The Mediating Role of Behavioral Intention in Safety Mechanism Adoption: A Research Protocol Based on UTAUT among Construction Workers in Guangdong, China
Abstract
This research protocol presents a comprehensive study investigating the determinants of safety mechanism adoption among frontline construction workers in Guangdong Province, China, grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Despite substantial investments in smart safety technologies (e.g., IoT-enabled wearables, AI hazard detection systems, real-time monitoring platforms), adoption rates remain critically low (38%), contributing to persistently high accident rates (1,232 fatalities in 2023) and annual economic losses of ¥18.7 billion. The study focuses on the mediating role of behavioral intention in the relationship between facilitating conditions and actual adoption behavior—a pathway that remains underexplored in construction safety literature. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the research will collect data from a stratified random sample of 450 field workers across 20 construction firms (state-owned, private, and subcontractors) representing Guangdong’s geographic diversity (Pearl River Delta, Eastern, Western, Northern regions). A structured questionnaire based on validated UTAUT scales will be administered online via the Wenjuanxing platform. Data will be analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0, including measurement model assessment (reliability, convergent and discriminant validity) and structural model testing (path coefficients, R², f², Q², and mediation via bootstrapping). Expected outcomes include significant positive effects of performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions on intention; a strong direct effect of intention on adoption behavior; and a partial mediation of intention in the facilitating conditions–adoption link. The study extends UTAUT by challenging the assumption that facilitating conditions directly drive behavior without intention in low-voluntariness contexts. Practical implications for Guangdong’s 2025 Safety Production initiatives and age‑tailored training programs are discussed. Limitations include cross-sectional design and geographic confinement.
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