Operant competences, emotional competences, role clarity and the climate of occupational safety in the building industry

Abstract

In the wake of the increasing economic growth rate in Uganda, there is a major growth rate in the amount of construction in the recent past which has been coupled with an increase in falling buildings. The study sought to investigate the relationship between operant competences, emotional competences, role clarity and safety climate in the construction industry highlighting the laxity in supervision and on job training of professionals in the building industry as a major contributor of fatalities in the building industry. Snowball sampling was used to identify professionals in the building industry through recommendation from other professionals to fill in the questionnaires. The sample constituted of 130 professionals ranging from consultant engineers, civil engineers, site or construction supervisors and apprentices from Kampala and Entebbe, with ages ranging from 20 to 60 years. The data was analysed using Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 and adopted a correlational survey design to establish relationships between the variables. A self-administered questionnaire designed through competence profiling of construction personnel was used to measure operant competences. Emotional competences were measured using the Emotional Competence Inventory 2.0 (ECI 2.0) Role clarity was measured using the instrument adopted from Sande (2005). Safety climate was measured using the instrument was adopted from the Institute of Occupational Safety Engineering, Tampere University of Technology. The study results showed that operant competences and emotional competences are significant predictors of safety climate while role clarity did not significantly predict safety climate. The recommendations that can be drawn in light of the study objectives and findings from the discussion are: The Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications is encouraged to design, develop and set mandatory training for all professional in the building industry. The ministry is encouraged to set supervisory requirements for all professionals in the building industry discouraging the use of disguised, incompetent or ill experienced building professionals who are unclear about their role expectations therefore building the competence of the building professionals and ultimately their attitude towards safety.