Productivity management in the South African civil construction industry - factors affecting construction productivity

Abstract

Labour productivity in South Africa is at one of its lowest levels. During 2014 the civil construction industry contributed only 3.5% to the GDP of South Africa. It is faced with challenges such as an industry environment that is increasingly competitive, and organisations in the civil industry that experience financial difficulties, such as low profit margins. An industry-specific survey, using a questionnaire, was conducted to ascertain the perceptions of industry professionals regarding factors which have an impact on productivity. A literature study was done to identify the factors that have an impact on construction productivity, based on a global perspective. From the literature study, 12 studies were identified, and a benchmark was set with which to compare the findings of the research questionnaire. To obtain the relevant information through the questionnaire, a selective sampling process was used, as the focus of the research required a specific group of individuals who were involved in the management of projects in the civil construction industry. Two civil engineering organisations, the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, were contacted to assist with the distribution of the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 51 factors which the industry professionals had to rate, based on their experience. These factors had to be rated with the use of a 0-4 Likert scale, based on two specific questions: (1) What impact does the factor have on construction productivity? (2) What is the frequency of occurrence of the factor? A total of 40 questionnaires were completed by the industry professionals. Thereafter the ranking of the factors was calculated with the use of the relative importance index.