Managing time pressures to improve construction safety: Speaking up as a key pathway

BackgroundTime pressure is a key psychosocial risk factor in the construction industry, potentially impairing workers' safety behavior. However, the mechanisms linking different types of time pressure to safety outcomes remain underexplored.ObjectiveThis study examines how challenge and hindrance time pressures influence safety behavior among construction workers, focusing on the mediating roles of promotive and prohibitive voice behavior.MethodsData were collected through a two-wave survey from 275 construction workers in ChangSha, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS was applied to test the hypothesized relationships among time pressures, voice behaviors (promotive and prohibitive), and safety behavior.ResultsChallenge time pressure positively affects safety behavior via promotive voice, while hindrance time pressure negatively influences safety behavior through prohibitive voice. Promotive voice partially mediates the effect of challenge time pressure, and prohibitive voice fully mediates the effect of hindrance time pressure.ConclusionsThis study advances the understanding of time pressures' dual effects on safety behavior by integrating Conservation of Resources theory and voice behavior mechanisms within a construction context, offering new insights for improving safety management practices.