Pathology of Human Error and Specifying the Role of Decision-Making Styles and Mental Workload of the Employees

Human error is one of the main reasons for occupational accidents. This study, in order to reduce occupational accidents, pathologized human error.

Qualitative research interviewed 28 supervisors of the steel industry community (1996 employee) in 2019 and four members of the Faculty of I/O Psychology of the University of Isfahan. The second step was a descriptive method of multiple correlations. Sample size (n = 123) was performed using Tabaching and Fidel (2007) formulas and random sampling was done by the available method. Participants fully informed about the procedures and risks involved in research and given their consent to participate. Data were collected through the researcher-made human error identification questionnaire (HEIQ), Scott and Bruce Decision Styles Questionnaire (1995), and NASA TLX Mental Load Index (1986). Inferential analysis of data was performed by structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach using Smart PLS (V2) statistical software and descriptive analysis using SPSS-25 statistical software.

The results showed that the content validity index of the HEIQ was 0.82 and the content validity ratio was 0.76 (more than the minimum acceptable). Cronbach's alpha coefficient of all questions was above 75%. Organizational factors are predictors of human factors (T = 25.86 and 9/84 = R2). The direct relationship between decision-making style and human factors was rejected (T = 1.91), But organizational factors moderated this relationship and determined the role of two styles of Decision making; avoidance (T = 7.00) and instantaneous (T = 4.14) on human factors (R2 = 0.288 and T = 4.99). Organizational factors also moderated the relationship between mental workload and human factors, which was not directly significant (T = 0.74) (R2 = 0.287 and T = 4.67).

Accurate analysis of accidents in order to improve the safety of work environments is possible by considering the intertwined relationships of human and organizational factors.