The safety implications of work overload: the sequential mediating roles of the meaningfulness of work and perceived organizational support, and the moderating effect of coaching leadership

This study investigates the complex relationship between work overload and safety behavior in South Korean organizations, examining the sequential mediating roles of meaningfulness of work and perceived organizational support (POS), as well as the moderating effect of coaching leadership. Drawing on several theories, we propose a moderated mediation model to elucidate the mechanisms through which work overload impacts safety behavior. Utilizing a three-wave time-lagged design, data were collected from 202 employees across various corporations in South Korea. Structural equation modeling results supported our hypothesized model. Work overload was negatively associated with the meaningfulness of work, which in turn positively influenced POS. POS demonstrated a positive relationship with safety behavior. The sequential mediation effect of meaningfulness of work and POS in the relationship between work overload and safety behavior was significant. Moreover, coaching leadership moderated the relationship between work overload and meaningfulness of work, such that the negative effect was weaker when coaching leadership was high. These findings contribute to the literature by illuminating the psychological mechanisms linking work overload to safety behavior and highlighting the potential of coaching leadership in mitigating the negative effects of work overload. The study offers practical implications for organizations seeking to maintain safety standards while managing high workloads, emphasizing the importance of fostering meaningful work experiences, organizational support, and effective leadership practices. Our research extends the understanding of work overload and safety behavior in the South Korean context, addressing a gap in the literature. It also demonstrates the value of incorporating positive organizational behavior constructs in occupational safety research. Future studies could explore these relationships in different cultural contexts and investigate additional moderators to further refine our understanding of the work overload-safety behavior link.