Lawani, K; Hare, B and Cameron, I (2019) Evaluating workplace trust as a construct of worker engagement in construction. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 172(3), pp. 125-134. ISSN 17514304
Abstract
This qualitative study developed task-based trust themes and a framework-'lack of trust', 'ability' (skill, experience and competence), 'benevolence' and 'company integrity'-from interviews based on the perceptions of workers regarding occupational safety and health (OSH) practices. The phenomenological study adopted semi-structured interviews involving engaged workers until saturation. An additional 22 workers participated in validating the trust framework. Findings suggest that no worker perceived lack of trust within their organisations. Two workers perceived their own skill, knowledge and experience and that of other workers to work safely, but considered their organisation to lack genuine care and company integrity. Six workers acknowledged the presence of ability and genuine benevolence within their workplace. However, they identified lack of company integrity from their management regarding OSH practices. Fourteen workers identified ability, genuine benevolence and company integrity qualities and that their management adhere to sets of principles that they find acceptable and consistent. They also recognised their workplaces to have a strong and transparent organisational leadership and integrity. This study of workplace trust, which is part of a wider study, involves the development of a worker engagement maturity model and a prototype digital tool which would be useful for assessing existing workforce engagement towards improving construction OSH practices.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health and safety; management; safety and hazards |
| Index terms: | presence, occupational safety and health, maturity model, phenomenological study, integrity, qualitative study, competence, health and safety, interview, worker engagement, prototype |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, research design and methodology, modelling and simulation, management, methods and analysis, personnel development, occupational health and safety management, environmental science, health safety and environment, evaluation |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Human Resources, Research Practice |
| 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