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- ASC Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference
- Colorado State University - Fort Collin's, Colorado
- April 15-17, 1993 pp 165-168
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IDENTIFICATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
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| A study was conducted to identify the job
tasks and the personal requirements associated with the occupation of
construction manager. A 33 item instrument was developed by the author
and validated by industry practitioners which was based on the PMPQ
(Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire) developed by
Mitchell and McCormick (1979). The survey questionnaire was mailed to
the corporate members of the Construction Management Association of
America. The findings of the study indicate that construction managers
must be adaptable, get along with others, be effective communicators,
analytical, and incorporate modern management systems. The results of
the study can be used for certification programs, curriculum planners,
and accreditation agencies associated with construction management.
Key Words: Construction Management, Job Tasks, Occupational Analysis.
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INTRODUCTION
I have found over the years that there is some inconsistency with the term construction management, both in industry and in academia. Kluenker (1985) defined construction management as "an integrated system of communication and procedures whereby construction‑oriented expertise is brought to the project team during all phases of project delivery, beginning with conceptual design. This is accomplished through the comprehensive resources of a construction management organization entrusted to optimize an owner's cost, time and quality requirements on any project" p.2. The Construction Management Association of America (1992) defines construction management as "a comprehensive array of services spanning all phases of the design and construction process. The program of services applied to a particular project should be one which is appropriate to the size, type and complexity of the project and the needs of the owner" p. 1.
The National Association of Women in Construction (1989) defines construction management as "a project delivery system that differs from the traditional design, bid, build system by utilizing the services of a construction manager who becomes a member of the team of owner‑architect construction manager. The manager's role is to coordinate and communicate the entire project process utilizing his skill and knowledge of construction to clarify cost and time consequences of design decisions as well as their construction feasibility, and to manage the bidding, award and construction phases of the project. The project owner's objective in utilizing construction management is to minimize project time and cost while maintaining quality, function and aesthetics" p.131.
Poage (1990) defines the construction manager as "one who directs the process of construction, either as the agent of the owner, as the agent of the contractor, or as one who, for a fee, directs and coordinates construction activity carried out under separate or multiple‑prime contracts" p.376. The Government Services Administration (1990) which is a user of construction management services describes the construction manager's responsibilities as:
1 Providing management expertise, i.e., monitoring performance of other contractors, controlling schedules and overseeing financial accounts.
2. Performing quality control functions particularly in the areas of design reviews for constructability and inspection.
3 Assisting the GSA project team with administrative tasks, including documentation, record keeping, payment validation, submittal and change order processing.
4. Providing technical expertise, e.g., testing, estimating, testifying as expert witness and assisting GSA in resolving claims or responding to inquiries.
Advising the Constructing Officer's Representative immediately of any project‑related problems which are beyond the construction manager's ability to resolve. p.3.
Definitions and descriptions such as those discussed above are used to summarize whereas task analysis, occupational analysis, job analysis (take your pick) allows one to expand upon the job descriptions to better understand the individual elements of the total occupation. Therefore, a structured job analysis questionnaire for the study of professional and managerial positions was used to expand upon the understanding of the construction management occupation.
INSTRUMENTATION
The instrument used for this study was the "Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire" developed by Mitchell and McCormick (1979) at Purdue University. The PMPQ instrument was customized by this author to reflect the construction management occupation hereinafter referred to as CM/PMPQ. The CM/PMPQ instrument was evaluated by three construction management practitioners to ensure that the items were pertinent to the construction management occupation and to ensure that the inclusion of construction management terminology did not change the intent of the original PMPQ.
The instrument consists of two sections, job activities and personal requirements. Twenty‑one items are associated with the j ob activities section and four items for the personal requirements section. Job activities items addressed planning and scheduling, processing of information and ideas, exercising judgment, communicating, interpersonal activities and relationships, and technical activities. Personal requirements items addressed personal development and personal characteristics. Eight distracters reflecting construction laborer activities and personal requirements were added (items 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32). The instrument was reviewed and endorsed by the executive director of the Construction Management Association of America.
METHODOLOGY
The CM/PMPQ instrument was mailed to the corporate members of the Construction Management Association of America (N=196). Fifty‑six percent (N=109) returned the questionnaire. The respondents were asked to rate each item on a scale of one to five. A rating of one indicates that the respondent strongly disagrees with the statement, and a
rating of five indicates that the respondent strongly agrees with the statement. The items described job activities and personal requirements associated with the construction management occupation. As previously mentioned, distracters were added to increase the reliability of the returns.
FINDINGS
An item mean rating was calculated for the thirty‑three items. Table 1 below represents the relative ranking of the items in order of agreement.
TABLE 1‑ RELATIVE RANKING IN ORDER
OF AGREEMENT
RANK STATEMENT MEAN *SECTION
1. A construction manager 4.73 P
must be adaptable to a
variety of circumstances
2. A construction manager 4.71 J
must be an effective oral
communicator
3. A construction manager 4.71 J
must be able to write'
concisely and effectively
4. A construction manager 4.67 J
collects information/data
such as project costs
and progress
5. A construction manager 4.66 P
must be able to get along
with a variety of people
6. A construction manager 4.65 J
must be able to negotiate
contracts on behalf of a
construction project owner
7. A construction manager 4.57 J
quantifies/processes
information related
to the construction project
8. A construction manager 4.51 J
must be able to determine
that the construction projects
built as shown on the
construction drawings
9. A construction manager 4.44 J
prepares a work schedule
for the entire construction project
10. A construction manager 4.44 J
prepares a budget for the
entire construction project
11. A construction manager 4.42 P
makes use of their practical
field experience to perform
his/her duties
12. A construction manager 4.29 J
should be able to use
computers to perform
his/her duties
13. A construction manager 4.23 J
must be able to interview
subcontractors, vendors and
other construction employees
14. A construction manager 4.17 J
makes judgments which
affect others
15. A construction manager 4.14 J
must be able to coordinate
other construction employees
16. A construction manager 3.99 P
makes use of their college
education to perform
his/her duties
17. A construction manager 3.90 J
assists an owner/client with
planning future development
18. A construction manager 3.87 J
interprets/analyzes labor cost
and job cost reports for a
construction project
19. A construction manager 3.83 J
handles most of the business
operations for a construction
project
20. A construction manager 3.82 J
must be able to advise other
construction employees
21. A construction manager 3.54 J
makes decisions regarding
construction operations
22. A construction manager 3.31 J
must be able to instruct other
construction employees
23. A construction manager 3.18 J
must be able to direct and
supervise other construction
employees
24. A construction manager 2.69 J
makes final decisions
regarding the spending of
money and resources
25. A construction manager 2.31 D
is exposed to physical danger
on a daily basis while performing
his/her duties
26. A construction manager 2.18 D
must serve in an apprenticeship
program to learn his/her trade
27.A construction manager 1.96 D
must be able to speak more
than one language
28. A construction manager 1.63 D
works directly with construction
laborers on a daily basis
29. A construction manager 1.58 D
must be physically strong to
perform his/her duties
30. A construction manager 1.58 D
is paid an hourly wage for
his/her work
31. A construction manager 1.54 D
must wear durable work
clothes such as coveralls
to perform his/her duties
32. A construction manager 1.49 D
physically handles
construction materials to
perform his/her job duties
33. A construction manager 1.21 D
carries a heavy tool belt to
perform his/her job duties
* P = Personal Requirements
J = Job Activity
D = Distracter
Further analysis of the data shows that sixteen items (49%)had an item mean of 4.0 or greater thus indicating that the respondents strongly agreed that the characteristics of these fifteen items are consistent with that of the construction manager occupation. Seven items (21 %) had an item mean between 3.0 and 3.9 indicating that the respondents agreed that these items should to a lesser extent be incorporated within the construction manager occupation. Three items (9%) had an item mean between 2.0 and 2.9 indicating that the respondents disagreed that these items should be incorporated within the construction manager occupation. Lastly, seven items (21 %) had an item mean below 2.0 indicating that the respondents strongly disagreed that these items should be incorporated within the construction manager occupation.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study indicate that there are primary and secondary requirements associated with the construction manager (CM).
Per Requirements
In terms of personal requirements, a CM must be adaptable to a variety of circumstances and must be able to get along with others. In terms of job tasks, a CM must be effective in oral communication and written communication. These communication skills are reflected in the CM's need to negotiate for the owner, interview subcontractors, vendor; and the like, and coordinate construction activities. Analytical abilities are required of the CM to collect information/data, quantify and process information and make judgments on behalf of the owner.
Additionally, the CM must determine whether or not the built structure conforms to the contract documents. Management skills are primarily needed in the preparation of a budget and in the preparation of a work schedule. Computers are strongly recommended as a tool for communication, analysis and management. Field experience and a college education are both integral components in the preparation of a CM.
Second
Requirements
The secondary requirements consist of management skills such as planning future development, business operations, construction operations, interpretation and analysis of reports, advising, instructing, directing, and supervising other employees.
Not
Requirements
Of the ten items not identified as either primary or secondary requirements, eight were the distracters and the other two remaining items indicated that the CM did not make the final decisions regarding the expenditure of money and resources. Additionally, the findings indicate that a foreign language is not a requirement for a CM. In summary, a CM can be defined as "an adaptable person who gets along with others and possesses field experience and a college education which has provided him/her with communication, analytical and management skills necessary to meet the objectives of the owner which are more effectively done with the use of computer technology.
REFERENCES
1. Construction Management Association of America.
(1992). Concept. CMAA: Reston, Virginia. Page 1.
2. General Services Administration. (December 1990). Construction Management Guide. National Technical Information Service. Pages 1‑58.
3. Kluenker, C. (June 1985). Construction Management: Exploding some myths. American Professional Constructor. Pages 2‑4.
4. Mitchell, J. L. and McCormick, E. J. (1979). Development of the PMPQ: A structural job analysis questionnaire for the study of professional and managerial positions. Purdue University: West Lafayette, Indiana. Pages 1‑36.
5. National Association of Women in Construction.(1990). Construction Dictionary. Greater Phoenix, Arizona Chapter NAWIC: Phoenix, Arizona. Pages 1‑648.
6. Poage, Waller, S. (1990). The Building Professional's Guide to Contract Documents. R. S. Means Company, Inc.: Kingston, Massachusetts. Pages 1‑399.