Do foreign workers have more accidents? An analysis of occupational accidents in Spain from a cultural perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51302/rtss.2017.1810Keywords:
accidents at work, foreigners, cultural dimensions, productive sectorAbstract
Foreign workers are usually reported in official figures and reports having more work-related accidents than native populations. However, studies on this topic are scarce and the results inconclusive. This work examines this problem with a double descriptive and explanatory analysis of the Spanish context, and testing the cultural hypothesis. From official data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, there were found significant differences in the number of accidents depending on the country of origin of the worker, and that the number of accidents varies according to the productive sector (specially in Construction and Services). It was also found that the cultural dimensions by Hofstede (2001), especially uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation, are related to the variation in the number of accidents, with different effects depending on sex (proportion of men in relation women) and the sector. Practical implications mainly related to training and prevention issues from the perspective of diversity management and the fact that work contexts require broad intervention programs are discussed. It is highlighted the need for further research in this field.
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