Leadership Framework for enhancing productivity in construction through workforce diversity and inclusion in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

Abstract

South Africa's construction industry has been confronted by challenges related to productivity, workforce engagement, and operational efficiency. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of leadership in developing workforce diversity and inclusion (D&I) and enhancing productivity in construction business within the Western Cape Province's construction industry. Understanding construction dynamics workforce and the socioeconomic significance of inclusive practices, the study creates a holistic leadership framework that combines diversity management and inclusive leadership principles to boost team and individual performance in construction project delivery. A sequential mixed-methods approach was used, beginning with quantitative data gathered from structured surveys given to construction professionals involved in leadership position, followed by qualitative interviews with industry leaders and stakeholders. To collect quantitative data, organised (135) surveys was distributed to construction team involved in leadership positions such as construction managers, and site supervisors to leadership practices, engagement levels, diversity and inclusion practices. This method enables measurable information about how leadership affects team and individual productivity in construction project delivery. In addition, qualitative data was collected through (5) semi-structured interviews with diverse contractor management teams who took part in survey to acquire a better understanding of the difficulties and tactics associated with diverse and inclusive leadership. This study adopted a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics to comprehensively interpret and analyse quantitative data. The use of mean ranking and standard deviation was adopted in descriptive analysis, while factor analysis was adopted to further explore the underlying relationships among variables, identifying key leadership practices adopted by contractors and inclusion strategies that significantly impact team and individual productivity. For qualitative data analysis from interviews, content analysis was adopted to systematically code and categorize responses, allowing for the identification of recurring themes and insights into leadership, diversity and inclusive practices. The quantitative findings reveal patience, patience, humility, and lead by example as the leadership characteristics patenting to general management of leadership. Moreover, this study reveals inclusive decision-making, proactive diversity initiatives to empower the workforce, and problem-solving skills as effective leadership characteristics linked to Workforce productivity leadership. Factor analysis revealed the following components celebration of success and achievement of the workforce, problem-solving skills, conflict resolution skills, and emotional intelligence to empower the workforce. On the other hand, the qualitative findings reveals the following leadership characteristics, effective communication skills, employee support and coaching, adaptability and flexibility, empathy and emotional intelligence, integrity and accountability, motivational and innovative leadership, fairness and patience, and inclusive decision-making. Concerning leadership management practices this study uncovers that demonstrating behavior when engaging the workforce, accountability, and commitment to organisational goal as the leadership commitment indicators. While, mentorship programme to support workforce career development, accessibility of mentorship programmes to all employees, and mentorship programmes are adopted to ensure the retention and advancement of diverse workforce are revealed as mentorship and sponsorship programmes. Regarding inclusive policy the findings from this study reveal feedback-oriented policy, the clear and explicit policy articulated organisational commitment to diversity equity and inclusion, and proactive and preventative measures highlighted in the policy. The findings from celebrating diversity within the organisation reveals that contractors adopt diversity and inclusion awards, employee’s spotlight, diverse cultural event, and community partnership. The qualitative findings reveal the following leadership management practices that include flat line management structure, mentorship and skills development, performance reviews and reward systems, inclusive recruitment practices, bias confrontation and accountability, encouraging independent thinking, commitment to a safe and inclusive environment, effective communication strategies, and diverse team formation. The quantitative findings reveal the following components concerning employee engagement and inclusion comprising cultural awareness training, promoting a sense of ownership among employees, encouraging employees to participate in community engagement, leadership engagement and visibility, and prioritise employee’s well-being. The qualitative findings reveal the following employee engagement and inclusion practices including effective communication and feedback, inclusive decision-making, recognition and reward systems, team building activities, respect for cultural diversity, fostering a valued and open culture, and coaching and direct support from management. Additionally, the study identifies key barriers to implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives, including resistance to change, limited leadership commitment, and inadequate policy enforcement to name few. Based on these findings, this research recommends a leadership framework that prioritises inclusive decision-making, diversity training, and accountability measures to enhance contractors workforce productivity. The framework provides practical techniques for contractors to use workforce diversity as a catalyst for contractors performance improvement. This study adds to the body of knowledge on leadership and organisational performance in the construction industry while making concrete suggestions to public officials and construction industry leaders.