Introducing Risk Culture as a Framework for Risk Research and Interventions
Bernhard Streicher 1, Eric Eller 2
1 University for Health Sciences - UMIT, Hall
2 Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis an increasing demand for improved models on how to successfully deal with uncertainty and complex risks emerged. Nowadays this demand not only stems from the finance and insurance sector, but from any organization operating in a complex and uncertain context. Accordingly, organizations recognized the contribution of social psychological insights on risk perception, risk behavior, and potential pitfalls. However, transferring academic results on the issue (e.g., anchoring bias) into effective and reliable practice (e.g., prevention and avoidance of anchoring bias) is far from being trivial. In our opinion one major obstacle in this endeavor is the lack of an integrative model of psychological risk research. Such a model should a) be capable of integrating different theories and according empirical results (integrative); b) specify relevant factors and level (measureable); c) be useful to understand, describe, and change the behavior of different groups or organizations (applicable); and d) generate new research question or approaches (productive). Based on research on organizational climate and organizational culture we introduce a concept of risk culture. Our model of risk culture comprises three main dimensions: person (i.e., all factors related to singular persons), social (i.e., all factors related to social interactions), and structure (i.e., all factors related to structural features). Furthermore, all three dimensions include three levels: artifacts (i.e., observable processes and structures), underlying beliefs and values, and basic assumptions. We present the models ability to integrate central findings from social psychological risk research (including our own studies) and we discuss the possibility to analyze the interactions and influences of different factors of all levels by using network analysis. Moreover, we discuss how network analysis of risk culture might open an avenue for successful science- and evidence-based interventions.


Reference:
S7-04
Session:
Symposium – Risky Behavior: Investigating psychological determinants on an individual, social and situational level
Presenter/s:
Bernhard Streicher
Presentation type:
Oral presentation
Room:
Auditorium, F214
Chair/s:
Susanne Gaube
Date:
Monday, 18 June
Time:
14:40 - 15:40
Session times:
14:40 - 15:40