Systemic Gender Barriers in the Building and Construction Industry: Co-Preneurs as Managers

Co-preneurs’ (Lewis & Massey, 2011) are defined as women who are in business partnerships (either formal or informal) with a spouse or life partner. These women working as administrators and managers in smaller firms in the building industry frequently experience isolation, poor access to career development and low levels of self-esteem. This is detrimental to their wellbeing and productivity and the productivity of the industry overall. This phenomenon is likely to be present in other industries and industrialised societies with similar family structures. This research project investigated why the ‘glass ceiling’ preventing women from reaching senior levels in employment has been resistant to attempts to remove it in this context.