A Theoretical Framework About Formation Mechanism of New Generation of Construction Workers’ Unsafe Behavior

Construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries, and construction workers’ unsafe behavior is the main contributor to safety accidents. The new generation of construction workers (NGCWs) have gradually become the majority of construction workers as population of China ages, but generational disparities cause them to engage in increasingly risky conduct. Therefore, it is vital to explore formation mechanism of unsafe behavior of NGCWs as to reduce the occurrence of safety accidents. However, it has not attracted enough scholars’ attention. The majority of studies did not separate construction workers into “new and old generations”, but treated them as a single group to conduct general research. Meanwhile, there is still a lack of studies on formation mechanism of unsafe behavior from the perspective of need and motivation. As a result, the aim of this paper is to establish a theoretical framework about formation mechanism of NGCWs’ unsafe behavior based on behavior motivation theory. This study explored the relationship of need, motivation and behavior through integrating the classical behavior motivation theories. The influencing factors during the externalization process of unsafe behavior motivation were proposed by literature research. Furthermore, Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model was introduced and expanded to establish the theoretical framework in three stages, including behavioral motivation arousal, behavioral motivation externalization and behavioral outcome generation. In this framework, internal needs and external incentives stimulate the formation of NGCWs’ unsafe behavior motivation. What’s more, the externalization of motivation into unsafe behavior is affected by individual factors, situational factors and behavior result. This study enriches the research system of construction workers’ unsafe behavior and provides more in-depth insights into the formation process of unsafe behavior of NGCWs. The research findings can serve as a basis for government agencies and construction enterprises to ameliorate safety management on the construction site.