Lack of Assertiveness is the unwillingness to articulate one’s thoughts and feelings due to self-doubt, dislike of conflict, or disinterest. Assertiveness is not aggressiveness; it is about speaking thoughts directly in a constructive and positive manner. Lack of assertiveness is especially problematic in cultures with a rigid hierarchical system. Thus, lack of assertiveness can be both systemic and individual. Research on lack of assertiveness in the workplace has identified several factors that can contribute to this issue, including low selfesteem, fear of confrontation or rejection, and cultural or gender-based expectations. Human Factors Survey measures both the cultural attributes contributing to assertiveness, as well as an individual’s assertiveness level.

Lack of Awareness refers to the failure of employees to recognize and respond to their own or others’ behaviors, attitudes, and actions that may negatively impact work quality and safety culture. Lack of Awareness is operationally defined in two ways. The first is an ignorance of one’s role and contribution to the functioning of a company and the effect one’s actions have on the entire system. An employee needs to understand their function as part of a wider team to effectively appropriately carry out that function. They also need to be aware of their colleagues’ functions and roles. The second definition of Lack of Awareness is poor situational awareness, which is the level of vigilance and scanning (looking for vulnerabilities and potential problems) by an organization or individual.

Lack of Communication affects both verbal and written communication. Research has identified several causes of communication breakdown in the workplace, including problems in the transmission of information, lack of standardized vocabulary, internalized communication value, and a high-power differential. Additional contributors are unclear expectations, lack of trust, cultural differences, inadequate technology, and a lack of leadership support.

Complacency describes a loss of awareness of potential dangers. Complacent employees become overly confident in their skills, leading to a lack of vigilance and attention to detail. This is frequently experienced when conducting routine activities that have become habitual and which may be considered by an individual (sometimes by the whole organization), as easy and safe. In aviation, complacency most often occurs when using automated systems and in multi-tasking environments. Research also shows some individuals have a greater inclination towards complacency and polychronicity than others or differing levels of “complacency potential”. Research has identified several causes of complacency in the workplace, including repetitive tasks, low task complexity, lack of feedback or consequences for errors, and a culture that does not prioritize safety or excellence.

Distraction occurs when an individual’s attention is diverted from his or her task. The cause of distraction can occur on the environmental level (i.e., loud noises), the social level (i.e., frequent interruptions), or individual level (i.e., smartphone usage, and multi-tasking). A prominent area of research on distraction has identified the negative impact of attempting to complete multiple tasks simultaneously. Multi-tasking can lead to reduced performance on each individual task, as well as increased errors and longer completion times. Additionally, research has found that switching between tasks can have a significant negative impact on cognitive processing, with each switch requiring a period of adjustment and resulting in a reduction in overall focus. Environmental distractions, such as noise or interruptions, have a large effect on cognitive performance. Studies have found that even relatively minor distractions, such as a brief interruption or background noise, can have a significant impact on cognitive performance and lead to errors and delays.

Fatigue is physical or mental weariness which extends beyond normal tiredness. It is a physiological reaction to prolonged physical or mental stress, and generally follows long periods of work, loss of sleep, and periods of hard work. Physical fatigue can either be an overall tiredness of the whole body or confined to certain muscle groups. Mental fatigue, which includes sleepiness, is a reduced ability to concentrate and perform tasks as normal. Fatigue has significant impacts on employee health, well-being, and safety. Research has shown that fatigue impairs cognitive function, slow reaction times, and increase the risk of accidents and injuries.

Lack of Knowledge refers to the absence of the necessary skills, training, or information needed to perform job tasks effectively and safely. Employees who lack knowledge are more likely to make mistakes, take risks, or engage in unsafe behaviors. This can be due to ignorance of policies, rules and procedures, lack of up-to-date technical training or an insufficient knowledge-sharing culture. Lack of knowledge is generally correlated with short tenure; however long tenured employees may be resistant to learning new methods and technologies. Multiple components are necessary to assert that someone is “knowledgeable.” These include having the qualifications and education required, being trained on company specific policies and procedures, being able to deduce things, having the ability to judge what is important, and having experience specific to the field of work.

Norms are the unwritten rules of a company or team; in essence, “the way we do things around here.” Human Factors Survey is focused only on norms which lead to unsafe conditions, particularly those which deviate from “required” rules and procedures. Studies have found that when workplace norms prioritize safety, employees are more likely to engage in safe behaviors and report safety concerns. Conversely, when norms prioritize productivity over safety, employees may be more likely to take risks and prioritize speed or cost over caution, which can lead to workplace accidents and injuries. Our aim is to measure the prevalence of cutting corners, keeping secrets, and encouraging band-aid fixes, as well as the extent to which management prioritizes safety.

Pressure arises from an expectation that an individual will perform tasks to a certain standard within a given time frame. A large gap between expectation and ability creates more pressure. High levels of pressure increase the risk of errors, accidents, and injuries in the workplace. This is due to a variety of factors, including impaired cognitive function, decreased attention and vigilance, and reduced ability to manage complex or unfamiliar tasks. Additionally, high pressure can cause high turnover, high absenteeism, and economic expense. Pressure can be direct or indirect, and internal or external. It is critical to ascertain whether pressure is due to a short time frame, due to lack of resources, or due to unreasonable expectations.

Lack of Resources of is a broad category covering everything from physical lack of parts or maintenance tasks, lack of personnel, time, data, tools, skill, experience, and knowledge. Several factors can contribute to a lack of resources in the workplace, including limited funding, staffing shortages, and supply chain issues. Also important is measuring workers’ overall impression of available safety resources, regardless of validity. Human Factors Survey measures the extent to which an individual feels he or she has everything he or she needs to complete his or her job appropriately and safely.

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. Research has identified several causes of workplace stress, including high workload, job insecurity, poor relationships with colleagues or supervisors, lack of control over work, and work-life imbalance. Acute stress is brought on by demands on mental processing and our physical body, such as reaction to an emergency or working under pressure with inadequate resources. Chronic stress is accumulated from long-term demands on our physiology from both our working environment and life experiences. Both types of stress can lead to overreactions to stimuli, poor teamwork, and poor decision-making skills.

Lack of Teamwork consists of conflict resolution, effective communication, trust, group cohesion, and collaborative problem solving.Teamwork is essential for effective communication, error prevention, and a rapid response to emergencies. Research has identified poor communication, lack of trust among team members, conflicting goals or priorities, and lack of clear roles and responsibilities as contributors to poor teamwork