Linking management leadership and safety outcomes: a multidimensional view of safety performance constructs

Management leadership is essential for planning, establishing and directing an organization's safety. Effective management leadership leads to a high workplace safety standard. This study investigates how management leadership influences workplace safety outcomes through a multidimensional framework of safety performance constructs, including safety knowledge, motivation, compliance and participation. Data were collected from 340 permanent workers across five coal-fired power plants in Peninsular Malaysia. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the results reveal that management leadership significantly predicts safety motivation (<i>β</i> = 0.16, <i>p</i> < 0.01), safety participation (<i>β</i> = 0.36, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and safety compliance (<i>β</i> = 0.34, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Additionally, safety compliance was found to mediate the relationship between leadership and safety outcomes. These findings suggest that effective leadership enhances workplace safety by fostering positive cognitive, attitudinal and behavioural responses among workers, ultimately reducing accidents, near misses and lost-time injuries. The study offers practical implications for safety management in high-risk industrial settings.