Bruce, R D; Woolsey, R C and McCandless, D W (2009) A study of craft worker length of employment at select missouri construction companies. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 5(1), pp. 3-11. ISSN 1557-8771
Abstract
This study addressed a gap in the literature relative to craft worker length of employment. More specifically, it set out to provide a methodology for using readily available employee databases to assist construction companies in retaining their at-risk craft workers. Using a sample population of 10 of Missouri's 17 largest contractors, this study examined the employee databases to identify differences in mean length of employment based on hire age, craft, and company size. An analysis of variance was utilized to test three null hypotheses. Results lead the researcher to accept the null hypothesis that there were no significant differences between the mean length of employment for craft workers based on five hire age categories (16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, and 55 years & up). However, results indicated that operators had a statistically significant (0.05 alpha) longer length of employment than did carpenters, laborers, and iron workers. Also, results indicated that craft workers at medium-sized companies had a statistically significant longer length of employment than did craft workers at small and large construction companies. The researcher recommended future studies to address why craft workers at medium-sized construction firms and operators in general would have a greater mean length of employment.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; craft worker; retention |
| Index terms: | future study, variance, retention, employment, carpenter, database, methodology, population, construction firm, construction company |
| Subjects: | research design and methodology, management, measurement and scaling, data management, practitioner, organization, research methods, demography |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Human Resources, Digital Applications, Urban Studies |
| 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