Giles, C; Irizarry, J and Gheisari, M (2010) Does gender make a difference? An analysis of motivational factors in sustainability practice. In: Egbu, C (ed.) Proceedings of 26th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2010, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
Sustainability, or what is commonly thought of as "going green," is a popular and widespread movement that has spread throughout the current general contracting industry. Its increased significance in construction led to the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system that the US Green Building Council defines as "a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings." Firms are decisively pursuing LEED certification in their construction projects and the number of accredited LEED APs (Accredited Professionals) continues to rise each year. While increased sustainability practice is viewed as a positive progression for the construction industry at large, the question has been raised as to whether or not men and women actively participating in the industry are motivated by different means to produce sustainable structures. Past studies in environmental sociology and social psychology reveal a distinct gender gap for environmental values, but an investigation of motivational factors behind male and female pursuits of sustainable building practices has not previously been tested in today’s industry. Through a quantitative assessment of the strength of beliefs that various participants in the construction industry hold today, an analysis identifying common motivating factors with gender specificity will assist in evaluating a difference in why men and women practice sustainability. Further investigation must be made before definitive generalizations are determined, but the study reveals a gender gap in the level of importance sustainability should have as a career priority. Pursuit of this subject at a larger scale could have significant outcomes for motivating current and emerging individuals in the construction industry to participate in sustainable practices.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accreditation; gender; LEED; motivational factors; sustainability |
| Index terms: | movement, sustainable practice, certification, environmental design, sociology, career, sustainable building practice, construction project, women, green building, investigation, construction industry, psychology |
| Subjects: | sustainability and energy, health behaviours and lifestyles, data collection methods, administrative processes, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, sustainable practices, sociology, social theory, production management, professional development, design practice |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Contract Administration, Research Practice, Project Management, Information Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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