The influence of social norms on safety practices among warehouse employees: Workplace behavior as a moderator

Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected from 340 survey respondents and 35 interviewees across logistics facilities. Quantitative analysis using moderated multiple regression revealed that social norms (β = 0.19, p = 0.002) and workplace behavior (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) significantly predict safety practices. However, workplace behavior did not moderate this relationship (p = 0.329).

Qualitative findings elucidated this null effect, highlighting dominant operational logics where productivity pressures and conformity override individual behavioral consistency. Three interlocking themes emerged: Productivity over safety, where institutional output targets structurally decouple individual routine from safety protocol; Conformity as survival, wherein peer-enforced norms function as coercive mandates that neutralize personal discipline; and Precarious Employment, which institutionalizes a culture of safety silence. Together, these themes demonstrate that macro-level structural constraints systematically override individual agency. Conclusion and Practical Applications: The study concludes that effective injury reduction requires interventions that address institutional coercive pressures and employment precarity, rather than relying solely on individual behavioral modification in high-tempo warehouse environments.