Leadership skills in the construction industry: Expert competency evaluation and development strategies.

摘要

Leadership has evolved over the past 100 years due to changes in technology, laws, and economic conditions. The construction industry has also evolved in response to the same changes. However, one thing has not changed in the construction industry. It still requires skilled tradesmen to build/erect projects and skilled managers to organize all of the pieces and make it come together. These managers are the leaders of the project; they may not physically build the building, but they organize the team that does. There are certain skills that come together when organizing a project slated for construction. This study sought to determine whether the skills that make these managers successful in building a project also make them successful in building and maintaining an organization. The construction industry is a large industry, and its managers emerge from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from formal schooling to hands-on experience. This research examined the skill sets that middle managers possess, compared to those of upper managers, and developed a comparison between the two that can help guide the promotion of middle managers to senior level positions, as well as leadership positions, within the construction industry. Using an opinion survey, 118 construction managers and leaders were queried. Results indicated that individuals in the construction industry differ in their perception of the importance of leadership skills. Further evidence suggests that there is a difference between what skills each management level finds as important to their role within their organization. The results of the study also prove there is more research that should be conducted to further apply the results of this study to other categories of the construction industry.