Agent-Based Modeling of Employee Protection-Oriented Safety Proactivity Behaviors at Small Scale Enterprises

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Agent-Based Modeling
• Small Business Management

Background:

• Critical safety interactions in small enterprises involving employees, public, and government are under-explained.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive model for these multi-stakeholder safety dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model and analyze the impact of employee protection-oriented safety proactivity on safety production levels in small enterprises.
• To investigate the influence of interactions among employees, public, and government on enterprise safety.

Main Methods:

• Agent-based modeling (ABM) approach with a bottom-up perspective.
• Inclusion of key stakeholders: enterprises, employees, public, and government as agents.
• Validation of model results using an employee questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Protection-oriented safety proactivity behaviors, such as whistleblowing and public exposure, significantly impact safety production levels.
• Interactions among multiple agents (employees, public, government) are crucial drivers of safety outcomes.
• Model findings were corroborated by empirical data from employee surveys.

Conclusions:

• Encouraging employee safety proactivity is vital for improving safety production in small enterprises.
• Public and government support can further enhance safety levels through collaborative efforts.
• Agent-based modeling provides valuable insights into complex safety systems.