Management education, training and development of construction managers: will they ever learn?

This thesis investigates the current state of education, training and development ofconstruction managers in the UK by undertaking three strands of research. The first research strand undertakes a longitudinal study to determine the structure of the UK construction industry, and how it has evolved into its present form. Using published Government reports the industry is analysed in terms of the levels and distribution of employment within the industry and the numbers, sizes and types of construction companies that comprise the construction industry. The second research strand comprises a study of the current state of education, training and development of construction managers amongst the top 150 UK construction companies. Research, using a postal questionnaire, is undertaken to establish, firstly, company policies and attitudes towards education, training and development of construction managers; secondly, company policies and attitudes towards links with higher education establishments; and thirdly, the extent of ICT availability to construction managers that could be used to support continuing education, training and development of those managers. Questionnaire responses were either cross-tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using Chi-Square Tests and Symmetrical Measures to establish the statistical significance of the responses; or were ranked using Relative Importance Indices to determine company attitudes and preferences. The third strand of research comprises a desktop study of the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of seventeen of the principal professional institutions serving the construction industry. The research establishes the various requirements, policies, practices and procedures incumbent on the institutions' members undertaking CPD activities. This thesis concludes, firstly, that the construction industry is becoming evermore fragmented as the number of small trades contractors continues to increase together with a continued growth in self-employment and agency working in the industry. This has a negative impact on management education, training and development as the increasing fragmentation makes this more difficult for smaller firms and selfemployed workers to accommodate. This thesis concludes, secondly, that construction companies are dominated by a task-culture, resulting from the project-based nature of the industry and the competitive way that work is procured. Consequently, construction companies tend to focus on meeting short-term financial and production objectives rather than longterm development strategies required for effective staff education, training and development. Thirdly, this thesis concludes that the principal drivers for education, training and development of managers in the construction industry are not the construction companies, but the professional institutions to which construction managers might belong. It is the institutions requirements for CPD for admission to, and continuation of, membership that provides one of the key drivers for undertaking CPD by managers. However, the adoption of new Construction Industry Council (CIC) recommendations by the professional institutions is producing a move away from formalised , often time-based, CPD requirements towards a requirement that CPD should be undertaken on an ‘as needs' basis according to the members position and requirements. This has the potential to create loophole that could undermine all attempts to maintain or raise management standards through CPD. Finally, this thesis concludes that for management standards in the construction industry to be raised, continuing education, training and development of managers must become fully embedded in the culture of the construction industry, not just the professional institutions. CPD requirements should be formally linked to both academic standards and achievement, as well becoming a mandatory requirement of all supervisory and managerial grades of schemes such as the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).