Enhancing Construction Workers’ Safety Behavior in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Self-Determination Theory Approach

Leader autonomy support has been widely recognized for its influence on motivation and subsequent behavior. However, few studies have empirically explored the mediating role of relative self-determined safety motivation in the relationship between leader autonomy support and construction workers’ safety behavior, particularly within small- and medium-sized enterprises in the construction industry. To address this gap, the present study applies the self-determination theory model to examine the impact of leader autonomy support on construction workers’ safety behavior, with a focus on the motivational processes underlying the relationship between leader autonomy support and construction workers’ safety behavior. Data were gathered using a cross-sectional questionnaire from a convenience sample of 283 employees employed by small- and medium-sized enterprises in construction from Anhui, China. The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that leader autonomy support significantly enhances relative self-determined safety motivation, which, in turn, predicts safety compliance and participation. Relative self-determined safety motivation fully mediates the relationship between leader autonomy support and construction workers’ safety behavior. Furthermore, the findings have shown that the influence of leader autonomy support on safety participation is greater than that of safety compliance. This study underscores the pivotal role of leader autonomy support in fostering relative self-determined safety motivation, which serves as a key mechanism for improving construction workers’ safety behavior. It provides new insights into the motivational mechanisms underlying construction workers’ safety behavior. Findings provide practitioners with a guideline to conduct on-site safety supervision and improve the efficiency of leadership in safety management with regard to small- and medium-sized enterprises in construction.