we
advocate for change
REBUILDING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY’S CULTURE FROM THE GROUND UP - fostering change through research-led education of future construction professionals by Dr Christina Scott-Young Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne
The construction industry has been slow to embrace gender diversity and inclusion and to support the emotional and physical health of its workers. There are examples of exemplary companies that are leading the necessary reforms for an enlightened 21st century workplace where employees can thrive. However, our research shows that there is still a long way to go. My colleagues Associate Professors Sarah Holdsworth, Michelle Turner and I work in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University, preparing the next generation of construction professionals. As university researchers and teachers, we are attempting to facilitate change in the construction industry from the bottom up, beginning with the future pipeline of emerging construction professionals. For the past six years we have been conducting research to identify strategic solutions to improve the industry’s culture. Our early research took a preventative approach by identifying the qualities that employees require to survive in challenging work conditions. To better prepare the next generation of construction professionals to work in this demanding industry, we have been developing their resilience through the adoption of effective selfcare practices. We have found that students who engage in protective behaviours such as managing stress, maintaining perspective, staying healthy and creating strong support networks show higher levels of resilience, better mental health and are less likely to experience burnout. Our most recent study of women working in trades and semi-skilled roles in 98
construction confirmed that bolstering employees’ resilience is essential if they are to succeed in demanding environments. Our second stream of research is concerned with identifying ways to retain trades and semi-skilled women in the construction industry. To date, much of the research on gender inequality in the construction industry has focused on women in professional and management roles with very few studies on women who work onsite. Our most recent study was supported by a research grant as part of the Victorian Strategy in Construction Strategy: Building Gender Equality. Our research explored how companies can create an inclusive and adaptive workplace to support women and retain them in the industry. 168 women working in trades and semi-skilled roles completed our online survey to assess their perception of workplace psychosocial safety climate, civility and respect, supervisor support, workfamily conflict and individual resilience. Most of the participants worked in the commercial sector (63%), with a smaller proportion working in the civil (20%) and domestic (12%) construction sectors. Interviews were later conducted with 43 women to explore, in greater detail, the challenges they faced and to understand how these issues affected their wellbeing. We found that women’s experiences in the construction workplace were varied. All the women we interviewed expressed passion for construction, regardless of the treatment they had experienced onsite. Some had only ever worked in extremely positive environments with supportive employers and co-workers. However, almost one third of the
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