Employer safety obligations, transformational leadership and their interactive effects on employee safety performance

Jane Mullen,E Kevin Kelloway,Michael Teed

doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2016.09.007

Abstract

We examine the moderating effect of safety-specific transformational leadership on the relationship between perceived employer safety obligations and employee safety performance behavior and attitudes. Drawing on social exchange theory, and using data from a cross-sectional (N=115) and a longitudinal (N=140) sample of trade employees, we show that perceived employer safety obligations are positively associated with employee safety compliance, safety participation and attitudes. Safety-specific transformational leadership was positively and significantly associated with employee safety compliance, safety participation and safety attitudes. Leadership also acted as a moderator such that the relationships between perceived employer safety obligations and the safety outcomes (safety compliance, safety participation, safety attitudes) are stronger when safety-specific transformational leadership is high, as opposed to when low. We provide theoretical and practical implications stemming from this study and suggest directions for future research aimed at improving safety performance behavior and attitudes within organizations.

Highlights

There is a growing interest in both organizational and leader influences on safety performance behavior (Katz-Navon et al, 2005; Nahrgang et al, 2007; Hofmann et al, 2003)
We empirically evaluate the hypothesis that leaders who engage in safety transformational leadership enhance any positive effects of perceived employer safety obligations on employee safety performance behavior and attitudes
Our findings provide a unique contribution and we demonstrate that safety-specific transformational leadership strengthens the positive relationship between employer safety obligations and employee safety compliance, safety participation and safety attitudes

Summary

Introduction

There is a growing interest in both organizational and leader influences on safety performance behavior (Katz-Navon et al, 2005; Nahrgang et al, 2007; Hofmann et al, 2003) It has been well established in the literature that leadership is an important antecedent of employee safety performance behavior in organizations (Clarke, 2013), little is known about the role leadership plays in predicting safety performance when combined with other organizational safety influences. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Commerce Department, Ron Joyce Centre for Business psychological contract theory (Rousseau, 1989), social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and the concept of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960), Walker and Hutton (2006) demonstrated that employees will reciprocate perceived employer safety obligations with positive safety behavior. Reciprocity between management and employees has been demonstrated in studies examining leader-member exchange and safety performance behavior such that employees reciprocate high quality relationships with their supervisor by engaging in positive safety behaviors (Hofmann and Morgeson, 1999; Hofmann et al, 2003)

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