Investigating the Effects of Personality on the Safety Behavior of Gold Mine Workers: A Moderated Mediation Approach

Abstract

Based on prior research on the relationship between personality and safety behavior, we construct a moderated mediation model that tests the effects of each of the Big Five personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism) on the safety behavior of gold miners in Ghana. The model included safety competency as a mediator between the five personality traits and safety behavior. Management commitment to safety was used as a moderator to test the strength of the mediation of safety competency. Data was collected from 344 individuals employed across six large-scale gold mining companies in Ghana using a questionnaire survey. Amos 26 was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis. The hypotheses were tested using Hayes PROCESS macros models 4 and 7 on SPSS 26. Findings show that openness and extraversion have an insignificant direct influence on safety behavior. Neuroticism negatively affects safety behavior. In contrast, conscientiousness and agreeableness positively affect safety behavior. Mediation analysis revealed that safety competency partially mediates the relationships between (1) conscientiousness and safety behavior and (2) agreeableness and safety behavior. The relationship between extraversion and safety behavior is fully mediated by safety competency. Additionally, we discovered that management safety commitment has a significant conditional indirect effect (Index of moderated mediation = 0.168 95% CI = [0.122;0.222]) on the relationship between conscientiousness and safety behavior through safety competency. Management safety commitment also significantly moderated (Index of moderated mediation = 0.075 95% CI = [0.021;0.120]) the relationship between agreeableness and safety behavior through safety competency.

The Impact of Social Media Syndrome on Safety Practices and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Nigeria

“…While social media may expose users to conversations and content about safety, Lee and Shin (2017) contend that while social media may expose users to conversations and information about safety, it's important to take into account the larger context in which safety awareness is promoted. An individual's general awareness of safety is also greatly influenced by societal variables, personal experiences, and educational programs (Kang et al, 2019).…”

“…According to Kang et al (2019), educational initiatives and personal experiences play a significant role in determining an individual's level of safety awareness. These elements work in concert to raise undergraduate students' understanding of safety.…”

A Bibliometric Review of Personality and Safety Behavior in the Web of Science Database

“…8 Based on the relationship between personality and safety behavior, Yang et al constructed a moderated mediation model and tests the effects of Big Five personality traits on the safety behavior of gold miners in Ghana. 9 Ma et al used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to explore the preliminary relationship between personality types of construction workers and unsafe behaviors. 10 Guo et al demonstrated the feasibility of using personality traits to predict the driving safety of high-speed train drivers, to better understand the relationship between the personality and driving safety in high-speed railway driving.…”

“…Based on the relationship between personality and safety behavior, Yang et al. constructed a moderated mediation model and tests the effects of Big Five personality traits on the safety behavior of gold miners in Ghana . Ma et al used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to explore the preliminary relationship between personality types of construction workers and unsafe behaviors .…”

Building a Safer Future: The Impact of Safety Leadership and Safety Competency in The Construction Industry.

“…Meanwhile, safety leadership had a substantial impact on safety culture, and in turn, safety culture significantly influenced safety performance [8]. Safety competency holds paramount importance across various industries, directly impacting both individual well-being and overall organizational success [9].…”