Citation

Al-Bayati AJ, Abudayyeh O, Albert A. J. Saf. Res. 2018; 66: 1-8.

Affiliation

Dept. of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State Univ., 2501 Stinson Dr., Raleigh, NC 27607, United States. Electronic address: alex_albert@ncsu.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2018.05.004

PMID

30121095

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Current census reports indicate a growing shift toward workforce diversity in the U.S. construction industry, which is largely the result of increasing participation from the Hispanic community. The data also suggest that the Hispanic workforce suffers a higher rate of fatal injuries compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts. Therefore, there is a dire need to develop and utilize new management tools and strategies to accommodate the differences in language and culture of this incoming labor force.

METHOD: The absence of these tools and strategies poses several challenges including cost overrun, schedule delay, and more importantly, higher workplace injury rates. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the contribution of cultural diversity as a factor that may influence the overall site safety.

RESULTS: As a result, this study provides further evidence that indicate that the current findings regarding the influence of active cultural differences are reliable, valid, and needs attention. Furthermore, the study provides sub-analysis results of cultural values among Hispanic workers, which suggest that workers from Mexico are less likely to speak up on safety issues when compared to other Hispanic workers. Therefore, this study has both practical and theoretical implications for managing workforce diversity and related safety performance in the U.S. construction industry. The results of the study can be used by employers and managers to adopt responsive strategies and tools to reduce the likelihood of fatal and nonfatal injuries among Hispanic workers.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Active Cultural Differences; Hispanic Workforce; Hofstede Theory; Safety Management; The Construction Industry