Incentives and motivation in the construction industry: A critique

Hague, D J (1985) Incentives and motivation in the construction industry: A critique. Construction Management and Economics, 3(2), pp. 163-170. ISSN 01446193

Abstract

Bonus, payment-by-results, financial incentives (or any synonymous method for systematically encouraging productivity) has been the grumbling appendix to industrial relations in the building industry, with arguments for and against it’s use, thoroughly rehearsed over some 70 years. Oddly, this polarization of belief, reminiscent of the Lilliputan warfare between Bigendians and Littlendians, is not carried over into other, generally mechanistic techniques for programming, resource allocation, et al., whose veracity and effectiveness are disinterestedly investigated. A case for defining a proper role for financial incentive schemes is argued, starting with an apparent contradiction; change in the workplace disrupts group cohesion and social structures, yet building operations, by their very nature, continuously alter both work environment and workplace groupings, without similarly affecting building workers. The examination proceeds by juxtaposing the well known Herzberg hygiene/motivation theory with the generally overlooked Davis (1948) investigation of building workers, then focuses upon monotony, briefly comparing 'job-satisfaction' and 'no job-satisfaction' experienced in other industries, moving to a conclusion via the findings of Borcheding and Oglesby (1974) that good site organization engenders high job-satisfaction and productivity.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: incentives; motivation; organization; productivity
Date Deposited: 11 Apr 2025 14:43
Last Modified: 11 Apr 2025 14:43