The effect of fatalistic beliefs regarding occupational accidents on job satisfaction and organizational trust in hotel industry

Abstract

Occupational accidents pose serious problems in both Turkey and the world. The human factor seems to be the most common reason for these accidents. While preventive measures can be taken against occupational accidents, there are some humanistic obstacles, such as fatalistic beliefs, that impede these measures. The main purpose of this study is to test the effect of fatalistic beliefs regarding occupational accidents on job satisfaction and organizational trust. It was hypothesized that fatalistic beliefs in regards to occupational accidents have a negative effect on job satisfaction and organizational trust of employees. The study was carried out in five and four star accommodation companies in Alanya, Turkey. A quantitative research approach was adopted. Fully structured questionnaires were used as the measurement instrument. 1564 questionnaires were analysed. The Structural Equation Modelling analysis indicated that fatalistic beliefs regarding occupational accidents have a strong negative effect on both job satisfaction and organizational trust of employees in accommodation companies; therefore the hypotheses were strongly supported. These results indicate that attempting to overcome fatalistic beliefs and investing in occupational health and safety is a good business decision, as well as an ethical one.