Examining the Psychological Contract as Mediator between the Safety Behavior of Supervisors and Workers on Construction Sites

Abstract

Issues regarding relationships between supervisor safety behavior (SSB) and worker safety behavior (WSB) are well recognized in construction management research. Nevertheless, how safety plans are articulated through the actions of supervisors to the workforce remains unclear. By conceptualizing safety from the window of the “psychological contract” (PC), this research proposes that if the “psychological contract of safety” (PCS)—if reciprocal commitments between a supervisor and a worker are fulfilled—then WSB will be positively influenced. Using a PCS scale based on employer obligations, multilevel surveys were performed at five construction sites in Sydney, Australia, and data from 352 workers associated with a mega-construction project were collected. A hypothetical model proposing the PCS as an intervention is presented. The model is validated using structural equation modeling (SEM), the data reliability and validity of the survey findings are ensured, and the goodness of fit of the proposed model was examined. The results indicate that PCS successfully mediates the relationship between two important safety agents—the supervisor and the worker. When addressing the research gap, this article explains how the concept of PCS can be further utilized to investigate safety issues that are regularly raised. In addition, new avenues for researchers and practitioners are suggested to consider the social exchange relationships at construction sites. Using the validated PCS model and understanding the level of fulfillment, construction supervisors may influence workers’ behavior with greater confidence. Furthermore, when finding a low level of fulfillment of PCS, senior managers can deliver training to supervisors to improve their safety behavior to the benefit of WSB.