The relationship between diversity, leadership and innovation in the South African construction industry
type: CreativeWork
description: The absence (or lack) of a diverse leadership and workforce in the South African construction industry is hindering innovation in the industry. The result is a weakened ability to respond to a fast paced technologically driven market and economic changes which impacts directly on organisational growth and performance. This further limits the industry's ability to provide inclusive innovative solutions to industry challenges and societal infrastructure challenges. Little is known about the role of leadership in driving, influencing, and managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the South African construction industry. The construction industry has not been responsive to market changes and consequently, has been slow to innovate and grow. The rapidly evolving societal contextual landscape requires a more diverse workforce to specifically respond to and address these challenges. South Africa is faced with many infrastructure challenges, such as insufficient eroded road and water infrastructure, lack of sufficient housing, high unemployment of construction graduates, that impact negatively on society's most impoverished and marginalised. The exclusivity of South Africa's growth path is further emphasised by a high unemployment rate of 25%, while the comprehensive social welfare system has succeeded in reducing inequalities in access to public services and housing, poverty has remained stagnant, and inequality has remained exceptionally high, underpinned by one of the world's consistently highest unemployment rates. This study investigated the role of leadership in managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the construction industry by examining how leadership influences, drives, and manages this relationship to advance organisational performance in the South African construction industry. A convergent parallel mixed method approach was used to elicit the views of all the professionals (the construction industry work force) working …
abstract: The absence (or lack) of a diverse leadership and workforce in the South African construction industry is hindering innovation in the industry. The result is a weakened ability to respond to a fast paced technologically driven market and economic changes which impacts directly on organisational growth and performance. This further limits the industry's ability to provide inclusive innovative solutions to industry challenges and societal infrastructure challenges. Little is known about the role of leadership in driving, influencing, and managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the South African construction industry. The construction industry has not been responsive to market changes and consequently, has been slow to innovate and grow. The rapidly evolving societal contextual landscape requires a more diverse workforce to specifically respond to and address these challenges. South Africa is faced with many infrastructure challenges, such as insufficient eroded road and water infrastructure, lack of sufficient housing, high unemployment of construction graduates, that impact negatively on society's most impoverished and marginalised. The exclusivity of South Africa's growth path is further emphasised by a high unemployment rate of 25%, while the comprehensive social welfare system has succeeded in reducing inequalities in access to public services and housing, poverty has remained stagnant, and inequality has remained exceptionally high, underpinned by one of the world's consistently highest unemployment rates. This study investigated the role of leadership in managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the construction industry by examining how leadership influences, drives, and manages this relationship to advance organisational performance in the South African construction industry. A convergent parallel mixed method approach was used to elicit the views of all the professionals (the construction industry work force) working …
author: Madikizela, Kolosa
keywords: construction economics
date published: 2022
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:39Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Construction Economics and Management

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37849