Kang, C X; Chai, C and Lee, C K (2024) A comprehensive analysis of safety predictors in construction sites: A DEMATEL-based model. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 29(2), pp. 37-58. ISSN 1823-6499
Abstract
The construction industry, vital for economic growth and human capital development, faces significant safety challenges, particularly in the Malaysian context. Despite technological advancements, addressing safety concerns necessitates a deeper understanding of behavioural interventions. This study explores the critical factors influencing safety compliance intention and safety participation in the Malaysian construction industry, utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as its theoretical framework. TPB posits that actual behaviour can be predicted by intention, while the formation of intention is mainly determined by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Despite the posited framework considering TPB, there is no evidence to prove the correlation between safety predictors, safety compliance intention and safety participation. This study examines the influence of safety predictors on safety compliance intention and safety participation by using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. Based on the DEMATEL technique, 25 experts were invited to provide pairwise ranking on the predictors influencing safety compliance intention and safety participation. The predictors examined in the study include “Attitude”, “Subjective norm”, “Perceived behavioural control”, “Types of leadership styles”, “Safety knowledge”, “Safety climate”, “Safety motivation”, “Risk perception” and “Communication”. Among these predictors, the study revealed significant relationships between all safety predictors, with “Attitude” emerging as the most impactful predictor. Organisations should prioritise this to enhance safety performance. Safety performance in construction projects can be improved and intervened in when the interrelationships between safety predictors, safety compliance intention and safety participation are fully understood.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | DEMATEL; safety compliance intention; safety participation; safety predictors; theory of planned behaviour |
| Index terms: | safety climate, compliance, laboratory, motivation, leadership style, construction site, face, risk perception, evidence, construction project, decision-making, safety performance, human capital, critical factor, planned behaviour, economic growth, subjective norm, construction industry |
| Subjects: | occupational health and safety management, social justice, research management, decision analysis, industry analysis, leadership, environmental hazards, behavioral psychology, economic development, economics, health safety and environment, production management, psychology, work location, risk assessment, evaluation and assessment methods |
| Topics: | Ethics, Human Resources, Site Management, Organizational Design, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Project Management, Risk Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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