A systematic review of the barriers and attraction strategies for females in the construction industry
Abstract
The construction industry is overwhelmingly male-dominated and has a rapidly ageing workforce. Comprehensive research shows that women are being considered as an untapped resource that can be used to fill the skills gap however, numerous barriers are hindering women from either entering or progressing in the industry across the board. Globally, governments and organisations within the sector have implemented various attraction strategies considered effective solutions for dealing with gender disparity and lack of diversity. However, there is a limited number of studies available that provide a holistic review that incorporates data extrapolated to reveal geographical and thematic trends of the most common barriers and attraction strategies found in an endeavour to encourage females into the construction industry. This research seeks to bridge that gap by conducting a systematic review using Scopus, from which 51 journals were analysed using qualitative research design. It was identified that Australia has been at the forefront of conducting research in the last decade, and discrimination and apprenticeships/pre-apprenticeship programmes were strong factors impacting or influencing females and their career prospects in the industry. The study offers valuable insight for governments, human resources, educational organisations, and self-employed individuals.Citation
Rutherford, N.N.S and Daniel, E.I. (2024) A systematic review of the barriers and attraction strategies for females in the construction industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law. https://doi.org/10.1680/jmapl.24.00009Publisher
EmeraldJournal
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and LawAdditional Links
https://doi.org/10.1680/jmapl.24.00009Type
Journal articleLanguage
enDescription
This is an author's accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald on 26/06/2024 in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law, available online: https://doi.org/10.1680/jmapl.24.00009 The accepted manuscript may differ from the final published version.ISSN
1751-4304EISSN
1751-4312ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1680/jmapl.24.00009
Scopus Count
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/