Women’s Career’s in Construction: A Review of Literature

Abstract: A systematic review was conducted within the business, management, gender, human resources, construction management, and other disciplines on the careers and workplace experiences of women within the construction industry. Major themes identified during the review included the safety and health of female workers, women’s choices to start a family, ways barriers and successes were encountered based on company and national cultures, and recruitment, retention, and persistence of female workers within the industry. Discussions build on these themes. Moreover, the review analyzes the characteristics of the literature including year of study and type of journal. The number of studies centered around women’s experiences within the construction industry has increased in recent years, with over half of the publications with a publication date of 2014 or later. Despite this, the topic remains under-researched due to the varying complexities of the construction work organization. This study forms a basis for understanding the complexity of the construction organization and its impact on career progression for workers identifying as female. Implications for human resource development include ways to proactively engage with female employees who may be isolated from other women within the organization, transparency, and publication of policies, a review of life stages and their impact on career priorities, and development of policies across all levels without negatively impacting career mobility and advancement. This study is at an early stage of a more extensive research project, providing a foundation for empirical studies and identifying future areas of research for human resource development.