Barriers to women in the UK construction industry
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 4 May 2010
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the main barriers that lead to the under‐representation of women in the UK construction industry. The study, funded by ConstructionSkills, seeks to explore the issues that women face and investigate the potential positive impact that continuous professional development (CPD) may have upon improving the retention and career progression of women.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an open‐ended grounded theory (GT) approach, including 231 semi‐structured questionnaires and nine focus groups with women from a range of professional occupations. All the findings were analysed using keyword analysis to identify the top two barriers that women face, alongside a series of cross‐cutting key themes and issues.
Findings
The findings reveal that male‐dominated organisational cultures and inflexible working practices are the main barriers to women in the UK construction industry, irrespective of job role or profession. This paper concludes by arguing for a sea‐change in the expansion of CPD opportunities for women in managerial, confidence and communication based skills, with accompanying networking and support systems to facilitate the retention and advancement of women in the industry sector.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the research approach, the data are not generalisable. Therefore, researchers are advised to research and test the findings with a larger group. Researchers are also recommended to investigate the impact of expanded CPD opportunities for both men and women.
Originality/value
The paper puts forward a business case for the advancement of specific CPD training for women, to facilitate the expansion of equality and diversity in the workforce in the UK construction industry.
Keywords
Citation
Worrall, L., Harris, K., Stewart, R., Thomas, A. and McDermott, P. (2010), "Barriers to women in the UK construction industry", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 268-281. https://doi.org/10.1108/09699981011038060
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited