The Moderator Role of Safety Climate in the Relationship between Job Stress and Safety Performance: An Investigation in the Health Sector

Abstract

The relationship between job stress and task performance is frequently studied in the literature. However, it is seen that there are fewer studies examining the relationship between job stress and safety performance which has important outcomes such as life safety. Therefore, the first aim of the present study was determined as examining the relationship between job stress and safety performance. Although previous studies have demonstrated the effects of various individual and situational factors on the job stress-performance relationship, it is noteworthy that the moderator role of the safety climate has not been examined yet. In this respect, another aim of the study is to investigate the moderator role of the safety climate as a situational variable in the relationships between job stress and sub-dimensions of safety performance. The present study was conducted with employees from the health sector as it contains both the most stressful jobs and high level of safety performance expectation. In this regard, the participants of the present study consisted of 165 healthcare professionals (73.3% women, 26.7% men) reached within the borders of Istanbul and Kocaeli. These professionals work in various departments and different roles (doctors, nurses, technicians, physiotherapists, laborants) in 11 institutions including three public hospitals and eight private hospitals. Job Stressor Appraisal Scale, Safe Behavior Scale and Safety Climate Scale were used to collect data. The correlation analysis results demonstrated the negative and significant relationship between job stress and safety compliance and safety participation as sub-dimensions of safety performance. Furthermore, it was found that the relationship between job stress and safety participation was moderated by the safety climate. These results indicate that while work stress increases safety participation in a low safety climate, it decreases in a high safety climate. On the other hand, the moderator effect of safety climate was not found statistically significant in the relationship between job stress and safety compliance. These results were compared with other research results in the literature and the effects of measurement-related and environmental factors on the results were discussed.