STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY AT A

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BY WEB SURVEY

A THESIS

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

Requirements for the award of degree of

MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
CONSTRUCTION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
BY
ABBILI. NAGARJUNA
(159A1D2107)

Under the esteemed Guidance of

Mr. C. NAGARJUNA M.Tech
Assistant Professor
SHRI SHIRDI SAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SHRI SHIRDI SAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(Affiliated to JNTUA & Approved by AICTE)
ANANTHAPURAMU-515 731
ANDHRA PRADESH
2016 – 2018
 SHRI SHIRDI SAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(Affiliated to JNTUA & Approved by AICTE)
Ananthapuramu – 515731
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the major project work entitled “Study Of Factors Affecting Labour
Productivity At A Building Construction Project By Web Survey”, is being submitted by
ABBILI.NAGARAJUNA, RollNo:159A1D2107 in partial fulfillment of master of
technology in construction planning and management of civil engineering department of SHRI
SHIRDI SAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING and is record of bonafide
work carried out by his under my guidance and supervision during the academic year 2018. The
results embodied in this thesis have not been submitted to any other university for the award of
any degree or Diploma. Mr. ABBILI.NAGARAJUNA has worked on this problem
for a period of 1 year and he fulfills the requirements of the regulations to award the master
degree.

Project Guide Head of the Department

Mr. C. NAGARJUNA M.Tech Mr. B. HARISH NAIK M.Tech
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor
Dept.of CE, SSSISE Dept.of CE, SSSISE

External Examiner
 ABSTRACT

Construction projects suffer various problems and complex factors such as cost, duration,

quality and safety. Construction sector is diverse as it contains, contractors, consultants,

designers, owners, and others. The aim of this paper is to identify factors affecting labour

productivity at a building construction project.

A literature review and factors recommended by experts were considered to categorize

the factors. 40 factors, categorized into 5 groups, were analyzed and ranked considering Relative

Importance Index. The questionnaires were distributed to Project Manager, Project Engineer,

Architecture, and Others (Scheduler, and Estimator).

It was concluded, final cost of the projects were higher than estimated cost. It’s

recommended to develop human resources through proper and continuous training programs

frame a strong assignment, vision and a planned approach to overcome the disturbances on

the performance of the construction projects. The discussed factors are expected to assist in

completing construction projects successfully.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all those
people who made this project work easier with words of encouragement, motivation, discipline,
and faith by offering different places to look to expand my ideas and helped me towards the
successful completion of this project work.

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my guide Mr.
C.Nagarjuna M.Tech . Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, for their motivating
suggestions, insightful advice, invaluable guidance, help and support successful completion of
this project and also constant encouragement and advice throughout my M.Tech program.

I express my heartful thanks to Mr. B.Harish Naik M.Tech, Head of the department of Civil
Engineering for his attention and valuable guidance to us throughout this course.

I am extremely thankful to our principal Dr. P.Mohana Reddy M.Tech, Ph.D for providing me
infrastructural facilities to work in, without which this work would not have been possible.

I also thanks to the Staff members and all my friends and well wishers, for their
cooperation and valuable support.

Finally, I pay a word of gratitude to my Parents who have been a constant source of
encouragement and earnestness.

A. NAGARJUNA
(159A1D2107)

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................iv

LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................viii

LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..........................................................................................................x

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY.......................................................................1

1.1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................1

1.2. Background about Productivity........................................................................................... 2

1.3. Definition of Productivity in Construction Industry............................................................2

1.4. Significance of Productivity................................................................................................ 3

1.5. Problem Statement...............................................................................................................3

1.6. Misconceptions about Construction Productivity................................................................4

1.7. Facts about Construction Productivity.................................................................................4

1.8. Aim and Objective............................................................................................................... 5

1.9. Research Contribution......................................................................................................... 5

1.10. Research Structure.............................................................................................................6

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................... 8

2.1. Review of Labour Productivity from Previous Study..........................................................8

2.2. Different Factors Affecting Labour Productivity from Previous Studies..........................11

2.3. Identification of Possible Factors Affecting Productivity in Building Construction.........16

2.4. Factors Affecting Labour Productivity.............................................................................. 18

CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................19

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 3.1. Survey Planning ................................................................................................................ 19

3.2. Considerations for the Survey ........................................................................................... 20

3.3. Organization of the Questionnaire .................................................................................... 20

3.4. Questionnaire .................................................................................................................... 21

3.5. Pilot Survey and Questionnaire Revision ......................................................................... 22

3.6. Questionnaire Distributions .............................................................................................. 23

CHAPTER 4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ................................................. 24

4.1. Data Collected from the Web Survey ............................................................................... 24

4.2. Measurement of Data Collected from the Web Survey .................................................... 24

4.3. Analysis Method Used ...................................................................................................... 25

4.4. Size of Organization (Employees) .................................................................................... 26

4.5. Number of Projects per Year............................................................................................. 26

4.6. Type of Construction Projects ........................................................................................... 26

4.7. Job Title ............................................................................................................................. 27

4.8. Typical Size of Projects .................................................................................................... 27

4.9. Manpower Factors Affecting Labor Productivity ............................................................ 28

4.10. External Factors Affecting Labor Productivity ............................................................... 30

4.11. Communication Factors Affecting Labor Productivity................................................... 33

4.12. Resource Factors Affecting Labor Productivity ............................................................. 35

4.13. Miscellaneous Factors Affecting Labor Productivity ..................................................... 40

4.14. Overall Factors Affecting Labor Productivity According to RII Value ......................... 42

4.15. Group of Factors Affecting Labor Productivity .............................................................. 45

4.16. Statistical Method ........................................................................................................... 46

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 4.17. Test Formula ................................................................................................................... 46

4.18. Examples of Test ............................................................................................................. 46

4.19. Identification of Significant and Non-Significant Factors .............................................. 46

4.20. Comparative Analysis of the Current Study with Other Countries Studied in the Past .. 50

CHAPTER 5. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION .................................................. 52

5.1. Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 52

5.2. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 53

5.3. Future Research ................................................................................................................. 54

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 55

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

2.1. Factors Affecting Labor Productivity in Construction Industry (Previous Studies)..............17

2.2. Possible Factors Affecting Labor Productivity (in Alphabetical Order)................................ 18

4.1. Statistical Data of Questionnaires Sent and Received............................................................24

4.2. Ordinal Scale Used for Data Measurement............................................................................25

4.3. Types of Organizations that Responded................................................................................. 27

4.4. Job Title of the Respondents...................................................................................................27

4.5. Typical Size of Projects.......................................................................................................... 27

4.6. Manpower Factors.................................................................................................................. 28

4.7. External Factors......................................................................................................................30

4.8. Communication Factors..........................................................................................................34

4.9. Resource Factors....................................................................................................................35

4.10. Miscellaneous Factors......................................................................................................... 40

4.11. Overall Ranking of Factors Affecting Labor Productivity.................................................. 42

4.12. Group Factors....................................................................................................................... 45

4.13. Identification of Significant and Non-Significant Factors................................................... 47

4.14. Comparative Analysis of the Current Study with Different Countries Studied in the Past . 51

viii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1.1. Flow Chart Showing Research Structure..................................................................................7

4.1. Manpower Factors.................................................................................................................. 29

4.2. External Factors......................................................................................................................31

4.3. Communication Factors..........................................................................................................34

4.4. Resource Factors.....................................................................................................................36

4.5. Miscellaneous Factors............................................................................................................ 41

4.6. Overall Forty Factors..............................................................................................................44

4.7. Group Factors......................................................................................................................... 45

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

% .................... Percentage

APE ................Assistant Project Engineer

APM ...............Assistant Project Manager

CII ..................Construction Industry Institute

CO ..................Contractor

DE ..................Designer

GDC ...............Group Discussion Center

IRB .................Institutional Review Board

NDSU .............North Dakota State University

NECA .............National Electrical Contractors Association

OW .................Owner

PM .................. Project Manager

PE ................... Project Engineer

RII ..................Relative Importance Index

USA................United States of America