Job behaviour of site managers: Its determinants and assessment

This research is an investigation into the psycho-social aspects of the construction industry in the UK. The aim is to investigate the work of the construction Site Manager within the construction team. A theoretical model was developed, using the wealth of research and literature in the General Management and Social sciences, and a main hypothesis was formulated. The main hypothesis proposed is: “The situational variables and the personal characteristics of the Site Manager interact to determine the Site Manager's behaviour and effectiveness. The Site Manager's job behaviour influences project performance”.

The research had to identify and develop a suitable technique to assess Site Managers' behaviour and effectiveness. The research used an adapted form of the Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) to measure Site Manager effectiveness. A two stage procedure involving 39 Site Managers was used.

The main survey involved another 62 Site Managers. The analysis of the data showed that the use of BARS was successful and yielded 5 behavioural dimensions by which Site Managers role may be described. It suggested that Site Managers' behaviour was influenced by personal and situational variables. However, these variables intervened against each other to effect such an influence. The results strongly suggest that construction firms can, by understanding the complexity of these relations, influence the direction and behaviour of site management.

The results suggest that Site Manager's behaviour and project performance varied independently.