Interactive effects of leader justice and support for safety on safety performance

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the main and interactive effects of general and safety-specific leader justice (SSLJ) (i.e. fair treatment) and leader support for safety (LSS) on safety performance. Design/methodology/approach - Two independent samples of construction workers rate their leaders with regards to fair treatment and support for safety and report their own safety performance in a survey. Findings - In both studies, LSS significantly moderated relationships of both general and SSLJ with safety performance. In Study 1, the strength of relationship between general leader justice and safety performance increases while LSS is increased. Similar pattern was found for the relationship between SSLJ and safety performance in Study 2. Practical implications - Safety interventions targeting leadership should consider training for leader safety practices that are perceived as supportive and fair. Originality/value - The research is unique in its examination of leader justice in a safety- specific context and its interactive effects with LSS on safety performance. The present research helps to extend the reach of organizational justice theory's nomological network to include safety.