The glass scaffold : women in construction responding to industry conditio…

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

Exploring women’s experiences of entering, working in, or leaving the Christchurch construction industry between 2010 and 2018 led to the creation of the theory of “deferential tailoring.” Deferential tailoring explains how women shape their responses to industry conditions as an intentional behavioural adjustment process. Most importantly, this theory provides insight into women’s unseen efforts to build positive workplace relationships, their capability to advance, and challenges to existing views of gender roles in this context. Research on women in construction focusses primarily on identifying and explaining barriers that impact on women’s entry, progression, and retention in the industry. There is an absence of process studies that explain the actions women take to manage industry conditions in business-as-usual, let alone post-disaster contexts. In the eight years following the 2010 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes, rapid changes to the construction industry meant women had unprecedented access and new opportunities in this historically male-dominated domain. This setting provided a unique context within which to investigate how women respond to industry opportunities and challenges. The aim of this interpretive research was to construct a response theory, particular to women working in the Christchurch construction industry. Applying a constructivist grounded theory approach, theoretical sampling, coding and memo writing allowed for the collection and comparative analysis of 36 semi-structured interviews conducted with women working in a cross-section of industry occupations. Three inter- related categories were built: capitalising on opportunity, building capability and token tolerance, which together constitute the deferential tailoring process. Akin to building an invisible glass scaffold, women intentionally regulate their behaviours to successfully seize opportunities and manage social challenges. In building this scaffold, women draw heavily on personal values and positive, proactive attributes as a response to industry conditions. In contrast to previous research, which suggests that women conform to the male-dominated norms of the industry, the theory of deferential tailoring proposes that women are prepared to regulate their behaviour to address the gendered norms that impact on their work experiences. This research contributes towards an evolving body of knowledge that aims to understand how women’s entry into the construction industry, retention, and workplace relationships can be improved. By expanding the view of how women respond to industry conditions over time, this research has generated knowledge that addresses gaps in construction industry literature relating to the management of coping strategies, capitalising on opportunities, and building positive workplace relationships. Knowledge and concepts generated from this research could be integrated into recruitment and training programmes to enhance women’s professional development, shift perceptions of women’s work, and address cultural norms that impact on women’s retention in the construction industry.

Remember Not to Let Things Get on Top of You

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A broken window at ground level has building rubble behind it, some of which has been pushed out through the broken glass. The photographer comments, "The alternate title is 'Under Pressure'. A bulldozer must have pushed earthquake debris up against the internal wall not realising there was a glass reinforced window at ground level".

BeckerFraserPhotos November 2011 photograph 101

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The stained glass windows on the north side appear to be intact. ChristChurch Cathedral".

WEMO ERT Set 3 - February 2011 - Photograph 139

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake damage to Grenadier House on Madras Street. The glass windows have shattered and the section of wall between has buckled.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 171

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the Brannigans building on the corner of Oxford Terrace and Gloucester Street. Broken glass can be seen on the footpath behind the cordon.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2014:10:12 15:00:17)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on the back wall of the AJ Creative Glass building on Fitzgerald Avenue.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 255

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the badly-damaged Gordon Harris building on Worcester Street. There are large cracks in the walls and the glass has fallen out of the windows.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 252

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the badly-damaged Gordon Harris building on Worcester Street. There are large cracks in the walls and the glass has fallen out of the windows.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 256

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the badly-damaged Gordon Harris building on Worcester Street. There are large cracks in the walls and the glass has fallen out of the windows.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 254

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the badly-damaged Gordon Harris building on Worcester Street. There are large cracks in the walls and the glass has fallen out of the windows.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 339

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of closed shops on Gloucester Street. Windows are broken and the entranceway of Kosco Asian Supermarket has been boarded up with plywood. There is shattered glass on the footpath.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 253

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the badly-damaged Gordon Harris building on Worcester Street. There are large cracks in the walls and the glass has fallen out of the windows.

Mike Cameron WEMO Photograph 17

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake damage to a stained-glass window of Knox Church on the corner of Bealey Avenue and Victoria Street.

Photograph by Jocelyn Kinghorn 2153

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The glass facade to Christchurch Art Gallery and the sculpture "Reasons for Voyaging", a collaboration between Canterbury sculptor, Graham Bennett and architect, David Cole, outside the gallery. A building across the street is reflected on the glass.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2014:10:12 15:01:01)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on the back of the AJ Glass building on Fitzgerald Avenue. The artist is Freak.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 309

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the ANZ building in Cathedral Square. The windows on the second storey have been boarded up with plywood, and shattered glass is visible on the paving outside.

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A digitally manipulated photograph looking through a broken window into a darkened room. Through windows opposite, an overgrown garden can be seen. The photographer comments, "This is a restaurant that was closed down and without any help the garden at the back has flourished".

BeckerFraserPhotos March 2012 photograph 167

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A cross scratched in the glass of a window in St Bartholomew's Anglican Church, Kaiapoi".

BeckerFraserPhotos December 2011 photograph 1988

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a detail of the front of Christ Church Cathedral. A stained-glass window remains intact despite the collapsed stonework that surrounds it.

Nic Johns and Mark Osborne WEMO Photograph 033

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of cordon fences, police tape and road cones around the Concrete Club on Manchester Street. Broken glass covers the footpath.

WEMO ERT Set 3 - February 2011 - Photograph 203

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the front desk of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The windows behind the desk have smashed, and the glass has scattered across the courtyard and foyer.

WEMO ERT Set 3 - February 2011 - Photograph 130

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of USAR codes spray-painted on the front door of the Kosco Asian Supermarket on Gloucester Street. Broken glass has scattered across the footpath in front.

Nic Johns and Mark Osborne WEMO Photograph 037

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of cordon fences, police tape and road cones around the Concrete Club on Manchester Street. Broken glass covers the footpath.

WEMO ERT Set 3 - February 2011 - Photograph 228

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the earthquake damage to the windows of Munn's the Man store on Armagh Street. The windows have smashed, the glass scattering over the footpath in front.

Umut Akguzel Photograph 335

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph looking east down Gloucester Street, taken from the intersection of Oxford Terrace. Part of the road has been cordoned off and there is shattered glass covering the right-hand corner of the footpath.

Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2014:10:12 14:58:27)

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of street art on the back wall of the AJ Creative Glass building on Fitzgerald Avenue. The photographer believes that the artwork was created by the artist 'Saves'.

BeckerFraserPhotos March 2012 photograph 164

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The stained glass window above the altar in St Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Kaiapoi. This is the oldest surviving church in Canterbury".

Nic Johns and Mark Osborne WEMO Photograph 012

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of glass scattered over the footpath in front of the Concrete Club on Manchester Street. Steel fencing and road cones have been used to cordon off the building.

WEMO ERT Set 3 - February 2011 - Photograph 230

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of USAR codes spray-painted on the footpath in front of The Burrito Company on Armagh Street. Glass from a broken window is scattered across the footpath.

WEMO ERT Set 4 - March 2011 - Photograph 14

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the McKenzie & Willis building on Tuam Street. Small pieces of masonry have crumbled from the pillars between the windows and fallen onto the footpath below. The front door has also shattered and broken glass has spilled onto the footpath in front. The word "clear" has been spray-painted on the bottom-storey window to the left.