Abstract:

The digital transformation of the construction sector is reshaping work practices, career pathways, and organisational cultures, yet persistent gender inequities continue to shape how these changes are experienced. This paper examines how employees working in digital construction roles perceive organisational fairness and workplace flexibility, with a particular focus on differences by gender, culture, and educational attainment. Drawing on survey data from 463 professionals across global built‑environment disciplines, the study investigates how emerging digital roles intersect with longstanding structural and cultural norms in a sector historically characterised by masculine identities, rigid work patterns, and limited flexibility. Quantitative analysis identifies two core factors—career equity–fairness and flexibility—and reveals that disparities are most pronounced not in formal employment characteristics but in perceptions of justice, access to flexibility, and the informal norms that govern their use. Women, despite being highly educated and internationally distributed across disciplines, report lower perceptions of fairness and greater constraints around flexibility. Cultural context further shapes how fairness and flexibility are interpreted, aligning with established cross‑national research on power distance, gender role expectations, and organisational norms. The findings highlight the persistence of flexibility stigma, the influence of entrenched masculine cultures, and the ways digitalisation can either challenge or reinforce inequality. While digital tools and remote working practices offer opportunities for more inclusive and adaptive work environments, they also risk reproducing gendered divisions if organisational cultures remain unchanged. The paper recommends that improving gender equity in digital construction requires more than policy interventions; it demands structural and cultural transformation that addresses informal norms, enhances transparency in pay and promotion, embeds gender‑neutral flexibility practices, and supports inclusive leadership. By evidencing how gender and culture shape perceptions of fairness and flexibility, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of inequality in a rapidly evolving sector and offers practical recommendations for organisations seeking to create equitable, flexible, and sustainable digital construction workplaces.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Gender in Management

Keywords: Cross-cultural issues in gender and management;Gender diversity and inclusion policies and practices;Gender discrimination and industry specific features

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Dr. Jenni Barrett