Unpacking the Relationship Between Empowerment Leadership and Electricity Worker’s Unsafe Behavior: A Multi-Moderated Mediation Approach

Ali Arhim, Ahmad Alzubi (), Kolawole Iyiola and Faith Umene Banje
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Ali Arhim: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Research and Studies, University of Mediterranean Karpasia, TRNC, 33010 Mersin, Turkey
Ahmad Alzubi: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Research and Studies, University of Mediterranean Karpasia, TRNC, 33010 Mersin, Turkey
Kolawole Iyiola: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Research and Studies, University of Mediterranean Karpasia, TRNC, 33010 Mersin, Turkey
Faith Umene Banje: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Research and Studies, University of Mediterranean Karpasia, TRNC, 33010 Mersin, Turkey

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: Ensuring workplace safety in high-risk sectors is critical to achieving sustainable productivity and occupational health, particularly in industries prone to unsafe practices. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), this study examines the impact of empowerment leadership (EL) on electricity workers’ unsafe behaviors (EWUBs) in Jordan, focusing on the mediating roles of safety motivation (SM) and work engagement (WE), as well as the moderating role of the error management climate (EMC). A quantitative approach was employed, collecting data from 409 electricity workers across various regions of Jordan. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) employing SmartPLS 4 to assess the relationships of these variables and AMOS 24.0 to compute the study measurement model’s internal consistency and construct validity. The results demonstrate that empowerment leadership significantly reduces electricity workers’ unsafe behaviors through increased safety motivation and work engagement. Furthermore, the error management climate moderates the relationship between empowerment leadership and work engagement (Estimate = 0.238, t = 7.783, <0.001) is stronger when the error management climate is high and weaker but also insignificant when the error management climate is low (Estimate = 0.045, t = 1.015, >0.05). The research highlights the crucial role of empowerment leadership in promoting safety motivation and work engagement, which (Estimate = 0.238, t = 7.783, <0.001) is stronger and essential for minimizing unsafe behavior in high-risk industries like electricity. The findings highlight the pivotal role of shaping employees’ unsafe behavior and offers practical implications for policymakers and institutions aiming to promote employees’ safety behavior. Future studies also emphasize fostering an error management climate to reinforce these effects and organizations should focus on leadership development and creating a supportive error management climate to maximize safety outcomes.

Keywords: empowerment leadership; safety motivation; electricity worker’s unsafe behavior; error management climate; work engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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