We spoke with Associate Professor of Management Rommel Salvador about his research on ethical decision-making, occupational health and safety, and management education, and how these areas intersect to shape responsible and high-performing organizations.

Summary of Academic Interests (Teaching, Research and Service)

Rommel Salvador’s academic interests center on ethical decision-making in organizations, occupational health and safety, and management education. His research examines how ethical leadership and organizational climate influence behavior, exploring ways to improve safety training transfer and foster ethical cultures. As a professor in the Department of Management, he is committed to integrating behavioral ethics into the courses he teaches, preparing future leaders to make responsible, evidence-based decisions. In his service role as department chair, Salvador actively bridges research and practice by applying scholarly insights to his administrative role.

Building a Culture of Ethics and Safety

– Ethics as a Daily Practice: Salvador emphasizes ethical decision-making is not limited to high-profile dilemmas—it is woven into everyday organizational choices, from resource allocation to interpersonal interactions. “People often think of it in terms of major scandals or high-stakes situations, but in reality, most ethical challenges are part of the day-to-day—how we treat others, how resources are allocated, and how decisions are made under pressure,” he explains.

– From Research to Safer Workplaces: His studies on occupational health and safety focus on ensuring that safety training truly transfers to on-the-job behaviors, reducing accidents and fostering a culture where safety is part of the organizational culture. “Safety isn’t just about training people—it is about making sure that training sticks,” explains Salvador. “My work looks at how organizational climate, especially safety climate, influences whether employees apply what they have learned. Cultural context also matters; in some settings, risk tolerance or uncertainty avoidance can affect how safety measures are adopted.”

– The Power of Leadership in Ethics: He highlights how ethical leadership at different organizational levels influences behavior, with supervisors playing a pivotal role in translating top management values into team actions. “Leadership can have a cascading effect. Ethical values and priorities often start at the top, but it is the supervisors who make them tangible for employees,” he says. “The way supervisors communicate, model behavior, and respond to situations can either reinforce or undermine the organization’s ethical standards.”

– Training Transfer and Context: Salvador’s research shows that factors like organizational climate and national culture can determine whether safety training leads to improvements in safety behaviors. “I believe in teaching both the ‘why’ and the ‘how,’” he says. “Students need to understand the psychological and social dynamics behind ethical and safety-related behavior, and also learn tools for fostering the right climate in their future organizations.”

– Bridging Research and Practice: He is committed to making his research accessible to practitioners, translating academic findings into concrete recommendations for managers, educators, and policymakers. “I want to see organizations where ethics and safety aren’t just compliance checkboxes—they are lived values,” says Salvador. “That requires commitment from leaders, well-designed systems, and ongoing reflection at every level.”