Building engineers' training in construction companies in the Castilla-La Mancha autonomous community. Its influence on job satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores training activities for building engineers, working as site managers, carried out by construction companies in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha. It also examines the effect of training on job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative methodology has been applied, by means of 34 semi-structured interviews to 34 building engineers. Atlas-ti software has been used for the analysis of the interview contents.

Findings and Originality/value: With the exception of a large company, no planned training has been developed in order to satisfy building engineers` needs. If any, there is initial training for management systems, as well as compulsory training or risk prevention. Additionally, most engineers follow their own training courses, in order to update or increase their knowledge or to improve at work. Several barriers hindering training and its positive effects on participants have been identified. Finally, the effect of training on job satisfaction tends to be positive, with increasing effects when it improves job performance.

Practical implications: Results could be useful for construction companies, since they could define training programs that would adequately achieve the aims of this practice, essential for the development of their human resources.

Originality/value: We fill in a gap identified in the literature on Human Resource Management in the Spanish Construction Industry. This paper provides building engineers´ views and experiences regarding training and its effects.