The Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Construction Worker Safety Behavior

This study investigates the influence of perceived organizational support on employee safety behavior, specifically within the construction industry. Our findings provide empirical evidence that perceived organizational support positively influences construction worker safety behavior. This aligns with organizational support theory (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, and Sowa, 1986), suggesting that employees who perceive high levels of organizational support feel an implicit obligation to reciprocate, benefitting the organization and future reciprocity. This supports previous research highlighting the predictive role of perceived organizational support in fostering safety behavior (Liu, Yang, & Mei, 2021; Puah, Ong, & Chong, 2016; Laurent, Chmiel, & Hansez, 2021; Yu, Qin, & Li, 2022).

Perceived organizational support encompasses three dimensions: working support, identifying value, and caring about well-being. All three positively impact safety compliance and participation. Identifying value shows a particularly strong positive correlation with safety compliance, while working support significantly influences safety participation. Employees may perceive organizational support as an indicator of the organization's intentions, motivating them to invest effort in exchange for rewards and recognition (Lynch, Eisenberger, & Armeli, 1999). Perceived organizational support, a deliberate process emphasizing care and attention given to employees (Liao, Toya, Lepak, & Hong, 2009), contributes to positive organizational outcomes. Stronger perceived organizational support correlates with improved employee performance and reduced willingness to leave (Zhong, Wayne, & Liden, 2016).

Social exchange theory, as proposed by Blau (2017), helps explain how managerial behavior shapes employee perceptions of organizational support, ultimately influencing employee behavior (DeJoy, Della, Vandenberg, & Wilson, 2010). This theory illuminates the reciprocal relationship between employees and organizations. When construction workers observe their organizations prioritizing safety education, valuing safety management, and actively addressing employee safety concerns (Liu, Yang, & Mei, 2021), they perceive a positive organizational safety orientation. Consequently, they are more likely to adhere to safety rules, exhibit safer work practices, initiate safety-related communication (Hofmann & Morgeson, 1999), and engage in other safety-related activities (Griffin & Neal, 2000).

Furthermore, perceived supervisor support for safety positively impacts safety compliance behavior (Puah, Ong, & Chong, 2016). This support can be further categorized into perceived supervisor support and perceived colleague support, both positively correlated with safety compliance. While this study employs a different categorization of safety behavior, it aligns with Liu, Yang, and Mei's (2021) findings, which code safety behavior into safety task behavior and safety citizenship behavior. Both studies underscore the positive impact of perceived organizational support on safety behavior in the construction industry.