Journal
JOURNAL OF SAFETY RESEARCH
Volume 36, Issue 2, Pages 171-179Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2005.03.002
Keywords
management; commitment; support; hourly; attitudes
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Introduction: Employee perceptions of management commitment to safety are known to influence important safety-related outcomes. However, little work has been conducted to explore nonsafety-related outcomes resulting from a commitment to safety. Method: Employee-level outcomes critical to the effective functioning of an organization, including attitudes such as job satisfaction and commitment to the organization, were included on surveys given to 641 hourly production employees at three wood products manufacturing facilities. Participants' were asked about perceptions of management commitment to safety and job-related variables such as perceived dangerousness of their position, organizational commitment, and withdrawal behaviors. Supervisors also rated the performance of each of their hourly subordinates. Results: Results suggest that employee outcomes differ based on perceptions of management's commitment to safety. Specifically, management commitment to safety was positively related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job-related performance. We also found a negative relationship between commitment to safety and employee withdrawal behaviors. Conclusions: Our results suggest that increasing employee perceptions of management's personal concern for employee wellbeing through a dedication to safety will result in positive outcomes beyond improved safety performance. These results also imply that there is a type of social exchange between employees and management that may affect employees similarly to perceived organizational support. Impact on Industry: Results further reinforce the value of a commitment to safety by a firm's management. Organizations with a strong commitment to safety may enjoy not only a reduction in safety-related events but also increases in desirable employee attitudes and behaviors. (c) 2005 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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