The development of a strategic employee resourcing framework (SERF) for construction organisations

The construction industry is one of the most challenging industrial environments within which to develop effective people management practices. The industry is characterised by geographically dispersed projects, production-oriented management styles, long working weeks, high levels of staff turnover and employment practices grounded in the traditional `personnel' paradigm. One of the most challenging aspects of adopting strategic human resource management (SHRM) in the industry is employee resourcing, which comprises the staffing, performance, human resource administration and change management functions within contemporary organisations. This thesis investigates resourcing practices within large construction companies and develops a framework to inform SHRM-style decision-making in the future. Within an overall interpretative framework, case study methodology was employed for the research, supported by a range of qualitative and quantitative data sets. Fifty in-depth interviews were conducted within a major contracting organisation in order to establish both employer and employee perspectives on the resourcing process. These were supported by further interviews with several other leading contractors in order to explorew hethers uchp racticesw eret ypical and to identify alternativea pproaches. A range of secondary data informed both the wider understanding of existing approaches and the development of a more effective resourcing methodology. This included an analytic hierarchy method questionnaire to rank employee priorities, management and leadership style assessments of those with responsibility for managing the resourcing function, employee satisfaction questionnaires and an evaluation of commercially available human resource (HR) software. The results show that, although the intention with regard to resourcing was clearly positive, managerial practices did not effectively deliver the strategic intent at a project level. Organisational priorities and project requirements were found to dominate what was a largely reactive and incoherent employee resourcing process. Individual employee needs and preferences were often neglected, which led to a demotivated workforce and hence, high levels of staff turnover. This presented a need to integrate key SHRRM activities such as human resource planning (IHRP), team deployment, employee involvement (EI), performance and career management and human resource development (IHRD). Accordingly, a strategic employee resourcing framework (SERF) was developed which balances these activities in order to inform effective resourcing decision-making. The SERF has shown potential to support the effective integration of strategic business and HR objectives with operational requirements. 'liiere remains a need however, for construction organisations to develop their human resource information systems in order that such a framework is supported by appropriate organisational and employee data. This provides a longerterm challenge for the industry's larger employers, but is essential if the benefits of SHRM-oriented resourcing practices are to be realised

Association of Researchers in Construction Management

A positive safety culture among construction firms is known to be an invaluable means by which accident prevention and employee safety on sites can be improved. Workers of small construction firms strive to create and maintain safe working environments for each other and for the safety of stakeholders. Based on the organisational and safety cultures developed within small construction firms, the workers have been known to incorporate informal and situational practices in order to improve site and project safety. This paper investigates the safety cultures found in small construction firms including workers' informal practices in relation to hazard identification and accident prevention. The paper is based on a research project that has an overall aim of investigating 'good' safety practices of workers of small construction firms in the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom. In this qualitative research, rich data was acquired through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations from five construction sites. Findings from the empirical work suggest that owners and experienced workers of small construction firms significantly shape the outcome of the firms' safety cultures. For example, when they show initiative for producing safe working environments, other workers are compelled to follow suit and vice-versa. Furthermore, workers of small construction firms undertake 'informal' practices that help improve safety on site including informal risk assessment and subsequent management of hazardous events. In addition, new and less experienced worker receive effective guidance and vital onthe-job training in a way that is not documented. Unlike much research in the field, this project seeks to identify and encourage activities and approaches that help workers of small construction firms create working attitudes and environments

Horseplay, care and hands on hard work: gendered strategies of a project manager on a construction site

The discourse of managerial expertise favours rational analysis and masculine ideals but contemporary management literature also recognises the value of well-being and employee voice in the workplace. Drawing upon narrative analysis of interview data, we share unique insights into the lived experiences of Laura, one female project manager who recently managed a construction site in the Midlands in the UK. In contrast to previous research which indicates that female managers tend to conform to quite a traditional set of gender behaviours, Laura embraces a range of workplace appropriate gendered strategies, such as hard work and horseplay, together with sensitivity and caring. She draws from this mix of gendered strategies in negotiating between two different discourses of construction; one professional and one tough and practical. Her behaviour both reproduces the masculine ideals (through horseplay and heroic management) and opens up possibilities for modernising construction management (by caring). It is this combination of strategies that is at the heart of tacit expertise for Laura. Theoretically, the discussion adds to the development of a more nuanced understanding of management expertise as situated and person specific knowledge that draws on both the explicit and tacit. Specifically, the centrality of gendered strategies beyond the masculine ideals to success on site is highlighted

Behavioural ambidexterity: effects on individual well-being and high performance work in academia

Academic work demands behavioural ambidexterity: the ability to simultaneously demonstrate exploration (creativity in research and/or in innovative teaching and learning practice) and exploitation (compliance with quality assurance). However, little is known about the effects of behavioural ambidexterity on the well-being of individual employees. We explore the experiences of men working in academic roles at universities in Sweden and the UK. More specifically, we examine the relations between behavioural ambidexterity and perceptions of well-being using an interpretative approach based on narrative analysis. Despite societal differences between Sweden and the UK, academics in both countries felt ill-equipped to fulfil the demands for ambidexterity. This resulted in mixed performance outcomes with serious implications for well-being. We identify and discuss the influence of personal circumstances and the role of agency in work design as two key antecedents of positive well-being outcomes

Understanding employee resourcing in construction organizations

In recent years the literature on employee resourcing has consistently advocated the importance of adopting a holistic, strategic approach to employee deployment decision making rather than adopting a reactive needs-based approach. This is particularly problematic in construction where the multi-project environment leads to constantly changing resource requirements and to changing demands over a project's life cycle. This can lead to inappropriate decisions, which fail to meet the longer-term needs of both construction organizations and their employees. A structured and comprehensive understanding of the current project team deployment practices within large construction organizations was developed. Project deployment practices were examined within seven case study contracting firms. The emergent themes that shaped the decision-making processes were grouped into five broad clusters comprising human resource planning, performance/career management, team deployment, employee involvement and training and development. The research confirms that a reactive and ad hoc approach to the function prevails within the firms investigated. This suggests a weak relationship between the deployment process and human resource planning, team deployment, performance management, employee involvement and training and development activities. It is suggested that strategic HR-business partnering could engender more transparent and productive relationships in this crucial area