LEARNING TO WORK SAFELY WITH REFERENCE TO A SOCIAL-COGNITIVE MODEL

Issues concerning the effectiveness of promotional activities for working people's occupational safety and health are the focus of the present study. Data were collected from a random sample of 668 working people in Hong Kong by the telephone survey method. The study relies on a framework of social cognitive theory, which posits mediational roles of beliefs concerning one's self-efficacy, the collective efficacy of the promotional organization, and the efficacy of behavior for occupational safety and health. It involves a causal model incorporating exposure, learning, efficacy beliefs, actual and intended behavior, work accident, occupation and other background characteristics, and prior scores of self-efficacy, behavior, and accident. Analysis of the causal model reveals the significant contribution of promotional activities, through the social learning process of exposure, learning, and development of efficacy beliefs, to behavioral change. That is, the total effects of exposure and learning on behavioral outcomes and their mediators were significant. Moreover, working people in industries targeted for promotion demonstrated higher levels of behavior and efficacy beliefs than those in non-targeted industries.