Leading Culture Change- A Case Study of Organizational Change Presented by:

Brian R. Brauer, Ed.D.Associate Director

University of Illinois Fire Service Institute

2017 NFPA Conference & Expo

“We understand the science of fighting fires,

but we do not understand the science of people

fighting fires.” (TriData, 1996)

What are you expecting to learn from this presentation?

Two primary ways to learn:1. Informational2. Transformational

— Please ask questions— Please apply & share

Gavin Horn, PhDDirector of Research

Mechanical Engineering

Denise Smith, PhD, FACSMProfessor, Skidmore College

Kinesiology – Exercise Physiology

Terry Von Thaden, PhDHuman Factors Research

AssociateGSLIS– Human Factors

Richard Kesler, MSResearch Scientist

BioEngineering

Brian R. Brauer, EdDIFSI Associate Director

Organizational Culture and Change

• Eagle Scout• Illini Emergency Medical Services (1990- present)• Edge-Scott FPD (1992-2015); RN/TNS (1997-present)• University of Illinois Fire Service Institute (2000-present)

— Fire Fighting Program Director (2000), Assistant Director (2006)— Associate Director for Infrastructure and Special Projects (2011)

• Pro Board Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (2013-present)

• Education:— BSN, UIC, Nursing— Ed. M., UIUC, Global Human Resource Development— Ed. D., UIUC, Educational Policy and Organizational Leadership

• Vrije University, NL• Integrated Command Post Communications• National Safety Culture Change Initiative (NSCCI)• Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research

(FSTAR)• Fire Department Organizational Culture: A Burning

Need for Change?

1. Introduction2. Literature Review3. Research Methods4. Research Setting5. Findings6. Conclusions

• 48% reduction in civilian deaths from fire since America Burning (Comparing Bland, 1973 to NFPA, 2014)

• 54% reduction in the number of fires overall (Comparing Bland, 1973 to NFPA, 2014)

• Firefighter fatalities unchanged (Bland, 1973; Daniels, 2005; Peterson et al, 2010)

• Firefighter fatalities increased (Pessemier, 2008)• Firefighter injuries increased (Brennan, 2011;

Peterson et al, 2010; Houdous et al, 2004)

• An instrumental case study• A fire department that

underwent significant positive change at the same time as they experienced a fireground LODD in 2011

• I stumbled across the concept on a ridealong.• What is the first Life Safety Initiative?• What is the empirical evidence that we have a

cultural problem?• What is the empirical evidence that our current

solutions are working?

The peculiarities of organizations such as the fire service “justify the special attention of researchers to the culture and identity of these … organizations.” (Soeters, 2000, p. 466)

“Firefighter fatalities are closely linked to unsafe practices and a fire service culture that is not fully committed to safety.” Cross, 2010, p. 266.

Cultural Change, LEO, Military Culture

Culture, O

rganizational Culture, values

This Study

Fire Service Org Culture, FF LODD reports and analyses, Fire Service calls for cultural

change

All behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and values shared by a group that are being transmitted to new and future members of

the group. It is influenced by history, uniforming, facilities, vocabulary, leadership, and management within the

organization. Compton, 2003

System of assumptions and basic values which distinguish one group from

another, and orients the group’s choices.

• 250 mile radius• Fireground, non-medical LODD • NIOSH investigation• 2003-2012• USFA• IFLODD• Screening for change

• History of the Impacted Fire Department• Family Ties• Three Episodes/Mini-cases

— “Smoke Divers”— Very Similar nearby Illinois Downtown Fire, 1997— Leadership Change

• LODD 6/2011

RQ 1: What were the Modes of Implementation of the organizational culture of the fire department in 2010?RQ 2: What were the Modes of Implementation of the organizational culture of the fire department in 2015?RQ 3: Did the Modes of Implementation of the department change from 2010 to 2015?

• Observation forms• Document review forms• Digital recorder• Interview question guide• Member checking• Triangulation• Quote verification

• Coding: Compared Modes of Implementation at two slices in time— RQ1- 2010— RQ2- 2015

• 28 Modes of Implementation grouped into 6 categories— Typical Day— Member Requirements/Onboarding (6 MOI)— External (6 MOI)— Emergency Responses (4 MOI)— Officer Empowerment (7 MOI)— Training (4 MOI)

29

• Typical Day at the Department • General Comments• Used to frame the times that the study was

looking at.• Intentional avoidance of the specific day of the

death and events immediately prior and subsequent to.

• Career O Qualifications• Career FF Qualifications• POC O Qualifications • POC FF Qualifications• POC Participation • Initial Training (Career & Paid on Call)

• Accountability System • Fire Responses• Volunteer Responses• Medical Responses

• Compartment Standardization• Interagency Partnerships• Automatic Aid• Mutual Aid• ISO

• Preplanning• Inspections• Investigations• Fire Prevention/ Public Education• Equipment• NFIRS Reporting• Apparatus

• Driver Training/Familiarization• Company/Shift Training• Departmental Training• Interagency Training

• Change DID occur, but I wouldn’t have understood the HOW of the change without an ethnographic approach— First Order— Second Order— LODD v. Leadership Change

• Using MOI was a valid method of analysis• The Model performed better than expected• Validated Chief Compton’s definition of fire

department organizational culture

So What?

For HRD:• Role of leadership in cultural change• Validation of MOI as a unit of measure for change• Value of case study research in HRD• Applicability of Gagliardi’s model for entrenched cultures

• Organizational cultural change is possible in fire departments via cultural incrementalism

• This model can be utilized for FD Organizational Culture Change studies

• Definition can help create consistency for future studies

• Shows the impact of strong leadership on fire department organizational culture

• MOIs are a valid point of comparison for culture• Some MOIs have a deeper impact than others

• Case studies are inherently limited in generalizability.

• Did not discuss the day/events of LODD• Credibility• Transferability• Dependability• Confirmability/objectivity

• Use model for a prospective study of change• How much of the change “stuck”?• Validate Secondary Strategy level of model for

FD Org Change• Repeat in a department that experienced

change but didn’t have an LODD• Repeat in a department that had an LODD but

didn’t experience positive organizational change

• Connect back to a change towards a “safety” or HRO culture

brbrauer@Illinois.edu

Thank you!

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2017 NFPA Conference & Expo