Managing cultural diversity at U.S. Construction sites: Hispanic workers' perspectives

Communication on construction sites is crucial for improving overall construction performance. Cultural barriers influence the clarity of communication between construction supervisors and Hispanic workers on U.S. construction sites, which affects safety performance. In this study, Hispanic workers' perspectives regarding active cultural differences (ACD) were collected, analyzed, and compared to supervisors' perspectives and responses that were reported earlier. The results confirmed the existence of three active cultural differences: high power distance, collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance. Although the goal of the study was primarily to investigate active cultural differences, the results revealed additional important factors that affect Hispanic construction workers, such as daily work conditions, the effectiveness of government agencies' regulations, workers' legal status, and reporting nonsevere injuries. Very few, if any, empirical studies have focused on cultural diversity on U.S. construction sites. Therefore this study provides a meaningful understanding of the nature and influence of cultural differences, which in turn helps construction supervisors manage their diverse workforce as well as aids future research studies that are focused on cultural diversity.