Role overload and safety incidents:an examination of the individual- and team-level buffering effects of psychological safety

Abstract

A supportive work environment benefits employees and their organizations, and is particularly important for safety outcomes. In this paper we respond to calls in the literature to examine the moderating effects of individual- and team-level psychological safety on the relationship between role overload and safety incidents. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we proposed that role overload would be positively related to safety incidents. Second, we proposed a multi-level interaction model where individual- and team-level psychological safety attenuate the positive relationship between role overload and safety incidents. Using data obtained from 841 employees nested in 100 teams, our multi-level analyses revealed that role overload positively relates to safety incidents and that psychological safety is a team-, rather than an individual-, level moderating resource that confers protection for employees by buffering the effects of role overload on safety incidents. We also found a main effect for individual-level psychological safety, with higher levels of psychological safety associated with fewer incidents. Based on our findings, employees should individually and collectively invest resources to create a climate of psychological safety to protect themselves and their colleagues from the negative safety implications of role overload. Leaders are advised to focus on interventions to enhance team-level psychological safety including supportive environments to encourage team cohesion, initiative taking, accountability, and via their leadership development.</p