Construction labor and skill shortages in Croatia: causes and response strategies

Cerić, Anita; Ivić, Ivona

doi:10.2478/otmcj-2020-0019

Cited by 12 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…"There are massive improvements that can be made but it all comes down to money" By facilitating such improvement, Scotland's current bricklaying workforce could have a longer working life, improved productivity and reductions in on-site delays, similar suggestions by Ceric & Ivic (2020). The lack of innovation and adoption of new ways of working currently affects agility, efficiency and productivity.…”

Section: Cost Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, the bricklaying trade is specifically experiencing skills shortages in the new build sector primarily in relation to site skills and the house builders and contractors tend to operate with a more mobile workforce to tackle the skills shortages (CITB 2018;Smith 2019). Although this is seen as a short-term fix to a long-term problem, the impact of this mobile workforce is normally felt in terms of costs, productivity, project overall performance (Ceric & Ivic 2020) completion and handover, and increased skills supply pressures on other regions of Scotland where the workforce is drawn from. It is imperative that the construction industry looks beyond short-term fixes in order to stop the "boom-bust" cycle which is often experienced within this sector (Farmer, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Skill shortage of bricklayers in Scotland

Lawani¹,

McKenzie-Govan

Hare³

et al. 2021

JEDT

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Purpose This study identifies that bricklaying trade has not benefited much from off-site production, and bricklaying has been highlighted as a trade significantly affected by the documented skills shortage in Scotland with 66% of small and medium enterprises reporting difficulties in recruiting bricklayers. Design/methodology/approach This study used an interpretivistic philosophy adopting the phenomenological qualitative research approach using purposeful sampling technique and semi-structured interviews to allow for emergent themes to develop. The theory of proximal similarity that connects the study’s characteristics and the characteristics of the group under study was adopted. Findings Findings from the emergent themes identified issues grouped into key themes such as inconsistency of income, lack of care and self-employed workforce. The sub-themes included the Scottish climate, risk and profit, physical strain and government expectations and the cost of innovation. These were considered in relation to their existing and future implications for the industry. Research limitations/implications A wider and more diverse group of industry participants from different parts of Scotland would have made the study more representative. Practical implications It is imperative that the Scottish construction industry supports, develops and trains future bricklayers capable of maintaining existing housing stock and to deliver on future construction projects in Scotland. Originality/value This study explores the shortage of skilled bricklayers within the Scottish construction sector.

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Section: Cost Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skill shortage of bricklayers in Scotland

Lawani¹,

McKenzie-Govan

Hare³

et al. 2021

JEDT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Skills shortage is rated a major risk of doing business in emerging economies, and the battle is likely to intensify globally and nationally (Landelahni, 2012). It is a problem that has a significant impact on time, cost and quality of a construction project (Ahmed et al, 2020;Ceric and Ivic, 2020). Further, construction projects will be in high demand over the next coming years to cater for growing populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The attention to critical skills within the construction sector both locally and globally is imperative to match the pace of technological advancement. The consequences of the skills shortage are manifold including low productivity, poor quality of projects, delays, higher costs and training and recruitment expenses (Ceric and Ivic, 2020). Further, in light of the peculiar challenges faced in construction operating environments concerning the ageing workforce and availability of resources, the need to focus on skills is paramount (Ofori, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extant studies have focussed on causes of skills shortage and ways to mitigate its impact in the construction industry (Ceric and Ivic, 2020) and specific skills needed by construction supervisors (Schwatka et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2020), graduates (Besne et al, 2020), artisans (Tshele and Agumba, 2014) and contractors in South Africa (Windapo, 2016). Although research has been conducted on skills shortages, it appears that few studies have investigated the totality of skills needed by construction professionals for the successful delivery of construction projects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of current and future critical skills in the South African construction industry

Musonda

Okoro

2021

HESWBL

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PurposeThe role of skills development in attaining productivity and competitiveness in industry and global level cannot be overemphasized in the construction sector. The study aims to evaluate the critical skills needed in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study was conducted, and data were collected using questionnaires distributed amongst construction professionals including project managers, construction managers, quantity surveyors, architects and engineers based in South Africa. The data amassed were analysed to output descriptive statistics. The skills were ranked according to the level of priority as perceived by the respondents.FindingsFindings from the empirical data analysis established that the critical skills needed within the construction industry at present and in the future are health and safety competence, decision-making, leadership and problem-solving skills. On the other hand, public speaking, big data mining and Internet of things (IoT) were not considered to be critical.Practical implicationsThese findings indicated that even with technological advancements, managerial skills are needed to ensure that projects are delivered successfully.Originality/valueThe study sheds more light on skills considered critical at present and which might be relevant in the future. The study signposts the importance of critical skills to an individual and the entire construction industry. Efforts can be made to ensure that relevant critical skills for high output are emphasized and planning can be made for future and predicted construction industry workforce needs.

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Interactive relationships among factors influencing skilled labor shortages in the construction industry

Kuo

2024

ECAM

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PurposeThe factors contributing to skilled labor shortages in the construction industry are investigated based on relevant global literature. The potential factors are collected, organized and subjected to expert evaluation to determine their inter-relationships. The identified factors are integrated to determine both direct and indirect impacts, clarifying their relative importance.Design/methodology/approachApart from literature reviews, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was employed to elucidate influential relationships among the factors. Intuitive assessments and DEMATEL with and without the shortage factors were used to compare the impact of various factors on skilled labor shortages.FindingsSignificant differences were observed between considering only direct effects and both direct and indirect effects. Factors identified through comprehensive evaluation were prioritized; poor overall wages, poor overall welfare and lack of retirement income security and unclear career path owing to lack of prospects and talent plans were the three important factors identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe disparity between construction companies and key stakeholders, such as government agencies, public sector clients, pre-project planners, designers and consulting engineers, stems from differing priorities concerning skilled labor in the construction industry. In this study, evaluations of most experts from construction companies and the gap ratio for data reliability were implemented for the analysis. In the future, more experts from government agencies, and other groups should be included while focusing on the shortage in individual trades of skilled workers. In addition, the proposed measures require further evaluation for interactive influence and effectiveness.Originality/valueThe interactive relationship among the factors influencing skilled labor shortages is explored to determine measures to alleviate their influence. This can aid policymakers in identifying effective solutions.

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Construction labor and skill shortages in Croatia: causes and response strategies

Cited by 12 publications

References 22 publications

Skill shortage of bricklayers in Scotland

Skill shortage of bricklayers in Scotland

Assessment of current and future critical skills in the South African construction industry

Interactive relationships among factors influencing skilled labor shortages in the construction industry

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