Global Awareness in Construction Management

How The Presence of International Personnel Affects the Day-To-Day Operation in A Construction Company
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Introduction
Economic globalization is one of the leading causes of cultural diversity in the construction industry. Contrition industry technically ranks among the most growing industries globally. More so, governments have over the years invested on a continuous development of infrastructural projects which means that construction is a strategic and highly active industry. As a result of this activity, construction industries have expanded and equally demanding more construction workers with almost a third being sourced outside the country. In developed nations there are massive labour market issues including increasing percentage of the ageing population and new generation not willing to join the construction industry. These labour market issues has increased the reliance of on foreign construction workers mainly from third world countries. Modern construction companies are made up mainly of people from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions, ages, and even gender. Today’s employers have come to the realization that workplace differences offer both material and intangible benefits to the construction company. As such, for employers to reap maximum benefits cultural diversity is a goal. Employers have initiated efforts that encourage diversity while ensuring that workplace issues that result from cultural clash and hostilities are limited. International personnel affect the day-to-day operation in a construction company.
Diversity in the construction industry
International personnel joining the construction company join the construction industry and immediately enrich the company with extensive differences. Key type of difference brough about by the international employees are race, education, gender, religion, and ethnicity. People from different races are often hardly accepted by co-workers and also likely to receive low compensation compared to local employees. Also, international personnel come with different education levels which makes them subject to hostility when they immediately rise above ranks earlier than those who perceive to deserve more than international personnel. International personnel also bring about ethnic differences which further trigger cultural differences and language barriers in the construction facility. More so, religion present a difficult aspect in the construction industry especially when international personnel come from a religion that does not identify among majority employees. Religious differences among some international personnel have largely impacted staffs dress code, request for days off, and dietary requirements.
Issues Arising Due to Cultural Differences in Construction
Arrival of international personnel in the construction industry has resulted in conflict, language barriers, and cultural barriers over the years. The construction company has faced issues in relation to facilitating and integrating employees from different cultures and nationality to work cohesively. Some of the issues that arose with the presence of international personnel include conflict, harassment, disregarding needs, among others. Language barriers remains a major challenge for international personnel employed in the construction industry. Everyone is well aware of the importance of communication in construction industry. Speaking a common language to all is key in as much as construction safety and health is concerned. There are quite a number of international construction workers who can not communicate or understand languages such as English. Their standard mastery of English language is the lead cause of hazard in the construction site. Overall observation is that the more international personnel are deployed to a construction site, the higher the risk of accidents and errors. For example, during a renovation of a 50,000 sq ft. Building space, construction workers were told to the sheer walls pained “X” were to be disregarded during a demolition exercise. but due to communication barrier there was a dangerous mishap. Three non-English speakers still managed to sledge hammers on the wall earlier told not to interfere with. Clearly, language barrier in construction sites will continually be a major cause of safety risks and hazards.
More so, conflict occurred mainly when local employees discriminate, show lack of respect, and show acts of prejudice. Some empl...