The longitudinal effect of safety climate on safety behaviour: the role of extraversion and conscientiousness as moderators

Up to 80% of workplace injuries and accidents are attributed to human error. In safety-critical occupations like firefighting, vigilant safety behaviour is essential to prevent avoidable incidents. While safety climate is known to foster safe behaviour, it remains unclear whether individual personality traits weaken this effect. Drawing on the theory of purposeful work behaviour, we explore how extraversion and conscientiousness influence the pathway through which safety climate impacts safety behaviour via safety motivation. We collected three waves of survey data from 322 firefighters across 46 fire stations in Malaysia. Using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) and the Monte Carlo method, we tested the hypothesised moderation and mediation effects. Results show that safety climate indirectly influenced safety compliance through safety motivation but had no effect on safety participation. No evidence was found to support the moderating role of personality in the safety climate-behaviour relationship. These findings align with the theoretical principle that organisational safety norms play a significant role in shaping safety motivation and behaviour, regardless of individual personality traits. The study underscores the importance of senior management in promoting firefighter safety behaviour, sustaining motivation, and fostering desirable safety outcomes.