Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-2733
Date Available
8-1-2025
Year of Publication
2024
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College
Engineering
Department/School/Program
Civil Engineering
Advisor
Dr. Hala Nassereddine
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Timothy Taylor
Abstract
The U.S. construction industry stands at a crossroads. The looming age cliff is about to present its most serious challenges yet, coinciding with a shortage of qualified skilled professionals. As the demands of the construction industry continue to grow, it continues to lack the manpower to meet those demands. In order to meet the rising demands of construction needs in the near future, the construction industry needs to focus on improving workforce performance and productivity, and increasing the size of the construction labor force. Existing research highlights the importance of technological adoption and workforce skills, and that gender and ethnic diversity can mitigate the impact of the labor shortage. The objective of this dissertation is investigate the impact of on-site technology use, and specific administrative and computer skill proficiencies, on workforce performance and information access; and compare the construction workforce culture with that of the national labor force, specifically focusing on gender differences, and analyze working tradeswomen’s firsthand perspectives on the construction industry. To achieve the research objectives, 2780 construction craft workers and frontline supervisors were surveyed using an online questionnaire, and 29 focus groups involving 176 women in the construction trades were conducted to get their firsthand perspectives on issues related to the objective of this dissertation. In this dissertation, quantitative statistical analysis was used to analyze data from the survey of construction workers, and thematic content analysis and social network analysis were used for qualitative focus group data to identify emerging themes and connections between them where appropriate. The findings in this dissertation indicate that the on-site use of several technologies and administrative and computer skill proficiencies had a statistically significant impact in increased worker performance and information access. Furthermore, women in the construction industry have statistically significant negative workforce experiences compared to men in the construction industry. Finally, money and family are the main motivators for women to join the trades. Women generally had negative perceptions of the industry prior to joining. Still, they can provide substantial benefits to the industry due to their attention to detail and team-oriented personalities, However, harassment, hiring practices, and family responsibilities remain key barriers that ought to be addressed to increase recruitment through developing HR policies that protect women, treating women equally, giving them a chance in the industry, and accommodating mothers’ parental duties.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.308
Recommended Citation
Ramadan, Bassam, "UNDERSTANDING THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE: TECHNOLOGY, SKILLS, DIVERSITY" (2024). Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering. 146.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ce_etds/146
