Religiosity and safety performance: mediating role of safety behaviour

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-06-2020-0096
• Published date: 31 August 2022
• Date: 31 August 2022
• Pages: 745-760
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Healthcare management,HR & organizational behaviour,Human resource policy,Employee welfare
• Author: Lebbaeus Asamani,Maxwell Asumeng,Adote Anum,Evelyn Twumasi

Religiosity and safety

performance: mediating role of

safety behaviour

Lebbaeus Asamani

Department of Education and Psychology, University of Cape Coast,

Cape Coast, Ghana

Maxwell Asumeng and Adote Anum

Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, and

Evelyn Twumasi

University of Education Winneba, Winneba, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose –Safety science research has largely focused on areas such as oil and gas, mining and construction,

with a paucity of research in the agricultural sector which constitutes over 60% of the workforce in Ghana. This

paper investigated the extent to which religiosity of rice farm workers predicts their safety performance

through safety behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach –The authors collected data from 469 respondents, comprising 347 males

and 122 females from three large rice irrigation schemes in southern Ghana in a cross-sectional survey, and

analysed the data with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings –Religiosity had a moderate positive direct relationship with safety behaviour, while safety

behaviour had a very weak relationship with safety performance. Also, safety behaviour played a competitive

partial mediating role in the relationship between religiosity and safety performance.

Practical implications –The findings led to the conclusion that religiosity is an essential direct antecedent

of safety behaviour at work and an indirect antecedent of safety performance. Accordingly, the authors

recommend that safety practitioners, managers and supervisors put mechanisms in place to cautiously

encourage optional religious programmes that would enable organisational members to get a deeper

understanding and knowledge of their religion and promote religious freedom and diversity at the workplace.

Originality/value –This paper has contributed to the debate on the relevance of religiosity at work and

occupational safety and health promotion in the African context. This seems to be the only study in Ghana that

has investigated how religiosity relates to safety behaviour in production agriculture, specifically, rice farming.

Another contribution of this study is the evidence supporting the mediating role of safety behaviour in the

relationship between religiosity and safety performance.

Keywords Religiosity at work, Religiosity and safety performance, Religiosity and safety behaviour,

Safety behaviour of farm workers

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Interest in religiosity and spirituality in the workplace is a relatively new area of scientific

investigation that has attracted both scholars and practitioners. Voland (2009) noted that

every human society has some form of religion. Indeed, Khan and Tantray (2019) asserted

that “man as a human being, cannot exist without religion because it is intrinsic in his nature.

One cannot isolate religion from the life situation”(p. 6). National surveys in Ghana indicate

that only a small percentage of Ghanaians indicated they did not associate with any religion.

In the 2010 and 2021 national population and housing surveys, 5.3% and 1.1% respectively of

those surveyed indicated that they were not affiliated with any religion (Sasu, 2022). The

major religions in Ghana are Christianity, Islam and Traditional religions (e.g. Ghana

Statistical Service, 2012;Sasu, 2022).

Religiosity and

safety

performance

745

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/1753-8351.htm

Received 11 June 2020

Revised 10 June 2021

15 April 2022

23 June 2022

7 July 2022

Accepted 15 August 2022

InternationalJournal of Workplace

Health Management

Vol. 15 No. 6, 2022

pp. 745-760

© Emerald Publishing Limited

1753-8351

DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-06-2020-0096

These religions have norms and values that encourage their members to exhibit good

work behaviours and employees take these values and principles to their work, which

influence their work behaviour. The Christians, for instance, are encouraged to work

conscientiously as presented in the following quotes: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it

with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working

nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom”(Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV). They are also encouraged

to be obedient and law-abiding. Colossians 3: 22-25 (NIV) for instance states:

Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters not with eyeservice, as men-

pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, work heartily as serving

the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward;

you are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and

there is no partiality.

Islam also inculcates values and norms that promote work ethics and admonish members to

be law-abiding, and these serve as guiding principles for Muslims at work (Salem and Agil,

2012), and considers hard work as a positive value and as a part of mankind’s service to the

Almighty God (Salmabadi et al., 2015). According to Islamic teachings, Allah also rewards

those who work for good, for it is written: “As to those who believe and work with

righteousness, verily we shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a single righteous

deed”(Surah Alkhaf: 30), and “Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and giving help to relatives, and

He forbids immoral sins, evil and tyranny. He admonishes you, so that perhaps you may take

heed”(Surah An-Nahl: 90).

The African traditional religion also involves the concept of a Supreme Being which is

invisible and indigenous (Idang, 2015). The guiding principles, values, norms and ethical

codes of the African traditional religion are not written but are taught and imbibed into the

minds and hearts of the followers, and these guide their everyday behaviour in various

contexts. Mbiti (1969) indicated the ethical code of conduct in Traditional religion “are written

not on paper, but in people’s hearts, minds, oral history, rituals and religious personages like

the priests, rainmakers, officiating elders and even kings”(p. 1). A moral sense of justice, truth

and the knowledge of the existence of good and evil are inculcated through wise sayings and

proverbs (Umoh, 2005). For instance, the following African Proverbs teach members of

societies the value and ethical behaviour of hard work, diligence in one’s work and

conscientiousness: “The mouth does not eat if the feet do not walk and the hands work”;“The

best preparation for tomorrow is to make sure today’s work is superbly done”; and “You must

judge a man by the work of his hand”. Indeed, Idang (2015) noted that African religious values

seem to have an influence on every aspect of the life of the African and the African believes

that anything can be imbued with spiritual significance.

Religious values in African societies are not toyed with, because religion seems to be the

hub around which every activity revolves (Idang, 2015). Turnipseed (2002), for instance,

indicated that the values and beliefs that members of a given religion hold have often guided

organisational managers on the moral and ethical guidelines they need to resolve ethical

dilemmas in their organisations. We argue that religious values and beliefs are pertinent to

the running of modern organisations. This is based on the fact that traditions of the major

religions of the world have endured the test of time and the values inherent in those religions

have enormous influences on the attitudes and behaviours of their members in various

contexts and settings (Voland, 2009).

The term religiosity is difficult to define in scientific literature resulting in varied

conceptualisations (Hackney and Sanders, 2003). Mokhlis (2006) defined religiosity or religious

commitment as the degree to which individuals adopt and practice the beliefs in specific religious

values and ideals. Religiosity represents the extent to which members of a religious group adhere

to and practice the tenets of their religion (Asamani and Opoku Mensah, 2016). There are attempts

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