Abstract
Research into small firms has expanded over recent years, yet one field where insight is still limited is Work Health and Safety (WHS) especially in the high risk construction industry. The main objective of this research proposal is to provide the foundation for a potential future study that explores the impact of WHS on developing a competitive advantage and improving organisational performance from the perspective of the owner-managers of small Australian construction firms using a qualitative multiple case design. This research proposal investigates a sample of four small construction firms from the same industry therefore the findings can’t be generalised to other work environments, which a limitation to the proposed study.
Highlights
1.1 Research ProblemIn 2014-15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016), there were 345,479 active construction firms that operated in the State of New South Wales, Australia, 96% of which were small firms that employed less than 20 employees
The main objective of this research proposal is to provide the foundation for a potential future study that explores the impact of Work Health and Safety (WHS) on developing a competitive advantage and improving organisational performance from the perspective of the owner-managers of small Australian construction firms using a qualitative multiple case design
The main objective of this research proposal is to provide the foundation for a potential future study that explores the impact of WHS on developing a competitive advantage and improving organisational performance from the perspective of the owner-managers of small construction firms using multiple case design
Summary
In 2014-15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016), there were 345,479 active construction firms that operated in the State of New South Wales, Australia, 96% of which were small firms that employed less than 20 employees. According to the Australian Parliament (2015), small firms in all industries contributed $343.4 billions to the Australian economy in 2013-2014, 14.7% of which was contributed by small construction firms second after the rental, hiring and real estate services. The fact that small firms constitute 96% of the construction industry means that small firms are faced with the problem of having the highest rate of accidents in the construction industry. This situation according to Koper, Moller, & Zwetsloot (2009) impacts negatively on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of employees, increase cost of production, make firms less competitive, and reduce small construction firms’ profitability, growth, and contribution to the Australian economy. It is important to investigate this relationship from the perspective of owner-managers
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