Mediating effect of cost of safety on performance of bread bakers: Evidence from Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the mediating effect of cost of safety on the performance of bread bakers: Evidence from Kogi State Nigeria. The purpose was to examine the extent to which safety costs mediate or explain the underlying mechanism of the relationship between workers' safety and their performance. Data for the study were obtained from responses to the questionnaire distributed to 260 workers in seven (7) bread baking enterprises in the state out of which 163 of them (questionnaires) were returned. The analysis of the data was done using bootstrapping and regression statistical tools. The results of bootstrapping showed that the Average Casual Mediation Effect (ACME) is Total Effect (TE) minus Direct Effect (DE) of X (safety) and M (mediator) on Y (performance) and the coefficient of M have the same value of 0.3744 significant at 1 percent level. The result indicates partial mediation, the aim of mediation analysis. Similarly, the regression result indicated that approximately 53 percent of changes in Y are explained by the combined effect of X and M which is partial accountability of the variables akin to partial mediation of bootstrapping result. The study recommends that business owners especially bakery owners in Kogi State should take issues of safety seriously by providing adequate safety equipment and training workers on safety precautions.