Jin Lee of Kansas State University

“Good” Safety Climate Alone May Not be Enough: Impacts of Climate Strength on Safety Behavior

The present study examines the moderating effect of safety climate strength (degree of perceptual agreement/consensus) among workgroup members on the relationship between safety climate level and safety behavior. Data from 2,043 electrical utility workers across 183 workgroups in two companies was analyzed. A significant interaction between safety climate strength and level was found, such that weaker safety climate strength tended to attenuate the safety climate level and safety behavior relationship. This moderation effect remained significant when potential alternatives of safety climate strength, such as workers’ company tenure both at individual- and workgroup-levels, task independence, and individualistic tasks, were individually introduced to the model. In addition, the lowest within-workgroup safety climate perception scores had a greater moderating effect on the safety climate level and safety behavior relationship than the highest within-workgroup safety climate perception scores. Conjoint management of safety climate level and strength may be needed for more effective promotion of workplace safety.