Does social compliance affect the remaining safety culture in supply chains? Framework in the textile industry

Abstract

Social Compliance audits aim to ensure a safe and healthy working environment, focusing on child labour, occupational health, safety, and discrimination. Safety culture, encompassing attitudes and behaviours promoting workplace safety from top management to employees, is of paramount importance. This study examines the impact of social compliance audits on safety culture in three textile factories located in different provinces of Türkiye, selected based on audit effectiveness. Questionnaires were administered to 280 participants, and path analysis using SPSS v28 and SPSS Amos v26 programs was conducted. The analysis reveals that social compliance significantly influences safety culture through factors such as safety climate, performance, risk awareness, and fatalism. Audited factories demonstrate a strong alignment with safety culture compared to non-audited ones, with safety performance being the most influential aspect. Positive relationships between safety climate and performance are observed across all three factories. In conclusion, this study highlights the responsibility of factory management for employee health, safety, social rights, and quality of life. It emphasizes the positive impact of proactively fulfilling compliance measures on both employees and the company. The authors suggest that making social compliance audits mandatory across various sectors, not just textiles, could enhance product quality and employee satisfaction. Further research is needed to explore the significance of these audits on management and employee performance.