Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
The construction industry is falling behind in female representation, with women only making up 11.2% of the industry. The existing labor shortage is further exacerbated by the limited interest among women to pursue a career in construction. The purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that contribute to the lack of women in the construction industry and explore how HR strategies can attract and retain women in construction careers. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports from three different industries were used to analyze the percentage of men and women employees. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine whether the predictive factors—DEI programs and work-life balance initiatives— had a significant effect on the gender preparation. The results showed that DEI programs had no significant effect on the gender ratio. However, work-life balance initiatives had a marginally significant effect on the gender proportion in the construction industry. Construction companies that offer work-life balance initiatives tend to have a significantly higher average proportion of female employees.
Disciplines
Construction Engineering and Management
Publication Date
5-2025
Language
English
Faculty Mentor of Honors Project
Dr. Hanbo Shim
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Pham, Allison, "Beyond the Hard Hat: Examining Barriers of Women in Construction" (2025). 2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects. 36.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/honors_spring2025/36
Comments
I would like to extend my gratitude to the Honors College for providing me with the opportunity to grow as a leader and student over 4 years. The resources the Honors College has provided me have played an important role in shaping my academic and personal growth. I would also like to thank the Honors Capstone advisor, Dr. Makenzie Whitener, for her patience, kindness, and guidance. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Hanbo Shim. Dr. Shim has challenged me to think critically, while also offering encouragement throughout the entire spring semester. This capstone wouldn't have been possible without Dr. Shim.