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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Construction Professionals’ Skills: A Case Study of Chile

Author

Listed:
  • Felipe Araya

    (Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile)

  • Katherine Olivari

    (Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile)

  • Luis A. Salazar

    (Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile)

  • Omar Sánchez

    (Civil Engineering Department, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 111711, Colombia)

  • Leonardo Sierra-Varela

    (Departamento de Ingeniería de Obras Civiles, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 478000, Chile)

  • Briguitte Neculman

    (Magíster en Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 478000, Chile)

Abstract

The construction industry faced several challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting different aspects of construction projects, such as the financial stability of companies and the mental well-being of professionals. However, there is limited knowledge about how these challenges impacted the skills required by professionals in construction. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze changes in skills required by construction professionals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, we qualitatively analyzed interviews obtained from construction professionals in Chile who worked through the pandemic to study how skills required by construction professionals before the pandemic were impacted during, and after the pandemic. The results indicate that before the pandemic, the most valued skills were related to teamwork, decision-making, planning, and leadership. During the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, skills such as effective communication, computer skills, planning, and stress management were prominent. Regarding the post-pandemic period, interviewees emphasized that construction professionals required mainly adaptability to change, stress management, and planning skills. Our study contributes by identifying changes in the skills required by construction professionals, emphasizing a shift towards skills like digital communication, adaptability, and stress management. Additionally, our study emphasizes planning as the most relevant skill for construction professionals to deal with a highly disruptive event such as the pandemic in construction projects. The study contributed to theorizing the consequences of the pandemic faced by the construction sector in the context of skills required by construction professionals. In practicality, construction managers may use our results to develop strategies to adapt to the post-pandemic context and be prepared for future disruptive events. Ultimately, this will help make the construction industry a more resilient sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Felipe Araya & Katherine Olivari & Luis A. Salazar & Omar Sánchez & Leonardo Sierra-Varela & Briguitte Neculman, 2024. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Construction Professionals’ Skills: A Case Study of Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7588-:d:1469385
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charles Egbu, 1999. "Skills, knowledge and competencies for managing construction refurbishment works," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 29-43.
    2. Abdullah Alsharef & Siddharth Banerjee & S M Jamil Uddin & Alex Albert & Edward Jaselskis, 2021. "Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the United States Construction Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Linhai Zhao & Ehsan Rasoulinezhad & Tapan Sarker & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary, 2023. "Effects of COVID-19 on Global Financial Markets: Evidence from Qualitative Research for Developed and Developing Economies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(1), pages 148-166, February.
    4. Layin Wang & Dong Zhao & Yanqi Zhong, 2021. "Sustainable Allocation Model of Construction Workforce for Work Resumption during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, June.
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