Impact of Gender Bias on Career Development &Work Engagement in the Oaec Industry & Lean Practice

Abstract

This paper examines findings from a gender bias study in the Owner, Architecture,Engineering, and Construction (OAEC) industry. By definition, a bias is a deviation fromwhat is normal, which is defined by social norms. If different attitudes towards male vs.female co-workers exist, then one group may gain subtle yet impactful advantages incareer development and work engagement. To what extent does this happen within theOAEC industry, including lean construction practice? While several industries studied thenegative impact of gender bias on women in the workplace, this has not been studied inthe lean construction community. Thus, this study fills the gap. Lean is based on respectfor people and continuous improvement. Do these principles translate into more equitableexperiences in promoting ideas, and in career development and work engagement for menand women in the OAEC industry? Regardless, if gender biases are acknowledged, thenwhat programs exist or might exist to provide support to the disadvantaged group andlevel the playing field? The authors addressed these questions by administering a surveyover social networks. This paper highlights initial results to raise awareness of theexistence and impact of gender bias and begin exploring methods to overcome it.