A Study on Causes of Gender Gap in Construction Management: High School Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions across Genders

Abstract

This paper addresses three research questions: (1) According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry, particularly for management and leadership roles? (2) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students regarding their level of knowledge of the construction industry? (3) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice? These research questions are addressed by a review of the literature followed by a discussion of precamp survey results from two consecutive years of a two-week high school summer camp, which is focused on construction science and management. The literature review reveals that the issues are deep-routed and complex but can in general be categorized into two groups: the recruitment and retention of women in construction management and related careers. While the literature review summary in this paper addresses both categories, the focus of the paper remains recruitment, particularly through a study of high school students’ level of knowledge and perceptions of construction management. The pre-camp surveys assessed the participants’ baseline knowledge and perceptions of construction management as a career. The results showed that the knowledge of construction management as a career is very low, with no statistically significant difference between genders. It must be noted here that the participants are biased positively toward the construction management and related careers, as they chose to attend the camp for a variety of reasons, from wanting an experience on the campus of this university to parents’ encouragement. Despite this baseline interest, however, the data show that the participants lacked clarity on what this career really entails. It is suggested, therefore that the general knowledge of this career path across larger and more randomized samples across U.S. will be even lower. The perceptions of the construction industry differed slightly between genders, with females perceiving it as more physically challenging and prioritizing family friendliness when considering career options. In conclusion, both the literature review and the survey data analysis show that the lack of knowledge of this career path, exacerbated by the negative perceptions of the construction industry, contribute to the problem of women not choosing to study construction management. The construction industry continues to make significant improvements in their diversity and inclusion efforts, and there are a variety of paths within the industry for graduates of construction science and management degrees. As such, significant work remains for both the industry and academia to overcome the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of the industry through increased outreach to better inform high school students, parents, and counselors.

1. Introduction

The construction industry is one of the largest and most important sectors in most economies globally and is a gauge of healthy economic activity [1,2,3]. Global construction volume is predicted to increase by 85% (15.5 trillion USD) by 2030 [4]. According to a McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report [5], the construction industry employs about 7% of the world’s working-age population. It contributes an estimated 10 trillion USD to construction-related goods and services annually. According to the U.S. Census Bureau [6], total construction spending for the first quarter of 2024 came out to approximately 6.3 trillion USD, thus representing about 22% of the U.S. GDP for that period [7]. As construction volume increases and many retire from the industry, maintaining and replenishing the construction workforce is essential [8]. A proprietary model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) [9] estimates that the construction industry is in shortage of an estimated 500,000 additional workers, in addition to the average pace of hiring in 2024.

Similar demand also exists for leadership roles such as construction management. Various construction occupations, such as Construction Manager (5%), are projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations (3%) from 2022 to 2032 [10]. In addition, a significant rate of retirement is expected based on the high average age among those in these leadership roles [11]. Further, it is reported that leadership roles (project managers/supervisors) have been the hardest-to-fill positions in the last five years, with 81% of construction firms reporting difficulties with this [12]. This demand, along with the housing and infrastructure needs resulting from an increasing world population, aging infrastructure, and climate change, presents a serious demand for all levels of employment in the construction industry.

One of the strategies to leverage the labor and leadership workforce in the construction industry is to pursue recruitment and retention from a diverse population, particularly women [13,14]. However, as will be presented in the literature review section of this study, numerous issues persist in both recruitment and retention. Some of these issues include an image of male dominance and a masculine working environment, stereotypes and discrimination, and poor work–life balance, among others. These real and perceived issues harm the sustainability of the workforce in the construction industry [15,16], thus resulting in low productivity and job satisfaction [17,18,19,20], which in turn leads to a lower retention rate and reduced economic activity [17,18]. Karakhan et al. [16] rightly point out that the construction industry has no choice but to overcome the high turnover rate and increased workforce shortage by creating an equitable, fair, and welcoming environment to ensure sustainability in the industry.

The overall goal of this paper is to identify the main causes of the gender gap in the construction industry, with particular attention to knowledge and perception issues among high-school-age women, through a review of the pertinent literature, as well as the survey data, from a construction-related summer camp for high school students.

To achieve this goal, three research questions are addressed in the paper:

• According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry, particularly for management and leadership roles?
• Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students regarding their level of knowledge of the construction industry?
• Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice?

To address these research questions, the pertinent literature is reviewed to quantify the lack of diversity and to identify the main causes of gender diversity gaps. Then, survey results from two consecutive years of high school summer camps are evaluated to identify the participants’ baseline level of knowledge and perceptions of a career in construction management. Later, a list of factors that influence the students’ career decision making is investigated, with a particular attention given to diversity-related factors, such as family friendliness, gender and ethnicity representation in the industry, and workplace and leadership diversity. Therefore, this study provides valuable insight into the reasons why the construction industry needs to improve diversity, thereby offering information on the expectations and perceptions of high school students who will be the future workforce of the industry.

Scope, Limitations, and Contributions

As will be seen in the literature review, the issue of the gender gap in the construction industry is such a deep-seated and complex issue that it cannot be sufficiently addressed by a single study. As such, while references to broader scope items are made when relevant, this study is primarily focused on the recruitment of women to construction management careers in the United States. Furthermore, the scope is limited to careers that can primarily be obtained after a related four-year college degree and not through apprenticeship or trades. It should also be noted that the authors acknowledge the small sample size and the inherent positive bias of the participants, given their voluntary attendance at the construction science and management summer camp. Nevertheless, the study contributes to the body of knowledge by summarizing and categorizing a large body of literature. It further identifies a significant issue against recruitment, particularly of women, into the industry: a bidirectionally related lack of knowledge regarding this career path and poor perceptions of the construction industry. To improve the recruitment of women in construction management careers, construction management programs need to attract more female students. Therefore, this study aims to understand high school students’ knowledge and perceptions of the construction industry and construction management, which is less commonly studied, as most of the literature focuses on college students or professionals in the field. The novelty of this study lies in its unique focus on high school students, detailed gender disparity analyses, its emphasis on the influence of knowing someone in construction management, and the identification of mentorship and family-friendly policies as key factors. Additionally, it provides a comparison of the current results with relevant studies from the literature and highlights areas needing further research. The practical recommendations provided will contribute to a deeper understanding of how to attract and retain a diverse workforce in the construction industry.

2. Literature Review

Table 1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 data showing number of employees in construction and percent of total employed women and white people [21].

Occupation	Total Employee	Women	White
Construction Managers	1,136,000	10.6%	89.8%
Construction and Extraction Occupations 1	8,457,000	4.3%	86.8%
Total 2	9,593,000	5.0%	87.2%

¹ includes careers such as the following: First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, brick masons, block masons, stonemasons, construction laborers, construction equipment operators, construction and building inspectors, etc. Please see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data [13] for more detail. ² Total number is obtained by the summation of the construction managers and other employees working in construction and extraction occupations.

summarizes the Bureau of Labor Statistics [21] data for construction managers and other construction-related employees in the U.S. in 2023. As can be seen from the data, men dominate the construction workforce, with women comprising only 5% of the overall construction workforce, including construction managers and other construction-related occupations. Specifically, women make up 10.6% of construction managers and 4.3% of construction and extraction occupations.

Figure 1 illustrates a comparison of the number of male and female construction managers in the United States from 2015 to 2023 [22]. The percentage values have been calculated for each individual year. In 2015, 49,379 (6.7%) construction managers identified as women, while 687,528 (93.3%) were men. By 2023, the number of female construction managers increased to 120,416 (10.6%), with male construction managers still comprising the majority at 1,013,244 (89.4%). As can be seen, despite the increase in female representation, about 90% of construction managers are still male.

The construction industry lacks diversity in other ways as well: the workforce is predominantly white (87.2%). More specifically, those who identify as white/Caucasian constitute 89.8% of construction managers and 86.8% of construction and extraction occupations. While this paper’s scope only covers gender diversity in construction, the lack of diversity otherwise solidifies the stereotype that this is a white male-dominant industry. This perception is not coincidental; women, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latinx groups only represent 8.5%, 5.3%, and 16.2%, respectively, of the 1,057,000 people employed as construction managers [22].

Referring to construction management careers specifically, it is the hypothesis of the authors that the cause of this notable gender gap in the construction industry is twofold: There are (1) issues with recruitment of women due to the lack of knowledge and poor perceptions of construction management as a career by high school (or younger) students, parents, and career counselors. There are (2) issues with the retention of women that have already entered the industry due to implicit and explicit bias in the workplace. The following literature review, therefore, will be presented in two sections corresponding to these two main causes.

A brief clarification is offered first regarding how the terms perception and bias are used in this paper. Bias is the act of unfairly favoring or opposing a specific person or thing due to the influence of personal opinions on one’s judgment [23]. It can further be classified into two types: conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) bias. These phenomena are complex and studied by many in the psychology, sociology, and judicial fields. In this paper, the word perception will be used to imply one group’s conscious thoughts, decisions, and evident attitudes toward a system (i.e., the construction industry), whereas the word bias will be used to describe both implicit and explicit bias against women and their participation in the construction industry.

The literature review was carried out methodically as follows: The keywords utilized were the following: Women in Construction, Diversity in Construction, Gender Inequality in Construction, Implicit Bias, Explicit Bias, Discrimination, Construction Management Programs, and Construction Management Summer Camp. The search tools used included thematic analysis using the Web of Science (WoS) database, Google Scholar, and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Library access to various databases from 2014 to 2024. Abstracts were reviewed to discard irrelevant publications, thus resulting in 37 final resources that directly came from the keyword search. Other references known to the authors from prior/other work were also utilized as needed. These resources included peer-reviewed journal papers and conference proceedings, as well as reports and trade articles. In general, it is promising to note that there has been an increasing number of research publications on women in construction in the last five years.

2.1. Recruitment: Women’s Perceptions of the Construction Industry

Traditionally, the construction industry is associated with masculine stereotypes and a career that is not very female or family-friendly. Many studies show that this general perception of the construction industry is a significant barrier against the recruitment of women into related higher education majors, as well as the construction trades.

Worrall et al. [24] state that women’s perception of the typical organizational culture of construction firms is that they penalize those needing flexibility or part-time work due to family or other life’s circumstances, and therefore, they do not feel that they can be successful. This perception particularly hurts the industry, as a study by Jimoh et al. [25] indicates that women are meticulous, better communicators, more effective decision makers, and seek less recognition than their male counterparts, which are key skills for success in construction management and similar roles.

The issue likely goes beyond perception. Moyser [26] suggests that the construction industry has challenges attracting a larger group of diverse workers due to traditionally poor work–life balance (e.g., long workdays, frequent relocation to job sites, etc.), intensive labor, high risk of injury and/or job loss, low pay, and an inherent lack of diversity at all employment levels.

Meanwhile, not all women are discouraged from working in a masculine environment. In Agapiou’s study [27], it is noted that some women in the industry can easily relate to their male colleagues. It should be noted, however, that these positive perceptions are from more experienced women compared to the new entrants to the industry. Bennett et al. [28] compared the perceptions of undergraduate students and construction industry employees toward the industry in the context of their commitment to staying in the field. The study’s participants included a total of 76 women, either enrolled in a construction management degree in a university or working in the construction industry. A total of 47 of these were women currently working in the industry, with ages ranging from 23 to 59. The student participants included 29 first- and second-year undergraduates, ages 18 to 27, enrolled in construction management degree programs. The study’s results reflect that women who are already in professional roles are committed to the construction industry, with more than 77% (out of 47) stating they are committed to staying in the field compared to a much smaller 58% (out of 29) within the student group who were committed to a career in the field despite the fact that they are already enrolled in a related major. This result highlights potential areas of research into updating construction management curricula to improve the entry and persistence in construction management careers.

Wilkes et al. [29] conducted a study with high school counselors, thus noting that counselors are in a unique position to shape the lives of high school students as they make decisions that will affect them for many years to come. Their study was organized into three phases. Phase I involved a survey of the incoming freshmen construction management students in their university regarding their major selection experiences in high school. From this part of the work, the authors established that, while these students consulted with their counselors in choosing their major, they believed that their counselors were not sufficiently knowledgeable about construction management as a major. In Phase II of their work, they contacted the counselors in their state and directly investigated their knowledge and perceptions of construction management through a survey. Although 57% of the counselors self-reported that they were knowledgeable about construction career opportunities, 80% indicated that they did not believe a degree is necessary for a career in construction. These results suggest that this particular sample of high school counselors’ knowledge of construction careers is based on a perception that construction careers are limited to blue-collar positions. Finally, Phase III of their work presented recommendations to address the needs identified in the previous two parts of their work, and a high school counselor outreach program was proposed as a result. The authors concluded that by facilitating better advising of high school students with respect to construction career opportunities, more students will be exposed to correct information and make more informed decisions.

A study conducted by Francis and Prosser [30] with 202 career counselors aimed to capture the counselors’ perceptions of the individual characteristics and working conditions of construction jobs. In the study, career counselors rated construction jobs as “fair to good” career options for females and as “good to very good” for males, which suggests that the knowledge and perception of construction careers are still heavily biased toward blue-collar and male-oriented positions [30]. This study shows that counselors’ knowledge of construction careers is limited to blue-collar construction jobs. In contrast, their knowledge of white-collar construction jobs (e.g., construction management, superintendent, etc.) was less precise.

Together, these two studies suggest that career counselors are influencing high school students’ decisions when selecting a major for college in a way that significantly disadvantages construction management and related degrees [29,30].

Koch et al. [31] conducted a study to explore the demographics and career influences of students enrolled in accredited Construction Management (CM) programs in one Midwestern state, thus addressing three research questions: (1) Are there enrollment differences in CM programs between male and female students or rural and urban high school graduates? (2) Do students enrolled in CM programs have related occupational work experiences before enrollment? (3) What are the career influences on CM students in terms of people and situations? The survey yielded 504 completed and usable survey results from 459 male (91%) and 45 females (9%) participants, thus revealing that male dominance in construction is also evident in college student enrollment in CM programs. The research highlighted that prior construction experience and rural background significantly influenced students’ decisions to pursue CM. Fathers were identified as the most influential individuals, while high school counselors had the least impact [31]. Interest in construction, hands-on activities, and a preference for indoor/outdoor work environments were the primary motivators for choosing CM [31]. Additionally, paid work experience was found to be a significant factor, thus suggesting the importance of practical exposure in career decision making. The study cited in [31] emphasizes the need for targeted recruitment efforts and curriculum development that includes hands-on and community service activities to attract and retain students in CM programs.

Acknowledging the issues and the need for a more diverse workforce, in the last two decades, construction industry leaders and higher education institutions that provide degrees in construction management (or similar fields) have implemented strategies to attract more women into professional roles [32]. One of the ways of educating high school students is to provide summer opportunities, such as the precollege programs offered by the Georgia Institute of Technology [33], Auburn University [34], Colorado State University [35], the University of Wyoming [36], and Texas A&M [37]. These efforts are useful in changing students’ knowledge and perceptions about CM careers once they attend these programs [38]. However, encouraging high school students, especially those who are socialized as women, to become interested in these precollege opportunities is still a challenge that is evidenced by the demographics of these degree programs, as well as the unyielding statistics in the industry. As such, educating middle and high school students, counselors, teachers, and parents about construction-related college majors and career opportunities is key to bridging the gender gap in construction management and related careers. In fact, it is possible that even high school may be too late in addressing these perception and career identity issues. As such, construction-related activities and exposure as early as elementary school can help young girls build an identity around these career paths.

2.2. Retention: Bias against Women in Construction Management

Navarro-Astor et al. [39] noted that, although the number of women entering the construction industry is increasing, the problem of the retention of women is still of concern.

Powell and Sang [40] argue that the main reason behind the lack of diversity in construction is that, historically, the construction industry has disregarded the idea of social justice, equality, and inclusivity for all. They further state that even in sectors of the construction industry with higher rates of underrepresented groups, the evidence has suggested that women and minority workers face issues with bias and are often subjected to poor treatment, including harassment and discrimination [40]. They note that these issues will need to be carefully studied and remedied to ensure that the construction industry can achieve sustainability for industry growth and productivity.

Amaratunga et al. [41] discuss how women in the construction industry feel pressured to leave if they are not adaptable to the culture, or if they remain in the industry without behaving like men, they tend to retain only unimportant positions. Inman [42] further notes that in a poll conducted for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), it reports that 41% of young women, all aged between 13 and 22, believed discrimination would hold back their careers, and they expected to face discrimination that impacts the progression and retention of women in the industry.

A study by Lekchiri et al. [43] examined the barriers faced by women in leadership positions within the U.S. construction industry. Using a qualitative approach, the authors conducted a survey with 14 women leaders that were actively working in the U.S. construction industry. The results highlighted issues such as discrimination and hostility, a stressful work environment, a lack of work–life balance, and the absence of role models.

Asadian et al. [44] explored the major barriers hindering the participation of women in construction, specifically examining women’s challenges through 27 semistructured interviews. The study identified two pillars as potential mechanisms to help female practitioners overcome previously identified barriers: (1) continuous improvement and (2) respect for people. The findings suggest that these two pillars provide benefits such as fostering a respectful and psychologically safe environment, as well as promoting transparency, diversity, and inclusion, which collectively help women build positive career experiences.

Tapia et al.’s work [45] aimed to determine the factors that limit the participation of women in the construction industry. A structured survey was developed and distributed to both female and male professionals in the industry, thus resulting in 34 completed surveys. The top-ten barriers for this group of participants were identified. The top three of these were the following: gender bias, job site culture, and recruitment. The study indicated that mentoring, establishing diversity and inclusion standards, and increasing outreach activities for high school students could be instrumental in addressing these top challenges.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) [46] cites that apprenticeships are productive and practical pathways to careers in construction, as apprentices can learn and apply skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios. Unfortunately, one study that conducted an analysis of data from 34 state-registered apprenticeship programs showed that women apprentices are less likely than white men to finish apprenticeship programs, thus resulting in fewer women entering the field [46]. This study noted that 54.2% of women apprentices left before completing their programs, which is an attrition rate that is 5.5% higher than men. Women apprentices often encounter barriers such as lack of access to on-the-job training and mentoring, fewer work hours, and being unfairly assigned to tasks not related to their trade. Additionally, they frequently deal with a hostile work environment characterized by gender discrimination and harassment. Moreover, racial discrimination compounds these issues for women of color in apprenticeships. They face even higher attrition rates and more severe discrimination and harassment compared to their white counterparts. For instance, Black apprentices have a significantly higher cancellation rate of 61.8% in joint programs and 66.6% in non-joint programs, thus highlighting a systemic issue that not only affects gender equity but also racial equity in the construction industry. The EEOC [46] has resolved numerous cases where workers faced racial and sexual harassment, including the presence of racial slurs on job sites, thus creating a perilous and unwelcoming atmosphere. Such pervasive harassment and discrimination deter women and people of color from remaining in the field, thus further contributing to their underrepresentation. To address these persistent issues, the EEOC [46] emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts with industry stakeholders to develop and implement effective antidiscrimination policies and training programs. These initiatives aim to create a more inclusive work environment that supports the retention and advancement of women and people of color in the construction industry, thereby ultimately ensuring that the benefits of apprenticeships and other career pathways are equally accessible to all qualified individuals.

Many women suggest that unconscious biases have negatively impacted the construction workforce. A study by Balch [47] showed that 60% of workers in the construction industry believe leaders are biased toward individuals who look, think, and act like them.

Opoku [48] reports that some women share second-generation gender bias in construction organizations, which often impacts a woman’s career progression into leadership positions in the construction industry. Second-generation gender bias is implicit and refers to subtle and ‘invisible’ barriers created for women, thereby arising from existing cultural or structural workplace practices and normative gender-based patterns of interaction that appear to be neutral.

A woman-only focus group (consisting of women working in the construction industry) suggested that women had limited opportunities to develop practical skills and needed opportunities to explore their potential ability to complete construction jobs [49]. The focus group suggested that this problem is exacerbated by the need for more role models within construction, especially at senior levels. Construction industry women also noted that poor physical working environments and conditions, as well as work-related operational and environmental risks, account for safety concerns for women.

Given the lack of gender diversity in the industry, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), construction gear, and construction equipment are also typically designed for males. Studies have noted problems with cumbersome and inconveniently shaped and sized construction equipment, as well as specific construction activities that pose significant ergonomic risks to women workers [50]. Furthermore, a recent report [51] listed issues such as the lack of gender-specific portable bathrooms on construction sites that accommodate pregnant/lactating women or other women-specific hygienic needs, or PPE appropriate for pregnant women are rare. According to Milligan [52], a simple and inclusive solution, such as providing PPE specifically designed for women in the construction workforce, is paramount for ensuring a safe and inclusive environment.

Male perceptions of women in the construction industry or working on construction sites also vary, and those that are vastly negative can be the cause of issues both with recruitment and retention. Worrall et al.’s study [24] provides a qualitative analysis of how these cultures affect women’s ability to stay and progress in the UK construction industry. Most respondents highlighted the detrimental impact on their self-esteem and confidence due to sexist and negative attitudes, particularly on construction sites. One respondent noted the “perception that a woman can’t work on-site or deal with issues” (36–45-year-old Professional). These experiences underscore the pervasive and insidious nature of gender bias in the industry, which not only undermines women’s professional capabilities but also contributes to their underrepresentation and high attrition rates in construction roles. Agapiou’s research [27] noted that some male perspectives of women include not having the physical or natural capability to use tools and equipment, which are often reinforced by experiences of witnessing women failing to operate heavy equipment successfully. In contrast, some males state that they welcome the presence of women, thus viewing inclusion as an opportunity for a diversified organizational culture [27], and they feel women’s presence on the work site makes for a safer work environment. Furthermore, they noted that women provide a different framework of experiences and perspectives [27].

Arditi and Balci [53] pointed out that one of the main challenges for female project managers in the construction industry is gaining acceptance from their male colleagues. They attribute the lack of representation within the construction industry to the industry’s culture, the nature of the work, and its project-based setup. In their study, they examined if there are differences between men and women in managerial behaviors. The survey results and statistical analysis revealed that women and men have similar levels of strength in managerial competencies, with women being just as capable as men in project management roles in construction companies. Moreover, women scored significantly higher in areas such as sensitivity, customer focus, and authority and presence. They concluded that to boost the number of women in the industry, it is essential to enhance the industry’s image, improve working conditions, and adjust working hours rather than focusing on women’s managerial skills.

2.3. Summary and Key Takeaways

These key insights reveal that the industry remains heavily male-dominated, with women comprising a small percentage of the workforce, particularly in managerial and skilled trade roles. Studies show that women in construction management roles are as competent as their male counterparts, thereby often excelling in areas such as sensitivity, customer focus, and authority. Despite this, gender biases, both implicit and explicit, persist and negatively impact women’s career progression and retention in the industry. The industry culture, characterized by long work hours, poor work–life balance, and a lack of supportive policies, further exacerbates these issues. Additionally, recruitment practices are hindered by perceptions of construction as an unfriendly environment for women, which is a stereotype perpetuated by insufficient knowledge among high school counselors about construction careers. These factors contribute to the underrepresentation and high attrition rates of women in construction.

The recruitment and retention of women have always been challenging in the construction industry, thus necessitating further efforts to identify and address the deep-rooted systemic causes behind both. For recruitment, it is crucial to improve the image of the construction industry among K-12 students, parents, and career counselors to reflect a more modern, family-friendly, and welcoming environment. Enhancing these perceptions can significantly improve young women’s interest in and pursuit of careers in construction.

While the literature highlights significant barriers to women’s entry and retention in the construction industry, several gaps remain. First, there is a need for more detailed, qualitative studies to understand the nuanced experiences of women at different career stages and in various construction roles. Such research could uncover specific challenges and coping strategies that are not captured in broad surveys. Additionally, there is a lack of longitudinal studies that track women’s career progression over time to identify critical points where interventions could be most effective. The literature also points to the need for more comprehensive studies on the impact of targeted diversity initiatives and policies, such as flexible working arrangements, mentoring programs, and transparent promotion criteria, to assess their effectiveness in real-world settings.

Moreover, companies must evaluate and update their policies, procedures, culture, and internal and external messaging. It is common to have great initiatives and policies in place, yet still have a company culture that is discriminatory and uninviting. Leaders need to create safe communication channels for underrepresented minorities to report any micro- and macroaggressions, discrimination, and bias. More research is also needed on the role of male allies and how their support can be leveraged to create a more inclusive industry culture.

The rest of this paper will focus on the recruitment of women into construction-related degrees in universities, specifically aiming to provide a better understanding of high school students’ knowledge and perceptions of a career in construction management.

3. Methods

Online surveys and statistical analyses were utilized in this study to answer the research questions. This section explains the participants and setting, survey design, survey administration, and statistical analysis methods used. The flowchart of data collection and analysis is presented in Figure 2.

3.1. Participants and Setting

Participants were forty-two high school students enrolled in the Building Construction Summer Camps at the Georgia Institute of Technology in July 2022 and July 2023 and who completed the precamp surveys. Out of the 42, twenty-seven (64.3%) of the participants identified as male, twelve (28.6%) identified as female, and three (7.1%) preferred not to answer the gender question (Figure 3a). In terms of ethnicity/race distribution, sixteen participants (38.1%) identified as Caucasian, eight (19.0%) as African American, three (7.1%) as Latino or Hispanic, twelve (28.6%) as Asian, and three (7.1%) preferred not to disclose their ethnicity/race (Figure 3b).

3.2. Survey Design

The larger project included both pre- and postcamp surveys. This paper focuses only on the precamp surveys to provide an understanding of the baseline knowledge and perceptions of the high school students regarding the construction industry as a whole and construction management as a major/career.

The precamp survey was web-based (using Qualtrics Research Suite (also known as Survey Platform)) and comprised of 29 questions that aimed to capture the knowledge, perceptions, and interest level of the participants regarding careers in construction management. The survey incorporated questions from various previously published surveys about career choice, such as Washington [54], Mehany [55], and Yilmaz [56], and were thoughtfully structured to incorporate a variety of question types, including Likert rating scales, multiple-choice questions, text entry, and matrix tables. To ensure clarity and precision, industry-specific terminology, definitions, and qualifiers were incorporated to prevent assumptions or misunderstandings among participants and minimize ambiguity in responses.

3.3. Survey Administration Procedures

Given that the participants were minors, students’ parents were informed about the aims of the Summer Camp and the survey questions, and they were asked to fill out a consent form for their children. Both students and their parents were assured that participation in the surveys was voluntary and that no personal identifiers would be collected. In addition, every question in the survey could be skipped if desired. Each student scanned a QR code with their personal phones to reach the survey questions. Average completion time was recorded as approximately twelve minutes.

3.4. Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics, including mean, median, mode, standard deviation, interquartile range (IQR), and frequency plots, were used to determine the general trends and tendencies of participants’ responses to various survey questions. Some questions, which sought simple agreement with a statement, had two answer options, while other questions that presented a range of agreement had four answer options.

Table 2. A typical scoring for three-answer option questions in this study.

Response	Score
No	1
Not sure	2
Yes	3

and

Table 3. A typical scoring for four-answer option questions in this study.

Response	Score
Not important	1
Not sure	2
Somewhat important	3
Very important	4

present the typical scoring for these two types of questions. Unless otherwise stated, these scoring values were used to perform the data analysis.

To assess any association between participants’ responses and their gender, both the Fisher’s exact test and the Mann–Whitney U test were employed. The null hypothesis for these analyses stated that there is no association between response and gender.

The Wilcoxon signed-rank test for a single sample was utilized to determine if the median of the overall student responses significantly differed from the hypothesized neutral median score across demographics. The effect size, denoted as ‘r’, was interpreted according to Cohen’s guidelines [57].

All data analyses were performed using the Real Statistics Resource Pack software (Release 8.9.1) [58] in MS Excel Version 2406. A statistical significance level of 0.05 was applied for all tests.

4. Results

The results are divided into three main subsections as related to the research questions (RQ) listed in the introduction: (1) the participants’ current level of knowledge about construction management (RQ2), (2) the participants’ attitudes towards pursuing a career in this field (RQ3), and (3) the factors influencing the participants’ career decision making (RQ3). A detailed examination of diversity-related factors is included in the last category to better understand the participants’ diversity- and inclusion-related consideration in deciding to pursue a degree in construction management across male and female participants.

4.1. Baseline Level of Knowledge of Participants about Construction Management

Table 4. Survey questions for assessing participants’ familiarity with construction management.

Do you know anyone in construction management?
o  Yes o  No
Have you done any internships related to construction management?
o  Yes, 6 months or longer o  Yes, shorter period than 6 months o  No, but I have been invited o  No
I know a great deal about:	Not at all	Not sure	Somewhat	Very Much
What construction managers do	o	o	o	o
Various career opportunities in construction management	o	o	o	o
My educational opportunities after high school	o	o	o	o
How additional education can help me achieve my career goals	o	o	o	o

summarizes the questions asked of students to assess their familiarity with construction management. These questions included if they knew anyone working as a construction management professional, if they had attended any internship related to construction management, and how much information they have regarding various career options in the construction management field before joining the summer camp program.

Twenty-seven students (64.3%) indicated that they did not know anyone in the field of construction management, and thirty-seven (88.1%) reported that they had not participated in an internship program related to construction management prior to this camp. Additionally, none of the students attended a trade school, thus eliminating the possibility of prior knowledge from related coursework. While nineteen male students (70.4%) indicated a level of somewhat or higher knowledge about what construction managers do, only five female students (41.7%) did so. Furthermore, only five male students (18.5%) stated that they had no information related to various career opportunities in the field, whereas five female students (41.7%) indicated they had no prior information on career options in the field. In terms of educational opportunities after high school, 90.5% of students reported having somewhat or higher knowledge, and 97.6% acknowledged the importance of education in achieving their career goals. As such, most of the participants did not have a particular background in the construction industry; however, they were still interested enough to choose to attend these summer programs.

Students were asked to select a scale between zero and ten representing their current level of knowledge about construction management. The survey question and the descriptive statistics of the students’ scores are summarized in

Table 5. Survey question and the related descriptive statistics for the scale * representing the current level of knowledge regarding construction management.

Indicate the position along the scale that best reflects your current level of knowledge about construction management:
0–10
	Overall	Male Students	Female Students
Mean	4.310	4.704	3.750
Median	5	5	4.5
Mode	5	4	5
Standard Deviation	1.932	1.877	1.960
IQR	3	2.5	2.25

* Scale ranges from 0 to 10.

. On average, participants reported a moderate level of knowledge, with an overall mean of 4.310. The median and mode values, both centered around 5, suggest that most participants perceived their knowledge level to be in the mid-range of the scale. The standard deviation indicates a moderate degree of variability in responses, with values of 1.932 for the overall group, 1.877 for male students, and 1.960 for female students. The interquartile range (IQR) highlights the spread of responses around the median, with a range of 3 for the overall group, 2.5 for male students, and 2.25 for female students.

The Shapiro–Wilk test was performed to check whether the distribution of scores among overall, male, and female students could be represented as a normal distribution. The results of the Shapiro–Wilk tests for overall (W = 0.959; p = 0.135), male (W = 0.961; p = 0.397), and female (W = 0.905; p = 0.185) students yielded higher p values than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there is no significant evidence to reject the null hypothesis of normality.

As the normality condition was satisfied, a standard t test with unequal variances was employed to examine whether there is a substantial difference in the current level of knowledge of construction management between male and female students. The t test resulted in a p value of 0.171, which is greater than 0.05, thus indicating that there is no statistically significant difference in the current level of knowledge about construction management between male and female students.

However, one may expect that the baseline level of knowledge of students who know someone in construction management may differ from those who do not. The null hypothesis was constructed to assert that there are no significant differences between the students’ levels of information related to construction management regardless of knowing somebody in the field. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to check the normality condition for the items given in Table 4. After normality conditions were confirmed, the t test for two independent samples was utilized to determine whether the difference in the baseline level of knowledge between participants who know somebody in construction management and those who do not was statistically significant.

Table 6. Summary of the descriptive statistics and p values obtained from the t test for the items measuring the baseline level of information regarding construction management.

I Know a Great Deal About:	Students Who Know Somebody in CM		Students Who Don’t Know Anybody in CM		p Value	Effect Size, r
	M	SD	M	SD
What construction managers do	2.933	0.594	2.222	0.847	2.964 × 10−3	0.46
Various career opportunities in construction management	2.8	1.014	2.111	0.892	3.685 × 10−2	0.40

summarizes the descriptive statistics, effect size, and the p value obtained from the t test. As can be seen, the p values are smaller than the significance level (α = 0.05) for the first two items, thus resulting in an effect size higher than 0.4. This indicates that the difference in the knowledge level is not only statistically significant but also that this significance between the two groups has a moderate to large effect.

The students who know someone in construction management resulted in a mean score of 5.267, with a standard deviation of 1.486. In contrast, students who do not know anyone in the field yielded an average score of 3.778, with a standard deviation of 1.968 for their current level of information related to construction management. A t test with unequal variances was employed to check if the difference between the two means is statistically significant. The resulting p value was 8.99 × 10⁻³, which is smaller than 0.05, thus meaning that the null hypothesis of no statistical difference between the two mean scores was rejected. Additionally, the effect size r was found to be 0.418, thus suggesting that the difference is not only statistically significant but also of moderate to large practical significance.

4.2. Perception of Construction Management as a Career Choice

The descriptive statistics presented in

Table 7. Survey question and the related descriptive statistics for the statement regarding construction management as a career goal.

Which statement best describes your career goals:
o  I have NO plans to pursue a career in construction management
o  I am undecided if I will pursue a career in construction management
o  I am considering a career in construction management
o  I am excited to pursue a career in construction management
	Overall	Male Students	Female Students
Mean	2.786	2.778	2.833
Median	3	3	3
Mode	3	2	3
Standard Deviation	1.717	0.801	0577
IQR	1	1	0.25

Scoring: 1 = “I have NO plans to pursue a career in construction management”, 2 = “I am undecided if I will pursue a career in construction management”, 3 = “I am considering a career in construction management”, and 4 = “I am excited to pursue a career in construction management”.

provide valuable insights into participants’ attitudes toward pursuing a career in construction management. The mean scores, which range from 2.778 to 2.833 across male and female students, suggest a moderate level of interest overall. The median and mode values of 3 indicate that most participants are either considering or undecided about entering the field. However, notable variability was found to exist, as evidenced by standard deviations of 1.717 for the overall group, 0.801 for male students, and 0.577 for female students.

Since the high school students voluntarily enrolled in the Building Construction Summer Camps, it is reasonable to expect that their interest in construction management influenced their responses. As shown in Figure 4, none of the participants indicated that they have no plans to pursue a career in construction management. Furthermore, most of the students (55.6% of males and 75% of females) were at least considering a career in this field.

The Mann–Whitney test was conducted to compare the responses of male and female participants regarding their attitudes toward pursuing a career in construction management. The U statistic for male participants was 174, and for female participants, it was 150. The one-tailed and two-tailed p values were 0.365 and 0.730, respectively. With an effect size r of 0.0606, indicating a small effect, the results suggest no statistically significant difference between the responses of male and female participants.

On the other hand, ten out of fifteen students who know somebody in construction management indicated they were considering a career in the field, and the remaining five of them stated they were excited to pursue a career in the field.

Table 8. Survey questions assessing participants’ interests in various construction management roles and the number of male and female students selecting each role.

Which aspect of construction management are you most interested in? (Check all that apply)
▢  Superintendent—responsible for coordinating all the work carried out by la-borers and tradespeople. They work closely with architects and engineers, and the project team.
▢  Project Manager—plans and oversees the building process of the construction project from start to finish.
▢  BIM Manager—BIM (Building Information Modeling) Managers act as collab-orators between the client’s team, design team, contractor team, and supply chain, and they oversee the production of project information models using 3D visualizations.
▢  VDC Manager—VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) This Manager is responsible for leading preconstruction, engineering, and field installation of all BIM-related project deliverables for the project.
▢  Construction Business Owner
▢  None of these aspects
Role	Male Students	Female Students
Superintendent	13 (23.6%)	12 (38.7%)
Project Manager	13 (23.6%)	6 (19.4%)
BIM Manager	9 (16.4%)	7 (22.6%)
VDC Manager	9 (16.4%)	5 (16.1%)
Construction Business Owner	6 (10.9%)	1 (3.2%)
None	5 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)

provides the survey question to investigate the students’ interest in various construction management roles and the number of selections by male and female students. The data reveals distinct preferences between male and female participants. For the role of Superintendent, 13 male students (23.6%) and 12 female students (38.7%) expressed interest. Project Manager was selected by an equal number of male students (13 or 23.6%), but only six female students (19.4%) chose this role. Interest in the BIM Manager role was indicated by nine male students (16.4%) and seven female students (22.6%). The VDC Manager role gained interest from nine male students (16.4%) and five female students (16.1%). Notably, six male students (10.9%) showed interest in becoming a Construction Business Owner compared to just one female student (3.2%). Additionally, five male students (9.1%) selected none of the aspects provided in the survey question, whereas no female students chose this option. These differences highlight varying interests between male and female students in specific construction management roles.

To further investigate the participants’ perceptions of a career in construction management, they were asked to select aspects of the field that make it seem less attractive to them. Participants could select multiple items provided in Figure 5 that applied to them.

The three most frequently selected items by male students were the following:

i.

“I do not think working in construction management is unattractive.” (selected by 30.8% of the males)

ii.

“I do not know what a career in construction management entails.” (selected by 25.6% of the males)

iii.

“I do not know what people really do in construction management.” (selected by 20.5% of the males)

On the other hand, the top three items selected by female students were:

i.

“I do not know what people really do in construction management.” (selected by 36.4% of the females)

ii.

“I do not know what a career in construction management entails.” (selected by 31.8% of the females)

iii.

“I think it is physically challenging.” (selected by 9.1% of the females)

Figure 6 presents the distribution of participants’ responses regarding the importance of having a mentor if they choose construction management as a profession in response to the question “How important is it to you to have a mentor if you selected construction management as a profession?”. As shown in Figure 6, none of the students selected “Not important”. Thirteen male students (48.1%) and seven female students (58.3%) indicated that having a mentor is somewhat important, while fourteen male students (51.9%) and five female students (41.7%) believe that having a mentor is very important if construction management is selected as a profession.

The descriptive statistics given in

Table 9. Survey question and related descriptive statistics for the statement regarding the importance of having a mentor if construction management was selected as a profession.

How important is it to you to have a mentor if you selected construction management as a profession?
o  Not important
o  Not sure
o  Somewhat important
o  Very important
	Overall	Male Students	Female Students
Mean	3.429	3.519	3.417
Median	3	4	3
Mode	3	4	3
Standard Deviation	0.547	0.509	0515
IQR	1	1	1

Scoring: 1 = “Not important”, 2 = “Not sure”, 3 = “Somewhat important”, and 4 = “Very important”.

further highlight this trend, with the overall mean score being 3.429, thus suggesting a high importance placed on mentorship. The median and mode scores for both male and female students align closely, thus emphasizing the consistency in their views. The standard deviation and IQR values indicate a relatively low variability in responses, thus underscoring the consensus among participants on the importance of having a mentor in the field of construction management.

The Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare the responses of male and female participants. The result (U = 145.5, p = 0.574, α = 0.05) indicates that there is no statistically significant difference between the male and female responses.

Later, the Wilcoxon signed-rank Test was conducted to determine whether the median importance score for having a mentor in construction management, as rated by the participants, differs significantly from the hypothesized population median of 2.5. The test yielded a z score of 5.67, with a two-tailed p value of 1.45 × 10⁻⁸. The effect size, r, resulted in 0.874, thus showing a large effect. This suggests that the median importance score for having a mentor in construction management significantly exceeds the hypothesized population median of 2.5.

4.3. Factors Influencing Career Decision Making

The summer camp participants were asked to rate the importance of thirteen different factors when considering their future careers. The selection of factors was the following:

• Earnings = “The amount of money I can earn”;
• Benefits = “Benefits (health insurance, retirement, company stocks)”;
• Flexibility = “Flexibility of work hours/remote”;
• Office Work = “Must be all office work”;
• Field Work = “Must be all outside work”;
• Hybrid Work = “Prefer 50–50 outside and office work”;
• Travel = “Travel opportunities”;
• No Relocation = “I do not ever want to relocate for my job”;
• Family Friendliness = “Family friendliness (e.g., maternity/paternity leave)”;
• Leadership = “Leadership opportunities”;
• Representation = “My gender and ethnicity are well represented in that industry”;
• Workplace Diversity = “Diversity of personnel in workplace”;
• Leadership Diversity = “Diversity in leadership”.

Table 10. Descriptive statistics for the factors influencing the career decision making for the participants.

Factors	Scores *
	Overall		Male		Female
	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD
Earnings	3.238	0.532	3.296	0.542	3.083	0.289
Benefits	3.405	0.767	3.444	0.801	3.417	0.669
Flexibility	3.143	0.718	3.037	0.759	3.417	0.515
Office Work	1.524	0.917	1.444	0.847	1.750	1.138
Field Work	1.452	0.832	1.593	0.931	1.167	0.577
Hybrid Work	2.357	1.032	2.444	1.013	2.417	1.084
Travel	3.048	0.795	3.111	0.801	3.167	0.577
No Relocation	2.214	0.976	2.296	1.031	2.000	0.953
Family Friendliness	3.167	0.794	3.074	0.874	3.417	0.515
Leadership	3.405	0.627	3.444	0.577	3.417	0.669
Representation	2.333	1.162	2.296	1.203	2.417	1.084
Workplace Diversity	2.714	1.154	2.630	1.245	3.000	0.853
Leadership Diversity	2.810	1.131	2.741	1.228	3.167	0.835

* Scoring: 1 = “Not important”, 2 = “Not sure”, 3 = “Somewhat important”, and 4 = “Very important”.

presents each factor (with its abbreviated name reference) along with their mean and standard deviation for the overall sample, as well as for male and female students separately. For male students, the highest scores were observed for the Benefits and Leadership Opportunities, both with a mean value of 3.44 and standard deviations of 0.801 and 0.577, respectively. Conversely, female students rated Benefits, Flexibility, Family Friendliness, and Leadership Opportunities as the most important factors, each with a mean score of 3.417 and standard deviations of 0.669, 0.515, 0.515, and 0.669, respectively.

Figure 7 shows the average weighted score distributions of all listed factors for the overall sample, as well as for male and female participants. While the second highest rated factor was Earnings for the male students (M = 3.296, SD = 0.542), female students placed Diversity in Leadership and Travel at the second highly rated factors, with a common mean vale of 3.167 and standard deviations of 0.835 and 0.577, respectively.

Each individual factor was tested using Fisher’s exact test to determine whether there is a statistically significant association between gender and the importance of these factors. As shown in

Table 11. The Fisher’s exact test results for factors influencing the career decision making for the participants. (Expected frequencies for male and female are also provided). (M stands for male, and F stands for the female students).

Factor	Frequency of Responses				p Value
	Not Important	Not Sure	Somewhat Important	Very Important
Earnings	M = 0, F = 0	M = 1, F = 0	M = 17, F = 11	M = 9, F = 1	0.155
	(Mexp = 0, Fexp = 0)	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 0.3)	(Mexp = 19.4, Fexp = 8.6)	(Mexp = 6.9, Fexp = 3.1)
Benefits	M = 1, F = 0	M = 2, F = 1	M = 8, F = 5	M = 16, F = 6	0.906
	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 0.3)	(Mexp = 2.1, Fexp = 0.9)	(Mexp = 9, Fexp = 4)	(Mexp = 15.2, Fexp = 6.8)
Flexibility	M = 2, F = 0	M = 1, F = 0	M = 18, F = 7	M = 6, F = 5	0.593
	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 0.3)	(Mexp = 17.3, Fexp = 7.7)	(Mexp = 7.6, Fexp = 3.4)
Office Work	M = 20, F = 8	M = 3, F = 0	M = 3, F = 3	M = 1, F = 1	0.393
	(Mexp = 19.4, Fexp = 8.6)	(Mexp = 2.1, Fexp = 0.9)	(Mexp = 4.2, Fexp = 1.8)	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)
Field Work	M = 18, F = 11	M = 3, F = 0	M = 5, F = 1	M = 1, F = 0	0.650
	(Mexp = 20.1, Fexp = 8.9)	(Mexp = 2.1, Fexp = 0.9)	(Mexp = 4.2, Fexp = 1.8)	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 0.3)
Hybrid Work	M = 7, F = 4	M = 4, F = 0	M = 13, F = 7	M = 3, F = 4	0.696
	(Mexp = 7.6, Fexp = 3.4)	(Mexp = 2.8, Fexp = 1.2)	(Mexp = 13.8, Fexp = 6.2)	(Mexp = 2.8, Fexp = 1.2)
Travel	M = 2, F = 0	M = 1, F = 1	M = 16, F = 8	M = 8, F = 3	1
	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)	(Mexp = 16.6, Fexp = 7.4)	(Mexp = 7.6, Fexp = 3.4)
No Relocation	M = 8, F = 5	M = 6, F = 2	M = 10, F = 5	M = 3, F = 0	0.776
	(Mexp = 9, Fexp = 4)	(Mexp = 5.5, Fexp = 2.5)	(Mexp = 10.4, Fexp = 4.6)	(Mexp = 2.7, Fexp = 0.9)
Family Friendliness	M = 2, F = 0	M = 3, F = 0	M = 13, F = 7	M = 9, F = 5	0.731
	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)	(Mexp = 2.1, Fexp = 0.9)	(Mexp = 13.8, Fexp = 6.2)	(Mexp = 9.7, Fexp = 4.3)
Leadership	M = 0, F = 0	M = 1, F = 1	M = 13, F = 5	M = 13, F = 6	0.871
	(Mexp = 0, Fexp = 0)	(Mexp = 1.4, Fexp = 0.6)	(Mexp = 12.5, Fexp = 5.5)	(Mexp = 13.2, Fexp = 5.8)
Representation	M = 10, F = 3	M = 5, F = 3	M = 6, F = 4	M = 6, F = 2	0.817
	(Mexp = 9, Fexp = 4)	(Mexp = 5.5, Fexp = 2.5)	(Mexp = 6.9, Fexp = 3.1)	(Mexp = 5.5, Fexp = 2.5)
Workplace Diversity	M = 9, F = 1	M = 0 F = 1	M = 10, F = 7	M = 8, F = 3	0.144
	(Mexp = 6.9, Fexp = 3.1)	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 3.1)	(Mexp = 11.8, Fexp = 5.2)	(Mexp = 7.6, Fexp = 3.4)
Leadership Diversity	M = 8, F = 1	M = 0, F = 1	M = 10, F = 7	M = 9, F = 4	0.206
	(Mexp = 6.1, Fexp = 2.9)	(Mexp = 0.7, Fexp = 0.3)	(Mexp = 11.5, Fexp = 5.5)	(Mexp = 8.8, Fexp = 4.2)

, none of the p values exceeds the significance level of 0.05. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is no statistically significant association between the importance of the listed factors and gender, with a 95% confidence interval.

In addition, the Mann–Whitney tests for two independent samples were conducted to study a possible association between the importance scores of the career decision-making factors of the students who know somebody in the construction management and those who do not. All of the thirteen factors were analyzed; however, none of them resulted in a p value less than 0.05. Therefore, there is no statistical difference in the importance rating of the factors influencing career decision making between students who know someone in CM and those who do not.

Detailed Investigation of the Diversity-Related Factors

In the previous section, it was demonstrated that there is no statistically significant difference in the importance of the factors studied based on the gender of the participants. In this section, the survey data on diversity-related factors are analyzed as a single dataset, without distinguishing between male and female respondents. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was employed to investigate whether the responses of high school students participating in the summer camps deviate from the neutral value. As the responses deviate from the neutral value, we assessed whether this deviation is significant by examining the effect size. The null hypothesis posits that the median of the sample is equal to the median of the population, which is assumed to be 2.5. This value corresponds to the neutral point on a scale ranging from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). The factors under investigation include Family Friendliness, Representation, Workplace Diversity, and Leadership Diversity. The descriptive statistics for these factors are presented in

Table 12. Descriptive statistics for diversity-related factors influencing career decision-making process of the participants.

Factor	Mean	Median	Mode	Standard Deviation	IQR
Family Friendliness	3.167	3	3	0.794	1
Representation	2.333	2	1	1.162	2
Workplace Diversity	2.714	3	3	1.153	2.75
Leadership Diversity	2.810	3	3	1.131	1.75

Scoring: 1 = “Not important”, 2 = “Not sure”, 3 = “Somewhat important”, and 4 = “Very important”.

.

The first factor examined is Family Friendliness. As shown in Table 11, the mean value for this factor across the entire sample is 3.167, with a standard deviation of 0.794. This suggests that, on average, respondents consider Family Friendliness to be somewhat important. Figure 8 illustrates the frequency distribution of the scores for the Family Friendliness factor. In this plot, the black dashed line represents the hypothesized median (2.5), the red dashed line indicates the sample median (3), and the blue solid line marks the mean (3.167) of the sample. The hypothesized median serves as a benchmark to compare the central tendency of the sample data. The alignment of the sample median and mean relative to the hypothesized median provides insights into the distribution and skewness of the responses. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test resulted in a z score of 4.284, with a two-tailed p value of 1.83 × 10⁻⁵. The effect size, r, resulted in 0.661, thus showing a large effect size. This suggests that the median importance score for the Family Friendliness factor significantly exceeds the hypothesized population median of 2.5, and the magnitude of the difference between them is also substantial. As such, for all participants, Family Friendliness was found to be a major factor in their career decisions.

The second factor is the gender and ethnicity representation in the industry, i.e., Representation. It has a mean value of 2.333 and a standard deviation of 1.162. This indicates that respondents, on average, were somewhat uncertain about the importance of Representation, with a greater variability in responses compared to Family Friendliness. Figure 9 illustrates the frequency distribution of the scores for the Representation factor. The black dashed line represents the hypothesized median (2.5), the red dashed line indicates the sample median (2), and the blue solid line marks the mean (2.333) of the sample. To test whether the difference between the sample and the hypothesized population median is statistically significant, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was utilized. The test result yielded a z score of 0.929, with a two-tailed p value of 0.353. The effect size, r, resulted in 0.143, thus showing a small effect. These results suggest that while there may be a slight difference in the median values, it is not statistically significant, and the magnitude of this difference is small.

The third factor, Workplace Diversity, yielded a mean value of 2.714, with a standard deviation of 1.153. This mean value indicates that participants found Workplace Diversity to be slightly more than somewhat important, though there is notable variability in the responses, which can be clearly seen in Figure 10. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test result yielded a z score of 1.211, with a two-tailed p value of 0.226. The effect size, r, resulted in 0.189, thus showing a small effect. These results indicate that the difference in the median values is not statistically significant, and the magnitude of this difference is small.

The final factor, Leadership Diversity, yielded a mean value of 2.810 and a standard deviation of 1.131. This suggests that, on average, the respondents regarded Leadership Diversity as somewhat important, with less variability compared to Representation and Workplace Diversity. Figure 11 shows the frequency distribution of the scores for the Leadership Diversity factor, where the black dashed line represents the hypothesized median (2.5), the red dashed line indicates the sample median (3), and the blue solid line marks the mean (2.810) of the sample. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test results indicate that the sample median is marginally higher than the population median in a one-tailed test (p = 0.045), with a small to moderate effect size (r = 0.261). However, this difference is not strongly significant, especially in a two-tailed context (p = 0.091). The two-tailed p values are greater than 0.05, thus indicating that there is no strong evidence to conclude that the sample median is significantly different from the population median.

5. Discussion of Results

This paper presented a statistical analysis of precamp survey data from 42 participants, thereby focusing on questions that relate to the knowledge and perceptions of high school students regarding a career in construction management. The data were analyzed across genders to identify any gender disparities in the knowledge and perceptions regarding a career in construction management. Perceptions of the field were assessed indirectly by asking questions regarding the participants’ career interests and their ranking of factors that impact career decisions. Our findings are aligned with Bigelow et al.’s study on undergraduate students in construction management degree programs [8], thus indicating that the factors influencing the career decision-making process are not significantly dependent on gender. On the other hand, Chileshe and Haupt’s study [59] indicates significant differences regarding male and female high school students’ mean scores for the factors that affect their career design-making process. Specifically, their research found notable gender differences in the importance assigned to factors such as salary, working conditions, opportunities for promotion, mentoring, and status and prestige. This study, which analyzed the factors influencing career decisions in the South African construction industry from the perspective of high school students, underscores the complexity and variability of these factors across different contexts and demographics. These contrasting findings between our study and Chileshe’s and Haupt’s research [59] open new avenues for further investigation. Future studies should explore these differences more comprehensively, thus examining how cultural, regional, and educational contexts influence the career decision-making process among high school students. Such research could provide deeper insights into tailoring recruitment and educational strategies to effectively address the diverse needs and preferences of potential construction management students.

Overall, the results show that all participants possess a moderate level of knowledge about construction management, with no statistically significant difference between the male and female participants. However, the mean score of 4.310 on a scale from 0 to 10 indicates room for improvement in educating all high school students about the construction industry. As anticipated, there is a significant difference in baseline knowledge of construction management between students who know someone in the field and those who do not. Additionally, students who know someone in construction management are more likely to pursue a career in the field compared to their peers who do not have such connections. The lack of information about the construction industry among high school students and undergraduate students in construction management programs is well documented in the literature [8,59,60,61,62,63,64]. All studies agree that increasing awareness of the various aspects of construction professions among young adults is crucial for attracting them to the field.

When examining students’ attitudes towards pursuing a career in construction management, the mean scores reflect a moderate level of interest, with no statistically significant difference between the male and female participants as well. It was encouraging to note that most of the females (75%) noted already considering a career in this field at the start of the summer camp. Also, none of the participants expressed a complete lack of interest. However, this positive interest can be attributed to the participants’ voluntary enrollment in a construction-related summer camp. This in fact is a limitation of this study, which needs to be addressed with future work.

When the participants were asked about the factors that make this career path seem less attractive to them, the results are interesting. While 30.8% of male students did not find the field unattractive, only 9.1% of female students stated that working in construction management appealed to them. It is noted that females were more likely to cite a lack of understanding about the roles and challenges in construction management as a reason for not pursuing this field. This, again, highlights the need for better informational resources and outreach efforts to address these knowledge gaps, especially among female students [1,3,4,5].

Mentorship emerged as a crucial factor for both male and female students, with a high consensus on its importance. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test confirmed that the perceived importance of having a mentor significantly exceeds the hypothesized median, thus indicating strong student support for mentorship programs. This aligns with Del Puerto et al.’s [60] findings, thus suggesting that implementing mentorship initiatives could play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining students in construction management careers. On the other hand, Bigelow et al. [8] mention that mentorship programs were often ineffective because they were limited in their reach. Instead, they recommend focusing recruiting efforts on career opportunities, internships, and field trips. However, we believe that developing mentorship programs that can be accessible to a broader range of young adults, including high school counselors and teachers, will be an invaluable contribution to the recruitment, as well as sustainability, of the workforce in the construction industry. Further research is needed in this area to explore the most effective ways to expand and enhance mentorship programs.

The detailed investigation into diversity-related factors revealed encouraging trends in the importance assigned to family friendliness, representation, workplace diversity, and leadership diversity. There was no significant association of gender and any of these factors. Family Friendliness emerged as a notably important factor, thus significantly exceeding the hypothesized median, which reflects a strong preference for supportive workplace policies among the students. While Representation and Workplace Diversity were rated as somewhat important, their alignment with the hypothesized median suggests an opportunity to further enhance awareness and prioritize these aspects within the industry. Leadership Diversity was regarded “somewhat important” on average by the participants, thus indicating a promising area for continued focus and development to achieve greater statistical significance in the future. These findings are consistent with the emphasis by Carnemolla and Galea [63], as well as Ling and Ho et al. [61], on the necessity of repositioning the construction industry to attract highly skilled young talents and create a diverse and sustainable workforce. They advocate for improving working conditions through transparent promotion processes, flexible work practices, and paid parental leave. Our study confirms that flexibility and family-friendly policies are among the most significant factors influencing our participants’ career decision making. Therefore, adopting these recommendations can be pivotal in transforming the construction industry into a more attractive and supportive field for future professionals. Overall, the results suggest that, to build a diverse and sustainable workforce, the construction industry must prioritize family-friendly policies, enhance workplace diversity and representation, and focus on developing diverse leadership. These strategies not only align with the preferences of young talents but also contribute to a more innovative and resilient industry.

6. Conclusions and Future Work

This study provides valuable insights into the knowledge and perceptions of high school students regarding a career in construction management, with a specific focus on gender disparities.

The following conclusions are drawn from this study with respect to the research questions posed.

• Research Question (1) According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry?

A review of the pertinent literature shows a promising upward trend in studies related to this topic. Key takeaways from the literature include the following:

• The construction industry remains predominantly male-dominated, with women being significantly underrepresented, particularly in managerial and skilled trade roles. Although women in construction management roles demonstrate competencies equal to or exceeding those of their male counterparts, persistent gender biases, both implicit and explicit, continue to impede their career progression and retention.
• Insufficient knowledge among high school counselors about construction careers perpetuates negative perceptions.
• Further research is needed on the nuanced experiences of women in different roles and career stages, as well as the effectiveness of targeted diversity initiatives and policies.

• Research Question (2) Is there a significant difference between male and female high school age students regarding their current level of knowledge of the construction industry?

These outcomes are based on the precamp survey results:

• No significant difference was found between male and female high school students regarding their knowledge of the construction industry before participation in the summer program.
• Both male and female students possess a moderate level of knowledge, thus indicating a need for better educational resources about the industry.

• Research Question (3) Is there a significant difference between male and female high school age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice?

These outcomes are based on the precamp survey results:

• There was no significant difference in perceptions of the construction industry between male and female high school students before the summer program.
• In terms of factors impacting their career choice, mentorship emerged as a crucial factor for both male and female students, with a high consensus on its importance. Therefore, implementing mentorship initiatives could play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining students in construction management careers.
• Family friendliness was identified as a notably important factor, thereby significantly exceeding the hypothesized median. So, emphasizing family-friendly policies can improve the appeal of the construction industry to prospective female employees and support work–life balance.
• The positive interest in a construction management career among participants underscores the importance of outreach efforts such as these summer programs to bring attention to the existence of these degree programs in reputable universities, address knowledge gaps, and improve perceptions, especially among female students.

The findings from this study should be considered with its limitations, including the relatively small sample size and the fact that participants were voluntarily enrolled in the Building Construction Summer Camps.

The practical implications suggested by this study include several key recommendations aimed at improving educational outreach, mentorship programs, workplace policies, and diversity initiatives within the construction industry. Higher education institutions offering construction management degree programs should engage in outreach activities to educate high school students about career opportunities, thereby incorporating hands-on experiences to enhance understanding and interest. Developing and implementing mentorship programs that are accessible to a broad range of students, particularly targeting female students, can provide critical support and real-world insights. Additionally, the construction industry should prioritize family-friendly policies and improve workplace diversity and representation to attract and retain a diverse workforce. Future studies are needed to examine the influence of cultural and regional factors on the career decision-making process among high school students, thus providing deeper insights for tailored recruitment strategies.

Overall, this study provides insights into high school students’ level of knowledge about and perceptions of a career in construction management. Factors influencing their career decision making are also noted, which show this generation’s thoughtful approach to a career choice prioritizing family and mentorship. By increasing outreach programs to better educate K–12 students, parents, and counselors, as well addressing the outdated perceptions of the field as male-dominant and blue-collar, it is possible to foster a more diverse workforce in the construction industry.