Abstract
This study investigates the effect of safety management practices on safety performance in ADNOC in the United Arab Emirates, focusing on the mediating effects of ethical workplace climate and safety culture. Using a quantitative survey research design, a 48- item closed-ended questionnaire with proven reliability and validity was employed. A sample of 357 individuals was selected through simple random sampling participants from the ADNOC employee population. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Findings revealed that ethical leadership significantly affects ethical workplace climate (_ = 0.266, p < 0.001), safety culture (_ = 0.359, p < 0.001), and safety performance (_ = 0.124, p < 0.001). Employee engagement significantly impacts ethical workplace climate (_ = 0.357, p < 0.01), safety culture (_ = 0.226, p < 0.01), and safety performance (_ = 0.132, p < 0.05). Effective communication influences ethical workplace climate (_ = 0.132, p < 0.05) and safety performance (_ = 0.143, p < 0.001). However, the effect of employee engagement on safety culture was unsupported. Ethical workplace climate significantly impacts safety performance (_ = 0.399, p < 0.001), and safety culture also influences safety performance (_ = 0.154, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that ethical workplace climate mediates the impact of ethical leadership, employee engagement, and effective communication on safety performance, with coefficients of (_ = 0.106, p < 0.001), (_ = 0.142, p < 0.001), and (_ = 0.053, p < 0.05), respectively. Safety culture mediates the impact of ethical leadership on safety performance (_ = 0.055, p < 0.05) and employee engagement on safety performance (_ = 0.035, p < 0.05), but not effective communication (_ = 0.051, p < 0.001). This study enhances understanding of safety management practices in the oil and gas industry, offering insights for improving safety performance and fostering a robust safety culture within organizations. The findings underscore the importance of ethical leadership and employee engagement in cultivating a positive safety culture.