Exceeding expectations: A study on human resource management implementation in construction organisations

Orientation: Human resource management (HRM) professionals and organisational leaders may maximise the performance of construction organisations by thoroughly understanding the implementation of HRM practices within these businesses. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the extent to which recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal and compensation systems are implemented in construction organisations. Motivation of the study: The reason for this study was that a paucity of empirical research on the implementation of HRM practices makes it difficult to provide recommendations about HRM to optimise performance in construction organisations. Research approach/design and method: This quantitative study was based on primary data collected from 63 construction personnel in various South African construction organisations in Cape Town. A cross-sectional quantitative survey design, with a self-administered questionnaire as the data collection tool, was used to collect data by means of convenience and judgemental sampling. Collected data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 28, and analysed using descriptive analysis and a one-sample t-test. Main findings: The perceived implementation of HRM practices that meet minimum expected standards was significant for (1) recruitment and selection (R&S), (2) training and development (T&D) and (3) compensation systems (COS). However, the perceived implementation of (4) performance appraisal (PEA) best practices was found to be insignificant. Practical/managerial implications: The implementation of HRM in construction organisations needs to incorporate the tenets that are central to the successful delivery of HRM services. Contribution/value-add: This study emphasises the minimum expected HRM practices that should be observed in construction organisations.