A Review on Quantified Impacts of Construction Labour Productivity Towards Project Performance
CHAPTER ONE
Aim of the Study
To establish the influence of labour productivity and its underlying factors on the performance of building projects in Abuja
Objectives of the Study
The following were the specific objectives of the study.
- To determine the influence of type of labour on the performance on building projects in Abuja, Nigeria
- To determine the influence of source of building materials on Labour Productivity in performance of building projects in Abuja, Nigeria
- To determine the influence of hiring method on the performance of building projects in Abuja, Nigeria
- To determine how the level of training of construction workers influence the performance of building projects in Abuja, Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
Introduction
This chapter reviews literature of the theoretical and analytical studies on the influence of labour productivity and its underlying factors on the performance of building projects. This chapter also reviews literature relevant to the study including research findings in the area of study. Aspects of previous studies to which the present research can contribute greater understanding are discussed at its conclusion.
Theoretical Review
This research study was framed around the following theories; Labour theory of value (LTV), and Contingency theory. The theories explain why the research problem under study existed.
The labour theory of value (LTV)
The labour theory of value by Adam Smith suggests that value attached to commodity can be measured using the average number of the labour hours that are taken to complete the product or the project. Building projects are labour intensive. By this Theory the value of goods or services are determined by the total amount of valuable labour needed to produce it, as opposed to the use or pleasure owner gets from them. The theory has its relative share of criticism but the concept of value has a logical bearing to this study as on the account of evaluating a project performance. Value relates to the measure of the benefits one gets from something in relation to the resources needed to develop it. In the context of building construction projects it would be expressed as the ratio between the functionality of the unit and the cost for that function. Thus, value of the finished project can be increased by improving its function or reduced cost of execution. In this study the cost of labour in the project execution was considered the major component of the projects’s whole life cost. Contingency theory This is an organizational theory which suggests that there is no single best way of organizing a corporation, to direct a company, or to make corporate decisions. The theory holds that the best choice of course of action depends on the internal and external situation prevailing at any particular time. According to the definition of a project by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is identified as being unique; that it is not a routine operation but it is a specific set of operations that have been designed to attain a singular goal. So the project team often includes people who don’t usually work together, sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies. The contingency theory thus makes sense in that for any particular project, the success on the workers was dependent on the specific project circumstances meaning the labour factors when reviewing this study was the bearing on the productivity and hence the performance of a building project.
Theory of Performance
The Theory of Performance (ToP) by Richard Schechner (1988) develops and relates six foundational concepts (italicized) to form a framework that can be used to explain performance as well as performance improvements. To perform is to produce valued results. A performer can be an individual or a group of people engaging in a collaborative effort. Developing performance is a journey, and level of performance describes location in the journey. Current level of performance depends holistically on 6 components: context, level of knowledge, levels of skills, level of identity, personal factors, and fixed factors. Three axioms are proposed for effective performance improvements.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter covers the description and discussion on the various techniques and procedures used in the study to collect and analyze the data as it is deemed appropriate
Research Design
For this study, the survey research design was adopted. The choice of the design was informed by the objectives of the study as outlined in chapter one. This research design provides a quickly efficient and accurate means of assessing information about a population of interest. It intends to study a review on quantified impacts of construction labour productivity towards project performance. The study will be conducted in Abuja metropolis.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
This chapter deals with the presentation and analysis of the result obtained from questionnaires. The data gathered were presented according to the order in which they were arranged in the research questions and simple percentage were used to analyze the demographic information of the respondents while the chi square test was adopted to test the research hypothesis.
CHAPTER FIVE
This paper focused on the factors affecting construction labour productivity and which are influenced by off-site construction. This study analysed 13 articles that list factors affecting construction labour productivity after surveying construction practitioners. The analysis resulted in a complicated cause and effect diagram. The study summarised the diagram into a conceptual model representing the relations between the construction process and four primary groups: external factors, management factors, labour factors, and material and equipment factors. Next, a literature search yielded the advantages and disadvantages of off-site construction. Fifteen of the advantages and disadvantages of off-site construction can affect labour productivity. The conceptual model shows that all 15 factors affect labour productivity in three ways: through direct effects, indirect effects and causal loops. The factors affect labour productivity directly by influencing the efficiency of the construction process. On the other hand, the factors affect labour productivity indirectly through other factors. For instance, off-site construction in a factory hall protects materials from weather influences, keeping them intact and available. This prevents workers from waiting for materials, enabling them to continue the construction process. The model also shows that the factors and links can invoke causal loops. This can cause a reinforcing or balancing effect on productivity. For example, the limited skills needed for off-site construction can make the work less challenging. Unchallenging work can decrease workers’ motivation which results in a lower quality of work. Low quality of work can demotivate the workers even more. Further research concerning off-site construction’s impact on labour productivity will focus on the 15 factors. However, the indirect effects and causal loops compel researchers to consider the intermediate factors, such as labour motivation. This model helps to understand the relations between factors in the primary groups, construction process, and labour productivity. Further research is needed to handle the study’s limitations. First, this study is based on surveys concerning different project types in different countries. In future studies, construction practitioners can confirm, reject or add factors to ensure validity for specific projects under specific circumstances. Second, the conceptual model can be elaborated to give insight into the relations between factors within the primary groups and the construction process. Third, the qualitative model can be refined into a quantitative model. And fourth, the model can be tested with empirical data. For now, the conceptual model is a start to study the impact of off-site construction on construction labour productivity.
REFERENCE
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