A qualitative review of the health and safety leadership roles of managers in South African construction

Abstract

Top management in an enterprise has decisive roles to play in terms of health and safety (H&S) management. A key role in this context pertains to leadership. The study that is reported upon assessed the H&S leadership styles and behaviours of managers in South African construction. The study, which follows the phenomenological approach, obtained information that highlights H&S practices in terms of leadership styles, behaviours and attitude of managers in the construction sector. The themes of the findings show that managers play critical leadership roles in managing workers’ H&S on site; managers’ leadership styles and behaviours have considerable influence on workers’ at-risk work practices, and managers have the capability to drive team performance by creating an enabling environment for zero tolerance for H&S failures on project sites. Thus, the leadership styles and behaviours of construction managers is undoubtedly an important factor in shaping workers’ H&S behaviours in the workplace. In promoting and sustaining optimum H&S in construction, managers should endeavour to appropriate management skills that embrace transformational leadership styles, commitment to H&S, and qualities that will help them to instil and maintain a positive H&S culture.