Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Construction Science and Management (MCSM)
Department
Construction Science and Management
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Dhaval Gajjar
Committee Member
Dr. Vivek Sharma
Committee Member
Dr. Jason Lucas
Abstract
The US construction industry, similar to many other industries, has a low representation of women. This difference is even more pronounced in construction trades, such as the roofing industry. The admission of more women into the industry is important to address workforce shortage issues that the industry is facing. Company culture has been cited as one of the primary reasons why women choose not to enter the industry or face barriers during their careers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the company culture of roofing companies through factors identified by literature and by women and companies in the industry. Focus group discussions and surveys were employed as research tools for this study. Focus group 1 consisted of women (n=7), and focus group 2 consisted of companies (n=4). Survey adaptations 1 (n=109) and 2 (n=23) were developed and distributed for respective groups for validity. Thematic coding was used to analyze focus group data. Descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, and %) and statistical tests (T-test and Mann Whitney U) were used to analyze surveys, which were in Likert scale format. This study discussed in detail 19 factors of attraction and retention for women that were most relevant to the roofing industry, and the final results identified 9 factors of highest impact as suggestions to companies. A cross-analysis of results between groups of women and companies showed that there existed evident misalignments for the following factors: work-life balance, manageable stress, company collaboration with schools, and job satisfaction. The scope of this study is limited to the identification and exploration of these factors. Hence, there is a need for further studies to delve into each factor to develop actionable recommendations that organizations can directly implement.
Recommended Citation
Viswanathan, Gopika, "Evaluating Company Culture of Roofing Contracting Companies to Attract and Retain Women in the Industry" (2024). All Theses. 4298.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/4298