| Title | Compliance with Railroad Operating Rules and Corporate Culture Influences: Results of a Focus Group and Structured Interviews |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 13055 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Coplen, Michael K. |
| Source | 36p. in various pagings |
| Corporate Contributor |
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.) |
| Publisher | United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration |
| Publication Date | 19991000 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | A focus group was held at the November 11, 1996, meeting of the Operating Rules Association of North American Railroads to discuss the general issue of compliance and operating rules. Twelve operating rules officers participated, representing Class I, II, and III railroads. Individual structured interviews were also conducted both prior to and following the focus group session to discuss general issues surrounding operating rules, and to provide follow-up information to major findings from the focus group session. Focus group participants generally reported that senior management tends to emphasize productivity over safety, suggesting some railroads may have created an organizational culture that unintentionally encourages operating rules violations. Follow-up interviews with a number of industry representatives supported this view. Some interviewees suggested railroad mergers often result in discordant management philosophies within the same organization, directly influencing corporate culture and how operating rules officers enforce rules compliance. Findings for each of the five focus group questions are categorized by type of response. Specific recommendations for structural change and follow-on work are also discussed. |
| Rosap ID | dot:8448 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8448 |
| TRT Terms | Railroads; Operating rules; Compliance; Corporations; Industry structure; Safety; Productivity; Regulations; Procedures; Focus groups |
| General Subjects | Corporate culture: Industry safety culture |
| Classification | NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - RAIL TRANSPORTATION; NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - Rail Laws and Regulations; NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - Rail Planning and Policy |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
791212 |
| Report Number | DOT/FRA/ORD-99/09; DOT-VNTSC-FRA-97-7 |
| Availability | Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center |
| Resource type | Research Paper |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/13000/13000/13055/ord9909.pdf |
| Alternative URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/16000/16100/16196/PB2000102932.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |