| dc.description.abstract | There is a need in the construction industry to attract and recruit more talent to the field to meet the projected rate of employment. The industry suffers from a negative reputation among the public and a lack of diverse representation in its workforce (it is primarily constituted by White males). The STEM field uses outreach effectively to address similar issues. However, outreach has not been studied much in the context of construction. There is a need to understand what is being done in terms of construction outreach, what its needs and impact are, and how participation benefits the students at such an event. This dissertation used a mixed-method research approach to explore these questions. First, an exploratory case study was conducted to develop an evaluative framework of construction. The framework identified the antecedents and consequences of conducting outreach. Next, a phenomenological, qualitative approach was used to collect data from the participants at a construction summer camp to explore the impact of participation on their self-efficacy and motivation. This was analyzed using the constant comparative method to systematically present the contents of the camp, in addition to developing a framework that presents the impact of construction camp participation on the self-efficacy and motivation of the students. The final study attempted to take a step back and look at the broader picture of construction outreach; specifically, in terms of the current state of community engagement and construction outreach in the Texas construction industry. I collected data from construction companies and compared their outreach characteristics by industry sector and company size. Some key findings of the study were that the companies that did not conduct outreach tended to be smaller and that key demographics that needed to be tapped through outreach were not being targeted. Another interesting finding was that large companies fared only as well or worse than midsize companies in terms of the annual budget allocated for outreach, and the number of annual participants. | en |
