Safety Climate as a Driver of Organizational Commitment: Evidence from Sri Lanka's Construction Sector

This study examines the impact of safety climate and its dimensions on employees' organizational commitment using the Social Exchange Theory (SET). Data were collected from 192 front-line technical officers in the Sri Lankan construction industry using the convenience sampling technique during a cross-sectional survey. The sample consisted of 100% male employees, reflecting the current composition of the Sri Lankan construction sector's field workforce. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicated a positive relationship (r = 0.56) and a significant impact of safety climate (R² = 0.37, p < 0.01) on organizational commitment. Among dimensions, co-worker safety behavior demonstrated the most potent effect (β = .63), followed by management commitment to safety (β = .58), supervisor safety behavior (β = .51), and worker involvement (β = .33), all significant at p < .01. These findings suggest that construction sector organizations in South Asian countries must recognize the critical role of work-site safety in fostering employee organizational commitment. This extends SET by demonstrating how the reciprocity mechanism operates, with collectivistic cultures amplifying peer-level influences. When employees feel safe during employment, they are more likely to develop an emotional attachment and a sense of obligation toward their organizations, which is manifested through commitment. As such, visible investments in employee safety can substantially enhance organizational commitment, particularly in high-risk industries such as the construction sector.