Modeling the Relationship between Safety Climate and Safety Performance in a Developing Construction Industry: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study

Abstract

This study attempts to validate a safety performance (SP) measurement model in the cross-cultural setting of a developing country. In addition, it highlights the variations in investigating the relationship between safety climate (SC) factors and SP indicators. The data were collected from forty under-construction multi-storey building projects in Pakistan. Based on the results of exploratory factor analysis, a SP measurement model was hypothesized. It was tested and validated by conducting confirmatory factor analysis on calibration and validation sub-samples respectively. The study confirmed the significant positive impact of SC on <i>safety compliance</i> and <i>safety participation</i>, and negative impact on <i>number of self-reported accidents/injuries</i>. However, <i>number of near-misses</i> could not be retained in the final SP model because it attained a lower standardized path coefficient value. Moreover, instead of <i>safety participation</i>, <i>safety compliance</i> established a stronger impact on SP. The study uncovered <i>safety enforcement and promotion</i> as a novel SC factor, whereas <i>safety rules and work practices</i> was identified as the most neglected factor. The study contributed to the body of knowledge by unveiling the deviations in existing dimensions of SC and SP. The refined model is expected to concisely measure the SP in the Pakistani construction industry, however, caution must be exercised while generalizing the study results to other developing countries.