Construction is one of the largest and most people-intensive industrial sectors. In many countries, however, construction is also one of the most highly criticized in terms of its employment practices and industrial relations. People and culture are too often seen as variables that must be manipulated in the cause of improved productivity. This important new work provides an essential corrective to the current literature by focusing on people and culture rather than sector efficiency. It presents the latest thinking from a diversity of perspectives derived from a major ESRC seminar series and invited contributions from leading researchers. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together industry and research and is international in its relevance. Through several multidisciplinary themes, People and Culture in Construction: explores the industry's labour market and the major influences on employment patterns examines how to improve the image and reality of the construction sector as an employer looks at the forces shaping the industry and implications for its stability considers the current composition of the workforce and the potential impacts of workforce diversification analyzes the impact of government targets and policies on construction working practices and culture investigates how to address the skills shortfall currently affecting the industry's performance.

This is a seminal time for Equal Opportunities and Diversity (EO&D) in the UK: the three existing Equality Commissions have been amalgamated into the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and a new Single Equality Act was published in 2010. The concepts of EO&D now incorporate gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief and age inequalities. For the future, the problems of separate and relative deprivation, and conflicting experiences and interests, must be tackled, both between and within different categories of disadvantage. These different, complex and sometimes contradictory strands in legislation, policy and practice need to be analysed and understood in order to facilitate genuine social change. This book challenges the official discourse that shapes the debates on EO&D at national, regional and European level. The book will be a key text for students and researchers of EO&D in criminology, social policy, sociology, women's studies, gender studies, public administration, business studies, economics and management and industrial relations, at both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It will also be of interest to EO&D professionals and policy makers in public and private sector organisations.

Construction is one of the largest and most people-intensive industrial sectors. In many countries, however, construction is also one of the most highly criticized in terms of its employment practices and industrial relations. People and culture are too often seen as variables that must be manipulated in the cause of improved productivity. This important new work provides an essential corrective to the current literature by focusing on people and culture rather than sector efficiency. It presents the latest thinking from a diversity of perspectives derived from a major ESRC seminar series and invited contributions from leading researchers. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together industry and research and is international in its relevance. Through several multidisciplinary themes, People and Culture in Construction: explores the industry's labour market and the major influences on employment patterns examines how to improve the image and reality of the construction sector as an employer looks at the forces shaping the industry and implications for its stability considers the current composition of the workforce and the potential impacts of workforce diversification analyzes the impact of government targets and policies on construction working practices and culture investigates how to address the skills shortfall currently affecting the industry's performance.