INFLUENTIAL FACTORS OF UNSUCCESSFUL MENTORSHIP FOR WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION: A CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract:

Factors influencing unsuccessful mentorship of women are still being reported in the construction industry in South Africa. Use of publications on mentorship of women in construction and appropriate data from relevant professional bodies in South Africa were the research approaches applied to collect data for the study. Results of the study revealed that: lack of interest by top management in the mentorship of female construction workers, failure of mentors to hold proper construction mentorship meetings for women in construction, stressful construction work deadlines and unreasonable workload allocation to women mentees in construction, negative attitude of mentors towards female mentees in construction, and shortage of right mentors for construction female mentees are the current main factors causing unsuccessful women mentorship in the construction industry in South Africa. The reported challenges have caused: poor performance, slow career development, minimal entrepreneurial abilities, poor retention and marginalization of women in the construction industry in South Africa. High quality construction education; entrepreneurial, technical and leadership skills; and women empowerment techniques were identified as some of the main interventions that can be introduced in the mentorship programs for women in construction in South Africa in order to successfully mentor women in the sector. Findings of the study will contribute to knowledge by supporting the successful mentorship of women in construction, achievement of women empowerment and development goals, and eradication of gender participation and income imbalances in the construction industry in South Africa and other countries in the future.