Cultura y liderazgo en la industria de la construcción chilena

Abstract

Despite the current interest into acquiring a better understanding of construction companies from an organizational viewpoint, literature in this topic is scarce. There is a need to go in depth into this aspect of the construction industry in order to understand its nature, internal dynamics and the motivations behind the people that are a part of it. Culture and leadership are closely related to one another. Leaders within the construction industry face challenges posed by projects which become more ambitious in time, posing even bigger challenges. In order to meet the goals for a project, construction companies not only need to recruit competent individuals who are able to deliver projects efficiently, but also to attract professionals that are aligned with their corporate aims. This small scale study identifies the predominant culture within the construction industry in Chile, based on the perceptions of the individuals who are part of it. At the same time, it identifies professional's expectations with regards to culture; predominant and desired. Leadership styles are analysed according to the predominant and desired cultures.