STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS IN SINGAPORE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Construction project managers are vital to the success of construction projects as they oversee the project from its entire lifecycle, from the preconstruction stage to the postconstruction stage (Munns and Bjeirmi, 1996; Chan et al, 2004). Given their vital role and the volatile nature of the work environment, construction project managers are inevitably subjected to high external and internal demands, resulting in high stress levels (Haynes and Love, 2004; Jepson et al, 2017). This study probes at the stressors encountered by construction project managers in Singapore and explore the effects of such stressors on their psychological well-being through a qualitative approach. The study found that manpower shortage, time and schedule pressures, unnecessary red tape, and pressures from clients were top stressors experienced by construction project managers who do indeed have high stress levels, but not necessarily lower psychological well-being. The effects of such stressors on psychological well-being includes lower cognitive functioning, feeling out of control or breaking down, negative affect, and changes in behaviour.