The Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Safety Climate and Employee Behavior

Perceived organizational support (POS) has been found to enhance positive outcomes and performance for organizations (Kurtessis et al., 2017; Tian, Liu, & Yang, 2023). Safety professionals play a crucial role in shaping safety climate and occupational safety and health (OSH) practices, primarily through organizational support (Bunner, Prem, & Korunka, 2021; Nielsen, 2014; Lawrence, 2008). This support is directly linked to positive changes in safety climate and OSH practices. Employees with high levels of POS are more likely to engage in activities that benefit their organizations in the long term (Prysmakova & Lallatin, 2021). Organizational support theory offers an additional perspective on the relationship between organizational support and safety climate (Xia, Ding, Ling, & Tang, 2023).

Organizations that actively support safety create a positive safety climate, where employees value safety and have a positive attitude (Cheung & Zhang, 2020). Employees reciprocate this support by engaging in positive work-related behaviors (Settoon, Bennett, & Liden, 1996). This reciprocity leads employees to adopt safety behavior as a means of acknowledging the organization's support. In organizations with a strong safety climate, employees perceive greater support from the organization for their safety efforts. This perception motivates them to enhance safety behavior, benefiting both the organization and their own well-being. Conversely, in environments with a weak safety climate, employees' perception of organizational support weakens. This can lead to a decrease in safety behavior and potentially even unsafe behavior.