IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i24p11106-d1546782.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unlocking Organizational Success: A Systematic Literature Review of Superintendent Selection Strategies, Core Competencies, and Emerging Technologies in the Construction Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Mahdiyar Mokhlespour Esfahani

    (School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran)

  • Mostafa Khanzadi

    (School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran)

  • Sogand Hasanzadeh

    (Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Alireza Moradi

    (Department of Clinical Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran 15719-14911, Iran)

  • Igor Martek

    (School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

  • Saeed Banihashemi

    (School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia)

Abstract

An organization’s success depends on its ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. Superintendents play a critical role in overseeing project sites in the construction industry and can adapt to the increasingly complicated requirements of modern construction projects. This study examines traditional and modern personnel selection methods to determine effective tactics, essential competencies, and emerging trends regarding supervisory personnel. The research methodology follows the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. First, this study examines traditional and modern selection methods used by organizations and engineering firms to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic and assist in selecting appropriate staff recruitment procedures. Second, the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were reviewed to identify superintendent selection approaches and competencies, over the period January 2000 to September 2024. A total of 22 relevant papers were analyzed. Superintendent selection processes included questionnaires (57%), interviews (26%), literature reviews (14%), and data-driven AI tools (3%). Forty competency criteria were identified, with the top five being knowledge, communication skills, leadership, health and safety expertise, and commitment. As a result, novel approaches employing Industry 4.0 technologies, including virtual reality (VR), wearable sensing devices (WSDs), natural language processing (NLP), blockchain, and computer vision, are recommended. These findings support a better understanding of how best to identify the most qualified supervisory personnel and provides enhanced methods for evaluating job applicants.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahdiyar Mokhlespour Esfahani & Mostafa Khanzadi & Sogand Hasanzadeh & Alireza Moradi & Igor Martek & Saeed Banihashemi, 2024. "Unlocking Organizational Success: A Systematic Literature Review of Superintendent Selection Strategies, Core Competencies, and Emerging Technologies in the Construction Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-30, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11106-:d:1546782
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/11106/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/11106/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anna Lena Hunkenschroer & Christoph Luetge, 2022. "Ethics of AI-Enabled Recruiting and Selection: A Review and Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 977-1007, July.
    2. Andrew Kirby, 2023. "Exploratory Bibliometrics: Using VOSviewer as a Preliminary Research Tool," Publications, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    4. Najat Abdallah Krima & Gerard Wood & Ghassan F. Aouad & Zedan Hatush, 2007. "Assessing the performance of Libyan supervising engineers," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(5), pages 509-518.
    5. Alessandro Liberati & Douglas G Altman & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Cynthia Mulrow & Peter C Gøtzsche & John P A Ioannidis & Mike Clarke & P J Devereaux & Jos Kleijnen & David Moher, 2009. "The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-28, July.
    6. Phi-Hung Nguyen & Dragan PamuÄ ar, 2022. "GA-GDEMATEL: A Novel Approach to Optimize Recruitment and Personnel Selection Problems," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2022, pages 1-17, September.
    7. Jiayuan Wang & Jian Liu & Zegao Liao & Pei Tang, 2009. "Identification of key liability risks of supervision engineers in China," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(12), pages 1157-1173.
    8. Alberto Martín-Martín & Enrique Orduna-Malea & Emilio Delgado López-Cózar, 2018. "Coverage of highly-cited documents in Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus: a multidisciplinary comparison," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 2175-2188, September.
    9. Miika Kumpulainen & Marko Seppänen, 2022. "Combining Web of Science and Scopus datasets in citation-based literature study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(10), pages 5613-5631, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nandini Halder & Manoj Kumar & Akshay Deepak & Shailendra K. Mandal & Amjad Azmeer & Basit A. Mir & Anissa Nurdiawati & Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, 2025. "The Role of Urban Greenery in Enhancing Thermal Comfort: Systematic Review Insights," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-30, March.
    2. Edgars Sedovs & Tatjana Volkova, 2024. "Sustainability: Is It a Strategic Management Research Fashion?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Soltanian, Salman & Kalogirou, Soteris A. & Ranjbari, Meisam & Amiri, Hamid & Mahian, Omid & Khoshnevisan, Benyamin & Jafary, Tahereh & Nizami, Abdul-Sattar & Gupta, Vijai Kumar & Aghaei, Siavash & Pe, 2022. "Exergetic sustainability analysis of municipal solid waste treatment systems: A systematic critical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    4. Dušan Nikolić & Dragan Ivanović & Lidija Ivanović, 2024. "An open-source tool for merging data from multiple citation databases," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4573-4595, July.
    5. Qiqi Yang & Lijie Pu & Sihua Huang, 2024. "Review of Urbanization-Associated Farmland Research in China: A Sustainability Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Batista-Canino, Rosa M. & Santana-Hernández, Lidia & Medina-Brito, Pino, 2024. "A holistic literature review on entrepreneurial Intention: A scientometric approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    7. Maria Gialeli & Andreas Y. Troumbis & Constantinos Giaginis & Sousana K. Papadopoulou & Ioannis Antoniadis & Georgios K. Vasios, 2023. "The Global Growth of ‘Sustainable Diet’ during Recent Decades, a Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-23, August.
    8. Talissa G. Caldas Baia & Carla Carolina F. Meneses & Jerônimo Lameira & José Rogério A. Silva & Cláudio Nahum Alves, 2025. "Systematic Literature Network Analysis of Raw Materials in the Amazon Bioeconomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Luis Javier Cabeza-Ramírez & Fernando J. Fuentes-García & Guzmán A. Muñoz-Fernandez, 2021. "Exploring the Emerging Domain of Research on Video Game Live Streaming in Web of Science: State of the Art, Changes and Trends," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-27, March.
    10. Pablo Ortega Carrasco & Fabio Iannone & Vera Ferrón Vílchez & Francesco Testa, 2025. "Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 2364-2391, April.
    11. Javier Parra-Domínguez & Esteban Sánchez & Ángel Ordóñez, 2023. "The Prosumer: A Systematic Review of the New Paradigm in Energy and Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-44, July.
    12. Pawinee Iamtrakul & Sararad Chayphong & Derlie Mateo-Babiano, 2023. "The Transition of Land Use and Road Safety Studies: A Systematic Literature Review (2000–2021)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    13. Ahmadfard, Mohammadamin & Baniasadi, Ehsan, 2025. "Borehole thermal energy storage systems: A comprehensive review using bibliometric and qualitative tools," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 387(C).
    14. Baoyi Zhang, 2024. "Research progress and intellectual structure of design for digital equity (DDE): A bibliometric analysis based on citespace," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Yu Wang & Ali Jalalian Daghigh, 2024. "Two Decades of Audiovisual Translation Studies: A Bibliometric Literature Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(3), pages 21582440241, September.
    16. Xiaojun Mai & Fauziah Sheikh Ahmad & Jiayi Xu, 2023. "A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of Live Streaming Commerce: Mapping the Research Landscape," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    17. Qiang Wang & Fen Ren & Rongrong Li, 2024. "Geopolitics and energy security: a comprehensive exploration of evolution, collaborations, and future directions," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26, December.
    18. Ryan W. Tang & Lili Mi & Xi Wen Carys Chan & Hongmin Yan & S. Tamer Cavusgil, 2025. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Technological Advancement of International Service Enterprises: Links and Gaps in the Literature," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 415-458, June.
    19. Barlow, Pepita & Sanap, Rujuta & Garde, Amandine & Winters, L. Alan & Mabhala, Mzwandile A. & Thow, Anne Marie, 2022. "Reassessing the health impacts of trade and investment agreements: a systematic review of quantitative studies, 2016–20," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113791, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Giuseppina Maria Cardella & Brizeida Raquel Hernández-Sánchez & Alcides Almeida Monteiro & José Carlos Sánchez-García, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: Intellectual Structures and Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11106-:d:1546782. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.