CAREER PROGRESSION IN CONSTRUCTION FIRMS : APPLICATION OF SUN TZU'S ART OF WAR PRINCIPLES

Abstract

Career progression in the construction industry is a concern of both new graduates and working professionals. Getting a promotion and advancing in one’s career is like winning a war. Thus, Sun Tzu’s Art of War is used to craft strategies to advance in one’s career in the construction industry.

The objectives of this study are to investigate the relationship between career progression and the principles in the Art of War, to explore how professionals become successful in the construction industry and to recommend effective practices that should be adopted by a graduate or a working professional in order to excel in a construction career.

The primary data collection technique was in-depth face-to-face interviews with 32 professionals working in Singapore’s construction industry. The data collection instrument consisted of the interviewees’ particulars and 12 open-ended interview questions developed based on Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

The findings show that some professionals are unaware of the relevance of using Sun Tzu’s Art of War to advance one’s career. There is insufficient career planning and a lack of effort in career preparation. Some professionals also do not have sufficient knowledge of career progression. The study finds that the main strategies for career advancement are: practices to outperform the peers, approaches to become a leader, ways of handling politics and conflicts, tactics to stay strong in the changing environment, methods to overcome barriers, strategies to network and approaches to acquire necessary information. The study concludes with recommendations to working professionals, undergraduates majoring in Building and education institutions in order to improve the career progression of stakeholders in the construction industry.