THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY CULTURE: A CASE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORESTRY INDUSTRY

This research article investigates the influence of participative management on the safety culture among contract workers within South Africa's forestry industry. The study aims to address the necessity for a more engaged safety management approach within high-risk workplaces, with a specific focus on South Africa. This focus is essential due to concerning injury and fatality rates, notably in the mining and construction sectors. However, the forestry industry has demonstrated comparatively superior safety performance, as evident from the study outcomes. The research employs a mixed-method survey technique, combining self-administered surveys and structured interviews to gather data. The sample comprises both male and female forestry workers from the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, who actively participate in operational activities, especially those related to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) within the forestry sector. The data extracted from the surveys is subjected to analysis using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. This statistical approach helps establish the relationship between various dimensions of participative management and safety culture. The results of the study unveil a substantial positive correlation connecting participative management and safety culture. This finding substantiates the theoretical premise that a more engaged managerial approach towards safety positively influences the safety culture of forestry workers.