Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies

First Advisor

Jason J. Campbell

Second Advisor

Robin Cooper

Third Advisor

Ismael Muvingi

Keywords

Climate of Safety, Construction, Culture of Safety, Safety, Systems Theory, Workplace Safety

Abstract

Despite the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) more than 30 years ago, the construction industry is in conflict with itself. It is locked in a struggle to effectively keep its workforce protected from unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, or a combination of both. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the United States every day, with the fatal injury rate for the construction industry higher than the national average when compared to all industries. There have been many studies documenting these conditions, but no study has examined leadership styles and their impact on the climate of safety. This study examined the relationship between management’s leadership style and the perception of a climate of safety; the relationship between workers’ perception of leadership style and the perception of a climate of safety; and the relationship between the size of the workforce, the manager’s leadership style, and the perception regarding the climate of safety. The outcomes contribute to the field of conflict resolution as they offer the ability to move from incongruities regarding perceived worker safety to discussions and solutions that are aimed at influencing those policies and procedures at the organizational level that will ensure that a construction worker can perform his or her job free from dangerous work conditions.

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