TY - GEN
T1 - Development of strategies to improve health and safety of women in construction industry
T2 - Construction Research Congress 2022: Health and Safety, Workforce, and Education, CRC 2022
AU - Pamidimukkala, Apurva
AU - Kermanshachi, Sharareh
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 ASCE.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The global shortage of skilled workers is affecting the construction industry more than many of the other sectors in the US, and the competitive market for new workers has finally convinced the industry that it is important to strengthen the hiring pool, increase workplace diversity, and attract more women. However, various safety and health issues are unique to female engineers and laborers and create many challenges for women entering and remaining in the construction field. Thus, there is a need to identify the strategies and best practices that have the greatest potential to overcome the barriers and encourage women to pursue construction careers. This paper employs the Delphi technique to determine, rank, and weigh the potential strategies. To achieve this purpose, 26 strategies were considered, following a comprehensive study of previous research. Then, ten women active in construction were invited to take part in a Delphi study. Through two rounds of the Delphi study, ten effective strategies were identified, ranked, and weighted. Providing proper sanitary facilities for women at job sites, offering challenging roles and opportunities for the growth of women, a flexible organizational culture, and providing role models were identified as the top four potential strategies. Employers and practitioners will benefit from the findings of this study as they adopt the identified innovative strategies and strengthen the hiring and retention of women in construction.
AB - The global shortage of skilled workers is affecting the construction industry more than many of the other sectors in the US, and the competitive market for new workers has finally convinced the industry that it is important to strengthen the hiring pool, increase workplace diversity, and attract more women. However, various safety and health issues are unique to female engineers and laborers and create many challenges for women entering and remaining in the construction field. Thus, there is a need to identify the strategies and best practices that have the greatest potential to overcome the barriers and encourage women to pursue construction careers. This paper employs the Delphi technique to determine, rank, and weigh the potential strategies. To achieve this purpose, 26 strategies were considered, following a comprehensive study of previous research. Then, ten women active in construction were invited to take part in a Delphi study. Through two rounds of the Delphi study, ten effective strategies were identified, ranked, and weighted. Providing proper sanitary facilities for women at job sites, offering challenging roles and opportunities for the growth of women, a flexible organizational culture, and providing role models were identified as the top four potential strategies. Employers and practitioners will benefit from the findings of this study as they adopt the identified innovative strategies and strengthen the hiring and retention of women in construction.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85129545051
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85129545051#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1061/9780784483985.032
DO - 10.1061/9780784483985.032
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85129545051
T3 - Construction Research Congress 2022: Health and Safety, Workforce, and Education - Selected Papers from Construction Research Congress 2022
SP - 314
EP - 323
BT - Construction Research Congress 2022
A2 - Jazizadeh, Farrokh
A2 - Shealy, Tripp
A2 - Garvin, Michael J.
PB - American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Y2 - 9 March 2022 through 12 March 2022
ER -