Document Type : Research Article (with quantitative approaches)
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management, Dana Non-profit Higher Education Institute, Yasouj, Iran
2 Ph.D, Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose: In recent decades, employee safety and health have been considered by organizations as fundamental human capital rights, requiring them to comply with what is needed in the field of human resource management systems. Accordingly, the organization must have sufficient data and information regarding the importance of factors that affect the safety and health of its human capital. Maintaining human capital plays a fundamental role in the growth and excellence of an organization. From this perspective, the primary goal of the present study is to validate the paradigmatic model of employee safety and health, incorporating a human capital management approach, in the country's oil industry.
Design/methodology/approach: The employee safety and health model, previously developed in the qualitative part of this study, is now being validated in this part of the study. In this respect, the present study is the positivist part of this applied pragmatic research. The method of collecting research data was descriptive-survey and correlational. The statistical population of the study comprised all managers and employees from the southern oil-rich regions, and the sample size was determined using the Morgan table and a multi-stage sampling method, resulting in a sample of 384 individuals. A researcher-made questionnaire was also used to validate the paradigmatic model in the quantitative section. The questionnaire consisted of six dimensions and 51 items in the form of a Likert scale. Research data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 software and a structural equation modeling approach, employing the partial least squares method through SmartPLS version 4 software. After that, the reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was estimated using face validity, convergent validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The construct validity of the questionnaire was also examined through confirmatory factor analysis, and finally, the reliability and validity of the research were confirmed. In the final step, the fit of the employee safety and health model was examined using the P-value and T-value significance coefficient tests, R-squared index, Q-squared index, SRMR index, NFI index, and regression coefficient. The results obtained showed the fit of the studied model.
Research Findings: The results confirm a positive and direct relationship between the dimensions of the paradigm model of employee safety and health and the human capital management approach in the oil-rich regions of the south. Therefore, all five proposed research hypotheses have been accepted. It is worth noting that the highest level of influence was related to the effect of the causal conditions of the model (work safety; occupational health; educational factors and employee awareness) on the central phenomenon of the model (human resource maintenance system; safety and health of the organization's environment) and was 0.78. Other path coefficients have also been accepted, and their positive impact has been confirmed.
Limitations & Consequences: The most important limitation of this research was the time-consuming and difficult access to the statistical population. Also, the use of questionnaire tools for validation and the inaccuracy of respondents to the questions are considered to be among its important limitations because the extraction of data for the final model was based on the data available in the field under study.
Practical Consequences: Given the applicability of the present study, its results have provided various scientific implications for improving employee safety and health. Among these implications are the following:
- Identifying the impact of variables on the causal conditions of employee safety and health, and assisting in compiling the documents required by the organization to prevent potential risks and harm.
- Assisting the organization in regulating important provisions on employee safety and health to familiarize the workforce and improve their access to the required basics.
- Introducing effective strategies in order of priority for use by managers and employees to improve the situation and desired outcomes in the field of employee safety and health.
Therefore, by making the prioritization of the variables in the model available, desirable results can be achieved regarding employee safety and health.
Innovation or value of the Article: Validating the paradigmatic model of employee safety and health based on the Strauss and Corbin approach was the main initiative of this article. In studies in this field, this method has not been previously used, and measurements and evaluations have been based on existing guidelines and ISO standards. However, in the present study, validation was conducted based on local data, and, in this respect, it can be generalized to other industries and organizations. Thus, the existence of this quantified model will add to the value of the organization's safety and health department and help industry and organizational managers understand the importance of employee safety and health.
Paper Type: Original Paper
Keywords