Lyerson Jr., Norman E (2022) Women in construction management: A phenomenological study focusing on the unique challenges facing women in construction management. DBA thesis, National University, USA.
Abstract
The construction industry is centuries old. Women have been a part of it in one capacity or another, dating back to the 13th century. Despite its longevity, it remains a male-dominated industry. Today the ratio of men to women construction project managers is meager. The problem addressed in this study is to identify the challenges faced by women in construction project management on active construction job sites. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study aimed to examine the challenges and issues women face on construction jobsites, help determine the origin of the challenges, and contribute to solutions. The conceptual framework used for this study was the Gender Schema Theory. The theory argues that because American culture is gender polarized, children become gender polarized and carry that polarization into adulthood. This phenomenological qualitative study investigated the challenges women face due to gender as leaders in the construction project management roll and identified the causes. The data collected was from 17 women working as construction project managers on active job sites. The data revealed that there are challenges and the issues stem from their male counterparts and from society, their environment, the organization they work for, and education. The research implications include challenges related to gender, society, environment, education, and organizational involvement. Practical recommendations are more organizational involvement to include more community outreach, strict policies, better training, and exposure to the career path before the candidates reach high school. Future studies may want to include more participants, a widened geographical area to include other regions and cultures. Future studies may also want to include leadership styles.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Thompson, Richard |
| Index terms: | construction industry, future study, construction project management, women, qualitative study, children, phenomenological study, conceptual framework, exposure, career, construction project, face, leadership style, manager, society |
| Subjects: | research design and methodology, methods and analysis, professional development, project management theory and practice, public and environmental health, industry analysis, sociology, practitioner, psychology, production management, theoretical framing, communities and social development, leadership, demography |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Information Management, Organizational Design, Urban Studies, Project Management, Health and Safety |
| 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