The mediating roles of employee involvement and quality culture in the TQM-safety performance relationship.

This study examines the mediating roles of employee involvement and quality culture in the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) practices and safety performance within the context of digital transformation, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Industry 4.0. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 employees from manufacturing and service organizations in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire comprising nine items measuring four constructs: TQM practices, employee involvement, quality culture, and safety performance. Responses were measured using a five-point Likert scale. Data analysis included reliability assessment using Cronbach's alpha, evaluation of common method variance through Harman's single-factor test, and mediation analysis using Hayes' PROCESS macro. Simple mediation models (Model 4) and a serial mediation model (Model 6) were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap samples and 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals. The results indicate that both employee involvement and quality culture significantly mediate the relationship between TQM practices and safety performance. Employee involvement demonstrated a significant indirect effect [0.17, 95% CI (0.06, 0.33)], while quality culture showed a stronger indirect effect [0.34, 95% CI (0.24, 0.49)]. Furthermore, the serial mediation pathway linking TQM practices, employee involvement, quality culture, and safety performance was significant [indirect effect = 0.11, 95% CI (0.03, 0.20)]. Gap analysis revealed that employee voice received the lowest mean score (3.64/5), suggesting limited opportunities for employees to express opinions and participate in decision-making processes. The findings suggest that employee involvement and quality culture are important mechanisms through which TQM practices are associated with improved safety performance, with quality culture emerging as the stronger mediator. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously because the quality culture construct demonstrated low internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.41), and Harman's single-factor test indicated substantial common method variance (61.9%). In addition, the cross-sectional design, modest sample size, and reliance on self-reported data limit causal interpretation. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs, validated measurement instruments, and multi-source data to strengthen the evidence base and validate the proposed mediation framework.