Ayodele, O A; Chang-Richards, Y and González, V A (2022) A framework for addressing construction labour turnover in New Zealand. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(2), pp. 601-618. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors that affect labour turnover in the New Zealand construction sector and develop a framework for addressing this issue. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach was adopted. A questionnaire survey combined with interviews was used to capture the personal experiences and views of 157 construction workers regarding labour turnover. Findings: The statistical analysis revealed that level of pay, employment relationships, employee welfare, opportunities for career development, commuting distance to work and domestic relationships were the top five factors considered as primary determinants leading to the turnover decisions of most of those surveyed. Factor analysis further categorised the critical factors in three categories, namely, (1) nature of the job, (2) employee satisfaction and (3) employer commitment to staff retention and development. Practical implications: While high labour turnover rates take a toll on many construction businesses, the findings from this research will hopefully provide guidance on areas of improvement to create a sustainable construction workforce at both organisational and sectoral levels. Originality/value: Although the study is New Zealand-focused, it increases understanding of the factors affecting labour turnover in the construction sector, and the framework developed will provide construction organisations with directions in workforce retention and development to reduce the effects of labour turnover on organisational performance.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; labour turnover; New Zealand; organisational performance; workforce |
| Index terms: | interview, turnover, sustainable construction, commitment, toll, survey, methodology, career, questionnaire, construction sector, construction organization, satisfaction, retention, New Zealand, employment, critical factor, statistical analysis, construction labour, factor analysis, organizational performance, construction worker, construction industry, determinant |
| Subjects: | data science, business management, project delivery, psychology, practitioner, data collection methods, risk assessment, organization, industry analysis, transportation engineering, statistical analysis, Geography, professional development, sustainable construction, management, performance measurement, research methods |
| Topics: | Information Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Business Strategy, Sustainability, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, Human Resources, Site Management, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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