Safety communication, safety culture, and safety leadership on safety participation among manufacturing employees

Abstract

In Malaysia, industrialization alongside with the proliferation of the population has resulted in an increase in occupational injuries at workplace. According to the latest statistics, the reported accidents stated that out of 10,000 employees, 99 employees have been involved in workplace accidents. An accident does not happen by chance as it is an interplay between several factors in an organization. Thus, employees’ safety participation is important to raise employees’ awareness for a safer workplace. This research aimed at examining the moderated mediation effect of safety leadership on the relationship between safety communication and safety participation through the safety culture among employees of Malaysian manufacturing companies. A total of 442 operators from electrical and electronic factories in Negeri Sembilan were chosen as respondents of the study. The variables were examined using the Safety Participation Scale, Safety Communication Scale, Safety Culture Scale, and Safety Leadership Scale. Data were analyzed using simple linear regression, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and path analysis using AMOS Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), while analytic approach to examine moderated mediation was conducted using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) 18.0 software. The findings revealed that safety culture plays significant roles as mediator as well as safety leadership in the relationship between safety communication and safety participation. It was found that moderated mediation exists when safety leadership strengthened the relationship of safety communication and safety participation through safety culture. Several limitations of this study were noteworthy. Firstly, the feedbacks may be biased in self-reported questionnaire, which solely depends on respondents’ perceptions rather than direct observation to the phenomenon of interest. Secondly, the findings were not able to represent the different population as the results they only valid and reflect the characteristics of the targeted population which is Malaysian manufacturing employees. According to the findings, it is recommended that proactive safety communication, good safety leadership, and positive safety culture should be practiced in organizations. These increase employees’ willingness to participate in safety activities for ensuring safer workplace.