Comparative analysis of leading and lagging indicators of construction disability management performance: An exploratory study

To enable organisations holistically manage work related injuries, the Construction Disability Management Maturity Model (CDM3) and disability management (DM) metrics were developed. The model benchmarks DM and provides strategies to optimize performance. The model was validated on a sample of construction organisations in Manitoba. 12 disability management metrics were developed and used to measure the lagging, or after-the-fact performance, of the organisations. The paper explores the relationship between the leading and lagging indicators of DM performance. Analysis showed that companies with higher maturity scores had relatively lower rates of return, and companies with lower maturity scores had higher rates of return, comparatively. The findings also showed that companies with higher DM maturity had lower recordable injury rates, severity rates and lost time case rates than companies with lower DM maturity. To this end, a more complete implementation of the CDM3 and the developed metrics is the main recommendation of the study. The main implication of the findings of the study is that disability management performance improvement strategies must consider both leading and lagging indicators of performance to bring about sustainable improvements in the construction industry.