Loosemore, M; Phua, F; Teo, M and Dunn, K M (2012) Management strategies to harness cultural diversity on Australian construction sites: a social identity perspective. Construction Economics and Building, 12(1), pp. 1-11. ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
Construction sites around the world employ large numbers of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The effective management of this cultural diversity has important implications for the productivity, safety, health and welfare of construction workers and for the performance and reputation of firms which employ them. The findings of a three year, multi-staged study of cultural diversity management practices on construction sites are critiqued using social identity theory. This reveals that so called "best-practice" diversity management strategies may have an opposite effect to that intended. It is concluded that the management of diversity on construction projects would benefit from being informed by social identity research.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cultural diversity; discrimination; racism; social identity theory |
| Index terms: | construction worker, social identity theory, construction site, social identity, discrimination, productivity, racism, construction project, management practice, management strategy |
| Subjects: | management, social psychology, production management, practitioner, work location, sociology, professional ethics |
| Topics: | Site Management, Ethics, Legal Issues, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Project Management, Business Strategy |
| 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