ENHANCING EMPLOYEE RETENTION THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND OHS TRAINING PROGRAMS: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF WORKPLACE SAFETY CULTURE

Abstract

The issue of employee turnover continues to be a problem for organizations due to the stiff talent competition by various organizations. This research examines the effect of OHS training proliferation, psychological safety climate, and workplace safety perceptions on engagement and retention among textile industry employees. Building on the Conservation Resource (COR) theory, the study tries to understand how psychological safety affects the interaction between OHS training and employee results, assuming workplace safety culture as a moderator. Cross-sectional self-report questionnaires were collected from 250 staff members employed in textile manufacturing organizations in Pakistan, and the data were analyzed through regression, mediation, and moderation. The study shows that OHS training programs improve organizational commitment and reduce turnover intentions, with psychological safety as the critical moderator. Thirdly, the results demonstrate that workplace safety culture partially mediates the association between OHS training and PS, and the moderation effect of safety culture was significant for LSC organizations. These results have major implications for the appreciation and improvement of the ASC promoting a positive safety culture, as well as the provision of systematic OHS training programs that can better retain employees and create a more motivated, low-turnover workforce. The findings of this study are subsequently linked to the existing literature, where both theory and practice implications are examined as well as future research directions are proposed.