Employee Perception as a Mediator Between Safety and Security Management Practices and Investigation Efficiency

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of employee perception in the relationship between safety and security management practices and investigation efficiency in the United Arab Emirates energy sector. The study addresses the need for efficient, fair, and learning-oriented investigations in high-risk energy organisations where safety failures, security threats, and operational disruptions can have serious legal, operational, and reputational consequences. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire distributed to employees who were directly involved in, affected by, or formally expected to cooperate with internal investigation processes. From 520 distributed questionnaires, 426 valid responses were retained after data screening and outlier removal. The proposed conceptual framework was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The measurement model confirmed satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity for the four main constructs: Safety Management Practices, Security Management Practices, Employee Perception, and Investigation Efficiency. The structural model demonstrated strong explanatory and predictive power. Safety and security management practices explained 60.0% of the variance in employee perception, while employee perception explained 58.1% of the variance in investigation efficiency. The findings revealed that both safety and security management practices significantly influence employee perception, with safety management practices showing the stronger effect. Employee perception also had a strong positive effect on investigation efficiency. Furthermore, mediation analysis confirmed that employee perception significantly mediates the relationships between both management practices and investigation efficiency. The study concludes that formal safety and security systems improve investigation efficiency when employees perceive them as fair, reliable, transparent, supportive, and trustworthy.