Castaneda-Maza, J A (2002) Workers' skills and receptiveness to operate under the Tier II construction management strategy. PhD thesis, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
Abstract
Shortages of skilled construction workers and their consequent impact on project performance have been reported with increasing frequency over the last few years. The Center for Construction Industry Studies at The University of Texas at Austin has proposed a work force management strategy, referred to as Tier II, to address the need for a comprehensive approach to the problem. Projects executed under the Tier II strategy would utilize fewer, better-educated and skilled workers who perform craft functions and some lower-management functions and receive higher compensation, while delivering improved or comparable project results. With the participation of industry leaders, labor organizations and experienced highly skilled craft workers, the strategy and its implementation metric have been developed. This dissertation presents results from the analysis of preliminary baseline data gathered from 12 industrial construction projects located in seven states within the USA, including surveys from over 500 workers. The results show that the skill levels and project practices indicated in Tier II strategy metrics are feasible and achievable. Also, the evidence indicates that workers already have some Tier II skills but opportunity for improvement is large, mainly in management skills; and most importantly, the workers are receptive to improve in those skills and to work with the Tier II proposed construction work force management practices. There is a need for a structured work force management approach in the construction industry, where workers' technical and management skills are recognized, utilized, and remunerated. Preliminary evidence from workers' data suggests that the metrics-based implementation if Tier II strategy is achievable, and the apparent feasibility of its implementation encourages further data gathering for its refinement and assessment versus construction success. For the work force, the benefits of the Tier II strategy are promising. If proven to yield comparable or superior construction performance results for construction and owner companies, the Tier II strategy could provide a long-term, revolutionary improvement in construction management practices.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Tucker, R L |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | skills; construction project; participation; construction worker; owner; project performance |
| Index terms: | project performance, construction work, industrial construction, implementation, construction industry, compensation, dissertation, construction worker, management strategy, skilled worker, owner, construction performance, evidence, management practice, construction project, shortages, survey, strategy |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, sociology, building construction, production management, project management theory and practice, management, contractual arrangements, performance assessment, economic analysis, operations management, practitioner, dispute resolution, evaluation and assessment methods, data collection methods, research dissemination and communication |
| Topics: | Site Management, Human Resources, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Legal Issues, Procurement, Engineering Principles, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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