Psychological decision-making process of construction worker safety behavior: an agent-based simulation approach

Objectives. Relationships between safety behavior and its antecedents have been widely studied. However, the psychological decision-making process of construction worker safety behavior (CWSB) is rarely examined from the systematic perspective. Thus, this study constructed the theoretical framework for the decision-making process of CWSB and systematically explored effects of individual factors (education, age and safety knowledge), organizational factors (safety climate and leader-member exchange [LMX]) and psychological factors (psychological capital [PsyCap] and communication competence [CommComp]) on the dynamic performance of CWSB. Methods. Data were collected from the literature and 536 construction workers in China. The theoretical model was tested with the agent-based simulation (ABS) technique. Results. High level of education, safety knowledge, safety climate, LMX, PsyCap and CommComp help to reduce unsafe behavior at the cut-off point. However, the age-safety relationship might present a U-shape, which denotes that reasonable age structure of construction worker groups may be an option for bettering safety performance. The results indicate that the psychological decision-making process of CWSB is not only the result of individual rational decision, but also the product of organizational and psychological impacts. Findings of this study shed lights on safety behavior management practices based on the psychological decision-making process of CWSB.