Nailed it: How Work Passion Relates to Safety Behavior Amongst Construction Foremen

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the most physically dangerous fields in the world. Traditionally, safety research has focused on environmental hazards, organizational capacity, etc. More recently, psychological factors are recognized as critical in shaping safety behaviour. Among which, workplace passion is a powerful and entirely unexplored factor within construction safety research. This study investigated the relationship between work passion and safety behaviour. The research employed a questionnaire based on two existing validated scales- the Work Passion Scale (WPS) measuring four dimensions: Work Enjoyment, Self Motivation, Self Identity, and Sense of Learning, and the Safety Behaviour Scale (SBS). The respondents were experienced (M = 19.9 years), foremen (M = 43.2 years) spanning 51 different trades and approximately 50 different companies. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between overall Work Passion and Safety Behaviour (r = 0.322, p = .001). However, a dimensional specific analysis showed that Self Identity had the strongest relationship with safety behaviour (r = 0.451, p < .001), followed by Sense of Learning (r = 0.339, p < .001). Whereas Work Enjoyment (r = 0.096, p = .340) and Self Motivation (r = 0.091, p = .364) showed no significant relationship. These findings suggest that work passion can impact safety behaviour specifically in identity-based and learning-oriented dimensions. The study provides practical implications for the construction industry in recommending a shift from a compliance-oriented safety environment to a commitment oriented one.