Consumer approach intentions amid COVID-19: the role of safety compliance and perceived risk

Purpose This study aims to investigate how employee and other-consumer safety compliance amid the COVID-19 outbreak influences a focal consumer’s intention to approach a service establishment. The study also examines the three-way interaction effect of employee compliance, other-consumer compliance and perceived threat associated with COVID-19 on approach intentions. Design/methodology/approach This study uses an experimental approach with a 2 (employee safety compliance: low vs high) × 2 (other-consumer safety compliance: low vs high) × 2 (consumer perceived threat from COVID-19: low vs high) between-subjects design. Students were trained to recruit a convenience sample of 827 consumers in Qatar and data were analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Findings Employee safety compliance has a positive impact on the consumer’s approach intentions. Employee safety compliance has a bigger impact on approach intentions if other consumers in the service environment are also compliant with safety measures and even a greater effect when the perceived threat from COVID-19 is high. The effect of the interaction between employee and other-consumer safety compliance is significantly different under two levels of perceived threat. Practical implications To enhance approach intentions, managers should start by establishing and maintaining safety compliance among employees and then achieving compliance among consumers. Achieving compliance among employees and consumers has a positive impact on approach intentions despite the focal consumer’s perceived risk associated with COVID-19. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate how the safety compliance of employees and other consumers jointly affects consumers’ approach intentions during a global pandemic, and it is among very few attempts to manipulate dimensions of the social servicescape.

Assessing Safety Culture and its Relationship with Mental Load and Job Stress in the National Gas Company

Background: Accidents may occur for varying reasons, including unsafe behaviors, which originate from the safety culture of the organization. Job stress and mental load may also be contributory to accidents. This study aimed to assess safety culture and its relationship with mental load and job stress in a national gas company in Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of one year. This study used the NASA-TLX task load index, a standard questionnaire approved by the American National Institute of Mental Health to measure job stress, and the standard Health and Safety Executive safety culture questionnaire. All personnel was counted, and the total number of employees was 122. Statistical methods of t-test, correlation coefficient, and averaging have been used. Data were collected and analyzed in SPSS software and Microsoft Excel software. Results: The average mental load of employees was 61.51, i.e., moderate level. The average job stress and employee safety culture were 180.43, i.e., high level, and 331.34, i.e., desired level. The mental load was assessed as moderate, safety culture was optimal, and job stress was high. A significant relation was found between safety culture and mental load (correlation coefficient: -0.278; p = 0.03). Besides, the mental load was significantly related to job stress (correlation coefficient=0.293; p = 0.2). Conclusion: Controlling stress and reducing the mental load in sensitive work environments is important and can lead to a higher level of safety culture in the organization.

Textronics spacer knitted material tests as a key element of the diagnostic system that monitors above the proper level of seat vibration

This research is focused on the construction and examination of a prototype of a spacer knitted material with integrated sensors. The combination of textiles with elements of electronics, computer science, and a knowledge of automation is called textronics. This type of material has been proposed as a component of diagnostic systems to monitor the extension level of vibration in employee seats at selected workstations or in children’s chairs. The purpose of the diagnostic system is to improve personal protective equipment (PPE) and increase employee safety. The spacer knitted material was tested with vibration frequencies in the range of 0–40 Hz to develop metrological properties under reproducible and repeatable conditions. The tested spacer knitted material meets the requirements of sensory properties such as vibration. The tested material is characterized by the following metrological parameters: total uncertainty U = 4.5%, sensitivity Sa = 0.64 [V/s2/m] and excitability threshold of 5 Pa with simultaneous high coefficient of low-frequency vibration damping of effective amplitude transmissibility (SEAT) = 2.3. Spacer knitted materials are modern constructs that enable the creation of new hybrid structures that have other properties, e.g., sensory suppression, in addition to spatial form.

The Effect of Abusive Supervision on Safety Behaviour: A Moderated Mediation Model

Leadership behavior has an impact on the behavior of employees. Previous studies have mainly studied the impact of positive leadership behaviors on employees’ behaviors, but there is an absence of research on the impact of negative leadership behaviours (abusive supervision) on safety behaviours (including safety participation and safety compliance). In this study, 599 front-line employees in the petrochemical industry were selected as subjects. Abusive supervision, safety behaviour, safety motivation and a conscientiousness questionnaire were used as measurements to explore the relationship between abusive supervision and employee safety behaviors, and to further explore the roles of safety motivation, conscientiousness and the relationship between them. This study found that abusive supervision is negatively related to employee safety behaviours (safety compliance and safety participation); that safety motivation plays a mediating role in the relationship between abusive supervision and employees’ safety behavior; and that conscientiousness moderates the role of safety motivation between the relationship of abusive supervision and employees’ safety behaviour. With a higher level of conscientiousness, the indirect relationship between abusive supervision and employee safety behaviours is weaker. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical significance of these findings for abusive supervision and the management of safety behaviours.

Job insecurity and employees' safety voice behavior – a managerial dilemma caused by COVID-19

PurposeThe world is witnessing enormous changes due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. One of the unkind changes is the increased downsizing and layoffs, which has led to a situation of job insecurity. Moreover, due to the unavailability of a cure for the pandemic, the businesses have started their operations with added safety measures that demand a high level of employee safety behavior. But how job insecurity and safety voice may stay in one sheath is an area that requires attention. Hence, this study investigates the impact of job insecurity on employees' safety voice behavior in a COVID-19 outbreak, through serial mediation mechanisms of organizational support and trust.Design/methodology/approachData has been collected through a structured questionnaire from the sample (N = 213) of employees of service organizations.FindingsFindings of the study reveal that job insecurity is not directly linked with safety voice behavior, and therefore full mediation through perceived organizational support and trust is supported is proved.Originality/valueThis study covers the investigation of job insecurity, during pandemic COVID-19, and its effects on safety voice. It also explains the mechanism between the variables of interest through perceived organizational support and trust in the organization. The study is a timely contribution to the existing literature and offers both theoretical and managerial implications.

Total Worker Health® and Small Business Employee Perceptions of Health Climate, Safety Climate, and Well-Being during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic created workplace challenges for employee safety and health, especially in small enterprises. We used linear mixed-effects regression to examine changes in health climate, safety climate, and worker well-being, prior to the pandemic and at two timepoints during it. We also examined whether employees at organizations that had received a TWH leadership development intervention prior to COVID-19 would better maintain pre-pandemic perceptions of climates and well-being. The final study cohort consisted of 261 employees from 31 organizations. No differences were observed in mean outcome scores between the leadership intervention groups at any of the survey timepoints. We combined intervention groups to examine the difference across timepoints. Perceptions of health and safety climates remained stable across all timepoints. However, employee well-being scores declined between the pre-pandemic period and subsequent COVID-19 timepoints. These findings suggest that while small organizations continued to be viewed as supporting employees’ health and safety over the course of the pandemic, well-being scores declined, indicating that other factors contributed to decreased well-being. The findings from this study have implications for small business leaders as they navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, safety, and well-being on their organizations and employees.

The Influence of Leadership Communication in Socialization of Occupational Health and Safety Program on Employee Safety

Worker activities are very important for the company's productivity, especially for large-scale industrial sectors such as PT. Pabrik Kertas Indonesia, Mojokerto. The purpose of this research is to find out the influence of heavy equipment pool leaders on employee safety simultaneously and partially with the theory of superior communication in organizational communication. This quantitative research uses statistical testing of two variables namely independent variable (X) and dependent variable (Y). the independent variable used by researchers is leadership communication (X), while the dependent variable is employee safety (Y). This research is in the Heavy Equipment Pool (HEP) section of PT. Pakerin in the Bangun, Pungging Mojokerto. This study used 50 respondents to answer the questionnaire given. The results of the questionnaire were then processed using simple linear regression analysis techniques using the SPSS 16.0 program. The results showed that there is an influence of leadership communication in the socialization of OHS program on employee safety at HEP of PT. Pakerin is positive and significant with R of 0.285 which belongs to the weak category. The amount of influence or determination value (R square) is indicated at 8.1%. From the results of the F test and T Test can be concluded that H1 can be accepted with the meaning of communication leadership has an influence in the socialization of the OHS program on the safety of employees in the Heavy Equipment Pool section of PT. Pakerin Mojokerto.