Impact of Administrative and Computer Skill Proficiency on Workforce Performance and Information Access in the Construction Industry

For decades, labor shortage has been a consistent struggle in the construction industry. At the same time, a multiskilling trend where workers get certified in multiple crafts is set to shape the future of the construction industry in an effort to alleviate the labor shortage. Existing research has highlighted the benefits of multiskilling and shown that administrative and computer skills are crucial for enhancing project productivity. Despite the importance and potential benefits of multiskilling and soft skill proficiencies, no research has yet studied how administrative and computer skill proficiencies impact the worker’s performance and the difficulty of the process to access needed information. The objective of this paper is to analyze and understand the impact skill proficiencies on (1) the self-evaluated performance record (including safety, attendance, quality, productivity, and initiative), and (2) the difficulty of the process to access information, of construction workers in the construction industry. To achieve the research objective, 2665 construction workers were surveyed using an online questionnaire. The survey participants were asked to self-evaluate (1) their work personal performance record and (2) the difficulty of the process to receive or get access to information. The participants were additionally asked to specify whether they are proficient in different administrative and computer skills. The collected data was then analyzed. Key findings indicate that the proficiencies in most administrative and computer skills had a statistically significant impact on increased worker performance and information access.