Development of Assessment Tool for Workforce Sustainability
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 4
Abstract
The work environment in construction is physically and mentally demanding. This demanding environment can place adverse risk on the construction workforce including emotional, physical, and financial challenges. To minimize such challenges, continued development and cultivation of the construction workforce is required. Continued development and cultivation can sustain the workforce and lead to both personal and business growth. The process of developing and cultivating the workforce enhances construction workforce sustainability, a measure of the social sustainability of the construction workforce. The aim of the present study is to develop a practical tool for assessing workforce sustainability in construction. A mixed-methods research approach that relied on a review of literature, semistructured interviews, and a multiround expert survey was utilized to achieve the aim of the study. The developed workforce sustainability tool includes three levels of components (attributes, indicators, and metrics) organized in a hierarchy to characterize a workforce. The use of the assessment tool yields a final aggregated score that reveals the level of sustainability of a workforce. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a means to assess and ultimately improve workforce sustainability in construction. Widespread use of the tool is expected to help the construction industry develop and nurture its workers to produce a healthy, productive, and resilient workforce.
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Data Availability Statement
The data generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
This research was made possible through research funding obtained from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) through Cooperative Agreement No. U60-OH009762 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Opinions and views expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CPWR or NIOSH. The authors thank CPWR and NIOSH for providing funding to conduct this study. The authors would also like to acknowledge and thank the expert panelists who participated in the study for their time and input.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 4 • April 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 6, 2019
Accepted: Sep 10, 2019
Published online: Jan 27, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jun 27, 2020
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