[en] Frontline work is defined by its safety criticality and is increasingly relied on by our economies and societies to maintain efficiency and performance. Despite the importance of these jobs, little is known about the factors that drive safety behaviours dynamically in safety critical environments, and how frontline workers shape their alignment with the core requirements of their job to execute such behaviours. In this paper, we build on self-regulation theory and employ a multilevel (i.e., between-person versus within-person) design to investigate reciprocal relationships between safety behaviours and person-job fit. Across a total sample of n = 1139 temporal data points for 86 (daily diary study) and 81 (weekly diary study) frontline police and nurse workers we find evidence for reverse causality (i.e., safety behaviours predicting person-job fit) at the within-person level. Furthermore, we find support for both normal (i.e., person-job fit predicting safety behaviours) and reverse causality at the between-person level of analysis. Overall, results across both levels illustrate how frontline workers self-regulate their safety behaviour and person-job fit within safety critical environments.
Research Center/Unit :
LENTIC - Laboratoire d'Études sur les Nouvelles Formes de Travail, l'Innovation et le Changement - ULiège
Disciplines :
Human resources management
Author, co-author :
Flatau-Harrison, Huw; Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
Wilson, Micah K.; Future of Work Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
Vleugels, Wouter ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Strategic and Sustainable Human Resource Management
Language :
English
Title :
The reciprocal relationship between safety behaviour and person-job fit: A self-regulation perspective
Agnew, C., Flin, R., Mearns, K., Patient safety climate and worker safety behaviours in acute hospitals in Scotland. J. Saf. Res. 45 (2013), 95–101.
Bacharach, S.B., Bamberger, P.A., 9/11 and New York City firefighters’ post hoc unit support and control climates: A context theory of the consequences of involvement in traumatic work-related events. Acad. Manag. J. 50:4 (2007), 849–868.
Ballard, T., Neal, A., Farrell, S., Lloyd, E., Lim, J., Heathcote, A., A general architecture for modeling the dynamics of goal-directed motivation and decision-making. Psychol. Rev., 129(1), 2022, 146.
Bayl-Smith, P., Griffin, B., Age discrimination within a P-E fit paradigm: Maintaining fit with an active work style. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 90:3 (2017), 306–328.
Bayl-Smith, P.H., Griffin, B., Maintenance of DA fit through work adjustment behaviors: The moderating effect of work style fit. J. Vocat. Behav. 106 (2018), 209–219.
Beus, J.M., Dhanani, L.Y., McCord, M.A., A meta-analysis of personality and workplace safety: addressing unanswered questions. J. Appl. Psychol., 100(2), 2015, 481.
Beus, J.M., McCord, M.A., Zohar, D., Workplace safety: A review and research synthesis. Organ. Psychol. Rev. 6:4 (2016), 352–381, 10.1177/2041386615626243.
Beus, J.M., Taylor, W.D., Working safely at some times and unsafely at others: A typology and within-person process model of safety-related work behaviors. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 23:3 (2018), 402–416, 10.1037/ocp0000092.
Bindl, U.K., Unsworth, K.L., Gibson, C.B., Stride, C.B., Job crafting revisited: Implications of an extended framework for active changes at work. J. Appl. Psychol., 104(5), 2019, 605.
Broetje, S., Jenny, G.J., Bauer, G.F., The key job demands and resources of nursing staff: An integrative review of reviews. Front. Psychol., 11, 2020, 84.
Brown, J., Gosling, T., Sethi, B., Sheppard, B., Stubbings, C., Sviokla, J., Williams, J., Zarubina, D., Fisher, L., Workforce of the future: The competing forces shaping 2030. 2017, PWC, London.
Cable, D.M., DeRue, D.S., The convergent and discriminant validity of subjective fit perceptions. J. Appl. Psychol., 87(5), 2002, 875.
Carver, C.S., Approach, avoidance, and the self-regulation of affect and action. Motiv. Emot. 30:2 (2006), 105–110.
Carver, C.S., Scheier, M.F., Onthe self-regulation of behavior. 1998, Cambridge Universitypress, New York.
Casey, T., Griffin, M.A., Flatau Harrison, H., Neal, A., Safety climate and culture: Integrating psychological and systems perspectives. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 22:3 (2017), 341–353, 10.1037/ocp0000072.
Cham, B.S., Boeing, A.A., Wilson, M.K., Griffin, M.A., Jorritsma, K., Endurance in extreme work environments. Organ. Psychol. Rev. 11:4 (2021), 343–364.
Cho, S., Kim, S., Does a healthy lifestyle matter? A daily diary study of unhealthy eating at home and behavioral outcomes at work. J. Appl. Psychol., 107(1), 2022, 23.
Christian, M.S., Bradley, J.C., Wallace, J.C., Burke, M.J., Workplace Safety: A Meta-Analysis of the Roles of Person and Situation Factors. J. Appl. Psychol. 94:5 (2009), 1103–1127, 10.1037/a0016172.
Clarke, S., An integrative model of safety climate: Linking psychological climate and work attitudes to individual safety outcomes using meta-analysis. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 83:3 (2010), 553–578, 10.1348/096317909X452122.
Clarke, S., The effect of challenge and hindrance stressors on safety behavior and safety outcomes: A meta-analysis. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 17:4 (2012), 387–397, 10.1037/a0029817.
Cornelissen, J.P., Mantere, S., Vaara, E., The contraction of meaning: The combined effect of communication, emotions, and materiality on sensemaking in the Stockwell shooting. J. Manag. Stud. 51:5 (2014), 699–736.
Dai, M., Xia, Y., Han, R., The Impact of Lockdown on Police Service Calls During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China. Policing: A J. Policy Practice 15:3 (2021), 1867–1881, 10.1093/police/paab007.
Dalal, R.S., Lam, H., Weiss, H.M., Welch, E.R., Hulin, C.L., A within-person approach to work behavior and performance: Concurrent and lagged citizenship-counterproductivity associations, and dynamic relationships with affect and overall job performance. Acad. Manag. J. 52:5 (2009), 1051–1066.
Dalal, R.S., Alaybek, B., Lievens, F., Within-person job performance variability over short timeframes: Theory, empirical research, and practice. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psych. Organ. Behav., 7, 2020, 421.
De Beer, L.T., Rothmann, S. Jr, Mostert, K., The bidirectional relationship between person-job fit and work engagement: A three-wave study. J. Pers. Psychol., 15(1), 2016, 4.
De Cooman, R., Vleugels, W., Person-Environment Fit: Theoretical Perspectives, Conceptualizations, and Outcomes. Oxford Res. Encyclopedia Bus. Manage., 2022, 10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.377.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A.B., Nachreiner, F., Schaufeli, W.B., The job demands-resources model of burnout. J. Appl. Psychol., 86(3), 2001, 499.
DeShon, R.P., Kozlowski, S.W.J., Schmidt, A.M., Milner, K.R., Wiechmann, D., A multiple-goal, multilevel model of feedback effects on the regulation of individual and team performance. J. Appl. Psychol., 89(6), 2004, 1035.
Edwards, J.R., Person-job fit: A conceptual integration, literature review, and methodological critique. 1991, John Wiley & Sons.
Edwards, J.R., Shipp, A.J., 2007. The relationship between person-environment fit and outcomes: An integrative theoretical framework.
Flatau-Harrison, H., Vleugels, W., Kilroy, S., Bosak, J., Understanding the relationship between absence constraints and presenteeism among nurses and midwives: Does social support matter?. Health Care Manage. Rev. 47:4 (2022), 330–339.
Foster, C.J., Plant, K.L., Stanton, N.A., Adaptation as a source of safety in complex socio-technical systems: a literature review and model development. Saf. Sci. 118 (2019), 617–631.
French, J.R.P., Caplan, R.D., Van Harrison, R., The mechanisms of job stress and strain, Vol. 7, 1982, J. Wiley, Chichester [Sussex]; New York.
Fuller, J., Kerr, W., 2022. The great resignation didn't’start with the pandemic. Harvard Business Review. https://Hbr. Org/2022/03/the-Great-Resignation-Didnt-Start-with-the-Pandemic.
Gabriel, A.S., Diefendorff, J.M., Chandler, M.M., Moran, C.M., Greguras, G.J., The dynamic relationships of work affect and job satisfaction with perceptions of fit. Pers. Psychol. 67:2 (2014), 389–420.
Greguras, G.J., Diefendorff, J.M., Different fits satisfy different needs: linking person-environment fit to employee commitment and performance using self-determination theory. J. Appl. Psychol., 94(2), 2009, 465.
Griep, Y., Hansen, S., 2020. Handbook on the Temporal Dynamics of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788974387.
Griffin, M.A., Neal, A., Perceptions of safety at work: a framework for linking safety climate to safety performance, knowledge, and motivation. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 5:3 (2000), 347–358, 10.1037/1076-8998.5.3.347.
Halbesleben, J.R.B., Leroy, H., Dierynck, B., Simons, T., Savage, G.T., McCaughey, D., Leon, M.R., Living up to safety values in health care: The effect of leader behavioral integrity on occupational safety. J. Occup. Health Psychol., 18(4), 2013, 395.
Hardy, J.H. III, Day, E.A., Steele, L.M., Interrelationships among self-regulated learning processes: Toward a dynamic process-based model of self-regulated learning. J. Manag. 45:8 (2019), 3146–3177.
Häusser, J.A., Mojzisch, A., Niesel, M., Schulz-Hardt, S., Ten years on: A review of recent research on the Job Demand-Control (-Support) model and psychological well-being. Work Stress. 24:1 (2010), 1–35.
Hudson, C.G., Complex systems and human behavior. 2010, Lyceum Books.
Iliescu, D., Ispas, D., Sulea, C., Ilie, A., Vocational fit and counterproductive work behaviors: A self-regulation perspective. J. Appl. Psychol., 100(1), 2015, 21.
Jenke, T., Oosthuizen, J., Cattani, M., 2021. An investigation of the influence of economic cycles on safety performance in Western Australia. Saf. Sci. 138, 105230. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105230.
Johnson, R.E., Taing, M.U., Chang, C.-H., Kawamoto, C.K., 2013. A self-regulation approach to person-environment fit.
Kelly, L., Runge, J., Spencer, C., Predictors of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in acute care nurses. J. Nurs. Scholarsh. 47:6 (2015), 522–528.
Koziarski, J., The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health calls for police service. Crime Sci., 10(1), 2021, 22, 10.1186/s40163-021-00157-6.
Kristof, A.L., Person-organization fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Pers. Psychol. 49:1 (1996), 1–49.
Kristof-Brown, A.M.Y.L., Zimmerman, R.D., Johnson, E.C., 2005. Consequences of Individuals' Fit at Work: A Meta-Analysis of Person-Job, Person-Organization, Person-Group, and Person-Supervisor Fit. Personnel Psychol. 58(2), 281–342. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00672.x.
LaDonna, K.A., Cowley, L., Touchie, C., LeBlanc, V.R., Spilg, E.G., Wrestling with the invincibility myth: exploring physicians’ resistance to wellness and resilience-building interventions. Acad. Med. 97:3 (2022), 436–443.
Liu, D., Chen, Y., Li, N., Tackling the negative impact of COVID-19 on work engagement and taking charge: A multi-study investigation of frontline health workers. J. Appl. Psychol., 2021.
Losb, S.C., 2010. Encyclopedia of Research Design. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288 NV - 0.
Lu, C., Wang, H., Lu, J., Du, D., Bakker, A.B., Does work engagement increase person–job fit? The role of job crafting and job insecurity. J. Vocat. Behav. 84:2 (2014), 142–152.
Lund, S., Madgavkar, A., Manyika, J., Smit, S., Ellingrud, K., Meaney, M., Robinson, O., The future of work after COVID-19. McKinsey Global Institute, 18, 2021.
Macrae, C., Moments of resilience: time, space and the organisation of safety in complex sociotechnical systems. Exploring Resilience, 2019, Springer, Cham, 15–23.
Monnier, J., Cameron, R.P., Hobfoll, S.E., Gribble, J.R., The impact of resource loss and critical incidents on psychological functioning in fire-emergency workers: A pilot study. Int. J. Stress. Manag. 9:1 (2002), 11–29.
Neal, A., Griffin, M.A., A study of the lagged relationships among safety climate, safety motivation, safety behavior, and accidents at the individual and group levels. J. Appl. Psychol. 91:4 (2006), 946–953, 10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.946.
OECD, 2022. The unequal impact of COVID-19: a spotlight on frontline workers, migrants and racial/ethnic minorities.
Olenick, J., Dishop, C., Clarifying dynamics for organizational research and interventions: A diversity example. Organizational. Psychol. Rev., 2022 20413866221112428.
Olsen, O.K., Hetland, J., Matthiesen, S.B., Hoprekstad, Ø.L., Espevik, R., Bakker, A.B., Passive avoidant leadership and safety non-compliance: A 30 days diary study among naval cadets. Saf. Sci., 138, 2021, 105100.
Schmeichel, B.J., Baumeister, R.F., 2004. Self-regulatory strength. Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications, 84–98.
Sherry, P., Person-environment fit and accident prediction. J. Bus. Psychol. 5 (1991), 411–416.
Sorenson, C., Bolick, B., Wright, K., Hamilton, R., Understanding compassion fatigue in healthcare providers: A review of current literature. J. Nurs. Scholarsh. 48:5 (2016), 456–465.
Sumner, R.C., Kinsella, E.L., “It's Like a Kick in the Teeth”: The Emergence of Novel Predictors of Burnout in Frontline Workers During Covid-19. Front. Psychol., 12, 2021, 1875.
Tholén, S.L., Pousette, A., Törner, M., Causal relations between psychosocial conditions, safety climate and safety behaviour - A multi-level investigation. Saf. Sci. 55 (2013), 62–69, 10.1016/j.ssci.2012.12.013.
Tims, M., Derks, D., Bakker, A.B., Job crafting and its relationships with person–job fit and meaningfulness: A three-wave study. J. Vocat. Behav. 92 (2016), 44–53.
Harrison, R. van. (1978). Person-environment fit and job stress. Stress at Work, 175–205.
Vleugels, W., De Cooman, R., Verbruggen, M., Solinger, O., Understanding dynamic change in perceptions of person–environment fit: An exploration of competing theoretical perspectives. J. Organ. Behav. 39:9 (2018), 1066–1080.
Vleugels, W., Flatau-Harrison, H., Curvilinear relationships in person-environment fit research: Is there evidence for a too-much-of-a-good-thing effect?. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 96, 2023, 669–677.
Vleugels, W., Verbruggen, M., De Cooman, R., Billsberry, J., A systematic review of temporal person-environment fit research: Trends, developments, obstacles, and opportunities for future research. J. Organ. Behav. 44 (2023), 376–398.
Vogel, R.M., Feldman, D.C., Integrating the levels of person-environment fit: The roles of vocational fit and group fit. J. Vocat. Behav. 75:1 (2009), 68–81.
Wang, D., Zong, Z., Mao, W., Wang, L., Maguire, P., Hu, Y., Investigating the relationship between person–environment fit and safety behavior: A social cognition perspective. J. Saf. Res. 79 (2021), 100–109.
Yu, K.Y.T., Affective influences in person–environment fit theory: Exploring the role of affect as both cause and outcome of PE fit. J. Appl. Psychol., 94(5), 2009, 1210.
Yu, K.Y.T., 2013. A motivational model of person-environment fit: Psychological motives as drivers of change.
