TECHNICAL PAPERS
Feb 1, 2009

Integrated Model for the Stressors and Stresses of Construction Project Managers in Hong Kong

Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135, Issue 2

Abstract

Construction projects involve multistakeholders (e.g., architects, structural engineers, surveyors, contractors, suppliers, etc.) completing a large number of unpredictable tasks in a complex process within a limited period of time. Construction project managers (C-PMs) are the key persons in achieving project success throughout the construction process, as they are responsible for planning the construction program, organizing human resources, controlling operations and the budget, and forecasting probable difficulties. Hence, C-PMs always encounter a great deal of stress in construction projects. Apart from the subjective feelings experienced by individual C-PMs, C-PMs may also feel objective stress due to the deviation between their actual abilities and their expected abilities on tasks or projects. To understand the integrated relationships between the various stressors and stresses of C-PMs, a survey was conducted of 108 C-PMs in Hong Kong. This paper attempts to investigate the causal relationships between stressors and stresses (both subjective and objective). The study reveals seven stressors of C-PMs in the industry. Based on the results of a correlation coefficient, an optimized stressor–stress structural equation model is established. Four critical stressors were found to have significant impact on both the subjective and the objective stresses of C-PMs, including work overload, poor interpersonal relationships, poor work environment, and poor nonwork environment. A number of recommendations were made for both construction companies and individual C-PMs in their offices and at home in order to optimize their work performance in the real world.

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Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from CityU (Project No. CityU UNSPECIFIED116405).

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Go to Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135Issue 2February 2009
Pages: 126 - 134

History

Received: Aug 9, 2007
Accepted: May 29, 2008
Published online: Feb 1, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2009

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Authors

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Mei-yung Leung
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Building and Construction, City Univ. of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave., Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Yee-Shan Chan
Research Student, Dept. of Building and Construction, City Univ. of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave., Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Jingyu Yu
Research Student, Dept. of Economics, South China Univ. of Technology, Guangzhou, Peoples' Republic of China.

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