Human-Centric Construction Systems: Ethical Governance, Workforce Development, and Wellbeing

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Introduction

The construction and infrastructure sector is undergoing significant transformation driven by evolving workforce expectations, increasing regulatory scrutiny, and the growing need for ethical and responsible organisational practices. Despite advances in technology and project management, persistent challenges remain in relation to workforce development, competence management, working conditions, and governance mechanisms. These challenges are further compounded by complex project structures, multi-tier subcontracting arrangements, and the dynamic nature of construction work environments, which collectively influence workforce outcomes and organisational performance.

Traditionally, research in construction has examined workforce development, wellbeing, and governance as largely separate domains. However, there is increasing recognition that these dimensions are deeply interconnected and must be understood within a broader, system-level perspective. 
This Special Issue aims to advance understanding of human-centric construction systems by examining ethical governance, workforce development, and wellbeing as interconnected   and strategic elements of contemporary construction practice. The aims will be met by publishing high-quality empirical, review and case-based studies that investigate organisational, project, and governance mechanisms influencing workforce outcomes, supported by rigorous methodologies, and practice-oriented insights relevant to industry and policy

This Special Issue will make a distinctive contribution by positioning workforce development, wellbeing, and ethical governance as core, interdependent and strategic components of construction systems, rather than treating them as peripheral or isolated concerns. By integrating systematic review articles with in-depth case-based and empirical studies, the Special Issue will consolidate fragmented knowledge, surface underexplored ethical and governance challenges, and provide contextualised insights into real-world construction practices. Collectively, the contributions will advance theory, inform policy and organisational decision-making, and offer evidence-based guidance for developing safer, fairer, and more human-centric construction systems. 
Existing literature consistently highlights persistent challenges in construction related to ethical governance, workforce development, competence management, and wellbeing ( Karakhan et al., 2023; Lukhele, Botha and Mbanga, 2023; Hasan, Mishra and Kamardeen, 2024), yet these issues are often examined in isolation. Research documents ongoing skills shortages (Maqbool et al., 2023), fragmented training and competence assessment, and high workforce turnover, alongside the sector’s continued exposure to high accident rates and increasing psychosocial risks such as stress, fatigue, and burnout (Howe et al., 2024; Zong et al., 2024).

At the same time, complex project structures, multi-tier subcontracting, and the growing use of digital monitoring technologies have intensified ethical and governance concerns, including accountability gaps, labour exploitation, data privacy, and uneven enforcement of standards (Halder and Batra, 2024; Oladinrin, Aghimien and Goodhew, 2025). Although organisational culture, leadership, and project management practices are widely recognised as critical enablers of workforce outcomes (Rehan, Thorpe and Heravi, 2024; Zada et al., 2024), evidence remains dispersed, limiting integrated understanding and practical application. Recent industry events on worker wellbeing such as Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) report on mental health in the built environment (Barnett, 2025) underscore the need for a focused, system-level scholarly response. This Special Issue addresses these gaps by consolidating review, empirical, and case-based research to advance integrated, human-centric perspectives on construction systems with clear implications for practice, policy, and education.

List of Topic Areas

​​​1. Project and organisational management practices enabling human-centric construction systems: This theme will address issues such as integration of human-centric principles into project management, organisational alignment with workforce wellbeing, coordination across project structures, decision-making affecting workforce performance, and effectiveness of risk management, communication, and reporting systems in supporting ethical and productive construction environments. 

2. Organisational culture, ethical leadership, and responsible construction practices: Issues to be addressed under this theme include the role of organisational culture in shaping ethical behaviour, leadership approaches influencing workforce wellbeing, promotion of responsible practices, alignment of values and conduct, and mechanisms for fostering accountability, trust, and integrity within construction organisations. 

3. Strategic and ethical stakeholder engagement in construction projects: Issues to be addressed under this theme include distinguishing features of strategic and ethical engagement, organisational mechanisms for implementation, reconciling strategic and ethical approaches through theoretical and empirical insights, managing power asymmetries and transparency, and assessing long-term implications for stakeholders and project outcomes. 

4.  Human-centric construction systems and their role in advancing social sustainability: Issues include conceptualising and operationalising social sustainability within human-centric construction systems, identifying key success factors, embedding relevant theoretical perspectives, examining leadership for socially sustainable practices, and evaluating impacts on workforce inclusivity, working conditions, and long-term project outcomes. 

5. Ethical challenges in workforce management, labour practices, and employment relations: This theme will focus on issues such as fairness in employment practices, labour conditions and worker dignity, ethical implications of subcontracting arrangements, managing power asymmetries, and addressing challenges related to equity, transparency, and responsible workforce management in construction projects. 

6. Workforce development, competence management, and skills formation in construction systems: Issues include approaches to workforce planning, skill development, upskilling and reskilling, competence assessment, alignment of training with industry needs, and the role of organisations in building and sustaining workforce capabilities in evolving construction environments. 

7. Education, training practices, and the impact of digital technologies on workforce capabilities: Issues include innovation in construction education and training, integration of digital tools and platforms, effectiveness of technology-enabled learning, alignment with industry skill requirements, and the role of digitalisation in enhancing workforce adaptability and competence development. 

8. Governance and organisational mechanisms for workforce wellbeing and psychosocial risk management in construction systems: Issues include governance frameworks for workforce wellbeing, regulation and accountability mechanisms, management of psychosocial risks such as stress, fatigue, and burnout, organisational policies and practices supporting mental health, and evaluation of interventions to improve workforce wellbeing in construction environments.

References

Barnett, D. (2025) Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025. 
Halder, A. and Batra, S. (2024) ‘Navigating the Ethical Discourse in Construction: A State-of-the-Art Review of Relevant Literature’, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 150(3), p. 3124001. 
Hasan, A., Mishra, A. and Kamardeen, I. (2024) ‘Drivers of the Continuous Improvement of the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Construction Workers: A Social Ecological Model’, in Handbook of Drivers of Continuous Improvement in Construction Health, Safety, and Wellbeing. Routledge, pp. 30–42. 
Howe, A. et al. (2024) ‘Physical and Psychosocial Correlates of Occupational Physical Injury in the Global Construction Industry: A Scoping Review’, Environmental Health Insights, 18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302241270371
Karakhan, A. et al. (2023) ‘Best Practice Strategies for Workforce Development and Sustainability in Construction’, Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)sc.1943-5576.0000746
Lukhele, T.M., Botha, B. and Mbanga, S. (2023) ‘Exploring the nexus between professional ethics and occupational health and safety in construction projects: a case study approach’, International Journal of Construction Management, 23(12), pp. 2048–2057. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2022.2033498
Maqbool, R. et al. (2023) ‘Coping with skill shortage within the UK construction industry: Scaling up training and development systems’, Ain Shams Engineering Journal [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2023.102396
Oladinrin, O., Aghimien, D. and Goodhew, S. (2025) ‘Conceptualising Effective Ethical Practice for Sustainable Construction Digitalisation’, in Ethical Practices for Sustainable Construction Digitalisation. Springer, pp. 127–144. 
Rehan, A., Thorpe, D. and Heravi, A. (2024) ‘Project success factors for leadership practices and communication: challenges in the construction sector’, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmpb-12-2023-0279. 
Wellness Workdays (2026) Addressing Construction’s Silent Crisis: New Wellness Workdays Program Integrates Mental Health, Trauma Support, and Safety Training for Construction Workers. Available at: https://www.wellnessworkdays.com/post/addressing-construction-s-silent-… MA — February 12%2C,support%2C trauma and grief services. (Accessed: 14 February 2026). 
Zada, M. et al. (2024) ‘Linking sustainable leadership with sustainable project performance: mediating role of knowledge integration and moderating role of top management knowledge values’, J. Knowl. Manag., 28, pp. 1588–1608. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-01-2023-0019
Zong, H. et al. (2024) ‘Fatigue in construction workers: A systematic review of causes, evaluation methods, and interventions’, Safety Science [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2024.106529

Submissions Information

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Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jedt#jlp_author_guidelines​

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to 'Please select the issue you are submitting to.'

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/07/2026 
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 11/11/2026