CBPM Conference 2026 · Vol. 2026, Issue 1

Leadership Practices Supporting Workforce Engagement and Inclusion in Western Cape Construction Firms: A Principal Component Analysis

Musa Conrad, Athenkosi Sogaxa, Eric Kwame Simpeh, and Okuson Senator Endurance

Keywords: construction management, inclusion, leadership, project delivery, workforce engagement, and the Western Cape

Abstract

This study identifies leadership practices perceived to support workforce engagement and inclusion in construction project delivery in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. A quantitative questionnaire survey was administered to leaders in cidb Grade 6–9 general building firms, and 64 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, and principal component analysis. The instrument's reliability was high (? = 0.910). Five components were extracted, namely inclusive workplace support, employee empowerment, social support, participative leadership, and workplace clarity, explaining 57.094% of the total variance. The highest-ranked practices were enabling peer support (MV = 4.59) and leadership engagement and visibility (MV = 4.51). The study provides preliminary evidence on leadership-related practices associated with engagement and inclusion in Western Cape construction firms. However, because productivity was not directly measured and the study was limited to one province and a modest sample, the findings should be interpreted with caution.