Can family-work conflict influence safety behavior in airline pilots? The mediating role of fatigue and the moderating role of extraversion

Abstract

Airline pilot safety behavior is vital to inflight safety. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, this study examined whether family-work conflict (FWC) would influence airline pilot safety behavior, whether fatigue would mediate the link between FWC and safety behavior, and whether extraversion would play a moderating role in the relationships. Data were obtained by investigating a sample of 331 civil pilots and their supervisors from two Chinese airlines. The results showed that FWC negatively affected safety behavior (including safety compliance and safety participation), and fatigue played a mediating role in these relationships. Furthermore, the findings suggested that higher levels of extraversion mitigated the effect of FWC on fatigue, as well as the effect of FWC on safety compliance and safety participation. These findings demonstrated a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which FWC influences pilots’ safety behavior and contributed to occupational safety literature. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research directions are provided and discussed.