Influencing mechanism of optimism bias on construction worker’s unsafe behavior: the role of risk perception and risk propensity

Purpose Unsafe behaviors among construction workers have been a critical topic in research on construction safety. As a prominent predictor of unsafe behaviors, optimism bias has received increasing attention. However, the mechanism by which optimism bias affects unsafe behaviors remains inadequately explored. To fill in the research gap, this study aimed to empirically investigate the influence of optimism bias on construction workers’ unsafe behaviors through two variables: risk perception and risk propensity. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 262 Chinese construction workers by questionnaire, and the structural equation model and PROCESS macro were employed to test the research hypothesis. Findings The results demonstrated that optimism bias positively influences workers’ unsafe behaviors through the mediating variable of risk perception. In other words, respondents believed that a bad outcome would not happen to them, which is a sign of optimism bias. This would lead them to underestimate the risks of surroundings and weaken their motivation to take safety precautions. In addition, risk propensity positively moderated the effect of optimism bias on unsafe behaviors, that is, the higher the level of workers’ risk propensity, the stronger the effect of optimism bias on unsafe behavior. Originality/value This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the potential intermediate mechanism and boundary condition by which optimism bias affects workers’ unsafe behaviors, and provides effective guidance to managers in taking de-biasing measures, which is of great significance in decreasing safety accidents in the construction industry.