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ABSTRACT: Motivation is a factor that significantly influences productivity. A higher level of motivation can result in higher productivity. This article explains different motivational theories, addressing how one can improve labor productivity with the application of these theories. The theories discussed in this article are: Cussin's approach or management by threat which gives an overview of the construction labor management history and was common for managing construction labor in 1950s. Maslow's theory or Maslow's hierarchy of needs discusses the needs of the individuals to be motivated for higher productivity. McGregor's two theories (theory X and theory Y) touches on two totally different perceptions of labor and their related management styles for guiding human energy. Expectancy theory deals with human expectations after making efforts. Herzberg's theory looks to be an extension of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and expectancy theory. Wherever possible, examples are presented to show where an intentional or unintentional use of motivation theories has led to improvement in productivity. With the help of these theories one can learn how to motivate construction crews for higher productivity. Besides better management practices in all levels of organizations playing important role, this article will also discusses the role of construction managers and construction management in terms of helping to motivate better productivity.
KEY WORDS: Construction, motivation, management, performance, productivity, and theories
These days, motivation is a most talked about topic, but not clearly-understood and very often poorly practiced. This article is intended to provide a better understanding in regards to the importance of human motivation in the construction industry. Most of companies are looking into ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality. This article will discuss several motivational theories and their application. Also discussed are motivation principles and how to apply these to achieve benefits of improved efficiency, productivity, and quality.
The people side of producing construction is usually tied to a quantitative measure of craft productivity, morale, and quest of quality. At the same time, people represent the highest single cost figure, they also are considered to be the most unpredictable, difficult to control, and they are by far the one critical factor that nothing much can be done about. Much of the industry have turned its energies to solving more technical issues and has...