Safety climate profiles in remote workers: Association with key predictors and outcomes at the team level. (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, Bowen; He, Yimin; Lee, Jin; Huang, Yueng-hsiang; Li, Yongjuan
• Is Part Of: Safety science. Volume 145(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: Safety climate -- Remote workers -- Latent profile analysis -- Safety behaviors -- Leader–member exchange; Industrial accidents -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Safety -- Periodicals; Travail -- Accidents -- Périodiques; 363.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105477
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-7535

Abstract

Highlights: Latent profile analysis revealed five distinct safety climate profiles. Low leader-member exchange associated with group-focused and organization-focused profiles. Low ownership associated with an increased likelihood of membership in the group-focused profile. Comprehensive profile associated with desirable levels of engagement and safety behaviors. Extends safety research by exploring implications of safety climate profiles in lone worker teams. Abstract: Research has demonstrated that the safety climate is a robust predictor of safety behaviors and workplace incidents. However, previous studies primarily focused on safety climate as a whole and overlooked distinct configurations of safety climate dimensions as well as their antecedents and outcomes. The present research examined safety climate profiles with 2421 remote workers on 183 teams. In addition, this study investigated the roles of leader–member exchange and psychological ownership as antecedents of safety climate profiles and whether safety climate profiles were associated with work engagement and safety behaviors. Latent profile analysis revealed five safety climate profiles: group-focused, conflicted, organization-focused, comprehensive, and outstanding . Results also showed that low leader–member exchange was associated with membership in group-focused and organization-focused profiles rather than comprehensive profiles, while low ownership was associated with an increased likelihood of membership in the group-focused profile compared to the comprehensive profile. Furthermore, only the organization-fo cused profile was associated with undesirable levels of engagement and safety behaviors, in contrast to a comprehensive profile. This study contributes to the safety climate literature by identifying safety climate profiles and their implications in remote worker teams. The findings call for the fine-tuned assessment and analysis of safety climate for effective workplace safety promotion.