Contractors’ perceptions of factors affectingconstruction labour productivity in SouthAfrica
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Date
2020
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Publisher
Journal of Contemporary Management
Abstract
Despite significant contributions by the construction industry to economic growth of developed and developingcountries, productivity on construction projects is reportedly poor. This necessitates the need for studies that willcontribute to improve productivity performance in the construction sector. This article reports on the perceptionsof contractors regarding factors that affect productivity growth in the South African construction industry. Siteengineers (n=18), site managers (n=27) and site supervisors (n=51) in four South African provinces that havesignificant construction capital outlay were surveyed using random and convenient sampling techniques (N=96).The data obtained for the study was analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established asignificant mean difference with respect to the perception of respondents regarding factors that affectconstruction labour productivity. Based on the p-values obtained in the study, the most significant productivityinfluencing factors were determined to include excessive bureaucracy, late delivery of materials, industrial actionresulting from political activities, inadequate project planning, and awarding contracts to the lowest bidders. Thestudy makes recommendations towards improving construction productivity performance. The outcome of thisstudy will contribute to improving the profitability of construction businesses and enhance constructionstakeholders’ satisfaction.