Understanding the Influence of Perceived Productivity Pressures on Perceptions of Risk among Construction Workers

In a labor-intensive industry, labor productivity is a critical driver of project performance (cost, schedule, quality, and safety). Unfortunately, the construction industry across all major sectors is experiencing a major shortage in the availability of craft labor which is causing serious productivity concerns. As the shortage invariably causes the existing workforce to experience schedule pressures, it remains unclear how the perceived productivity pressures would influence their safety performance. To holistically understand the antecedents of risk perception, there is a need to examine to what extent, if at all, does the perception of productivity pressure impact the perceptions of risk among construction workers. This paper empirically examines this relationship by using data from a survey administered with 141 workers on a project in Saudi Arabia. Linear regression analysis failed to reveal a statistically significant relationship suggesting that the productivity pressure perceptions do not influence risk perceptions among workers. For construction companies seeking to curtail risk-taking behaviors, this finding establishes the need to further understand and utilize personal and cultural factors alongside work-related factors to achieve desired safety performance results. Future research should seek to control for organizational safety practices, relevant human factors, and personal and task-specific characteristics to gauge the validity of the results noted in this study.