Yan, D; Sunindijo, R; Wang, C and Yang, Z (2024) Comparing the career paths of male and female managers in the construction industry: Insights from LinkedIn data. In: Thomson, C (ed.) Proceedings of 40th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2024, London South Bank University, UK.
Abstract
As one of the most male-dominated industries, the construction industry in Australia is known for the low representation of women in the workforce. Previous studies have indicated that women face significant obstacles in their career developments, progressing more slowly than their male counterparts and struggling to attain managerial positions. Building on past research, this research compares the differences between the career paths of male and female managers in construction to understand key factors contributing to gender disparities in career progression. Based on an examination of the LinkedIn profiles of 480 managerial level employees from 61 companies, this research leveraged the rich dataset provided by the world's largest professional network, LinkedIn, to examine these key factors, such as educational backgrounds, years of experience, job titles, career transitions, and network sizes. This research contributes to existing literatures on gender disparities in leadership roles within the construction industry. By utilising LinkedIn data, which reflect the lived experiences of managers, this research provides empirical evidence that can inform policymaking, talent management, and diversity initiatives aimed at narrowing the gender gap in construction leadership.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | gender inequality; leadership; management of the firm; organisation; personnel |
| Index terms: | disparity, dataset, construction industry, evidence, women, leadership role, management of the firm, career, inequality, Australia, face, personnel, manager |
| Subjects: | evaluation and assessment methods, practitioner, psychology, management, professional development, Geography, social justice, sociology, data management, industry analysis, leadership |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Ethics, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Information Management |
| 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