Pappas, M P (2004) An assessment of implementation requirements for the Tier II construction workforce strategy. PhD thesis, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
Abstract
The United States construction industry has endured a skilled labor shortage overthe last two decades. The shortage varies in its characteristics and intensity, but itcontinues to persist. Although the industry has developed numerous programs toimprove recruitment, training, and retention, these efforts have not eliminated theproblem. It is clear that more must be done.The Tier II strategy combines a number of workforce development andmanagement principles into a comprehensive approach that is measurable and can berelated to construction success. The strategy seeks to develop a strong, highly-skilledcore within the journey-level workforce. These “Tier II journey-level craft workers”possess excellent technical skills and have the management skills to support crew-levelplanning. Effective utilization of these highly-skilled craft workers should result in betterproject performance, as well as higher income, job satisfaction, and better careeropportunities for the individual worker. The Tier II strategy is defined by metrics developed to measure performance and to provide guidance for implementation.Baseline data have been collected from more than 900 individuals and 20 projects.This dissertation documents the first comprehensive attempt to providequantitative guidance regarding the implementation of the Tier II strategy. The currentstatus of the industry based on the Tier II metrics is assessed using the baseline data.Using this current status as a starting point, this dissertation identifies the requirementsnecessary to achieve an advanced level of Tier II implementation for an example project,which requires the determination of quantitative data where none exist in the academicliterature. Expected benefits and costs are developed based on published literature andunpublished data from a number of industry sources.Industry implementation will evolve in a number of different forms, as companiesdevelop detailed implementation plans that complement their corporate cultures and thespecific requirements of their projects and their personnel.Based on the Tier II metrics, baseline data, published literature, and unpublishedindustry data gathered through interviews and meetings, the Tier II strategy can beimplemented at an advanced level with a minimum expected benefit-cost ratio in therange of 2:1 to 3:1.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Tucker, R L and Haas, C T |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | skills; workforce; income; job satisfaction; recruitment; training; United States; culture; interview |
| Index terms: | corporate culture, documents, workforce development, program, technical skill, interview, personnel, skilled labour, United States, strategy, income, recruitment, dissertation, implementation, construction industry, retention, job satisfaction |
| Subjects: | professional development, Geography, software systems, management, industry analysis, sociology, research dissemination and communication, data collection methods, economic analysis, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Education, Procurement, Geographical Context, Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Business Strategy, Information Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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