Ben F. Bigelow

Comparison of Construction Manager at Risk and Integrated Project Delivery Performance on Healthcare Projects: A Comparative Case Study

This study provides information and a basic overview on Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) as project delivery methods while contrasting their performance in the design and construction of two healthcare facilities. The study identifies benefits as well as challenges from applying IPD and CMR as project delivery methods on healthcare facilities. The research is based on a comparative case study of two completed healthcare projects. Quantitative data was collected to compare: square foot cost, schedule changes, number of requests for information (RFIs), and change cost percentage. Qualitative data was also collected through interviews with members of the project management teams. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in construction by comparing the quantitative data collected. It then goes a step further providing the perceptions of project team members using both CMR and IPD to gain a deeper understanding of why the differences occur. By comparing CMR and IPD on projects that are similar in size, scope, and location, stakeholders in future projects can make an informed decision, based on empirical study, regarding the delivery methods that aligns best with their project goals and challenges.

Effects of Family-Related Factors on Female Project Managers’ Salaries in the Construction Industry in the United States

This study explores predictors of female project managers’ salary in the construction industry and analyzes the relationship between salaries and specific variables. Although prior research indicates a relationship does exist between certain variables and women’s salaries that research does not focus on the construction industry. This research sought to identify correlations between experience, age, marital status, motherhood, having children at home, and the number of children at home, and female project manager’s salaries in the construction industry. To our knowledge, this study represents the only research of its kind specific to women project managers in the U.S. construction industry. Utilizing a snowball sampling method, 206 survey responses were collected and analyzed through comprehensive descriptive and statistical analyses. A regression model was constructed to determine the predictive power of the variables studied. Fifty percent of the variability in female project manager’s salary can be accounted for by the model produced. The study’s sample showed that, being married and having children at home are negatively correlated with female project managers’ salaries. As would be expected, age and experience are also correlated and the correlation is strongly positive.

Identifying the Most Effective Factors in Attracting Female Undergraduate Students to Construction Management

Despite initiatives to recruit and retain females in construction management (CM), women are underrepresented in both CM education and the construction industry as a whole. This study explored the factors that are most influential in attracting female students to CM degree programs. The study sample comprised female students (n = 90) enrolled in CM education programs at five universities. Data were used to investigate the factors, identified through a review of previous research, that were most influential in female student decision making to pursue a CM degree program. Sixteen factors were identified. The research supported these factors as positively influential, however, as expected, some factors clearly had greater positive influence than others. The two most influential factors in female selection of a CM degree program were identified as: internships and awareness of career opportunities. Having a father in the industry and non-internship work experiences were also seen as two highly positively influential factors. The results suggest these factors should be the emphasis of efforts to recruit female students as they are most likely to positively influence them.

Factors Impacting Hispanic High School Students and How to Best Reach Them for the Careers in the Construction Industry

ABSTRACT The shortage of skilled workers that the construction industry is currently experiencing can be attributed to the negative public perception of construction careers. This study describes the perceptions of Hispanic 11th grade high school students toward the construction industry based on elements such as demographics, family unit impact on decision-making, and information sources for decision-making. In particular, this study identifies and prioritizes barriers that prevent a student from pursuing a career in the construction industry. Data was collected through a survey administered to Hispanic high school juniors attending public high schools in five cities in Texas. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was found that low wages, dangerous and dirty conditions and family unit disapproval are the main perceived barrier that prevents students from pursuing careers in the construction industry, respectively. In addition, the study proposed efforts that would be effective in overcoming the perceived obstacles and increasing the awareness of construction careers.

An Evaluation of Factors for Retaining Female Students in Construction Management Programs

ABSTRACT The under-representation of women in construction necessitates academia’s understanding of what influences a female’s decision to remain in a construction management (CM) program. Many factors that retain women in CM programs have been identified. Understanding which of these factors are most influential is an important step towards increasing the number of women in CM. This study used a quantitative approach to explore the factors that have been previously identified to retain female students in CM programs; however, qualitative methods were also used to identify additional retention factors. The research was completed through a self-administered, researcher-designed survey of female CM students at five major universities. The results provide a prioritized ranking of the factors identified to retain female students. They indicated that the most positively influential factors for females to remain in a CM undergraduate degree program are: the community of students, lab classes, internships, innovation in the classroom, and student organizations. Job/Career opportunities also emerged as a positively influential factor for retention of female students that was previously not identified in the literature.

Mentors, Role Models, and Observed Differences in Students’ Construction Education Self-Efficacy and Motivation

ABSTRACT Perceived self-efficacy, motivation, and the presence of mentors and role models can influence occupational and academic behavior, pursuits and success. These constructs were adapted to the construction-education domain in a quantitative survey administered to 587 students enrolled in construction management courses at three universities. Mentors and role models were defined as individuals who influence a respondent’s academic decisions; mentors give advice and support, whereas role models provide inspiration. Students with a person of influence (i.e., mentor or role model) reported higher self-efficacy (p < .001) and motivation (p < .001) toward successful performance in, and completion of, construction education. In total, 80.6% of construction management students reported having a person who influenced their academic decisions, and family members were reported most frequently as the person of greatest influence; a higher percentage of female students reported having a person of influence compared to male students. This article provides insight regarding the influence of others on students’ self-efficacy and motivation towards academic performance within the construction-education domain. Study limitations and areas of further research are discussed.

Attracting Students to Construction Education Programs: An Exploration of Perceptions by Gender

ABSTRACT Demand for construction managers is considerable and is projected to grow through the next decade. To meet the demand for construction managers, construction management programs will have to produce enough graduates. However, to produce graduates, programs must first attract students to their programs. This study collected data from students enrolled in a construction management (CM) degree program at multiple universities to learn about their perceptions of factors that attracted them to a construction management degree program. A comparative analysis was performed to identify differences in influential factors by gender. The results indicate that very few differences exist, in regard to the factors that attract students to construction degree programs, between male and female students. It was also found that while all factors identified were positively influential, there are substantial differences between the factors regarding how many students they reach and their level of positive influence. Career opportunities was found to be the most influential factor in attracting students of both genders to CM programs, followed by, internships, non-internship work experience, and fieldtrips to job sites. Factors were also identified for CM programs trying to increase their female enrolment to focus on.

Construction Management Research: A Comparison of Perceived Value by General Contractors, Prevalence of Publication, and Funding

ABSTRACT This study identifies areas of research where future investigation can make the highest impact and contribute to the expansion of knowledge in the field of construction management. A disconnect between academia and the construction management [CM] industry often results in research that lacks value for the industry. The purpose of this research is to explore that disconnect and to identify research topics to guide CM faculty and graduate students towards research that is of the greatest value to the industry. A comprehensive review and a funding analysis of published research were conducted and the resulting data used to develop an in-depth questionnaire to guide interviews with members of the Texas A&M University Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC). Interviews were conducted as focus groups with CIAC members in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and surrounding areas. Topic rankings and specific themes emerged from the interviews. The results of the interviews were then compared to CM funded research, and the volume of published research. The results show that while there is a small degree of overlap, the top industry priorities do not align with research being funded or the majority of published literature.

Effects of Front-End Planning under Fast-Tracked Project Delivery Systems for Industrial Projects

ABSTRACT Front-end planning (FEP) may be a key element in project success because it helps project participants more efficiently mitigate risk and define project objectives in the preplanning phase. However, very little is known about the effect of FEP for industrial project performance under different project delivery systems. To this end, this study investigated the impact of FEP on project performance by focusing on two widely used fast-track delivery methods: design-build (DB) and construction manager at risk (CMR), compared to the benchmarking conventional design-bid-build (DBB). The Spearman’s correlation analysis and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed on a real-world dataset, obtained from the Construction Industry Institute (CII), which comprised 438 industrial projects built between 1990 and 2010 in the US. The correlation analysis results revealed that better FEP resource allocation could help more design packages be completed efficiently and accurately to accelerate the fast-track process. The pair-wise comparison analysis results confirmed that there is no significant evidence to examine particular difference of schedule performance between CMR and DB. On the other hand, the results highlighted that project cost performance under DB were better than CMR. The results and findings of this study will help decision-makers choose appropriate project delivery methods for given project priorities.

Attracting and Retaining Tradespeople, an Evaluation of Influencers on Construction Workers in Two Different Trades in Texas

ABSTRACT The shortage of workers across construction trades is a growing concern in the United States. This study collected the perceptions of 429 construction workers in two different trades to explore and contrast their perceptions and experiences in choosing and remaining in their trade. Worker perceptions were collected using open ended and Likert scale questions to explore the influencers on workers. While higher salaries were indicated as perhaps the single best means of attracting and retaining workers to these trades, the results suggest that money is not the only effective means to attract and retain workers, in both high and low skill construction trades. Resources for training as well as family and friends have a strong influence in career choice among construction workers. The results also indicate that while there is a level of consistency between different trades regarding what attracts and retains them, strategies should not simply be geared to construction in general, due to ethnic, skill-level, and unionization differences between trades, efforts need to be catered to the specific trades within the construction industry.