Exploring positive psychological factor on safety behavior of Chinese aircraft maintenance technicians: The interplay of workplace well-being, work engagement, and leadership

Abstract

The safety behaviors of aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) are crucial in ensuring aviation safety. It is, therefore, vital to explore the factors associated with AMT safety behaviors and the underlying mechanisms. This study, drawing on self-determination theory and the broaden-and-build theory, explores the relationship between workplace well-being (WWB) and AMT safety behaviors within the framework of positive psychology. A sample of 593 Chinese AMTs (561 males and 32 females; average age = 27.28, SD = 3.73) anonymously completed questionnaires on demographic variables, WWB, work engagement, safety-specific transformational leadership (SSTL), and safety behavior. We utilized SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro (models 4 and 7), along with Amos 24.0, to conduct an empirical test of a moderated mediation model elucidating the relationship between WWB and safety behavior. The findings reveal a positive association between WWB and AMT safety behaviors, with work engagement acting as a partial mediator. Furthermore, SSTL was found to negatively moderate the positive association between WWB and work engagement, as well as the association between WWB and safety behavior through work engagement. Notably, the positive association between WWB and work engagement, and thus safety behavior, becomes more pronounced under lower SSTL conditions. In conclusion, this study makes theoretical contributions and offers practical insights for improving aircraft maintenance safety management practices.