Moderating effect of trust on the relationship between safety management practices and safety performance in Pakistani construction industry

In recent times, there has been an increasing trend in construction industry regarding safety management practices and safety performance. Therefore, the construction industry need to focus on safety management practices to achieve better safety performance. The current study explicitly aims to investigate the moderating role of trust on the relationship between safety management practices (management commitment, safety training, workers involvement, safety communication & feedback, safety rules & procedures and safety promotion policies) and safety performance (safety compliance & safety participation). The study was established on Social Exchange Theory to fill the gap between safety management practices, trust and safety performance. A total of 346 workers from Pakistani construction industry were participated in this research. Data was analyzed by using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The result found that safety training, workers involvement, safety communication and feedback and safety promotion polices have direct impact on safety compliance. In addition, the findings revealed that management commitment, safety training, workers involvement, safety rules and procedures and safety promotion polices directly impacted safety participation. Moreover, trust moderated the relationship between management commitment and safety compliance, safety training and safety compliance and safety promotion policies and safety compliance. Additionally, trust also moderated the relationship between safety training and safety participation and safety promotion policies and safety participation. Therefore, it can be decided that construction industry need to focus on safety management practices and contemplate worker’s trust in order to enhance safety performance. Finally, research implications (theoretical & practical), research limitations and suggestions for future research are presented.