Do Family Affairs Matter? Work–Family Conflict and Safety Behavior of Construction Workers

Abstract

Despite the extensive literature on workplace safety, the effect of work–family conflict on safety behavior has received little attention. This study aims to examine why and how bidirectional work–family conflict—work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC)—influences the safety behavior of construction workers. We propose hypotheses on the relationship between work–family conflict and safety behavior, the mediating effect of work engagement, and the moderating effect of family supportive supervisor behavior (FSSB). Data collected from 172 Chinese construction workers were analyzed using structural equation modeling. It was found that WFC had negative effects on safety compliance and safety participation, while FWC was only negatively related to safety participation. Meanwhile, work engagement was found to mediate the relationships between WFC and safety participation and between FWC and safety behavior. Finally, FSSB buffered the negative relationship between WFC and safety participation via work engagement. This study extends understandings of the influence mechanism and governance path of work–family conflict on safety behavior in the construction context and provides implications for improving safety behavior from the perspective of work–family balance.