives must be tailored to resonate with specific cultural contexts and values. The study identified various challenges and barriers to effective storytelling, including cultural nuances, communication gaps, and legal concerns. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that considers cultural and organisational factors.
Finally, the research proposes a maturity model approach to employing storytelling for safety against which organisations might assess themselves and make suggestions for improvement. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9188928
- author
- Ejiofoh, Dennis LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FLMU16 20242
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Safety, Culture, Storytelling, Learning, National Culture, Multicase Study, FLMU06
- language
- English
- id
- 9188928
- date added to LUP
- 2025-05-23 14:24:11
- date last changed
- 2025-05-26 09:45:23
@misc{9188928,
abstract = {{The Energy Services industry has a global footprint and an incredibly geographically and culturally diverse workforce. This research explores how storytelling is used in safety training in a multinational energy service organisation, particularly examining national cultural influences on storytelling, safety communications, and organisational learning.
The subject organisation employs a variety of techniques in for safety training and has recently rolled out a storytelling-based training program to over 15,000 frontline employees.
This qualitative research involved a multi-case study across four geographical regions of the target organisation, using focus groups and document reviews to explore how storytelling is employed in communicating findings, recommendations, and good practices derived from investigating safety incidents. Fifteen participants participated in focus groups across the four regions, and the outputs of these engagements were analysed for similarities and differences.
The study has identified several findings that contribute to a deeper understanding of storytelling in safety learning across cultures. Firstly, there is a universal desire for increased communication and knowledge sharing about safety incidents, highlighting the importance of transparency and information flow in promoting organisational learning.
Secondly, the research emphasises the crucial role of organisational learning and a strong safety culture in enabling effective storytelling. Organisations that prioritise learning from mistakes, encourage open communication, and foster psychological safety are more likely to reap the benefits of storytelling as an effective learning tool. Storytelling is widely recognised for its value as a tool for enhancing safety training and knowledge retention, mainly due to its ability to engage individuals emotionally and facilitate a deeper understanding of complex concepts.
Thirdly, the research underscores the need for cultural sensitivity and local adaptation in storytelling approaches. A one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate for conveying the nuanced learning required across geographies, and narratives must be tailored to resonate with specific cultural contexts and values. The study identified various challenges and barriers to effective storytelling, including cultural nuances, communication gaps, and legal concerns. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that considers cultural and organisational factors.
Finally, the research proposes a maturity model approach to employing storytelling for safety against which organisations might assess themselves and make suggestions for improvement.}},
author = {{Ejiofoh, Dennis}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Narratives of Safety: Storytelling and Learning from Safety Incidents across Cultural Boundaries.}},
year = {{2025}},
}