The Relationship Between Information Quality and Construction Safety

The Relationship Between Information Quality and Construction Safety by Aloysius A. Attah MSIE, University of Texas at Arlington, 1987 BCE, University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio, 1981 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2019 Abstract Fatal occupational injury is a construction and management problem in the United States. Fatality rates among specialty trade contractors made up the largest percent of fatalities in construction at 62% per year. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between the quality of information in construction safety plans and construction safety among specialty trade contractors. The theoretical foundations for theFatal occupational injury is a construction and management problem in the United States. Fatality rates among specialty trade contractors made up the largest percent of fatalities in construction at 62% per year. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between the quality of information in construction safety plans and construction safety among specialty trade contractors. The theoretical foundations for the study were Petersen’s accident/incident theory and work systems theory. The key research question was to examine the relationship between information quality and construction safety among specialty trade contractors. A survey with closed-ended questions was used to collect primary data from a self-selection sample of 134 specialty trade contractors in the United States. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs) was used to measure the strength of the relationship between information quality and construction safety. Results indicated that the quality of information in construction safety plans (measured by the relevance, accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of information) did not have any statistically significant relationships with construction safety among U.S. specialty trade contractors. Further research is needed to understand if the variables used in this study are relevant predictors for construction safety. This study connects with positive social change by bringing into focus quality information systems research required to improve safety among U.S. specialty trade contractors and provide safety professionals a direction for continuous safety improvement in the U.S. construction industry, thus benefitting construction stake holders. The Relationship Between Information Quality and Construction Safety by Aloysius A. Attah MSIE, University of Texas at Arlington, 1987 BCE, University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio, 1981 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University May 2019 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my loving and supportive family. My wife Chinyere and my children Uzoma, Ikechukwu, and Tobenna consistently provided me the support and encouragement that helped me to complete this long journey. They tolerated my long hours on the computer practically seven days a week. I thank them for understanding why I suddenly became a recluse with practically no family or social life. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my father HRH Igwe O.C. V. Attah who slept in the Lord on February 3, 2019, my mother Lolo M. C. Attah, my uncle Prof. Charles A. Attah, MD, and my aunt Dr. Carol Attah; they inspired me to be the best I could be socially, spiritually, academically, and professionally. They are my guiding light and moral compass. I thank them for their continuous words of encouragement. I hope I have made them proud. I now look forward to returning to normal life after this difficult but rewarding journey. Acknowledgments I could not complete this research without the solid support and guidance of Walden University faculty members. I am especially grateful to my committee members who guided me through the whole process. The first committee member was my chairperson Dr. David Gould who spent several hours reviewing my work to make sure that it met high quality doctoral research. The second committee member was Dr. Keri Heitner whose expertise in quantitative research method and statistical analysis was instrumental in arriving at findings that I might generalize to larger populations. The third committee member was Dr. Kenneth Sherman, the University Research Reviewer who diligently assessed and approved the dissertation. The level of quality work in this dissertation could not have been possible without the committee’s many reviews and feedback. I am also grateful to friends and relatives I might not mention who continuously cheered me on to the successful completion of this dissertation. Finally, I acknowledge my Lord, who, without His blessing, this journey could not be possible.