Work-life balance in the construction industry: Innovative strategies for improving employee well-being and performance in project management teams

Summary

This project evaluated the impact of alternative work schedule arrangements (e.g., five day weeks, compressed work weeks) on the work-life balance, satisfaction and job performance of project-based construction workers.

Data was collected at experimental construction projects where innovative working time arrangements were implemented and evaluated.

The research produced case study evidence showing that these alternative work schedules are feasible and have a positive impact on work-life balance and performance in the Australian construction context.

Team

• Helen Lingard
• Kerry Brown
• Lisa Bradley

Partners

• ARC Linkage Project       
• Construction Industry Institute of Australia

Peer-reviewed papers/outputs

• TOWNSEND, K., LINGARD, H., BRADLEY, L. & BROWN, K., (2012), Complicated working time arrangements: A construction industry case study, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138 (3), pp. 443-448.
• TOWNSEND, K., LINGARD, H., BRADLEY, L., & BROWN, K. (2011), Working Time Alterations in the Australian Construction Industry, Personnel Review, 40 (1), pp. 70-86.
• BROWN, K., BRADLEY, L., LINGARD, H., TOWNSEND, K. & LING, S., (2011), Labouring for Leisure? Achieving Work-life Balance through Compressed Working Weeks, Annals of Leisure Research, 14, pp. 43-59.
• BROWN, K., BRADLEY, L., LINGARD, H., TOWNSEND, K. & LING, S., (2010), Working Time Arrangements and Recreation: Making Time for Weekends when Working Long Hours, Australian Bulletin of Labour, 36, pp. 194-213
• BRADLEY, L., BROWN, K., LINGARD, H., TOWNSEND K. & BAILEY C., (2010), Talking the talk and walking the walk: How managers can influence the quality of work-life balance in a construction project, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 3, pp. 589 – 603.
• LINGARD, H., TOWNSEND, K., BRADLEY, L. & BROWN, K., (2008), Alternative work schedules in the Australian construction industry: A comparative case study analysis, Construction Management and Economics, Vol 26: pp. 1101-1112.
• LINGARD, H., BROWN, K., BRADLEY, L., BAILEY, C. & TOWNSEND, K., (2007), Improving employees’ work-life balance in the construction industry: A project alliance case study, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 133: pp. 807-815.