Masculine Gender Norms and Adverse Workplace Safety Outcomes: The Role of Sexual Orientation and Risky Safety Behaviors

Christopher Austin,Tahira M Probst

doi:10.3390/safety7030055

Christopher Austin, Tahira M Probst

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/safety7030055

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Abstract

The current study tested the proposition that higher conformity to masculine gender norms (CMGN) is associated with increased safety risk-taking behaviors, which in turn are related to more accidents, injuries, and higher levels of accident underreporting. Additionally, we proposed that sexual minority status would exacerbate the relationship between conformity to masculine gender norms and safety risk-taking behaviors. Using two-wave lagged survey data obtained from N = 403 working adults, findings supported the proposed moderated-mediation model. High conformity to masculine gender norms was associated with increased safety risk-taking behaviors, accidents, injuries, and accident underreporting. Moreover, the relationship between CMGN and safety-risk-taking behaviors was stronger among homosexual men compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Additionally, safety risk-taking behaviors mediated the relationship between CMGN and safety outcomes. Finally, this indirect effect was stronger among homosexual men. Combined, these findings suggest that CMGN adversely impacts employee safety outcomes via safety-related risk-taking. We discuss these implications as well as the need for interventions designed to decrease risk taking behaviors in light of CMGN, particularly among sexual minorities.

Highlights

Examining the inter-scale correlations associated with the tested lagged model, T1 conformity to masculine gender norms (CMGN) was significantly and positively associated with T1 safety risk-taking behavior (r (403) = 0.44, p < 0.001), as well as T2 experienced accidents for both the recall (r (399) = 0.25, p < 0.001) and recognition measure (r (398) = 0.34, p < 0.001), accident underreporting (r (393) = 0.14, p < 0.001), and workplace injuries (r (403) = 0.30, p < 0.001)
This implies that, consistent with Hypothesis 1, stronger CMGN is associated with more safety risk-taking behaviors, workplace accidents, injuries, and accident underreporting
CMGN was not significantly associated with sexual orientation (r (403) = 0.07, p = 0.179), suggesting that conformity to masculine gender norms does not differ by sexual orientation

Summary

Introduction

In 2017 alone, 2.78 million fatal and 374 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occurred worldwide, costing global employers roughly USD 2.99 trillion [1]. 2.8 million of these non-fatal accidents occurred within the United States, costing U.S employers roughly USD 1 billion weekly in revenue [2,3]. Research has determined several antecedents associated with the prevalence of occupational accidents, injuries, and employee reporting behaviors. In their recent meta-analysis on person- and situation-related antecedents of safety performance behaviors and outcomes, Christian et al [7] propose a serial multiple mediation model of occupational safety. Findings provide evidence for the indirect effect of distal situation- and person-related factors on safety outcomes (i.e., accidents and injuries) via proximal person-related factors (i.e., safety motivation and knowledge) and safety performance [7]

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