Impact of Emotional Intelligence Training on Safety Behavior Enhancement in Construction Settings

In high-risk environments such as construction sites, the integration of emotional intelligence (EI) training into safety management systems offers a promising strategy for enhancing safety performance. While existing research has predominantly focused on the leadership aspects of EI, there is a notable paucity of studies that empirically examine the subcomponents of EI, their specific effects on safety performance, or changes before and after an EI training program. This study addresses these gaps by investigating how the sub-factors of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-regulation, and social awareness—impact safety behavior, with motivation serving as a mediating variable. A theoretical framework was developed to model the pathway linking emotional intelligence sub-factors to safety behavior through motivation. This pathway, “emotional intelligence sub-factors → motivation → safety behavior,” was tested using path analysis to evaluate both direct and indirect effects on safety performance. The results revealed that self-awareness does not exert a direct influence on motivation; however, it has a significant indirect effect mediated by self-regulation and social awareness. Furthermore, the implementation of an emotional intelligence-based training program resulted in significant improvements across key dimensions, including emotion regulation (36.75%), impulse control (37.53%), and cause analysis (38.32%). These findings provide robust evidence that EI training fosters behavioral changes, as demonstrated by measurable differences in pre- and post-training outcomes, thereby contributing meaningfully to the enhancement of safety management systems. This study underscores the strategic value of emotional intelligence as a psychological intervention that complements conventional, technology-driven safety measures. By cultivating EI competencies, construction organizations can not only address unsafe behaviors but also create a proactive and safer working environment, ultimately elevating safety performance.