Choi, B; Ahn, S and Lee, S H (2017) Role of social norms and social identifications in safety behavior of construction workers. I: Theoretical model of safety behavior under social influence. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(5): 04016124, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
During the last several decades, behavior-based safety (BBS) has drawn a considerable amount of attention in the construction industry. The focus of BBS is on improving construction workers' safety behavior through feedback and increased self-awareness and motivation. Among the influencing factors of safety behavior, social norm is known to be a powerful mechanism that regulates workers' safety behavior. However, it is unclear how social norms are developed and through which process social norms influence an individual worker's safety behavior in construction projects. Additionally, the temporary and contract-based nature of employment in construction projects makes understanding the influence of different social norms on workers' safety behavior in construction projects especially difficult. Given this background, this paper aims to better understand the process by which different social norms exert control over construction workers' safety behavior. To achieve this goal, empirical data were collected from 284 workers from eight construction sites in the United States, Korea, and Saudi Arabia using surveys, and the data were analyzed. The results demonstrate that workers' safety behavior is influenced by perceived management norm, perceived workgroup norm, and personal attitude, and perceived workgroup norm mediates the relationship between perceived management norm and safety behavior. In addition, it is shown that social identification with the project intensifies the relationship between perceived management norm and safety behavior and attenuates the relationship between perceived workgroup norm and safety behavior. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on construction safety by providing an explicative model for how social norms influence workers' safety behavior, and suggest that a sociopsychological approach to promote project identity and reinforce favorable social norms in construction workers can be an effective means of improving construction safety.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | labor and personnel issues; safety behavior; safety management; social identity; social influence; social norms |
| Index terms: | survey, social norms, motivation, construction site, United States, personnel, body of knowledge, social identity, safety management, construction safety, construction project, safety behaviour, employment, Saudi Arabia, influencing factor, construction industry, construction worker, identity |
| Subjects: | social justice, sociology, occupational health and safety management, environmental health, industry analysis, management, production management, Geography, work location, psychology, knowledge management, data collection methods, risk assessment, practitioner |
| Topics: | Site Management, Ethics, Human Resources, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Information Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here