A Theory of Women's Career Choice in Construction Management: Recommendations for Academia

Abstract

The construction industry is the second most segmented labor market, narrowly behind manufacturing and mining. Construction management degree programs at colleges and universities throughout the country hold similar demographics. This study investigated this phenomenon by integrating the perceptions and experiences of 24 female alumni who are currently employed as constructors with an extensive analysis of theory and research in the areas of career development, factors of non-traditional career choice, and characteristics and strategies of persistence. These women identified factors from early childhood through graduation which were relevant to their non-traditional degree choice and persistence in a construction management degree program. Such factors included family background and individual factors, environmental factors and experiences in education, and sociological factors relevant to major choice and persistence. The outcome was a substantive grounded theory of women's career choice. Likewise, a profile of female constructors was created and used as part of this theory, providing for an understanding of the career choice process for women in construction management. A final aspect of the study includes recommendations for those in academia to better focus efforts on both recruiting and retaining women in construction management degree programs.