Ubuntu leadership and employee engagement in mining: The moderating role of safety culture

Orientation: This study explored the influence of Ubuntu leadership on employee engagement in South Africa’s mining industry, with a focus on the moderating role of safety culture. Research purpose: The purpose was to examine whether Ubuntu leadership significantly predicts employee engagement and whether safety culture strengthens this relationship. Motivation for the study: The mining sector faces persistent challenges such as hazardous working conditions and disengagement. Addressing these issues requires leadership models that are both effective and culturally relevant. Research approach/design and method: A descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative design was employed. Data were collected from 351 mining employees using the Ubuntu Leadership Scale (ULS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and a custom-developed safety culture scale. Statistical analysis included correlation and moderated regression. Main findings: Ubuntu leadership was positively associated with employee engagement (r = 0.633, p < 0.001), and the interaction term with safety culture was statistically significant (B = 0.187, p = 0.003), confirming a moderating effect. The model explained 40.6% of the variance in engagement. Practical/managerial implications: Integrating Ubuntu leadership with a strong safety culture can enhance employee engagement, and improve safety compliance. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the understanding of culturally grounded leadership in high-risk industries and highlights the synergistic role of safety culture in enhancing leadership effectiveness.