Differences between Job Roles in the Specialty Trades: A Human Factors Approach

9 pages•Published: May 15, 2022

Abstract

The construction industry is an industry that relies heavily on labor and skilled personnel. While workforce shortage is currently increasing due to current market conditions and shifting demographics. Innovative human resource management practices, such as the use of human factor measurements should be developed to overcome the current and future challenges. The study developed a Human Factor (HF) instrument with three components: personality inventory, emotional intelligence, and behavioral measurement. 182 participants within four job roles Project Managers (PMs), Field Leaders (FLs), Estimators (ESTs), and Detailers (VDCs) from the sheet and metal contractors have taken the HF instrument. Comparison results showed that the four job roles have several differences in HF, including FLs had higher Modesty than PMs; FLs had lower Openness to Experience than VDCs; FLs had higher Greed-Avoidance, lower Fairness, and lower Inquisitiveness than ESTs; PMs had higher Dependence, higher Sentimentality, and lower Creativity than VDCs; PMs had lower Prudence than ESTs, and there were no statistically significant differences between VDCs and ESTs. These results can help contractors hire, develop, and maintain talent in their organizations. Given the limited number of participants, future research is recommended to expand the data pool to other specialty trades across the construction industry.

Keyphrases: Emotional Intelligence, Human Factors, Human Resource Management (HRM), personality characteristics, Specialty Trades

In: Tom Leathem, Wesley Collins and Anthony J. Perrenoud (editors). ASC2022. 58th Annual Associated Schools of Construction International Conference, vol 3, pages 139--147

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/G8zm
	https://doi.org/10.29007/qxnx