Productivity in construction contracting

Eleuteri, Franco Maria Romano

Productivity in construction contracting

Master Thesis

1977

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Abstract

Increases in productivity in construction contractin0 since 1960 have not been proportional to the large amounts of money spent on mechanization and on the training of labour. Little consideration has been given during this same period to behavioural techniques and the motivation of manpower and it was therefore felt that the adoption of a behavioural approach would result in a significant increase in productivity in the industry. Since any behavioural theoretical generalization requires empiric information about any particular situation, it was necessary to collect data on certain socio-organizational characteristics of construction contracting. Data was collected mainly by means of two attitude questionnaires distributed amongst middle to lower management personnel employed in main contractor and sub-contractor companies in the Western Cape. The analysis of the data centred on the socio-organizational characteristics of contracting, their effect on motivation to obtain increased productivity on both the macro and micro levels, and the relationships between main contractor and sub-contractors. It was apparent that ample scope still existed for the development of behavioural management techniques in construction contracting.