Unravelling the Gordian knot of leading indicators

With the aim of developing a new theoretical insight which will augment the promulgation of leading indicators’ use, this present research studies pertinent literature. Associated study objectives are to: 1) generate insight into potential challenges, use and benefits of adopting leading indicators in safety management from pertinent literature; and 2) elucidate upon existing abstruseness between safety leading and lagging indicators. For an extensive and thorough literature analysis, two consecutive data analysis methods are adopted (viz., thematic and content analyses). Through thematic analysis, 13 clusters (each representing different uses of leading indicators) emerged, from which the ‘health and safety’ cluster was selected for a deeper analysis in content analysis. In addition, by reviewing the compendium of leading indicator examples collected from extant safety leading indicator literature, novel types of dichotomous leading indicators were identified, viz., generic and specific leading indicators. Subsequently, a synthesis of challenges and benefits of safety leading indicator adoption was generated through deductive content analysis. Furthermore, a new theoretical explanation into the relationship of safety leading and lagging indicators is proffered which also incorporates safety management dynamics representing different levels of safety maturity. This study constitutes a first attempt to: provide a structured synthesis of safety leading indicators’ functions along with their challenges in development, implementation and adoption stages; shed a new light into the theoretical explication of safety lagging and leading indicators’ relationship; and introduce safety management dynamics that establish different levels of safety maturity.