Towards A Leadership-Driven Safety Intervention Model for Construction Organisations in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: This study develops a model of targeted interventions and policies to improve overall safety outcomes in construction workplaces, grounded in the empirical relationships among leadership style dynamics, workplace safety practices, safety behaviour and leadership safety strategies among construction organisations in Abuja, Nigeria. Design/Methodology/Approach: A mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitative data were collected with a structured questionnaire measured on a five-point Likert scale, covering leadership style dynamics, workplace safety practices, safety behaviour, leadership safety strategies and organisational safety performance. The questionnaire was administered to 214 construction professionals selected by simple random sampling from the 669 professionals employed in 25 registered construction firms in Abuja. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with ten purposively selected senior safety and leadership personnel. Quantitative data were analysed using PLS Structural Equation Modelling in SmartPLS 4, and qualitative data were analysed thematically and triangulated to develop the model. Research Limitation: The single-city sample, a respondent group dominated by senior and highly qualified professionals, and the aggregation of leadership styles into one construct may limit generalisability and mask style-specific effects. Findings: Leadership safety strategies emerged as the strongest predictor of organisational safety performance (β = 0.770; p = 0.000). Safety behaviour strongly predicted leadership safety strategies (β = 0.822), with a significant indirect effect on safety performance (β = 0.633) accounting for 79.5% of the total effect. Workplace safety practices significantly influenced leadership style dynamics and safety behaviour, while leadership style dynamics had no significant effect on either. Qualitative themes - visibility, engagement, and safety integration into performance systems - reinforced these pathways, positioning leadership safety strategies as the mechanism translating safety systems into performance. Practical Implication: Organisations should institutionalise leadership safety strategies - visible commitment, KPI-linked accountability, and worker engagement - as the central policy lever. Social Implication: Improved safety performance can reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities in Nigeria's construction sector. Originality/Value: The study identifies leadership safety strategies as the concrete, institutionalised safety actions of leaders, such as safety-focused site visits, leaders’ own PPE compliance, direct challenge of unsafe acts, recognition of safe behaviour and KPI-linked safety accountability as a construct distinct from leadership style.