A relational leadership rationale for the support of construction safety directors: A narrative study

Occupational injuries are high in the construction industry. Organizations employ safety directors to mitigate occupational injuries. This narrative inquiry study explores the idea of relational support for the position of safety directors through their stories and accounts of their personal experiences. Their stories tell about relational leadership and influences that affect their position and organizational safety. Relational leadership is looked at in terms of influence, economics, cross-organizational support, and empowerment. The stories told by safety directors describes the complex relationships that exist throughout an organization that could support their position and organizational safety. This study transcends the simple dyadic relationship between a leader and follower by looking deeper into the relationships needed at every level of leadership in the organization. The themes that emerge from the study offers insight into understanding complex relationships, influence, limits of power, cross-organizational support, and external influences. Developing relationship and relational support to influence organizational safety offers insight into understanding the support of construction safety director.