Abstract:
Unsafe behavior among construction workers is a predominant cause of on-site accidents. While prior studies focus largely on isolated factors or linear relationships, the complex interactive mechanisms among multiple variables remain underexplored. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study integrates literature analysis and text mining to identify a tripartite framework of individual, organizational, and environmental antecedents. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA) on 120 valid questionnaire responses, we examine the configurational pathways leading to unsafe behavior. Findings indicate that no single factor is necessary for high unsafe behavior. Seven sufficient pathways are identified and categorized into three archetypal patterns: cognitive-educational deficiency, psychological-organizational deficiency, and psychological-capability-supervision deficiency. Notably, deficient self-awareness constitutes a core condition across all pathways, while insufficient safety training plays a pivotal role in most configurations. This study advances a configurational perspective on the multifaceted etiology of construction workers' unsafe behavior, offering theoretical insights and targeted implications for site safety management.