Bigelow, B F; Bilbo, D; Mathew, M; Ritter, L and Elliott, J W (2015) Identifying the most effective factors in attracting female undergraduate students to construction management. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 11(3), pp. 179-195. ISSN 1557-8771
Abstract
Despite initiatives to recruit and retain females in construction management (CM), women are underrepresented in both CM education and the construction industry as a whole. This study explored the factors that are most influential in attracting female students to CM degree programs. The study sample comprised female students (n = 90) enrolled in CM education programs at five universities. Data were used to investigate the factors, identified through a review of previous research, that were most influential in female student decision making to pursue a CM degree program. Sixteen factors were identified. The research supported these factors as positively influential, however, as expected, some factors clearly had greater positive influence than others. The two most influential factors in female selection of a CM degree program were identified as: internships and awareness of career opportunities. Having a father in the industry and non-internship work experiences were also seen as two highly positively influential factors. The results suggest these factors should be the emphasis of efforts to recruit female students as they are most likely to positively influence them.; Despite initiatives to recruit and retain females in construction management (CM), women are underrepresented in both CM education and the construction industry as a whole. This study explored the factors that are most influential in attracting female students to CM degree programs. The study sample comprised female students (n = 90) enrolled in CM education programs at five universities. Data were used to investigate the factors, identified through a review of previous research, that were most influential in female student decision making to pursue a CM degree program. Sixteen factors were identified. The research supported these factors as positively influential, however, as expected, some factors clearly had greater positive influence than others. The two most influential factors in female selection of a CM degree program were identified as: internships and awareness of career opportunities. Having a father in the industry and non-internship work experiences were also seen as two highly positively influential factors. The results suggest these factors should be the emphasis of efforts to recruit female students as they are most likely to positively influence them.;
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | internships; mentoring; construction education; recruitment; women in construction; women; academic degrees; university students; decision making; construction industry |
| Index terms: | construction education, influential factor, career, decision-making, academic degree, program, mentoring, internship, university student, women, undergraduate, recruitment, construction industry |
| Subjects: | risk assessment, curriculum development, curriculum design, training, professional development, management, software systems, educational resources, industry analysis, professional education, decision analysis, sociology |
| Topics: | Education, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Risk Management, Information Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here