Figure 1.1.

Occupational Injuries in Turkey Total (Fatal and Non-Fatal) Cases by

Economic Activity from Social Insurance Institution in 2006 (Resource: ILO)

Occupational Injuries in Turkey Fatal Cases by Economic Activity from

Social Insurance Institution in 2006 (Resource: ILO)

The purpose of the research is to examine organizational and managerial nature of industrial
accidents by explaining the relations between employees and managers perceptions of safety
climate, as well as work related employee attitudes such as job satisfaction and organizational
commitment in shipbuilding sector and comparing the outcomes of the study conducted.
The data analyzed in the research represents a census from one shipyard located in Kocaeli
and four shipyards located in Tuzla Shipyards Region in stanbul. The respondents were
consisted of employees and managers from lower, middle, and upper levels, and employed
by either the shipyard or subcontractor.
The surveys were distributed to 72 workers in Shipyard A (Kocaeli), 53 workers in Shipyard
B (Tuzla), 35 workers in Shipyard C (Tuzla), 33 workers in Shipyard D (Tuzla), and 73
workers in Shipyard E (Tuzla). Totally, the surveys were distributed to 266 workers in the
five shipyards. Of the surveys distributed and returned, a usable sample size of 70 responses
from Shipyard A, 53 responses from Shipyard B, 25 responses from Shipyard C, 33 responses
from Shipyard D, and 68 responses from Shipyard E were obtained. Totally, 249 responses
were obtained from the five shipyards.

Figure 4.1. Research Model

As a result of hypothesis testing, it was found that some elements, which assess availability of
regular job safety meetings, concern about ones general welfare, availability of proper equipment,
concern about workers safety, and likeliness of injury, of the safety climate scale explained
almost 48 percent of the variance in the dependent variable of organizational commitment at a
highly significant level. This result shows that if the workers feel and see the concern and
support of the management about supplying safe working conditions, their commitment to the
shipyard increases.
Previous studies indicated that there are significant associations between low job satisfaction
and high accident involvement (Holcum, Lehman, & Simpson, 1993; Lee, 1998), between
safety culture and satisfaction with work, and between safety culture and organizational

commitment (Morrow & Crum, 1998). The outcomes of this research showed that safety
climate, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction are positively correlated with each
other.
Results of the hypothesis testing also indicated that workers having 3-5 years work experience
perceives safety climate at the shipyard more positively than that of workers having 0-1 years
work experience. This result shows that when experience at a shipyard increases the workers
perception of safety climate at the shipyard also increases.
75% of the workers at shipyards, on average, are employed by subcontractors, not directly by
shipyards. This situation results in high turnover which prevents the understanding and
adoption of the shipyards safety climate, formation of organizational commitment, and
feeling job satisfaction. Because safety climate, organizational commitment, and job
satisfaction positively affect each other, shipyard owners should consider direct employment
of workers or if they work with the workers of subcontractors, they should establish a longlasting relationship and manage the occupational health and safety management system more
efficiently.