Occupational Safety Climate, Employee Engagement, and Employee Performance in UAE Construction: A Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Employee performance in the UAE construction sector is influenced not only by general working conditions but also by employees’ perceptions of how strongly safety is prioritized in daily organizational practice. Building on Job Demands–Resources theory, this study examines the effect of occupational safety climate on employee performance and investigates the mediating role of employee engagement in the UAE construction context. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data from 435 valid respondents were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural model results showed that occupational safety climate had a significant positive effect on employee performance (β = 0.242, t = 5.024, p < 0.001) and employee engagement (β = 0.221, t = 4.942, p < 0.001). Employee engagement also had a significant positive effect on employee performance (β = 0.251, t = 4.971, p < 0.001). In addition, employee engagement significantly mediated the relationship between occupational safety climate and employee performance (β = 0.055, t = 3.356, p < 0.001), confirming complementary partial mediation. The model explained 31.1% of the variance in employee engagement and 31.0% of the variance in employee performance. These findings show that occupational safety climate should not be treated only as a compliance or accident-prevention issue, but also as a performance-related organizational resource. The study contributes to construction management literature by demonstrating that safety climate enhances employee performance both directly and indirectly through employee engagement.