Managerial competencies of female and male managers in the Swedish construction industry

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the most male dominated industries around the world, not only when it comes to workers, but also as regards managers. Only 5% of the managers in the Swedish construction industry are women. The managerial competencies of individuals working as managers in the Swedish construction industry are researched to get a clearer understanding of the situation, and to investigate if this lack of balance between male and female managers has to do with differences in managerial competence. The management development questionnaire provided by Human Resource Development Press was sent to 143 managers in the Swedish construction industry and 112 respondents (44 women and 68 men) assessed themselves in 20 competencies, resulting in a response rate of 78%. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that female and male managers possess equal managerial competencies in 17 of the 20 competencies. Male managers rated themselves as having better managerial competency than females in two of the 20 competencies, namely 'resilience' and 'decision making'. Female managers rated themselves as having better managerial competency than males in 'sensitivity', which follows the social norm of what is expected of a woman. It was also found that both groups scored high in decision making, reflecting traditional virtues of construction managers as decisive and active. The most important result is not the differences but the many similarities between women and men working as managers in the construction industry. Thus, it is concluded that female managers are as competent as male managers in the Swedish construction industry.

Horseplay, care and hands on hard work: gendered strategies of a project manager on a construction site

“…Laura's account runs counter to the findings of Arditi et al (2013) which indicate that female managers in construction, at least in Sweden, tend to conform to quite a traditional set of female gender behaviours. Laura embraces gendered strategies that are complex, not always distinctly masculine or feminine but often about different management styles.…”

“…For example, Arditi et al (2013) conclude that "female managers are as competent as male managers…" Language here re-affirms the doubt about women's place and position on a construction site instead of developing an argument for or a perception of gender-neutral management in construction. This trend is not unique to construction: "managerial discourses construct management as a task that requires the application of expertise and rational analysis to provide control over organisational activity and ultimately the realisation of organisational goals" (Hay, 2014: 510).…”

“…Such generalisations constrain the development of sophisticated understandings of gender and management expertise. Project management competencies have been examined using the same general classifications (see for example Cheng et al, 2005;Turner and Muller, 2005;Toor and Ofori, 2008) but very little literature is available on gender and managerial expertise in project-based work (with the exception of Styhre, 2011;and Arditi et al, 2013).…”

Analysis of gender and leadership role competencies, perceptions and stereotypes in an organisational context

“…Powell (1990) concurred with Donnell and Hall and concluded that whatever differences that are reported between women and men managers are based on perception and stereotype. In their own study, Arditi, Gluch and Holmdahl (2013) found differences in the competencies of men and women, but also reported many similarities. These differences reflect the historical perceptions about men and women leaders and managers (Tomal & Jones, 2015;Dobbins & Platz, 2006).…”

“…Competencies generally entail the ability to apply acquired knowledge and other capabilities that are necessary for the efficient performance and achievement of predetermined organisational goals (Gruban, 2003). Thus, the type of managerial competency required in a male dominated industries, for example, mining, manufacturing and construction is not different from the one demonstrated in a seemingly female dominated industries, for example, nursing, healthcare, catering and hospitality (Dainty, Cheng & Moore, 2004;Arditi, Gluch & Holmdahl, 2013;Dreyfus, 2008;Barber & Tietje, 2004). This argument is indeed consistent with the definition of managerial competency which is a set of knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours that enables effective performance and achievement of set organisational outcomes (Hellriegel, Jackson, Slocum, Staude, Amos, Klopper, Louw & Oosthuizen, 2004;Campion, et.…”