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The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613770614833152 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Meyer, Laura |
| author2 | Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise |
| author_browse | Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise Meyer, Laura |
| author_facet | Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise Meyer, Laura |
| author_sort | Meyer, Laura |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132612 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:25.747Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132612 The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers Meyer, Laura Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise Bod, Anneke de Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics. Truck drivers -- Attitudes -- South Africa Truck drivers -- Safety measures -- South Africa Road transportation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Incentive (Psychology) -- Transportation -- South Africa Employee motivation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Trucking industry -- Safety measures -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Meyer, L. 2025. The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour: Evidence from South African tanker drivers. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/19b687b9-a284-4049-b8f2-63dca980c87d ENGLISH SUMMARY: This thesis explores the role of the human element in truck driving, focusing on how organisational factors, including incentive structures and safety climate, shape truck driver behaviour and safety outcomes. The study explores how cognitive failures and biases influence driving practices, and how organisational interventions can promote safer driving behaviours. Two critical organisational interventions are examined: the incentive structures that shape drivers’ decision-making environments and the safety climate, which reflect an organisation’s prioritisation of safety. A systematic review of monetary and non-monetary incentive schemes highlights that addressing the human motivations behind truck driving is essential for improving safety. While increased pay rates generally enhance safety by attracting more skilled drivers and incentivising compliance, trip- or distance-based wages lead to risky behaviours such as speeding or insufficient rest due to productivity pressures. Conversely, non-monetary incentives—though under-researched—show potential for improving safety by fostering job satisfaction and a supportive work environment. These findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to organisational incentives that balances safety and productivity. The quantitative analysis, employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) on a novel sample of 110 South African tanker drivers, demonstrates the critical impact of safety climate on driving behaviours, particularly driving violations. By influencing drivers’ safety motivation, a positive safety climate significantly reduces violations, as drivers who perceive safety as a priority are more likely to adhere to protocols. However, the research also reveals that safety climate has a lesser impact on driving errors, which tend to be unintentional and habitual and less influenced by motivational factors. The study offers a set of recommendations for trucking companies to improve driver safety through the strategic use of driver incentives and improvements to be made to safety climate. By addressing the human element in truck driving, companies can significantly reduce risky driving behaviours and enhance overall road safety performance. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die rol van die menslike element in vragmotorbestuur en fokus op die wyse waarop organisatoriese faktore, soos aansporingstrukture en veiligheidsklimaat, die gedrag van vragmotorbestuurders en veiligheidsuitkomste vorm. Die studie ondersoek hoe kognitiewe mislukkings en vooroordele bestuurspraktyke beinvloed, en hoe organisatoriese intervensies veiliger bestuursgedrag kan bevorder. Twee kritieke organisatoriese intervensies word ondersoek: die aansporingstrukture wat bestuurders se besluitnemingsomgewings vorm en die veiligheidsklimaat, wat die prioritisering van veiligheid weerspieel in die organisasie. 'n Sistematiese oorsig van monetere en nie-monetere aansporingskemas beklemtoon dat veiligheid verbeter kan word deur die menslike motivering van vragmotorbestuurders aan te spreek. Hoer salarisse kan oor die algemeen veiligheid verbeter omdat dit meer bekwame vragmotorbestuurders lok en nakoming aanspoor. Daarenteen kan reis- of afstandgebaseerde lone tot riskante gedrag lei, soos spoed of onvoldoende rustyd, as gevolg van produktiwiteitsdruk. Nie-monetere aansporings kan moontlik die potensiaal vir die verbetering van veiligheid verhoog deur verhoogde werksbevrediging en die bevordering van 'n ondersteunende werksomgewing (alhoewel hieroor min navorsing beskikbaar is). Hierdie bevindinge beklemtoon die behoefte aan 'n holistiese benadering tot organisatoriese aansporings waardeur veiligheid en produktiwiteit gebalanseer word. Die kwantitatiewe ontleding, wat gebruik maak van Gedeeltelike Kleinste Kwadrate Struktuurvergelykingsmodellering (PLS-SEM) op 'n nuwe steekproef van 110 Suid-Afrikaanse tenkervragmotorbestuurders, demonstreer die kritieke impak van die veiligheidsklimaat op vragmotorbestuurdersgedrag, veral bestuurderoortredings. Deur die veiligheidsmotivering van vragmotorbestuurders te beinvloed, verminder oortredings aansienlik in 'n positiewe veiligheidsklimaat, aangesien bestuurders wat veiligheid as 'n prioriteit beskou, meer geneig is om by protokolle te hou. Die navorsing toon egter ook dat die veiligheidsklimaat ‘n kleiner impak het op foute wat deur vragmotorbestuurders gemaak word. Hierdie foute word minder deur motiveringsfaktore beinvloed, en is geneig om uit gewoonte en onopsetlik te wees. Die studie bied 'n stel aanbevelings vir vragvervoermaatskappye aan, vir die verbetering van vragmotorbestuurderveiligheid deur die strategiese gebruik van vragmotorbestuurder aansporings en verbeteringe aan die veiligheidsklimaat. Deur die menslike element in vragmotorbestuur aan te spreek, kan maatskappye riskante vragmotorbestuurder gedrag aansienlik verminder en sodoende algehele padveiligheidsprestasie verbeter. Masters 2025-06-11T13:44:33Z 2025-06-11T13:44:33Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132612 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 133 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Truck drivers -- Attitudes -- South Africa Truck drivers -- Safety measures -- South Africa Road transportation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Incentive (Psychology) -- Transportation -- South Africa Employee motivation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Trucking industry -- Safety measures -- South Africa UCTD Meyer, Laura The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title | The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title_full | The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title_fullStr | The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title_short | The role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers’ safety behaviour : evidence from South African tanker drivers |
| title_sort | role of incentives and safety climate in truck drivers safety behaviour evidence from south african tanker drivers |
| topic | Truck drivers -- Attitudes -- South Africa Truck drivers -- Safety measures -- South Africa Road transportation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Incentive (Psychology) -- Transportation -- South Africa Employee motivation -- Safety measures -- South Africa Trucking industry -- Safety measures -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132612 |
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