MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM) IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS –A CASE STUDY OF SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the rank importance or most significant motivating factors on construction employees in South-South Nigeria. The research method for the study included a literature review and field survey. A sample population was selected from the target location. The findings indicated that the  construction workers’ top five (5) motivation factors were: leadership,  supervisor’s  loyalty to employees,  good  salary, goal- setting, and good working conditions. When compared with related research, it also indicated that what motivates workers the most to perform best on their job differs given the context in which  they  work.  Other  findings  indicated  that  the  motivation  programs  organized  by employers in South-South Nigeria were good, and employees are motivated to do well in the workplace. Recommendations were given to increase the overall levels of motivation within the construction employees in South-South Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Employee motivation in the construction industry is vital to the future success of construction companies. This is because if the motivational factors/elements  are  properly administered, top management could avoid the low work performances and productivity that often emerge when employees  are less motivated.  Construction  managers  must realize  that  in order to motivate their employees they need to gain a  better understanding of their employees and identify what motivates them. It is important to realize that people have different needs, goals and objectives and will act differently toward obtaining or achieving their goals or satisfying their need deficiencies.

Care and motivation of human resources is one of the major problems in the construction industry.  However,  motivation  must  come  from  within  the  individual  (Zacarelli,  1985; Simons & Enz, 1995; Nicholson, 2003). According to Mills, et al (2006), work motivation is one  of  the  most  researched  yet  misunderstood  concepts.  It  is  a  subject  that  has  been researched time without number, but still has far more questions yet to be answered.

Why do construction  companies  need motivated  workers? The answer is survival  (Smith,

1994). Motivated workers help companies to survive especially where there is presence  of competition. For the continued success of a construction company, motivated employees are very important. The issue of motivating workers is a continuous journey that companies need to undertake. Low motivation levels of employees reflect poorly on the overall impression of a company. Motivated employees on the other hand will ensure that the company flourishes. Increased motivation will result into a “feel good” factor spread throughout the company.

One of human resource manager’s functions  is related  to ensuring employees’  workplace motivation.  Human  resource  management’s  function  is  to  assist  the  general  manager  in keeping the employees motivated with their jobs.

1.1 Background of the Study

The use of Human Resource Management (HRM) knowledge to improve productivity in the construction industry has become a common practice among top management all  over the world. Top management discovered that motivated employees are more  effective, quality- oriented and productive more than depressed employees. Major companies started employing Human Resource Management (HRM) systems to regulate their needs for workers to carry

out tasks. They started introducing voluntary programs for workers to increase their comfort and satisfaction. The government on the other hand, intervened by introducing  some basic human rights and the work safety legislations.

According  to  Pinnington  and  Edwards  (2000),  Human  Resource  Management  (HRM) became known as a ‘way of thinking about people’ in organizations.  They  explained  that HRM was proposed as an alternative ‘personnel management’ which had since been used in organizations  to  simply  employ  workers  and  set  goals  in  order  to  control  employee performance  and  carrying  out  administrative  arrangements  to  pay employee  wages  and record-keeping.  The early usage of ‘personnel management’  was largely concerned on the technical aspects of hiring, evaluating, training, and  compensating employees and in most organizations it was very much of “staff” function. The personnel management department had large responsibilities. It had the responsibility for the implementation of different social and work place safety programs. Everything was focused on the employee productivity and the regular productivity increments were the key measures for the employee management.

During this period, the workers’ unions evolved and introduced many improvements at  no significant cost for the employer. With the workers’ unions, the employer got a strong partner to discuss with. Though, today, workers’ unions are not as strong as they were used to be, it is right to say that many organizations still benefit or suffer from a strong presence of workers’ unions  in  their  establishments.  The  quality  of  services  became  the  crucial  competitive advantage. HRM became necessary because the structure of the workforce changed.

Human resource management (HRM) is broadly defined as a field of organizational activity and of course professional practice. HRM remains a complex entity and hard to understand fully, variously interpreted by practitioners and researchers (Sharon, et al., 2007). Garavan, et al.  (2006)  described  HRM  as  an  academic  discipline  that  includes  the  development  of knowledge  and expertise, and the enhancement  of performance.  Werther Jr., et al. (1982) stated that Human Resource (HR) planning involves plans  for  future needs of employees, their required skills, acquisition of employees, and personnel development. According to Liu, et al. (2005), for modern HRM enterprise; a quality HR program, personnel examination, and HR appraisement are the three basic areas of concern.

HRM is global today, and its policies drives processes in different nations, but the processes produce  comparable  results.  Human  Resources  became  the  real  business  partner  which

contributes strongly to the achievement  of the overall business targets. It is definitely the competitive advantage of the modern and innovative company. The strategies in managing the human resources navigate employers and employees, as the overall performance of the organization beats the competitors.

HRM includes: organizational planning, staff acquisition, and team development according to PMBOK (Project Management  Book of Knowledge). Training and  motivation are the two main  parts  of  team/employees   development   practices   (Duncan,  1996).  Motivation  in construction industry may be simply defined as the  characteristic of a construction worker willing  to  expend  effort  towards  a particular  set of behaviors.  Prakash  and  Jaya (2012) defined  motivation  as the inner  force that  drives  individuals  to accomplish  personal  and organizational  goals.  Quiñones  (1995)  defined  motivation  as  variability  in  behavior  not attributable  to  stable  individual  differences  (for  example,  cognitive  ability)  or  strong situational coercion. Tabassi, et al. (2011) explained this in his research paper to mean that motivation is a characteristic of an individual willing to expend efforts toward a particular set of  behavior.  It  is  important  to  note  that  each  construction  worker  has  different  needs; therefore, the key to motivating employees is to find proper ways to satisfy their needs. This research focuses on determining the most significant motivating factors and identifying the rank importance of the motivating factors, to employ in construction project environments, in South-South Nigeria, to improve employees’ productivity and wellbeing.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In most of Nigerian construction  industries today, work performance  and productivity  of employees are far below expectation.  Motivating construction workers is one of the  more challenging,  but important  roles of employers at any level of a construction  project.  The inherent problem the researcher has identified is that many employers have attempted several different incentive programs to motivate their employees, yet they have not been successful for everyone in the construction industry. This is a major problem faced by employers these days, due to the fact that each employer’s  organization  is founded on the strength of its employees’  performance.  Ultimately,  top  management  cannot  compel  employees  to  be productive and quality-oriented.

In South-South Nigeria, motivational problems lead to job performance  issues which  cost construction firms millions of naira losses each year. Another problem faced by construction industries is lack of proper training and development programs. As a result, employees may

not be motivated to become productive or quality-oriented in their assigned work package(s) due to lack of necessary skills. A lack of good motivation whether of individual team worker or with the team as a whole can create major problems for the company. Ineffective methods of motivation can lead to workers’ completion  of work  with simple but costly mistakes. Lacking self-confidence, the worker may be unable to form good work relationship or assert himself, which are important if the worker is to be successful in the workplace. Lack of work interest, appreciation  of work done or job  security can lead to decreased  motivation,  and hence failure to accomplish a goal. It is quite unfortunate that many employers do not have the right knowledge in terms of most or effective motivational strategies and training to boost work interest and appreciate work done among the employees. It is known that employees do not always receive  benefits and perks especially when the extra work done by them is not recognized  and  not rewarded.  Getting  to  know  your  employees  and  understanding  what drives  each  one  helps  employers  create  an  effective  motivating  and  adequate  training environment for them.

Questions  may  arise;  are  employers  using  the  most  significant  motivational  factors  or strategies to motivate employees in construction companies in South-South Nigeria? Do they mobilize  the  needed  and  approved  resources  within  the  HRM  to  improve  employees’ productivity in the workplace? Do they have the proper rank importance of the motivating factors to employ in enhancing employees’ performance in South-South Nigeria? Are these employees motivated at all?

1.3 Purpose/Objectives of the Study

The motivation of employees has become important for construction companies’ success and professional  well-being  of  employees.  In  order  to  motivate  employees,  human  resource managers/top management should take proper cognizance of the needs of employees so as to develop effective motivational strategies.

The primary objectives of the study is to determine the most significant motivational factors or strategies employers should use to effectively motivate employees in South-South Nigeria to  enhance  higher  productivity,   improve  employee   performance,   and  of  course  good construction work. This research would help many top managers, human resource managers and construction project supervisors in South-South Nigeria to identify the things that they need  to  do  and  also  understand  what  new  strategies  they  could  implement  in  order  to

successfully  motivate  their  employees  to  perform  at  their  best  and  to  achieve  optimal business results.

It is evident that there is a need for this research because of the many construction industries that are constantly spending money in various ways to increase employee motivation.

Specifically, the study objectives are:

1.   To identify from literature the motivational  factors that have impact on  employee motivation;

2.   To find  out various  motivation  programs  organized  by employers  in  South-South Nigeria,  and  to  what  extent  have  employees  been  motivated  to  do  well    in  the workplace;

3.   To investigate the rank importance or most significant motivating factors (identified in objective 1) on construction employees in South-South Nigeria; and

4.   To compare top 5 ranked motivating factors with related research.

1.4 Research Questions

In order to achieve the purposes/objectives  of the study, the following research  questions were used by the researcher to guide the study:

1.   What are the motivational  factors that have impact on employee motivation in the work place as discussed in literature?

2.   What are the various motivation programs organized  by employers in  South-South

Nigeria, and to what extent have employees been motivated in the workplace?

3.   What is the rank importance of the motivating factors on construction employees in

South-South Nigeria?

1.5 Research Assumptions

The following assumptions have been stated:

1.   There is no statistically significant difference between employees in urban and rural project environment regarding their extent/level of motivation.

2.   There is no statistically significant difference between male and female employees in the project environment regarding their extent/level of motivation.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The key to top management’s success is motivating others to do their best. Considering the significance of the research it is interesting to know and note that all organizations whether construction firms, governmental or non-governmental, profit or non-profit cannot overlook the relevance of efficient  and effective  utilization of human resource  to accomplish  their goals. It is through motivation that the human resources can be utilized by making full use of it. Hence,  the study would attempt to propose  the most  effective  motivational  factors or strategies to employ in the construction project environment precisely in South-South States of Nigeria, which would help build willingness in employees as well as stimulating them and bringing out that natural drive to do a good job.

Understanding the factors that employees consider motivating lends to the rewards to which they more positively respond. The level of character of an employee at work does not only depend upon his/her qualifications and abilities. For getting best of his/her work performance, the study will attempt to fill the gap between the ability and willingness which would help in improving the level of performance of employees resulting into increase in productivity as well as improving overall efficiency.

The study is of immense benefits to top management of construction industries. The study is also relevant to academicians,  other industries and to society at large, since it  attempts to ascertain the need of HRM in areas of employee motivation and development in South-South Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study will be limited  to employees  in construction  companies (Nigerian  and  foreign owned)  in  South-South  Nigeria.  South-South  Nigeria  comprises  of  six  states  and  is strategically located at the point where the ‘Y’ tail of the river Niger joins the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Guinea. The states are: Akwa Ibom State,  Bayelsa State, Cross River State, Delta State, Edo State, and Rivers State. This region will be the area of research.

The study will also be limited to employee motivation area of HRM. Findings from this study and  recommendations  by the researcher  should  be beneficial  for Human  Resource  (HR) managers operating in South-South Nigeria but may not be used for general analysis as the researcher limited his study only to employees in South-South Nigeria.

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