Management’s Perspective of Safety Culture in the Construction Industry: Cross-cultural Insights from Australia and China

Abstract

The construction industry’s high accident rates underscore the importance of a strong safety culture as a critical strategy for improving safety performance. Developed countries like Australia have successfully embedded safety culture into their practices, achieving significant safety advancements. In contrast, developing economies such as China face persistent challenges in fostering mature safety culture, despite notable efforts by academia and industry practitioners. Recognizing the pivotal role of management in driving a positive safety culture, this study explores how construction management teams in Australia and China perceive, adapt, and implement safety culture within their respective socio-cultural and regulatory contexts. Using a qualitative approach, thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 construction professionals reveals substantial differences in safety culture perceptions and managerial strategies between the two countries: Australian managers adopt an engagement-focused approach, emphasizing individual responsibility, transparent communication, and active employee engagement. Safety culture practices are deeply integrated into organizational processes and reinforced through consistent leadership and collaboration. Conversely, Chinese managers rely more on compliance-driven strategies, shaped by hierarchical organizational structures and a focus on collective harmony. Proactive engagement and individual accountability receive comparatively less emphasis. These findings highlight how societal values and regulatory frameworks influence the implementation of safety culture, shaping managerial strategies and practices. The study underscores the importance of culturally tailored approaches in enhancing safety culture, particularly in addressing the unique challenges within each country’s context. This comparative research provides actionable insights into improving safety outcomes and contributes to the development of adaptive safety culture frameworks for the global construction industry