CHAPTER 7: Conclusion
7.2. Discussion of Findings
On the basis of the problem posited in Chapter 1, the research set out to ascertain which project management competencies should be developed in graduate engineers in the construction industry during their first five years after graduating and to identify which methods would be best suited for this development. With regard to both these problems, the study also aimed to establish whether there are any differences between the perceptions or opinions of graduate engineers, those of human resources professionals and those of senior managers in the construction industry.
7.2.1. Project management competencies
From the literature that was reviewed, various general project management competencies were identified, but none were related specifically in the literature to graduate engineers in the first few years after graduating. In this regard, the study contributed to the broader theory by identifying seven specific competencies that need to be developed in graduate engineers after they graduate and join the construction industry. It also identified six competencies that can be focused on once the first seven have been mastered and that will also complement the first seven. Finally, it noted five competencies that are aimed more specifically at the senior engineer level or site agent level and that will be applicable once an engineer is ready make the transition to becoming a project manager. These competencies are listed in Table 31, and the three groups can also be presented visually, as in the blue blocks in Figure 6.
90
Figure 6: Project Management Competencies and Development Methods in the Construction Industry
Spending physical time on site learning the basic skills & trades of the industry
Safety, Environmental & Quality Management
Understanding company systems i.e.
Quality, Safety, Procurement, HR, Conducting formal inquiries Activity Resource and Duration estimation, developing an Activity Schedule
Understanding the Project &
Construction Environment and different Project Stages Project Time Management
Problem-solving and Root Cause analysis
Understanding and managing different cultures, including Client, Sub-Contractors, Foremen &
Unskilled employees
Financial and Cost Management Delegation & follow-up skills HR Management, including Teamwork, Leading, Motivating and communicating with people Having a People-oriented Personality
Learn the Basics Refine the Basics
Risk Identification & Management
Integration Management – Being able to see the bigger picture and manage the complete scope
Procurement Management Negotiation Skills
Contractual experience, e.g. compiling claims
Competence in Advanced Project Management Being assigned a Mentor that can
assist & track development On-site Experience - Physically doing different construction tasks Measuring programme,
productivity and site costing with a dedicated Site Agent during first year on site
Job Rotation between various disciplines during first year in the company
Establishing a continued Training and Development Programme for graduate engineers
Putting all graduates through a structured Induction Programme
On Site Structured
91
The first group of competencies at the top left of Figure 6 are all related to activities directly associated with working on a construction site. This confirms the claims in the literature that it is important for a graduate engineer first to learn the basics of the construction industry before venturing to undertake more advanced project management.
A very reassuring result was obtained in respect of Research Question 3, which looked at the perceptions or opinions of graduate engineers, human resources professionals and senior managers in the construction industry on the competencies that need to be developed in graduate engineers. It was confirmed that there were no significant differences between the perceptions of and ranking in the list of competencies by the various respondent groups. This implies that the content of development programmes that a construction firm’s human resources professionals or senior managers develop should be well received by graduate engineers.
7.2.2. Development methods
After identifying the project management competencies that need to be developed in graduate engineers, it was important to identify the most appropriate methods to get this done in the construction industry environment. Six methods were identified as being the most applicable to development of project management competencies in graduate engineers in the construction industry. These are listed in Table 32 and are depicted in Figure 6 in the light red blocks. Of the six methods identified, three can be classified as training on the construction site, and three form part of a more structured development programme. This division corresponds well with the groups of competencies that were identified and can be allocated as set out in Figure 6.
The bottom six methods from Table 32 can be classified as Might be applicable. It should be noted that, although these methods are not as applicable for the competencies that need to be developed on the construction site as the others, these methods are more applicable to the competencies in the bottom block of Figure 6 – these relate to the more advanced competencies aimed at actual project managers, rather than at graduates working their way up to project management level.
92
In relation to Research Question 5, it was found that the different respondent groups, namely graduate engineers, human resources professionals and senior managers in the construction industry, held significantly different opinions or perceptions on which methods are best suited for the development of graduate engineers. The senior managers and human resources professionals regarded learning on site as more important than the graduate engineers, who preferred being developed by internal or external training.