Al kailani, H.; Bhattacharjee, K.; Bonilla, M. and Nnaji, C. (2026) Tailoring perceived workforce sustainability strategies in the US construction industry. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, pp. 1-18. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose – The construction industry faces chronic workforce challenges, including shortages, high turnover and aging demographics, prompting the adoption of workforce sustainability strategies. However, current approaches employ universal solutions without considering how diverse demographic groups perceive their effectiveness. This gap limits organizations' ability to design targeted interventions, necessitating demographic-specific insights for inclusive practice. This study examines how demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status and ethnicity) and occupational experience systematically influence construction workers' perceptions of the effectiveness of workforce sustainability strategies within a validated eight-dimensional framework. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative survey of 412 construction professionals was conducted across the United States through a national online survey and on-site administration in Texas, US Participants rated eight workforce sustainability dimensions on a 5-point Likert scale. Kruskal–Wallis tests examined group differences. Findings – Results revealed substantial demographic variations in perceived strategy effectiveness. Health and Wellbeing strategies showed consistent differentiation, with older, experienced and Caucasian workers rating them more effective than younger, early-career and Hispanic counterparts. Unmarried employees perceived higher effectiveness than married participants across most strategies, while equity strategies showed universal recognition across all groups. Originality/value – This research provides empirical evidence of demographic variations in workforce sustainability perceptions. The findings establish a demographic-strategy perception nexus, extending existing workforce sustainability models. Practically, construction firms should adopt demographically differentiated strategies, including bilingual health and wellbeing programs for Hispanic workers, age-specific safety messaging and flexible formats for workers with caregiving responsibilities, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction workforce; demographic variations; human capital management; inclusive interventions; organizational sustainability; strategy effectiveness; workforce sustainability |
| Index terms: | shortages, construction industry, United States, demographics, variation, construction professional, evidence, construction firm, human capital, career, construction worker, survey, health and wellbeing, differentiation, program, Likert scale, strategy, methodology, effectiveness, dimension, turnover, face |
| Subjects: | business management, research methods, economics, contractual condition, industry analysis, management, mental health and wellbeing, psychology, economic analysis, software systems, Geography, practitioner, health monitoring assessment and metrics, evaluation and assessment methods, demography, professional development, organization, data collection methods, performance management |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Contract Administration, Geographical Context, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Quality Management, Information Management |
| 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