Just coping: Australian female project managers' perception of stress

The work of the traditionally male-dominated area of construction project management is best summarised in three words: time, money and quality. The delivery of projects on time, to budget, and within quality guidelines is the overriding concern of all project managers. The delivery of multi-million dollar projects creates signifi cant stress on all involved in the project, and in particular the senior project manager. The issues relating to project management and workplace stress have been well documented, but there has been little insight into how senior female project managers perceive and react to the stress of managing projects. This paper draws upon a small Australian study investigating how 12 senior female project managers feel about the stress involved in project management work delivery. The fi ndings provide an interesting insight into the perceptions of these women and their stress-coping techniques. The effect of project delivery stress on the private and family lives of some of the women in the study is also noted. The study fi ndings suggest long-term implications for the physical and emotional health of these and other senior female project managers, raising questions about project management as an attractive career for women. The paper briefl y canvasses potential avenues for further research on senior female project managers.