"Structural Exploration of Workforce Diversity Challenges in Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Project Teams: A DEMATEL-Based Approach"

Abstract

Managing workforce diversity presents significant challenges within global project environments, particularly in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project teams. This paper aims to identify and analyze the complex causal relationships among these challenges to provide a structured understanding for effective mitigation. An exploratory literature review, spanning sources from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and relevant academic publications, was conducted to identify commonly reported diversity management challenges specific to EPC contexts. This review, augmented by theoretical frameworks and expert refinement, led to the identification of 16 prominent challenges (C1-C16). These challenges were subsequently categorized into four thematic dimensions: Structural & Systemic Barriers (F1), Interpersonal & Communication Barriers (F2), Organizational Policy & Leadership Gaps (F3), and Integration & Team Dynamics Issues (F4). For data collection, an expert panel of 83 professionals from Singaporean EPC firms, possessing at least five years of experience in diverse teams, was purposively selected. These experts evaluated the direct influence of each challenge on others using a 0-3 scale, generating 83 individual direct influence matrices which were then aggregated into a collective matrix. The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique was then rigorously applied to this aggregated data, utilizing Python's pyDEMATEL package, to thoroughly explore both intra- and inter-dimensional causal relationships. This methodology provides a robust framework for identifying critical causal factors and their hierarchical structure, offering valuable insights for strategic interventions in managing diversity within EPC project teams.