Impact of Transformational Leadership on New-Generation Construction Workers’ Safety Behavior: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

In recent years, despite the continuous improvement of China’s construction safety management systems and the adoption of advanced technologies, safety accidents remain frequent. This shift highlights the growing importance of human factors in construction safety. As the main labor force, the new generation of construction workers differs significantly from previous generations in values and motivation, reducing the effectiveness of traditional safety management models. This study investigates the direct effect of transformational leadership on the safety behavior of new-generation construction workers. Using survey data collected from construction enterprises in Guangdong Province, China, and applying structural equation modeling (SEM), the results reveal that transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on safety behavior. All four dimensions—idealized influence, inspirational motivation, idealized influence (charisma) and individualized consideration—positively influence both safety compliance and participation, with inspirational motivation exerting the strongest effect (β = 0.509 for compliance; β = 0.446 for participation). These findings indicate that leaders who articulate a compelling shared vision can effectively internalize safety norms and motivate proactive safety participation. This study enriches theoretical understanding of safety leadership mechanisms and provides practical guidance for construction enterprises to enhance safety performance through cultivating transformational leadership among managers.