Prince Ewudzie Quansah, Yongyue Zhu and Anthony Frank Obeng
This paper aims to investigate the effect of mining supervisor behaviour, safety motivation and perceived job insecurity on Ghanaian underground miner’s safety citizenship…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of mining supervisor behaviour, safety motivation and perceived job insecurity on Ghanaian underground miner’s safety citizenship behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors proposed a conceptual framework that tested supervisor behaviour as an independent variable, safety motivation as a mediator variable, perceived job insecurity as a moderator variable and safety citizenship behaviour as a dependent variable. The authors tested the hypothesized relationships using 351 valid responses collected through a structured questionnaire using hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
Results revealed that both components of supervisor behaviour significantly influenced safety motivation and safety citizenship behaviour. Furthermore, safety motivation could mediate the relationships between both components of supervisor behaviour and safety citizenship behaviour. Also, perceived job insecurity failed to moderate the relationship between safety motivation and safety citizenship behaviour.
Originality/value
This current study is vital for managerial practices. The complex conceptual framework also contributes to offering different ways of understanding how supervisors’ behaviours can catalyze improvement or worsen safety outcomes.
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Chandrakantan Subramaniam, Faridahwati Mohd. Shamsudin, Md. Lazim Mohd Zin, Subramaniam Sri Ramalu and Zuraida Hassan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of safety participation as a mediator in the relationship between the six facets of safety management practices (i.e. management…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of safety participation as a mediator in the relationship between the six facets of safety management practices (i.e. management commitment, safety training, worker’s involvement, safety communication and feedback, safety rules and procedures, and safety promotion policies) and safety compliance.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 74 employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia was carried out. Self-reported measures were used to obtain data on workplace safety dimensions and safety behavior. The partial least square structural model analysis was used to ascertain the proposed relationships.
Findings
The present study found that only three dimensions of safety management practices (management commitment, safety training, and safety rules and procedures) were significantly related to safety compliance. Of these, safety participation mediated the link between management commitment and safety training and safety compliance.
Research limitations/implications
The small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings. Second, the correlational nature of the study did not permit causation to be implied. However, despite these limitations, while safety performance can be theorized to trigger the establishment of safety management practices, such theoretical perspective tends to connote reactivity rather than proactivity of the decision-making process.
Practical implications
The study highlights the role of the voluntary behavior of employees in promoting a safe work environment. Business owners are recommended to provide safety training in which the employees are stressed on their crucial role in safety and use this knowledge to educate and convince their co-workers to work safely.
Originality/value
Literature indicates the lack of studies on safety research in SMEs. Furthermore, such studies are justified because SMEs are likely to have more risks of occupational accidents and injuries. More importantly, this research highlights the importance of the voluntary behaviors of employees (i.e. safety participation) in promoting a safe work environment. As SMEs tend to have limited resources to implement a comprehensive OSH management system, using the employees as the safety agents at work can be an effective way toward accomplishing safety performance.
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Beena Puthillath, Bhasi Marath and Babu Chembakthuparambil Ayappan
This study aims to explore the factors influencing electrical accidents. Here, the authors aim to understand and model the causes of electrical accidents at multiple levels.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the factors influencing electrical accidents. Here, the authors aim to understand and model the causes of electrical accidents at multiple levels.
Design/methodology/approach
In the study, the authors have tried to put causes of accidents in the electricity distribution segment, in the framework of the Swiss Cheese model. Delphi kind of expert survey was conducted to find the Cheese Slice (level) and the causes (holes) for electrical accidents. Inputs from a hundred experts having more than five years of experience in electrical utility companies have been used to find Cheese Slice and holes, to explain the occurrence of an electrical accident.
Findings
Effective training for safe work practices, safe knowledge and closer supervision would go a long way to plug the holes in the Cheese Slice in human factors. The difference in perception of managers, supervisors and workers on the importance of various causes of electrical accidents are also presented and discussed.
Research limitations/implications
This research is based on expert opinion and survey where respondent perception is reported. Actual accident data has not been used here.
Practical implications
The holes or causes of accidents at different levels (Cheese Slice) have been identified for plugging or removal for better safety.
Social implications
Electrical energy is widely used, and therefore, electrical safety is a social concern and also improving it is a social need.
Originality/value
The study contributes to electrical safety issues in the electrical utility sector.
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Justus N. Agumba and Theo C. Haupt
The purpose of this study was to investigate the personnel attributes perception on reliable and valid health and safety (H&S) practices within small- and medium-sized…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the personnel attributes perception on reliable and valid health and safety (H&S) practices within small- and medium-sized construction enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. It explores whether these valid and reliable H&S practices could be implemented based on the demographic attributes, namely, years of experience in the construction industry, number of years working in the current organisation and educational level.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method approach was used to conduct this research, namely, Delphi and questionnaire survey. A structured questionnaire consisting of 31 H&S practices categorised into five major H&S practices was developed from extensive literature review and the participation of 20 purposive sampled H&S experts. Sixteen H&S experts completed four iterations. A convenient sample of 1,450 SMEs was obtained. In total, 228 questionnaires were returned, of which 216 responses were useable for analysis. The data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to determine the validity, reliability and acceptability of the H&S practices. Finally, one-way ANOVA and t-test were conducted to determine personnel attributes perception on the implementation of the H&S practices.
Findings
The five major H&S practices (constructs), namely, upper management commitment and involvement in H&S, employee involvement and empowerment in H&S, project supervision, project H&S planning and communication in H&S and H&S resources and training, were retained as reliable and valid practices of H&S within construction SMEs at project level. One-way ANOVA established no statistical significant difference on the respondents’ perception of the H&S practices. However, t-test revealed statistically significant difference on the respondents’ perception on, upper management commitment and involvement in H&S and H&S resources and training. The respondents with post-matric qualification strongly agreed that upper management are committed and involved in H&S.
Originality/value
The findings may help construction SMEs to use these H&S practices to manage H&S in their projects. The SMEs may also consider the level of education of their personnel when implementing H&S practices of upper management and H&S resources and training.
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Maike Tietschert, Sophie Higgins, Alex Haynes, Raffaella Sadun and Sara J. Singer
Designing and developing safe systems has been a persistent challenge in health care, and in surgical settings in particular. In efforts to promote safety, safety culture, i.e.…
Abstract
Designing and developing safe systems has been a persistent challenge in health care, and in surgical settings in particular. In efforts to promote safety, safety culture, i.e., shared values regarding safety management, is considered a key driver of high-quality, safe healthcare delivery. However, changing organizational culture so that it emphasizes and promotes safety is often an elusive goal. The Safe Surgery Checklist is an innovative tool for improving safety culture and surgical care safety, but evidence about Safe Surgery Checklist effectiveness is mixed. We examined the relationship between changes in management practices and changes in perceived safety culture during implementation of safe surgery checklists. Using a pre-posttest design and survey methods, we evaluated Safe Surgery Checklist implementation in a national sample of 42 general acute care hospitals in a leading hospital network. We measured perceived management practices among managers (n = 99) using the World Management Survey. We measured perceived preoperative safety and safety culture among clinical operating room personnel (N = 2,380 (2016); N = 1,433 (2017)) using the Safe Surgical Practice Survey. We collected data in two consecutive years. Multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between changes in management practices and overall safety culture and perceived teamwork following Safe Surgery Checklist implementation.
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Yan Wang, Chunpeng Liu and Wenchao Zhao
This study employed a questionnaire survey to understand the safety attitudes, focusing on safety motivation and risk tolerance as well as safety management practices, including…
Abstract
Purpose
This study employed a questionnaire survey to understand the safety attitudes, focusing on safety motivation and risk tolerance as well as safety management practices, including safety training and safety incentives, among construction site employees, including both managerial personnel and frontline workers. The objective was to explore the relationship between safety management practices and safety attitudes within both the managerial and frontline worker groups.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted among 1,026 construction workers and 256 managerial personnel at 53 construction sites across 12 provinces in China. A t-test was used to compare the differences in safety-related scores between managerial personnel and frontline workers, and a structural equation model was used to explore the relationship between safety attitudes and safety management.
Findings
This study found that the scores of managerial personnel for safety motivation, safety training and safety incentives were significantly higher than construction workers, while their scores for risk tolerance were significantly lower than construction workers. Managerial personnel’s safety motivation has a significant positive impact on both safety training and safety incentives, while their risk tolerance has a significant negative impact on safety incentives. Safety training has a significant positive effect on construction workers’ safety motivation, whereas safety incentives have a significant negative impact on construction workers’ risk tolerance.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few that have investigated construction safety by conducting surveys targeting both site managerial personnel and frontline workers, employing an empirical approach to validate the role of safety management in transmitting safety attitudes from site managerial personnel to frontline workers.
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Saharani bin Jaafar, Weng Wai Choong and Abdul Hakim bin Mohamed
The purpose of this paper is to identify the facilities maintenance employees’ priority on safety management practices and relationship to safety performance. The study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the facilities maintenance employees’ priority on safety management practices and relationship to safety performance. The study aims to increase the safety performance among the facilities maintenance contractor by implementing safety management practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected by distributing questionnaire forms to the employees of selected facilities maintenance contractors representing general workers, technicians and executive- and the management-level employees. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and multiple regressions.
Findings
The descriptive results revealed that the employee priority on safety management practices is fairly “low”. The correlation and regression analyses tested and satisfied that management commitment, workers involvement in safety, safety training, safety communication and feedback, safety rules and procedures, and safety promotion policies significantly and strongly correlate with the degree and level of satisfaction to the safety performance.
Research limitations/implications
This research focuses only on facilities maintenance contractors working in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It is possible that respondents from other areas or states may allow comparisons across different locations.
Practical implications
There are many factors affecting safety performance. By implementing safety management practices, high safety performance can be achieved in the facilities maintenance organisations in Malaysia.
Originality/value
This paper presents empirical findings on the relationship between employee priority on safety management practices elements and safety performance.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine employees’ safety behaviours (ESBs) within the beverage manufacturing industry. It also assessed employees’ perception of their own safety…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine employees’ safety behaviours (ESBs) within the beverage manufacturing industry. It also assessed employees’ perception of their own safety behaviours. It further investigated the impact of organisational culture (OC) on ESBs. Finally, the study identified the likely determinants of ESBs.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey methodology was employed as an appropriate approach. In total, 197 valid questionnaires were retrieved from employees working in the beverage manufacturing industry. The questionnaires were processed for quantitative analyses to test the hypotheses. A simple regression analysis was carried out to assess employees’ perception of their own safety behaviours and to investigate the impact of OC on ESBs. Descriptive frequencies and percentages were used to identify the determinants of ESBs.
Findings
The results suggest that employees’ perception of their own safety behaviour was positive. OC was reported to have a strong positive impact on ESBs. Safe working conditions, job satisfaction and organisational leadership were identified as the key organisational determinants of safety behaviours among the employees.
Research limitations/implications
Interpreting these findings must be done with caution as the sample size was relatively small and solely obtained from four beverage manufacturing firms. Generalising the findings from this study must also be carefully done as the study is industry-specific and country-specific.
Practical implications
Besides the loss of talents through unsafe behaviours, accidents can hurt work performance, productivity and profitability of an organisation. Industry organisations and their managers can therefore implement perceptual, organisational and cultural interventions that reinforce appropriate safety behaviours among employees at the workplace.
Social implications
Understanding these cultural, perceptual and organisational perspectives on ESBs is not only a significant input for safety behavioural analysis and interventions but can also reduce the socioeconomic cost of unsafe and risk behaviours among employees at the firm, industry, national and global levels.
Originality/value
The empirical tests of employees’ perception of their own safety behaviours are heavily biased towards data originating from the developed country industry settings which suggest that the dynamics of ESBs in the less developed economies are likely to be unknown. This study is first to examine ESBs in a developing country beverage manufacturing industry setting.
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Mai Nguyen, Nicolas Pontes, Ashish Malik, Jaya Gupta and Ritika Gugnani
Amid challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering employee creativity has become paramount for organizations. However, there is a scarcity of research on digitalization of…
Abstract
Purpose
Amid challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering employee creativity has become paramount for organizations. However, there is a scarcity of research on digitalization of the workplace and its implications for implementing high involvement work systems (HIWSs) in organizations, particularly in relation to their impact on employee outcomes, such as creativity and job satisfaction. Additionally, limited attention has been given to the role of job level and organizational type in driving change during times of adversity. This study aims to examine the factors within the HIWSs model using the PIRK model – power (P), information sharing (I), rewards (R) and knowledge (K) to explore how HIWSs shape the extent of power individuals have over their employment, the sharing of information, the types of rewards that engage and motivate employees and the knowledge required to fulfil employees’ responsibilities effectively, both individually and collectively.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative research methodology, this study uses thematic analysis for data collection, analysis and interpretation. Semi-structured interviews (n = 48) served as the primary data collection method. Using the theoretical lenses of high-involvement practices and employee perceptions of PIRK, the effect on employee creativity and job satisfaction is analysed.
Findings
The findings of this study reveal that employee creativity is significantly influenced by how employees perceive power, information, rewards and knowledge. Moreover, the study highlights the role of transformational and transactional leadership in shaping employee perceptions of power, information and knowledge within HIWSs. A high perception of PIRK is found to positively impact employee job satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
This study offers valuable insights for human resource management (HRM) professionals seeking to make informed decisions regarding best practices and initiatives for enhancing employee outcomes in the post-COVID era. By recognizing the pivotal role of HIWSs and their influence on employee perceptions, organizations can strategically implement HIWSs to foster creativity and job satisfaction. Furthermore, this research contributes to the existing literature by examining the interplay between HIWSs and the PIRK model in the context of workplace digitalization, emphasizing the importance of adapting HRM practices to address the evolving needs of the modern workforce.
Originality/value
This study will help HRM professionals in making informed decisions on the best practices and initiatives to enhance employee outcomes in the post-COVID era. This paper adds to the existing literature on HIWS and PIRK in the context of workplace digitalization.
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Moses Ahomka Yeboah, Mustapha Kalvei, Linda Obeng Ansong and Abraham Ansong
We sought to examine the effect of responsible leadership on employee safety in the workplace both directly and indirectly through mediation effects of safety motivation and…
Abstract
Purpose
We sought to examine the effect of responsible leadership on employee safety in the workplace both directly and indirectly through mediation effects of safety motivation and safety culture in the oil and gas industry in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
We employed a quantitative approach (survey) to collect data from 226 pump attendants of the fuel stations in the Accra Metropolis. This study used PLS-SEM to test the research hypotheses in the study.
Findings
Our findings show that leaders’ responsible behaviours had a positive and significant impact on both their employees’ wellbeing and safety as well as their motivation to adhere to safety standards and also imbibe a sense of safety culture in the workplace. Furthermore, the inclusion of safety motivation and safety culture as mediating variables reveal that leaders’ ability to achieve a robust workplace safety through responsible leadership was partially contingent on these organisational factors.
Practical implications
We highlight that leaders should continuously improve their responsible leadership behaviours and also the management of oil and gas companies should encourage managers to focus on day-to-day interactions with employees on safety-related matters (e.g. effectively inspiring and motivating employees to adhere to safety standards and procedures and applying sanctions when necessary).
Originality/value
This study answers the recent calls for a contingency perspective on the relationship between leadership styles and organisational/employee level outcomes by providing empirical support for our conceptual model which identifies safety motivation and safety culture as important organisational factors by which responsible leaders can positively influence workplace safety.