Francis, Valerie |Australia

Fellow at IAS-STS: 2015/16

Valerie Francis is an Associate Professor in Construction Management within the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Construction at the University of Melbourne. She is a civil engineer with industry experience and also has a Master’s degree in Project Management and PhD which focused on gender. Valerie is a recognised expert in the field of work-life balance in the construction industry and is currently extending this research by investigating the role of mobile communication technologies. She is the joint author of "Managing Work-Life Balance in Construction" published by Spon Press in the UK in 2009 and was the Chief Investigator on an ARC grant investigating the effect of different work-life strategies on six "live" construction project. Valerie research has also investigated issues affecting women's attraction, retention and progression in construction. Her study on professional women’s career progression was the largest study of its nature worldwide and it resulted in the development of a career typology for professional women.

Project at IAS-STS: Predictors of career advancement for professional women in construction

Dr. Valerie Francis from the University of Melbourne will discuss findings from her recent research into the predictors of career advancement for professional women in construction. Using a sample of nearly 500 women, she demonstrated that individual factors (e.g. qualifications) have a much greater influence on career progression than interpersonal and organisational factors (e.g. mentoring, networks, supervisor support). She also investigated the effect of inclusion on advancement and from this developed the concept that a gender inclusivity continuum is in operation within construction workplaces. Her results have implications for all professional women, not only those in male-dominated professions like construction.

Selected Publications

Francis, V (2015) The role of inclusion on the career experiences of professional women in construction, Eighth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-VIII) “Changing the Field: Recent Developments for Future Engineering and Construction” May 27-30, 2015, Thessaloniki, Greece, pp 659-666.

Francis V and Prosser A (2014) Exploring vocational guidance and gender in construction, International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 10(1), 39-57.

Francis V, Lingard H, Prosser, A and Turner, M (2013) Work-family and construction: Public and private sector differences, Journal ofManagement in Engineering, 29(4), 392-399.

Francis, V and Prosser A (2013) Career counselors’ perceptions of construction as an occupational choice, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice. 139(1), 59-71.

Lingard H., Francis V and Turner M (2012) Work time demands, work time control and supervisor support in the Australian construction industry: An analysis of work-family interaction. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. 19(6), 647-665