A Study of Factors Influencing Construction Workers’ Intention to Share Safety Knowledge

Abstract

There is a growing body of research on the factors influencing individual knowledge-sharing behavior, but the exploration of knowledge sharing in the construction industry is still in its infancy. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this paper introduced factors from the social exchange theory (SET) to develop a comprehensive model for exploring the intention of construction workers to share their safety knowledge. Data were collected from a total of 329 construction workers at five sites. Using the structural equation model method, the research model and path hypotheses of this study were analyzed. The results showed that altruism, trust, and reputation positively influenced the construction workers’ attitude towards sharing safety knowledge. Attitude, safety training, organizational climate, and knowledge-sharing self-efficacy could increase the construction workers’ intention to share their safety knowledge. However, the relationship between workers’ attitudes towards safety knowledge sharing and anticipated extrinsic rewards was not significant. Through identifying the factors underlying workers’ intention to share safety knowledge in the construction industry, the study helps to further understand the influencing factors and mechanisms of safety knowledge sharing willingness among the special group of construction workers and provides practical implications for engineering managers to strengthen construction safety management from the perspective of knowledge sharing.