Posted on February 13, 2025 by Wendy Frost
A study by Xiaohong (Violet) Xu, associate professor of management, explores how the adoption of new technologies could improve gender diversity in male-dominated fields such as the construction industry.
Xiaohong (Violet) Xu
In partnership with UTSA colleagues Yuanxiong Guo, assistant professor of information systems and cyber security, and Jiannan Cai, assistant professor of engineering, Xu received a three-year $550,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study this topic.
Xu’s role is to assess the impact of emerging technologies, such as AI and robotics, in the workplace and identify strategies that can help women excel in the construction industry. They conducted multiple studies using interviews and surveys to identify barriers faced by women in the construction industry as well as obtain insights on how the incorporation of technology could lead to a more inclusive workforce.
First, they conducted a content analysis to identify gendered wording in job postings from Indeed.com for construction equipment operators. Words like ‘ambitious’ and ‘competitive’ are linked to masculine traits, and words like ‘understanding’ and ‘supportive’ are considered more feminine. Then they followed up with interviews of construction professionals responsible for hiring.
“We want to ensure that organizations utilize a hiring process that is transparent and fair for minorities. Our aim is to help organizations adopt more transparent and fair hiring practices, such as using neutral, inclusive language in job postings, to foster greater diversity in the construction industry.”
Their findings showed that the equipment operator positions skewed toward more masculine-targeted language. In addition, 80 percent of the interview respondents felt that the introduction of robotics into the construction industry could promote gender diversity by reducing physical requirements of the job, increasing workplace safety and attracting a more diverse pool of talent.
Joining the college’s faculty in 2021, Xu’s research has appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management and Human Relations. With a focus on occupational health, Xu would like to continue researching the long-term impact of artificial intelligence and technology in the workforce.
“The goal is to improve employee well-being, but we need to also be prepared to develop interventions if negative consequences arise.”
— Wendy Frost
