Construction managers’ expectations and observations of graduates

Abstract

Considering the diversity of employment opportunities for construction management graduates, they increasingly need to have a portfolio of skills to work effectively and efficiently with other professions in the industry. In exploring this, tries to determine if construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of their employers. In considering the competitive forces impacting on the construction industry, seeks to establish whether construction managers are able to identify those key skills needed for the future success of the industry. In turn, this information is considered critical for the successful formulation of curricula. Therefore, to establish whether construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of contractors, a survey was distributed to managers to establish their expectations and observations of recent graduates. The survey results indicate that managers are generally satisfied with the skill level of graduate students. The survey also highlighted several important skills that were considered to be lacking in graduates. Acknowledging that there is always a need to improve the skill level of graduates, proposes a number of recommendations that are considered to improve the content of construction management curricula.

Citation

Love, P.E.D., Haynes, N.S. and Irani, Z. (2001), "Construction managers’ expectations and observations of graduates", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 16 No. 8, pp. 579-593. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000006301