6
6
6
6
When formulating new security processes and procedures, members of staff will often have unique insights into the operational running of a facility and thus represent a valuable source of information to management.
Such information may become increasingly pertinent. For example, in the UK nuclear regulation has shifted away from prescriptive approaches, to a ‘results based’ approach where it is incumbent upon operators to justify the security measures they have in place, rather than minimally meeting centrally-set criteria. Indeed, the involvement of staff in contributing insights and ideas is recognised as an indicator of effective security culture, and the IAEA recommends that, ’Mechanisms should be in place to support this objective for nuclear security’.
A consultation process may also help staff feel vested in the process and the organisation as a whole, while feedback on proposed security solutions before they are pursued or invested in will help generate buy-in or avoid costly expenses. For example, security procedures that are overly complex or laborious may be ignored by staff, and thereby represent wasted expenditure.
However, when consulting with staff , management must be careful to balance available resources and staff expectations; not all suggestions will be practical or affordable, and management must take care to provide feedback for staff engagement. In some cases entrenched behaviours or consistent changes in management have led to high levels of organisational change cynicism (OCC) by employees.
For example analysis of public sector workers in 2008 showed that ‘active orientation toward involvement plays a significant role as a moderator in reducing employee reports of OCC’; and that where HR practitioners are concerned about workplace cynicism, human resources 'should encourage their line managers to adopt a participatory style of management (information sharing, involvement in decision making), especially in those workplaces where employees are more likely to embrace the opportunities for involvement’.
When discussing new security processes and procedures, organisations must be careful to ensure that sensitive information is treated within the principles of confidentiality and need to know, as outlined by the IAEA.
Further Reading:
