Analyzing Women's Leadership Roles in Construction Project Management

This report examines the evolving role of women in leadership, specifically within the construction industry. It highlights the increasing presence of women as effective leaders, breaking down traditional barriers. The report analyzes the importance of leadership for project success, referencing the contributions of leaders in fostering clear vision, planning, and effective communication. It emphasizes the need for women's leadership in construction, citing their transformational qualities and ability to serve as role models. The report presents the results of a survey exploring awareness of construction project management, challenges, leadership importance, and the qualities women possess to excel in leadership roles. The survey also addresses challenges faced by female leaders, areas needing improvement, and the benefits of placing women in leadership positions. The discussion section interprets the survey findings, emphasizing the importance of safety, clear vision, and effective communication. The report concludes that women can perform any task and contribute equally to corporate goals, with significant benefits in terms of quality, project deadlines, and innovation when given leadership opportunities in construction. The report references several publications, including those by Hardey (2019), Kim & Kim (2018), and Opoku & Williams (2019).

Women in Leadership Role

Introduction
 Women in today's modern business environment, has gradually increase
their presence as an effective leader, by breaking down the traditional
glass ceiling which barred them from entrance in leadership position.
 Women are evolving constantly in managing the projects by possessing
the requisite skills, in order to reach new milestones throughout a wide
spectrum of activities

Importance of leadership for project success
 According to Gavin Donnely (2019), it has been evaluated that for project
management, developing leadership skills considers as most important
aspect, to oversee the entire activities and take critical decisions.
 This leads to great success of project, whereby, leaders contributes to share
clear vision, proper planning, flexibility and high decision-making power
to influence subordinates by proper communication, for successful
delivery of outcomes

Need of Women Leadership in construction
industry
 As women possess a number of key characteristics that reflects their
effective leadership qualities, so, giving opportunity to them for
management position in construction project, lead an industry to achieve
high outcomes (Hardey, 2019).
 Female leaders as comparison with male, are more transformational and
actively play as a role model for subordinates to encourage them to hard
work (Why Construction industry needs more Women in Leadership?,
2019).

1.) Are you aware with the concept of
construction project management?
1.) Are you aware with the
concept of construction project
management?
Frequen
cy
 Yes 28
 No 2

2.) What type of challenges normally associated
with a construction project?
2.) What type of challenges normally
associated with a construction project?
Frequency
 Safety due to high risk factor 8
 Stagnant productivity levels 8
 Shortage of labour 7
 Technology 7

3.) What is the most importance of leadership in
construction management?
3.) What is the most importance of
leadership in construction
management?
Frequenc
y
 Providing clear vision 15
 Managing risks and
controlling quality
8
 Strategical planning 7

4.) Do you think if women are able to hold the
leadership position in construction project?
4.) Do you think if women are able to hold the
leadership position in construction project?
Frequency
 Yes 18
 No 12

5.) What are the main qualities that a woman has
possessed that makes them able to perform
leaders' role in construction project?
5.) What are the main qualities that
a woman has possessed that makes
them able to perform leaders' role
in construction project?
Frequenc
y
 Effective communication
skills
9
 Collaborative abilities 8
 Creative and innovative skills 8
 Better problem skills 5

6.) What type of challenges female leaders face in
managing the construction project?
6.) What type of challenges female
leaders face in managing the
construction project?
Frequency
 Discrimination 12
 Less support of associated people 8
 Associated high risk factor 10

7.) Which area need to be concerned more by
associated members of construction industry to
enhance female leadership?
7.) Which area need to be concerned more
by associated members of construction
industry to enhance female leadership?
Frequency
 Change in exiting stereotype 10
 Improvement in organisation culture 10
 Minimising the discrimination 10

8.) What are the main benefits of placing women
on leadership position in construction
management ?
8.) What are the main benefits of placing
women on leadership position in
construction management ?
Frequency
 Increasing creativity and innovation 11
 Improving quality of project 8
 Meeting the deadline of project 11

9.) Do you think, females are getting equal
importance as males in construction project?
9.) Do you think, females are getting equal importance as
males in construction project?
Frequency
 Agree 15
 Do not agree 10
 No reply 5

10.) Are you agree with concept that without support of
leaders, any project of construction industry cannot
achieve its desired success?
10.) Are you agree with concept that without support of
leaders, any project of construction industry cannot
achieve its desired success?
Frequency
 Agree 20
 Do not agree 8
 No reply 2
· Agree · Do not agree · No reply
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20

11.) Do you think, proper work-life balance skills enables
female to become an effective leader in a project
management?
11.) Do you think, proper work-life balance skills enables
female to become an effective leader in a project
management?
Frequency
 Agree 18
 Do not agree 8
 No reply 4
· Agree · Do not agree · No reply
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
18
8
4

10.) Do you think, females are getting equal
importance as males in construction project?
9.) Do you think, females are getting equal importance as
males in construction project?
Frequency
 Agree 15
 Do not agree 10
 No reply 5
·Agree ·Do not agree ·No reply
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
15
10
5

13.) Do you think, promoting gender equality will
help in developing women leadership?
13.) Do you think, promoting gender equality will help in
developing women leadership?
Frequency
 Agree 18
 Do not agree 10
 No reply 2

14.) Are you agree with the concept that self-
branding can become the powerful trait for
female leaders in construction industry?
14.) Are you agree with the concept that self-branding can
become the powerful trait for female leaders in
construction industry?
Frequency
 Agree 17
 Do not agree 10
 No reply 3

Discussion
 1: It has been interpreted from this statistical
graph that within construction industry, out of
selected 30 respondents, knows about what role a
leadership plays in managing the construction
project.
 2: A construction project includes a number of
challenging role for associated people in
completing it successfully. As per 8 respondents
out of 30, it has been interpreted that safety is
considered as the most difficult one, because
construction projects includes various risks
where any carelessness could lead to major
injury or even death of people.
 3: Through the feedback of 15 respondents, it
has been interpreted that leadership in
construction project is essential for providing
clear vision to associated people in performing
their role.
 4: Interpretation: As per this mentioned figure, it
has been interpreted that 18 respondents out of
30 are believed that having the intellectual skills
and high thinking power, enables a woman to
hold the position of leadership in construction
project management.

Continue…
 5: From this figure, it has been analysed that
9 respondents out of 30 think that effective
communication skills make a woman able to
perform as a leader more effectively.
through this skill, they can easily influence
the team members towards achievement of
goals.
 6: In a construction project, when women
take the position of leadership then they
face a number of challenges due to male
dominated workplace. From 30 respondents,
12 are believed that discrimination is the
most challenging role that arise difficulties
for women to perform as a leader.
 7: As woman talent makes headway in
leadership therefore, in order to provide
them opportunity to work as a leader and
contribute their efforts in managing the
construction project successfully, it is
essential for upper management to concern a
number of areas.
 8: By placing woman on leadership
position, a number of benefits can be gained
within construction industry. From 11
respondents point of view it includes
majorly the enhancement of creativity and
innovation.

Conclusion
 It has been concluded from this project report that today, women are able
to perform any difficult tasks and contribute equal efforts as man in
achievement of corporate goals.
 Within construction industry, in managing such a project if they are given
opportunity to hold leadership position, then high benefits in terms of
quality, project deadline and innovation can be gained.

References
 Hardey, M., 2019. Women’s leadership and gendered experiences in tech cities. Gender
in Management: An International Journal, 34(3), pp.188-199.
 Kim, S. and Kim, E. J., 2018. Educational Opportunities for Developing Korean
Women Leaders. In Korean Women in Leadership (pp. 99-118). Palgrave Macmillan,
Cham.
 Opoku, A. and Williams, N., 2019. Second-generation gender bias: An exploratory
study of the women’s leadership gap in a UK construction organisation. International
Journal of Ethics and Systems, 35(1), pp.2-23.