Attracting and retaining women professionals in construction: a work-stress management perspective

Research argues that gender diversity in the construction industry has the potential to improve corporate social responsibility, foster novel solutions leading to radical innovation, increase productivity, reduce the occurrence of conflicts and improve financial performance. Nonetheless, the construction industry is still one of the most male-dominated industries and is missing out on attracting and retaining the best women talents that can actually improve its overall performance. Several reasons are pointed out as to why the construction industry does not attract and retain women. The poor image of the industry, such as macho culture, conflict-laden work environments and sexism, is stopping women from entering the industry. Similarly, excessive work stress and burnout are blamed as the primary reasons for women to leave the industry. Curtailing these phenomena is critical if the construction industry wishes to reap the productivity, profit and innovation gains derived from the presence of a reasonable proportion of women professionals in the industry. Understanding the dynamics of work stress facing women professionals is fundamental to the development of suitable countermeasures. To this end, this research aims to investigate the severity of work-related psychological illnesses suffered by women construction professionals and their causes. An online questionnaire survey was conducted in the Australian construction industry and inferential statistical analyses such as t-tests and correlational analyses were carried on the survey data. The findings show that women professionals in construction considered high level of time pressure, excessive workload, and long work hours as the topmost causes of work-related stress. They were strongly correlated to the occurrence of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. The findings could help construction organisations to implement more conducive work environments and cultures to support and retain women professionals in the industry.