The locus of control: a determinant of opportunistic behaviour in construction health and safety

Current research and practice in the field of risk management focus almost exclusively on the downside of risk, meaning that many opportunities for improved performance go unmissed. There is substantial evidence that opportunities demand a different management approach to problems and, that there is need to better understand this process. However, our understanding of opportunism has been hindered by the absence of research into the main forces that impede and drive opportunistic behaviour. This paper explores these forces and investigates one in particular – the locus of control (self perceived influence over decision‐making). This investigation is conducted in a health and safety context because this is an area of particularly poor performance in the construction industry, where the locus of control is especially relevant. The paper concludes that the overall locus of control is high in relation to health and safety issues. However, there is considerable discrepancy in perceived levels of influence between different occupational, gender and ethnic groups, which need to be addressed if the industry is to improve its performance in this area.