Construction Research Congress 2020
Top-Performing Project Managers in Electrical Contractors: A National Assessment of Personality and Aptitude Characteristics
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2020: Project Management and Controls, Materials, and Contracts
ABSTRACT
The construction industry has used personality assessments as a tool in personnel hiring, promotion, and talent development processes. However, many companies enter uncharted waters with how to best utilize these assessments. The purpose of this study is to identify the traits, characteristics, and skillsets of top-performing electrical contractors by using several personality and aptitude assessments. A questionnaire survey was developed consisting of several commercially available personality and aptitude assessments, including HEXACO personality inventory, DISC behavioral assessment, and emotional intelligence diagnostics. The questionnaire was distributed to electrical contractors across the United States via the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Participating contractors were asked to nominate their top-performing project managers to take the assessment. Supervisors of the project managers completed a standardized performance review to provide quantitative and qualitative performance data. Results include a summary of the attributes and characteristics of top-performing project managers along with a discussion of how the electrical contracting sector compares to the construction industry in general. This study contributes the beginnings of a national benchmark of electrical contractor project manager attributes, which may be further developed into easy-to-use tools which allow companies to identify the right candidates for project management positions and grow the existing talent within their companies.
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REFERENCES
Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2009). “The HEXACO-60: A short measure of the major dimensions of personality.” Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 340-345.
Childs, B., Weidman, J., Farnsworth, C., & Christofferson, J. (2017). "Use of Personality Profile Assessments in the U.S. Commercial Construction Industry." International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 13(4), 267-283.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Construction Research Congress 2020: Project Management and Controls, Materials, and Contracts
Pages: 232 - 240
Editors: David Grau, Ph.D., Arizona State University, Pingbo Tang, Ph.D., Arizona State University, and Mounir El Asmar, Ph.D., Arizona State University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8288-9
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Nov 9, 2020
Published in print: Nov 9, 2020
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