van Brenk, H (2014) Exploring how construction workers interpret the efficacy of leadership traits. DM thesis, University of Phoenix, USA.
Abstract
The study suggests that causation of workplace injury, specific to construction projects, include human factors that are not routinely discovered through empirical analysis. Although this is likely an intuitive conclusion it suggests that prevention must in part confront human factors and the role of leadership to respond. Construction continues to be one of the most dangerous industry segments in the United States injuring tens of thousands of construction workers annually. This qualitative phenomenological study investigated a directed sample of 15 construction workers working at 5 different projects for the participating organization. The five projects selected were determined by the leadership traits of operational leadership such that the worker sample population was exposed to the full spectrum of leadership behaviors. The objective of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of the influence that specific leadership traits had in building a positive and proactive safety culture. The study used NVivo8 software to categorize the collected data. The results of the study identified the emergence of four main themes: (a) characteristics of the operational leader in the construction industry, (b) leadership approaches that influence safe behavior, (c) followersleadership reflective behavior, and (d) process of followership. Through one-on-one interviews the participants revealed their interpretation of leadership behaviors and how that interpretation drives their behavior. The study reveals potential gaps between the intent of leadership action and the constructed meaning by the participant. The study offers practical considerations for both the leader and the organization that may make a positive contribution to the prevention of incident and injury at the construction workplace.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Downey, K |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | culture; emergence; population; construction project; injury; leadership; safety; construction worker; United States; interview |
| Index terms: | phenomenological study, safety culture, prevention, construction industry, construction worker, meaning, injury, United States, interview, human factor, emergence, construction project, population |
| Subjects: | practitioner, demography, Geography, health safety and environment, production management, financial risk, data collection methods, occupational health and safety management, sociology, health conditions and diseases, industry analysis, systems engineering, methods and analysis |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Urban Studies, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Cost Management |
| 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