While stepping behind the fence of a construction site, you soon feel “the wind that blows through steel and concrete carrying the ancient dampness of echoing caves” (Rozan, 1997, p. 1). About a hundred feet up and nothing between you and the high steel workers, you climb to a higher floor and see a crewmember making signs at the crane operator. There is a need for pallets of bricks, sacks of concrete, steel studs and a half-ton of mechanical equipment to be brought up in different areas. Workers from several trades are working next to, below, and above each other. Chad works on the fifth floor, he is losing his temper while putting up a vertical wall and square corners because the previous workers had not plumbed and leveled the framework appropriately. On the second floor, there is Rob, a promising young hockey player, working part time as a laborer. He has practice early in the morning and, often, games at light. He thinks about upcoming qualifications while cutting and adapting the size of several particleboards, striking with an unsharpened chisel. On the eighteenth floor, the superintendent Lukas, worried about his forthcoming retirement, hurries some ironworkers to raise three more I-beams into place; other gangs have to move quickly behind to align the holes, bolt-up, and secure the beams; it is getting dark and slippery.
Aside from the already dangerous working conditions, there is one commonality among those scenarios. These workers are creating even more hazardous environments due to personal stress. Chad must continue the work of omeone who did not pay attention. Rob may stab his own hands or someone else’s legs, or may slip or fall for not concentrating. Later, those who will put the particleboards into place may encounter further problems due to improper cuts from Rob’s unsharpened chisel. The ironworkers are exposed to a greater chance of falling before and after the tie-off of their harnesses. It may be even more dangerous for those who are positioned in the highest spots (on the vertical beam) in order to connect each incoming horizontal beam. Most ironworkers do their jobs while having to balance on 12-inch top beams each time a story is erected. According to White (1988), often the only safety net for those ironworkers is their own agility and balance.
Personal stressors affect coworkers’ ability to concentrate, to make decisions and to perform. In turn, those affected by personal stress generate an even higher stress level within the team, possibly compromising the safety, productivity, and well being of other team members.
Personal stressors affect coworkers’ ability to concentrate, to make decisions and to perform. In turn, those affected by personal stress generate an even higher stress level within the team, possibly compromising the safety, productivity, and well being of other team members. Consider another example from my time spent on worksites. I had to work with one co-worker who had a gambling addiction. Working with Henri was painful and dangerous. He often dropped tools to the floor below where those from other trades were working. He would not go for lunch and asked to work overtime, but at the same time he would regularly not show up on Mondays. Even though the boss did not want to hear about team friction or problems, forepersons requested to rotate him to different teams. After all forepersons and the superintendent experienced similar problems with Henri, the boss had to fire him. There may be workers like Henri in many other companies. The consequences of such working patterns may end up in heavy costs because of lost productivity, workers’ injuries, or even death.
Silver (1986) states that coordination and cooperation between construction workers must be close and continuous if fatal accidents are to be avoided. Thus, it seems necessary for construction workers to understand how each team member feels in order to anticipate each other’s behavior while performing high-risk tasks. Further, team members must communicate to one another their interpersonal support to reduce both work-related and personal stress. In this thesis I will examine the types of stress arising from those situations in which some workers are personally preoccupied.
Content
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. THE PROBLEM
- Introduction
Purpose of the Investigation
Justification for the Investigation
Statement of the Problem
Definition of Terms
2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
- Stress
Emotional Contagion
Social Support
High Reliability Teams
Construction Work
Summary
3. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
- Interviews
Participant Recruitment
Interview Protocol
Interview Procedures
Data Analysis
4. ANALYSIS
- Environmental and Social Predispositions Affecting Team Communication
Danger, Safety, and Time Pressure
Light versus Heavy Talks
Communication of Personal Stress
Communication of Construction Workers’ Responses to Colleagues’
Personal Stress
The Communication of Social Support
Team Tightness / Socio-Emotional Closeness
Machismo / Peer Pressure
Desire for Social Support
5. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Summary
Implications of my Findings
Discussion
Recommendations
Contributions of Study
Limitations of Study
Future Directions of Study
APPENDICES
A. Recruitment
B. Interview Protocol
C. Informed Consent Form
