Balancing study and paid work: the experiences of construction undergraduates in an Australian university

A questionnaire survey was undertaken among third year students enrolled in the University of Melbourne's Bachelor or Property and Construction Management programme. The survey explored student's experiences in balancing paid work with study. Hours spent in paid employment were at least as long, and in many cases, were in excess of hours spent at university. While work was not perceived by students to pose a difficulty for attending lectures and tutorials, students indicated that their paid work made it difficult for them to engage in independent learning activities such as using library resources or preparing for classes by reading beforehand. Two scales, previously used in other countries to measure student's burnout and engagement were tested. Both scales were found to be valid and reliable in that the factorial structures found in previous studies were confirmed and acceptable internal consistent reliability coefficients were generated for each of the scale's component factors. This opens the way for more in-dept multivariate analysis to determine the linkages between work hours, work-study conflict and student's burnout or engagement with university life

The impact of market and supply configurations on the costs of tendering in the construction industry

The cost of tendering in the construction industry is widely suspected to be excessive, but there is little robust empirical evidence to demonstrate this. It also seems that innovative working practices may reduce the costs of undertaking construction projects and the consequent improvement in relationships should increase overall value for money. The aim of this proposed research project is to develop mechanisms for measuring the true costs of tendering based upon extensive in-house data collection undertaken in a range of different construction firms. The output from this research will enable all participants in the construction process to make better decisions about how to select members of the team and identify the price and scope of their obligations

The development and testing of a hierarchical measure of project OHS performance

Purpose - This paper seeks to examine a hierarchical measurement model for occupational health and safety (OHS) performance developed for use in the Australian construction industry and tested over the life of one case study construction project. The model was intended to provide a more sensitive and informative measure of project OHS performance than traditional injury frequency rates. Design/methodology/approach - Two measurement tools were tested. The tools, a monthly weighted safety index and a quarterly safety climate survey, were used to measure OHS performance and performance data are presented. Findings - The data suggest convergent validity, indicated by consistent results between the two measures. Results also indicated that a combination of measurement techniques provides more comprehensive data pertaining to project OHS performance and enables the diagnosis of OHS issues that would be undetected with reliance exclusively on traditional measures, such as lost time injury frequency rates. Research limitations/implications - The implications for future research lie in the demonstrated need to carefully evaluate the validity of the safety index and safety climate survey in future construction projects, and in the broader construction context. The results were limited to an evaluation of the measurement model in a single case study construction project and future testing is needed to determine the generalisability of the model. Practical implications - The implications for practice are that multiple measures of OHS performance, including leading indicators and surveys of workers' attitudes and perceptions of project OHS, provide a more useful basis for the development of targeted OHS improvement strategies

Knowledge-based energy damage model for evaluating Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) construction risks in Malaysia

The construction industry is renowned as a high-risk industry which involves complex, time consuming design and construction processes characterized by unforeseen circumstances and which has been plagued with accidents for a long time (Ren, 1994). Eliminating the risk of adverse occurrences is essential in order to provide a safe and healthy working environment on construction sites. This paper presents an initial concept for the comparative evaluation of OHS risks for different construction approaches. The model uses a combination of the 'argument tree' concept and 'energy damage model' theory. The assessment process provides a perspective on how the design decisions can impact on OHS for the workers. The 'delivery' stage of two Malaysia housing projects, procured using both conventional and industrialised methods, are utilized to illustrate the model

Demands and resources of workers in the Australian construction industry: Identification and exploration using Q methodology

Workers of the Australian construction industry experience demands, such as long working hours, irregular work schedules and geographically isolated work locations. Research has indicated a clear relationship between excessive work demands and work-life conflict, which has negative impacts for workers’ health and wellbeing. Coupled with work demands, workers also experience demands originating from their family and community domains, which are often driven by life stage and individual preferences of workers. In order to fulfil work, family and community demands, workers often call on resources such as supervisor support, flexibility of work schedule, and childcare. However, it is not clear how workers experience demands and resources, and what configuration is required so that workers can function effectively in multiple roles. Research is underway to: (i) identify the demands and resources relevant to workers of the Australian construction industry; and (ii) identify the demand-resource profiles of different worker groups within a diverse construction workforce. An innovative Q-sort method will be used to explore workers’ experience of demands and resources, and profiles of different worker groups will be identified. The innovative q-sort methodology using demands and resources unique to an Australian construction workforce is discussed

Improving the health of male, blue collar construction workers: a social ecological perspective

Construction workers are a high risk group for poor health and occupational disability. A participatory action research (PAR) project was undertaken at construction sites in Queensland, Australia. Using the PAR framework, a needs-based health promotion planning model was implemented. Health promotion measures were designed to address the 'SNAPO' health risk factors (i.e. smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical exercise and overweight/obesity). At the largest site participating in the research, preliminary health assessments revealed levels of physical health that were comparable with those of the general Australian population. The construction workers' mental health was poorer than that of the general Australian population. A consultation workshop with a representative group of workers at the site identified healthy eating, smoking cessation and physical exercise as priority areas for intervention. Several health promotion measures addressing these issues were implemented, including a quit smoking programme, a 'healthy options' menu in the site canteen, healthy eating and cooking workshops and onsite yoga and stretching sessions. A subset of workers at the site reported their health behaviour in weekly 'logs'. The log data revealed fluctuations in health behaviour over a 14-week period. Evaluation interviews and a focus group revealed environmental impediments to the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours. Workers identified the need to provide a work environment that is supportive of healthy behaviour as critical to the effectiveness of specific health promotion measures

An exploration of the adaptive strategies of working families in the Australian construction industry

Purpose: This paper seeks to identify the adaptive strategies of couples in which at least one spouse/partner is employed in a professional role in the Australian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: Most studies of work-family balance identify the determinants and outcomes of work-family conflict for individual employees. However, there is a growing recognition that analyses or work hours and coping strategies require a couple-level analysis. The reason for this is that couples lead 'linked lives' in which the work circumstances and experiences of one spouse/partner inevitably impact on the other spouse/partner. Quantitative and qualitative data are combined to reveal the adaptive strategies used by workers in the Australian construction industry in juggling their work and non-work lives. Findings: The results reveal that standard construction industry work practices present significant challenges for dual earner couples. Adaptive strategies are highly gendered, most frequently involving wives or female domestic partners reducing their involvement in paid work. Practical implications: The intensification of work and demographic shifts have created a 'time squeeze' for many families who juggle two paid jobs with their family goals and responsibilities. Failure to provide regular (and reasonable) hours of employment in the construction industry is likely to discourage the entry of young male and female employees, particularly those who desire a more 'hands on' experience of parenting. Originality/value: The analysis of 'within-couple' adaptive strategies builds on previous individual level analyses of work-life balance in construction and suggests that long and inflexible work hours promote adaptive strategies based upon a gendered 'breadwinner-home-maker' model

Building a safety culture: the importance of "shared mental models" in the Australian construction industry

Managers of construction organizations often speak about the inmportance of OHS. Some organizations move beyond the rhetoric to implement OHS management systems, supported by programmes of OHS training and audits. Yet in the face of deadlines or budgetary pressures, managers at all levels of construction organizations sometimes change their priorities to pursue performance in the traditional areas of cost, time and quality - at the expense of OHS. It would be rare for a manager to openly diminish the importance of understanding about how important OHS 'really is'. This paper discusses research currently underway in the Australian construction industry into the role played by managers at different levels in creating OHS sub-cultures in construction organizations. The paper explores how the existence of these sub-cultures should be identified and managed to create shared mental models of OHS within participating organizations

Work time demands, work time control and supervisor support in the Australian construction industry: an analysis of work-family interaction

Purpose - This research aims to explore the relationship between work time demands, work time control and supervisor support in the Australian construction industr

Model of the conflicts of student work and study

Excessive work demands cause students to have less time available for study, which results in them missing lectures and tutorials. This study seeks a more accurate understanding of why students undertake part-time work to the level that they do. This paper examines the extent of employment of undergraduate students enrolled in property and construction at RMIT University. Students responded to a questionnaire on the duration and nature of their part-time work.The results of the paper suggest that one of the major issues facing educators is that students themselves believe that part-time employment benefits their long term career. Hence they are reluctant to reduce their work commitment. Past research suggests that there is sufficient evidence that this will create work-study conflicts. The paper concludes by suggesting that some form of work-integrated learning process may benefit both the student&rsquo;s leaning and their need to obtain work skills.<br /