CHAPTER 5: Results
5.2. Phase One: Qualitative Data
5.2.5. Construction of the questionnaire
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Table 4: Interview Responses Combined: Methods of Exposure Training or Development Methods
Methods of Exposure Total Graduate
Engineers Human
Resources Senior Managers Frequency % Frequency % Frequency % Frequency % On-site Experience – Physically
doing Different Construction tasks 94% 100% 100% 88%
Internal / External Training
Courses 65% 43% 50% 88%
Mentoring 65% 71% 0% 75%
Structured Induction / Training &
Development Programme / Guide 53% 43% 50% 63%
Job Rotation between Disciplines 29% 14% 50% 38%
Starting working with Estimator &
Planner 18% 0% 50% 25%
Bi Annual get together of all young engineers in the company to discuss experience gained / exposed to
12% 0% 0% 25%
Spend 1st year measuring programme and productivity and run site services, Batch plant / Rebar / cast-in Items
12% 14% 0% 13%
Working through Case Studies 6% 0% 50% 0%
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Table 5: Competencies from the Literature and Interviews Compared Competencies Identified by Source
Competencies Literature Interview Understanding Project / Construction
Environment and Project Stages
Activity Resource Estimation
Activity Duration Estimation
Activity Scheduling
Schedule Development
Communication to both Subordinates &
Client
Problem-solving / Root cause Analysis
Financial Management
Managing different persons - Client, Subcontractors, Foremen, Unskilled
workers
Personal Time Management
Safety Management
Leading People
Quality Management
Learning Basic Skills in Industry (Physical
& Technical)
Understanding Company Systems (QA,
Safety, Procurement, HR)
Understanding Standard Specifications
Project Time Management
People Management
Personality – People- oriented
Progress Measuring
Teamwork
Being a Change Agent
Delegation Skills
Risk Identification & Management
Being Able to see the bigger Picture
Understanding different Cultures in the
workplace
Cost Management
HR Management
Negotiation
Procurement Management
Scope Management
Claims & Contractual Experience
Conducting Disciplinary Enquiries
Integration Management
Motivate Subordinates
Understanding Own Responsibility
Environmental Management
Calculating Team Sizes
After identifying all the competencies, it was noted that several of the competencies were very similar and could actually be grouped together into similar themes. This was done in Table 6 below, before the list of competencies was used in the construction of the questionnaires for the second phase of the research.
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Table 6: Grouping of Competencies from Interview Responses for Questionnaire Development
Main Competency Groupings for
construction of Questionnaire Similar Competencies grouped with Main Competency Groupings
Understanding the Project & Construction Environment and Project Stages Activity Scheduling and Schedule
development Activity Resource and Duration Estimation
Understanding Company Systems
including Quality, Safety, Procurement, HR Conducting formal Enquiries, incl disciplinary Problem-Solving, Root cause analysis
Managing different people - Client, Sub- Contractors, Foremen, Unskilled workers
Being able to understand and manage different cultures in the working place
Safety Management Quality Management & Environmental Management Financial and Cost Management
Personal Time Management Understanding their responsibility and taking responsibility
Project Time Management
Learning the basic skills of your industry - Physical & Technical on-site
Learning the basic skills of your industry – Theoretical, Understanding Standard Specifications like SANS, COLTO, OSH Act, Mine Health and Safety Act
People Management Leading People, Teamwork, HR Management, Motivation of Subordinates & Communication to Subordinates, Colleagues and Clients, Being a Change Agent People-oriented Personality
Risk Identification and Management
Delegation Skills
Integration Management - Managing the
complete Scope, all disciplines and parties Being able to see the bigger picture
Negotiation Skills
Procurement Management
Claims and Contractual Experience
The items that were grouped together were all items related to scheduling and activity and resource estimation, all competencies on company specific systems, all competencies on managing people and cultures on a construction site, all competencies relating to quality, safety and environmental management, competencies regarding the basic skills of the industry, all competencies based on people management and, finally, all competencies based on integration management.
The list of 38 total competencies that were identified from both the Phase One interviews and the literature study were reduced to 18 competencies. These could then be used in the construction of the questionnaires for Phase Two.
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On the topic of the various methods of how these competencies can be acquired, a total of 10 different methods were identified from the Phase One interviews, with only five of these also identified from the literature. This list of methods from the interviews and the literature can be seen in Table 7.
Table 7: Comparison of the Training or Exposure Methods from the Literature and the Interviews
Training or Exposure Identified by Source
Methods of Exposure Literature Interview On-site Experience - Physically doing
different construction tasks
Internal / External Training Courses
Mentoring
Structured Induction / Training &
Development Programme / Guide
Job Rotation between disciplines
Starting working with Estimator &
Planner
Bi Annual get together of all young engineers in the company to discuss
experience gained / exposed to
Spend 1st year measuring programme and productivity and run site services,
Batch plant / Rebar / cast-in Items
Working through Case Studies
Training of current managers in training
of graduates
As some of the methods described by the interviews cover a wide range of sub- methods, it was decided to divide some of the methods into less complex groupings to make it easier to choose a specific method. Table 8 shows the 10 training/exposure methods split into 13 more direct methods that were used in the construction of the questionnaires for Phase Two.
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Table 8: Exposure Methods Divided for Questionnaire Development Training or Exposure Divided for Questionnaire
Methods of Exposure from
Interviews & Literature To be used in Questionnaire On-site Experience - Physically doing
different construction tasks On-site Experience - Physically doing different construction tasks
Internal / External Training Courses Training courses provided by the group
Training courses provided by external service providers Mentoring Being assigned a mentor that can assist and track
development Structured Induction / Training &
Development Programme / Guide
Putting all graduates through a structured induction programme
Establishing a continued Training and Development programme for graduate engineers
Job Rotation between disciplines Job rotation between various disciplines during first year in the company
Starting working with Estimator &
Planner
Working in Estimating and Planning department in the first year ensuring understanding of various activities
Bi-Annual get together of all young engineers in the company to discuss experience gained / exposed to
Bi-Annual conference for engineers from different Business units in the group to share experiences Spend 1st year measuring programme
and productivity and run site services, Batch plant / Rebar / cast-in Items
Measuring programme, productivity and site costing with a dedicated Site Agent during first year on site
Running a “service” on the first project, e.g. running the batching-plant, scheduling all the plant
Working through Case Studies Working through Case Studies of different construction projects
Training of current managers in
training of graduates Training of current managers to be competent in training of graduate engineers