Construction Managers: Roles, Responsibilities, and Challenges
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Introduction : The Performance and Accountability of Construction Managers
The performance of the construction managers is quite essential in construction companies as it not only maintains the high performance of the employees but it also helps to ensure their safety in the workplace (Papajohn, El Asmar, and Molenaar, 2019). The construction manners also undertake fruitful decisions through which the budget of the projects are controlled and then construction companies can maintain a high base of customers with long-term sustainability in the competitive world. However, the constant challenges faced by the construction industry such as new designs of projects and using eco-friendly materials for construction reduce the efficiency of the project managers (Gransberg, and Molenaar, 2019). In this case, new techniques and technologies are applied by construction managers in the workplace in association with the proper recruitment and training of employees for enhancing productivity in on-site construction. The report provides a brief overview of the characteristics and responsibilities of the construction managers with proper advantages of efficient management so that the main issues in the safety of the employees can be maintained for the long run. The report also provides certain recommendations through which the issues in the performance of the construction managers can be resolved.
Discussion
Definition of the construction managers
The construction manager plays an important role in the construction of a particular project as it helps to manage the needs of the clients in association with the high productivity of the team members for long-term sustainability (Phan, and Nguyen, 2022). In this case, the construction managers also help to increase the demand of the clients in the competitive marketing world for an organization so that a high-profit margin is achieved. Apart from this, the construction managers are the individuals to promote effective job descriptions to the team members in the working environment through which a stable position is achieved by the company in the long run (Gransberg, and Maraqa, 2022). Overall, the professional and highly skilled individual responsible for maintaining effectiveness through the construction procedure is known as a construction manager. The managers in this case should also be able to maintain appropriate budgets and timelines according to the needs of the clients so that the growth of the organization can become stable in the long run (Papajohn, El Asmar, and Molenaar, 2019). This also helps to maintain the negotiations of the contract through which the issues of misconduct can be solved in the on-site construction of a project.
Roles and responsibilities of a construction manager
A construction manager is responsible for ensuring that the activities allocated to the team members are completed on time. In this case, the managers record the performance and the on-site issues of the workers as well as the staff members to maintain a smooth flow of performance in the long run (Gransberg et al., 2020). The managers also implement various tools like cloud-based computing systems and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency of the team members involved with the construction of the projects so that they can reduce the issues of conflict dynamics in the workplace. On the other hand, the construction managers are also responsible for ensuring the safety of the on-site workers so that they can work efficiently without any stress and confusion (Gransberg, and Molenaar, 2019). This can also help the company to provide an enhanced project to the clients for better sustainability in the competitive world.
Apart from this, the role of the construction managers in the workplace is to provide appropriate job descriptions to the workers so that high productivity is maintained (Gransberg, and Maraqa, 2022). About this, the managers should be able to communicate effectively and openly with the diverse workforce so that a high level of coordination among the workers can be maintained. Setting the goals for the projects and creating accurate plans as well as decisions are also some of the main roles associated with the performance of the construction manners which helps to lead the team members appropriately (Phan, and Nguyen, 2022). The vision of the managers, in this case, should be able to detect the effectiveness for the long run despite the current challenges faced by the company and the process of on-site construction for better sustainability as well as stability in the financial flow.
Advantages of effective management techniques
There are various advantages of advanced management techniques such as it can boost employee engagement and retention in the workplace and promote a high profit margin for the projects in the long run (Shrestha, and Batista, 2020). In this case, the managers can stay consistent in managing the timeline provided for the completion of the project and conducting the reviews of the performance undertaken by the team members. This can help to promote an equal workplace in association with fair practices which can enhance commitment as well as coordination among the workforce in the long run (Saseendran et al., 2020). The managers should also maintain high creativity in the workplace which can further help to retain the needs of the customers and enhance the culture of the organization by adding extra value to the employees. Providing timely recognition can also help to enhance the efficiency of the employees in the long run while promoting a positive workplace. This can also help to increase the motivation of the employees throughout the process of on-site construction which further enhances job performance in the long run (Ferzia, and Pusparini, 2022).
Limitations poor management techniques
Poor management techniques include improper tracking of the performance of the employees in association with ineffective communication as well as poor decisions can cause a lot of disadvantages in the on-site construction of a project (Adamtey, and Kereri, 2019). Firstly, it can lead to lower morale of the employees through which a reduction in their rate of retention can be presented in the workplace. In this case, an improper balance between the work as well as personal life of the employees can be created through which the level of productivity can be lowered for the long run by damaging the requirements of the clients (Shrestha, and Batista, 2020). Secondly, poor management techniques like improper reward systems through the process of constructing a project. This can also lead to an increase in employee turnover through which the activities cannot be completed on time and the issues of conflicts can also be generated in the workplace (Gransberg et al., 2020). About this, the recent challenges faced by the construction companies cannot be solved which can further lower its profit margin in the long run.
Lastly, the import application of the advanced technological system in the workplace and ineffective coordination of the performance of the employees with the advanced IT system can also create irregular services in the workplace which can further lower the preferences of the clients in the long run (Saseendran et al., 2020).
Challenges faced by construction managers in the workplace
The roles as well as responsibilities of the construction managers are internally related to a lot of challenges in the workplace which can be solved through enhanced strategic planning (Ferzia, and Pusparini, 2022). The challenges in this case include the poorly defined objectives which can reduce the interest of the stakeholders and budget constraints which can result in damaging the needs of the clients as well as projects.
Figure 2: Challenges faced by the construction managers
Apart from this, the project managers also face issues in maintaining the time of the planned activities undertaken by the team members which can further reduce productivity and can increase the chances of on-site accidents (Adamtey, and Kereri, 2019). This can also affect the revenue margin of the construction company and can lower the interest of the clients as the team members are unable to meet the deadline of constructing a project. The delay in the building process can also increase the operational cost through which the profit margin can also be decreased and various conflicts can be created in the workplace (Lee, Kim, and Hong, 2019). The main focus of the project managers should be on the workflow and labor work which can further reduce the issues in the workplace in the long run.
Ethics Guiding Construction Management
The construction managers should follow some ethical standards to maintain the high performance of the team members and complete the project on time in association with the appropriate budget (Gransberg, 2021). The construction management institute (CMI) in this case has created a set of principles that should be guided by the managers in the working environment to maintain high standards for the long run. Firstly, the team members should be clear and hint about their qualifications throughout the process of recruitment through which high productivity can be maintained (Lee, Kim, and Hong, 2019). On the other hand, the placement of new employees should be done based on their experiences and skills by the managers to maintain top-level management in the workplace. Secondly, the managers must maintain a healthy working environment that is free of any biased behavior and promotes equality in all genders and races of the diverse workforce (Okpala, Nnaji, and Karakhan, 2020). This can help the workers to stay engaged with the entire team effectively in the long run.
Apart from this, the managers working in the construction of the projects should also work effectively and guide the team members appropriately on how the activities are to be done so that they can work according to ethical standards like implementing fair practices in the workplace (Getuli et al., 2020). The employees as well as the managers should be able to show high dedication in the workplace so that they can maintain high productivity and complete their assigned tasks on time and estimated budget. Thirdly, the contractual agreements approved by the client containing the designs and the raw materials used should comply with the strategic planning used throughout the process of construction (Grill et al., 2019). This particular ethics can reduce the issues of misconduct in the workplace and can help to retain the needs of the employees for the long run. Fourthly, the ethical standards should also be maintained by the construction managers in the on-site construction like providing extra safety to the staff members working at different heights in the process of developing the project. Lastly, maintaining high accountability in the workplace can also be helpful to complete the project by fair means which can also be helpful to maintain a huge base of clients of the particular organization for the long run (Getuli et al., 2020).
Health and safety in the construction sites
As working on construction sites can be dangerous for the health and personal lives of workers, construction managers should ensure that the equipment used for the entire process is harmless (Gransberg, 2021). The staff members working at different heights should also be provided with advanced training sessions so that they can work efficiently because thousands of workers die every year due to improper skills in the construction industry of various countries around the world.
i) Work at height regulations
These reductions are made to the workers who constructed the projects through the scariest heights. In this case, the staff members should wear proper PPE kits for their safety and to avoid accidents (Okpala, Nnaji, and Karakhan, 2020). For example, the hi-vis bots can be helpful for the on-site workers which can save their leg from any serious injury while working with heavy metals. The on-site workers should also stay away from the hazardous materials or should use it with proper precautions so that they can maintain their safety in the workplace for the long run (Getuli et al., 2020).
ii) Manual handling operations regulations
The equipment such as lifting tools and raw materials which are used in the on-site construction of the projects should also be used effectively in the workplace. The managers in this case should ensure that the team members have the appropriate knowledge about the items before using them properly (Grill et al., 2019). On the other hand, the managers are also responsible for providing training to the workers to the workers through which they can handle the manual as well as automatic tools properly through the process of constructing a project.
Role of construction managers in managing the health and safety of the workers
Various regulations are implemented by the construction managers to enhance the safety of the workforce promoting risky tasks so that they can work proactively throughout the process of construction (Trinh, and Feng, 2020). In this case, the main activity undertaken by the construction manager is to maintain the education requirements of the workforce through topics like fire prevention in the on-site construction, code of enforcement, and negative implications of the improper use of advanced technology systems. This can help the workforce to enhance their performance according to the specifications which can further promote the sustainability of the projects in the long run (Al-Bayati, Albert, and Ford, 2019). On the other hand, the managers are also responsible for recruiting highly skilled employees in the workplace with proper requirements for the position so that they can work properly without any misconduct. This can also help to maintain health and safety in the workplace as they are well-educated about using the tools and equipment accurately throughout the process of on-site construction of any project (Trinh, and Feng, 2020). To further ensure the safety of the construction workers the managers provide the duties according to their job description through which the issues of handling the hazards improperly can be mitigated in the long run.
Recommendations to improve the performance of the construction managers
The managers of the construction companies should be able to maintain open communication in the on-site construction through which the employees can maintain high engagement and coordination which contributes to an increase in performance or productivity in the long run (Al-Bayati, Albert, and Ford, 2019). The construction managers of the project should also be able to create a proper plan for the negotiations and contract of the project so that the issues of wastage of resources like budget can be solved. It can also be helpful to maintain high performance at every phase of construction through which the client's needs can be fulfilled with proper safety of the employees (Trinh, and Feng, 2020).
Conclusion
From the overall study, it can be concluded that the issues faced by the construction manager can be based on ineffective communication among the workforce or due to the improper descriptions of the allocated activities. However, these issues can reduce the productivity of the project through which the satisfaction of the client base as well as retention of the employees can be lowered in the long run. On the other hand, the main role of the construction manager in the on-site construction of the projects includes enhancing the safety of the employees so that they can work efficiently with the issues of insecurity or injuries.
References
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