Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management

Korea Institute of Construction Engineering and Management (한국건설관리학회)
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Work-life Conflicts in the AEC Industry - A Comparative Analysis

  • Received : 2017.09.22
  • Accepted : 2018.06.25
  • Published : 2018.06.30
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Abstract

The Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has a culture of long working hours that sometimes extend to weekends. As a result, construction employees find it challenging to achieve a balance between their work and personal lives. It is believed that there is rarely a clear separation between employees' work and personal life in the AEC industry. This paper suggests that in order to attract and retain a talented workforce, AEC organizations have to cater for the diverse needs of employees with regard to work-life balance. This paper presents the results of a survey of both professional and managerial employees' perspective on work-life conflict issues in private and public AEC organizations. Perspectives were found to differ, although not significantly, by employees' experience, leadership experience, age and gender. Furthermore, most survey respondents noted that their employers did not have a policy or program in place supporting work-life balance initiatives. Finally, although the AEC industry is making strides to improve work-life balance, the effort is lagging behind other industry sectors in providing policies and programs to promote work-life balance through flexible work hours and various other means.

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