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Navarro-Astor, E and Fuentes-del-Burgo, J (2011) Exploring the impacts of the Spanish economic downturn on building engineers' job satisfaction and their employability strategies. In: Egbu, C and Lou, E C W (Eds.), Proceedings 27th Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2011, Bristol, UK. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 401–10.
- Type: Conference Proceedings
- Keywords: employability; job satisfaction; qualitative research; site managers; unemployment
- ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-9552390-5-2
- URL: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2011-0401-0410_Navarro-Astor_Fuentes-del-Burgo.pdf
- Abstract:
The economic recession currently afflicting Spain has had a strong impact on Spanish employment in general and on construction employment in particular, including building engineers working as site managers for Spanish companies. This research aims to explore buildings engineers' feelings and attitudes towards construction unemployment and to investigate whether unemployment rates affect their job satisfaction. It also analyses how this economic situation has influenced their job searching strategies and training needs. This paper draws on qualitative data comprising 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews to building engineers employed as site managers. The data were analysed following a Theory Grounded approach and using Atlas-ti software. The analysis reveals fear, anger, restlessness, concern or sadness as common feelings likely to emerge with unemployment. The fact that site managers feel happy because they do have a job does not mean they are really satisfied. A third of the participants declare that unemployment rates do not influence their job satisfaction, while half of them acknowledge their negative influence. Regarding employability strategies, most participants would like to study and take competitive exams in order to work as civil servants. Only a few participants mention a wish to become self-employed or to create their own company. Finally, they also feel they should engage in training courses in order to update knowledge and increase their possibilities of finding a job.