Abstract
The concept of Worker Engagement (WE) was first discussed in the 1990s. Since then, research in this area has grown, contributing towards achieving the beginning of a consensus of opinion regarding this workplace relationship. In the context of workplace safety, a number of studies of WE in the United Kingdom have predominately focused on the high-risk construction industry.More recently, research has furthered the understanding of what WE means in relation to safety within the construction industry and has contributed to the development of evaluation tools. Despite these advances, more research is required to fully understand the motivating and disincentivising factors that influence safe behaviour.
The aim of this research consisted of two distinct phases. The first phase aimed to validate an existing Worker Engagement Maturity Model (WEMM) that was designed to evaluate WE in safety in the construction industry and also determine if the WEMM could be applied to evaluate WE in the Industrial Services (IS) sector. The second phase of the research examined the application of the tool at three different work locations and the resultant evaluations of WE in safety.
This qualitative research study began by undertaking a literature review to validate the five psychological constructs (Meaningful Discussion, Motivation, Trust, Commitment and Empowerment) used to develop the existing WEMM. Further validation was obtained via discussions with an expert panel, which led to minor changes in the semi-structured interview questions. The methods employed 12 semi-structured interviews with workers at three locations. Thematic coding analysis was undertaken to fully understand workers’ perceptions of engagement in safety within their work teams and at the work locations.
The research found that the WEMM is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating WE in safety. The testing of the model in the IS sector revealed factors that contributed towards workers being more engaged in safety. An amended WEMM was developed and this would benefit from further testing in other public and private sector organisations. This would be helped by the development of a digital version of the amended tool to further the understanding of this important area of workplace safety.
| Date of Award | 2019 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Billy Hare (Supervisor) |