Abdalla, A; Li, X; Yang, F and Lou, Q (2026) Fuzzy synthetic evaluation of intervention measures to enhance the psychological health and well-being of expatriate construction professionals. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 33(1), pp. 732-762. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose – With the rise in international construction projects, addressing the psychological health concerns of expatriate construction professionals (EXCPs) has become of paramount importance. Therefore, this study aims to identify and evaluate effective intervention measures to promote optimal psychological health and well-being in overseas working environments. Design/methodology/approach – Intervention measures were identified through a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, using a case study of Chinese international contractors, data were collected via a quantitative survey administered to EXCPs holding managerial positions in international construction projects. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation was employed to analyze the data. Findings – The findings identified 23 intervention measures and 4 constructs, among them, measures focused on enhancing organizational justice and training practices offer the greatest potential for enhancing the psychological health and well-being during international assignments. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the overall criticality of the intervention measures to the international contractors is significant, suggesting that if put into practice, the psychological health and well-being of EXCPs can be significantly enhanced. Originality/value – While prior research has explored intervention measures suitable for construction professionals working on domestic projects, little attention has been paid to EXCPs in the context of international construction projects. This study offers an initial exploration of the most crucial intervention measures and provides a valuable resource for policymakers and practitioners seeking to establish a psychologically healthy working environment for international construction projects.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | expatriate construction professionals; fuzzy synthetic evaluation; international construction projects; intervention measures |
| Index terms: | literature review, survey, justice, fuzzy synthetic evaluation, psychological health, international construction project, well-being, international assignments, methodology, exploration, practitioner, training practice, case study, construction professional |
| Subjects: | health conditions and diseases, professional development, data analysis and analytics, learning methods, data collection methods, mental health and wellbeing, decision-making and optimization, research methods, legal systems, environmental resource management, practitioner, strategic management |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Information Management, Roles and Professions, International Construction, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Legal Issues, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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