FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY

IN THE UAE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Nabil Ailabouni1, Kassim Gidado2 and Noel Painting3

1
Research Student, School of the Environment, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN2 GJ, UK
2
School of the Environment, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN2 GJ, UK
3
School of the Environment, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN2 GJ, UK

E-mail: nfa1@bton.ac.uk

Abstract: Productivity of various trades in construction is the basis of arriving at

estimates for time and cost required to complete a construction process. Productivity
figures however vary from country to country, region to region, and from company
to company. More specifically the factors affecting productivity could be related to
how motivated the employee feels to do his work in the most efficient manner given
a set of common conditions for him and his team.
This research paper therefore considers significant factors categorized broadly as
general work environment, organizational work policies, group dynamics and
interpersonal relationships and personal competence of the employees, as applicable
in the Middle East region, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the
construction industry depends largely on foreign expatriate labour.
The broader research aims at utilizing further sub-factors within the broad categories
above and developing an appropriate model that can be used to monitor, measure
and enhance the trade specific productivity of the employees in the UAE. A
significant saving potential exist in maximizing productivity of the employees
contributing to the profit in each project, not mentioning the harmonized relations
and overall high morale of the employee.
A survey was conducted amongst the different levels of personnel within the
construction industry. A total of 238 responses were received and the various sub
factors have been ranked in terms of importance index, frequency index and the
combined severity index identifying the first 8 significant factors affecting the
productivity in the construction industry in the UAE.
Keywords: construction, factors, productivity, performance measurement

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The construction industry in UAE is a multibillion dollar industry, contributing
approximately 20 % to the nations GDP. It is buoyed by high liquidity, high oil prices,
stable political environment and availability of cheap labour from the Asian countries.
(Gulf News, 26 Dec 2006). The fast and vast economic transformation has resulted in
dramatic changes to the labour market which has affected the work, employers and
employees in many ways. The result is that the labour market is subjected to
influences from a variety of sources that are changing rapidly and drastically. The
influences include different management styles, language barriers, customs, new
currencies, availability of food materials, separation from families, level of
supervisors, camp accommodations and so on. Such influences have direct impact on
productivity rates.

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Productivity – achieving quantity and quality of results while controlling the inputs is
therefore a key challenge for all contractors. Improved productivity will help
contractors not only to be more efficient and profitable whilst executing the jobs,
knowing actual productivity levels could also make the contractors more competitive
whilst bidding for the projects. On the other hand, the shortages faced by the
construction industry could be overcome by better productivity on site and utilization
of available manpower resources. All contractors within the UAE face the same
amount of constraints; same specifications apply and therefore the bottom line
performance of contractors is influenced by how effective & well planned, the
construction methods are, and whether the construction operatives work at optimal
productivity.

2.0 RESEARCH AIM & OBJECTIVES

For the sake of this paper the research is aimed at identifying the significant factors
affecting productivity. It is worthwhile mentioning that - the overall research is still
ongoing and only a part of the overall research is presented in this paper. The
significant factors returned from this survey will then be varied during the ongoing
research to determine the combination or a model which will give increased
productivity.

3.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UAE CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY
The UAE Construction industry is made up of a mix of different nationalities,
common to the overall Gulf region and has the following characteristics.

a) Demographic Influences:
The UAE population is relatively low compared to the influx of foreign workers in
UAE, especially in the construction industry. Expatriate workers make up
approximately 90% of the UAE labour force, with 98% of the workforce in the private
sector. The total labour force is more than 3.3 million and this is dominated by foreign
workers, especially from the Asian countries.

b) Diverse Background / Culture Differences

The labour force from these countries have a varied background in terms of culture,
education, family background, and individual cases of the need to work overseas to
care for specific requirements back home. Some are skilled, some are semi skilled;
some have GULF experience, some do not. Productivity from a set of people with
similar background also varies.

c) No organized unions or agreed productivity rates

UAE law does not allow organized unions for workmen, nor has statistics on standard
productivity rates, except for some surveys on National Workplace Employment
Relations (2001). Each contractor has his own experience and database to go by.

d) Environmental Conditions
The UAE has a hot humid climate with temperatures reaching upto 45-47 degrees
centigrade and relative humidity, varying from 40 -80 and in some cases upto 95%.

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The UAE Labour Law stipulates midday break from 12.30 -3.30 pm during the hottest
months of July and August every year.

e) Living Conditions
Most of the workmen are housed in labour camps 8 to a room with / without cooking
facilities. It is common to find that monthly salaries are retained for upto two months
for workmen by most of the contractors. Most workmen go on leave once every two
years. High inflation and cost of transport limits their ability to shop and move around.

f) Sponsorship Laws
UAE Labour laws does not allow free movement of labour, except for some exempt
categories such as Engineers, Doctors, Qualified Accountants, etc. that too only after
they have served at least one year with the current sponsor.

g) Cheap Labour & Short Term Focus

Compared to the liquidity in the region; and the value of the contracts / construction
projects, the cost of labour is relatively cheap. This sometimes stifles productivity as
contractors would rather push in more people and get the job completed rather than go
in to the hassles of increasing productivity. Also most of the projects are of 1½ to 2
years duration; workmen allocated to the project are new / from other sites and teams
are formed new.

4.0 FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF

CONSTRUCTION OPERATIVES
The list of probable factors affecting productivity as identified below is derived from
previous literature as referenced herein and from the author’s experience of
controlling / managing multiple projects of varying nature and price and the collection
of theoretical considerations by numerous authors on organizational behaviour.
These are grouped and discussed further as below.

• Environmental envelope which includes factors and parameters

• Organization work policies which include factors
• Group / Team Dynamics & Interpersonal Relationships
• Personal Factors

4.1 Environmental Envelope

4.1.1 Work timings and working hours
A balance is presumed to exist between the paid work that employees perform and the
lives that they hold outside their job. (Sparrow, 2003, pg. 215). R. Tyler in his book
the Future of Work Life Balance (Tyler, 2002, pg. 217) states that the word “balance”
implies the existence of a settled equilibrium that can be achievable between paid
employment and a life outside the job. A proper balance of work timings and work
hours sets minds at rest and enable people to perform better.

4.1.2 Safety and job security

Safety and security are among the basic requirements and needs of human beings.
Once the basic physiological needs are relatively well gratified, then according to
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a new set of needs emerge, which we may categorize

35
roughly as the safety needs (Maslow, 1987, pg. 18). Much of the management of job
security lies in the hands of the management, especially building confidence about the
future expectations of employment security and promoting progressive human
resources policies and practices (Guest, 2000, pg. 144).

4.1.3 Welfare schemes

Welfare schemes are one of many mechanisms that control the relationship between
employees and organizations. They help in creating a sense of belonging and the fact
that you are well looked after.

4.1.4 Appraisal schemes

While appraisal schemes are basically beneficial to organizations to enable the
management to reward able employees or improve their work conditions, they are
equally important to the employee since – if carried out properly – would give him the
assurance of fair treatment and an opportunity to improve upon his weak areas. At the
individual level the most important factor to employee would be the perception of
fairness and the desire for equity (Rosinski, 2003, pg. 202).

4.1.5 Company Brand Name

The knowledge that you are working for a good company and a return
acknowledgement from your associates and friends motivates an individual to do his
best. In short that is his contribution to the company.

4.1.6 Timely Payment of Salaries

The prospect of being paid monthly – rather a known source of income rests one’s
mind about the ability to fulfil his and his family’s needs at the right time. This factor
is pertinent in UAE as some of the contractors do not pay on time and have arrears of
more than 4-6 months at a time. Unfortunately, although not legal, some companies
still retain a two month salary from the workmen and pay off all dues before the
workman departs for his leave.

4.1.7 Overall Well Being of the company

Similar to the brand image, if all is well with the company, and if this information is
communicated and known amongst the workforce, a contagious sense of overall well
being is felt by the employees.

4.2 Organization Work Policies

4.2.1 Discipline/hierarchy order
Discipline represents the abidance by statutory rules and regulations of the work, this
means following up general company’s policy or directives from superiors. Although
discipline and hierarchy order are two different entities, yet they are very much inter
linked. It helps put plans into actions and ensures accountability down the ranks and
vice versa. However this could stifle creativity and block a worker from doing a thing
more efficiently if he has to only follow instruction!

4.2.2 Delegation
It is broadly accepted that delegation leads to success and proper expansion of
organizations. Organizations that are sized according to one man capabilities remain
limited regardless of the abilities of that man or his dormant team members (Rosinski,
2003, pg 120), where as, a hierarchal orientation can lend itself to the making of

36
unilateral decisions and efficiency in dealing with a crisis situation, delegation
orientation will naturally cause managers to foster team work and an individual sense
of autonomy and responsibility.

4.2.3 Reward Schemes

Reward schemes play an important role in employee’s performance and achievement
of the feel of care and fair treatment. The role of organization justice in the reward
given to employees plays an important fact in employee /organization relationship. It
lends better to the employee’s perception of fair or unfair treatment and subsequent
work behaviour and performance (Sparrow, 2003, pg. 96).

4.2.4 Competencies of supervisors/seniors/managers

In many cases superiors represent the example to be followed by the subordinates or
give an example to the degree of achievement one can reach. The degree of
competence of the supervisors and managers shape in many ways the employees
performance whether positive or negative. Most of the professionals at all levels tend
to be unenthusiastic about being managed. They prefer to do things their own way
without reference to the ideas and view of colleagues (Smith, 2004, pg 7). Much
depends on the competencies of supervisors/ seniors/managers in improving the
employee’s performance by advising how to achieve the goals and setting the
example. Moreover a good effective supervisor will know the team members strength
and weakness and using this knowledge to get the best out of his team.

4.2.5 Management involvement and awareness.

Management involvement and awareness can be constructive or destructive at the
same time, depending on the degree and type of involvement. It plays a constructive
role if played to exhibit commitment and care about the organization and the
employee, yet can be destructive if played in such a way to imprison initiative,
creativeness and new methods of operation without proper communication.

4.3 Interpersonal Relationships/Groups/Teams

4.3.1 Group/Team structure.
Working in a group or team does not mean over shadowing individual or personal
skills but rather enhancing them by integrating them with other individuals’ skills. A
work group is two or more people in a work setting with a common goal (Gordon,
1999, pg 165). There is a subtle, yet distinctive difference between a group and a
team. When a work group emphasizes collaboration to achieve its stated goals, then it
becomes a team.

4.3.2 Individual skills (talents)

Individual capability (talents) and individual engagement (heart and mind) is now
becoming a key differentiator for many organizations in the effectiveness of the
employment relationship (Sparrow, 2003, pg 155). However Maslow says it is
important to distinguish between special talent creativeness and self actualizing
creativeness (Maslow, 1987, pg 160)

4.3.3 Nature of work/assignment

The nature of the job and type of assignment given to an employee has much to do
with his performance. Dewey (1939) and Thorn Dike (1940) have stressed one
important aspect of motivation that has been completely neglected by most

37
psychologists, namely possibility. On the whole, we yearn consciously for that which
might conceivably be actually attained (as in Maslow, 1987, pg. 12). Therefore setting
realistic attainable targets is important.

4.3.4 Demography of team / nationalities

The Asian workforce within the company comes from India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh – i.e. countries which have fought wars with each other. Although there is
no real life animosity between common people, there are subtle overtures, remarks,
comments which antagonize people at work and this could be a factor which could
influence behaviour and performance at work.

4.3.4 Current Wars or Political Situations

As in 3.3.3 above, if there is an ongoing war between countries, workmen from those
countries are prone to discussions, analysis and comments. This does not bore well for
their mental state and in turn productivity.

4.4 Personal Factors

4.4.1 Level of academic achievements or education
Level of academic achievement or education plays an important role in performance.
It starts by giving the first and common ground for communication between people.
Although academic level is important in employee’s performance yet it is not always a
decisive factor on how well the employee performs as experience together with
accumulated training, together determines competence of an individual.

4.4.2 Past experience

Professional service firms with a good record for taking able people usually place a
higher value on basic ability and attitude of mind than on specific technical skills
(Smith, 2004, pg. 166). However, this does not undermine at all the past experience
of the employee which involves knowledge, skills, practice and situational familiarity.

4.4.3 Age
Age plays an important role in performance. Generally speaking there is a direct
relationship between age and performance, assuming that we learn something every
day and become more experienced every day. However, we must note that with some
specific jobs that need physical attributes the performance is generally inversely
related to age. Age also inhibits ambition and could make man complacent.

4.4.4 Individual culture

Because of the socio-economic conditions in certain countries or environment
conditions, we note that some people are more knowledgeable, fit or experienced for
certain type of work than others. Here in the UAE we have Indians from say Punjab
area being good carpenters and masons and heavy duty operators. Most of the drivers
in the company are Pakistanis.

4.4.5 Motivation
Human beings have an innate tendency to move towards higher levels of health,
creativity and self fulfilment. Business efficiency and personal growth are not
incompatible. In fact, the process of self-actualization leads each individual to the
highest level of efficiency. Performance is goal oriented, this means that individuals
are motivated to perform. The level of motivation therefore differs in individuals and

38
affects productivity. Moreover, motivation is not related to the nature of the individual
only, but also related to the situation or environment in which the individual finds
himself (Friday, 2003).

4.5 Significant Factors Affecting Productivity

Results of Pilot Survey

Whilst it is possible that all factors somehow contribute to productivity at different

levels of significance, some of the factors are more significant than the others.
The construction industry players consist of:-

a) Clients - Major Property Developers / Oil Companies / Private Owners

b) Consultants also called as Engineers
c) Contractors – of different categorizations from the Town Planning Department
d) Subcontractors – specialist trades

As a first point of research, we intend to narrow down the significant factors affecting
performance. A questionnaire, ref. Annexure 1 - was designed which was sent to
different levels of personnel amongst the players identified above. Efforts are still on
to secure at least 50% response to the survey by personal interviews, telephone
conversations and email follow up from the targeted respondees. See table 1 below.

Table 1: Survey Response Reckoner

  CEO / Sr.  Project  Sr.  Foremen /  Operatives 
Management  Managers  Engineers  Chargehands 
Clients x 5  X 2  X 2  X 3  ‐  ‐ 
Consultants x 5  X 2  X 2  X 3  X 3  X 5 
Contractors x 5  X 2  X 2  X 3  X 3  X 5 
Subcontractors x 5  X 2  X 2  X 3  X 3  X 5 
= 20  8  8  12  9  15 
= 20  = 52 
= 1040 responses 

However, for the sake of this paper and as a means to test out the questionnaire, a
pilot study was conducted amongst selected company employees and similar levels
from other contractors. Results from this pilot study are being reported in this paper.

Following this pilot study, a detailed survey has been planned to include a cross
section of all interested parties – clients, contractors, subcontractors together with
different levels of personnel involved as depicted in table 1 above.

These questions asked were related to the four groups identified at the start of this
section earlier namely -
• Environmental Envelope
• Organization Work Policies
• Group / Team Dynamics and Interpersonal Relationships
• Personal Employee Factors

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Following formulas have been used to determine the importance index, frequency
index and severity index. (Kadir, et, al, 2005, pg 47)

 
Importance  = 
5n1 + 4n2 + 3n3 + 2n4 + n5  
Index  
      5(n1 + n2 + n3 + n4 + n5) 
 
Frequency Index  = 
3m1 + 2m2 + m3  
      3(m1 + m2 + m3) 
Severity Index   =  Importance Index x Frequency Index 
                 

Where,
n1 = number of responses for “Very Important” degree of importance
n2 = number of responses for “Important” degree of importance
n3 = number of responses for “Neutral” degree of importance
n4 = number of responses for “Not Important” degree of importance
n5 = number of responses for “Strongly Not Important” degree of importance, and
n1, n2, n3, n4, and n5 each have a weight of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively.
And,
m1 = number of responses for “High” frequency of occurrence
m2 = number of responses for “Medium” frequency of occurrence
m3 = number of responses for “Low” frequency of occurrence, and
m1, m2, m3 each have a weight of 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

Table 2: Significant Factors Affecting Productivity (First 8 within groups)

Significant Factors – First 8 within groups 
Rank 
Ref.  Importance  Frequency 
Category   Probable Factors affecting productivity  (Severity 
No.  Index  Index 
Index) 

Proper Work Timings giving a balance between 
1  0.9025  0.7339  0.6624 
work and recreation and time with family  
2  Salaries on time   0.8496  0.7507  0.6378 
Environmental Factors 

3  Reasonably well paying job   0.8462  0.7465  0.6317 

4  Safe Secured Job   0.8412  0.7479  0.6291 
A job where your voice is heard and experience 
5  0.8361  0.7297  0.6101 
is valued  
Employee Welfare oriented schemes ? Health, 
6  0.8361  0.7101  0.5937 
Recreation, Vacation 
Appraisals where improvements needed are 
7  0.8067  0.7269  0.5864 
identified  
Free and Frank Two Sided Performance 
8  0.8202  0.7087  0.5812 
Appraisals  
  
Organizational Factors 

1  Leadership Skills of supervisors   0.8437  0.7619  0.6428 

Transparency and Accountability of each level 
2  0.8555  0.7283  0.6230 
of management  
Overtime Paid for work done beyond normal 
3  0.8353  0.7381  0.6165 
Working hours  
4  Materials available on time   0.8580  0.7185  0.6165 
Defined policies and procedures by 
5  0.8185  0.7521  0.6156 
management  

40
 6  Competence of supervisors  0.8244  0.7451  0.6142 
Systematic method statements / procedures in 
7  0.8345  0.7353  0.6136 
place and known? 
8  Setting of goals and targets  0.8496  0.7115  0.6045 
  
1  Group Dynamics  Individual or Personal Skills   0.8050  0.7633  0.6145 
2  Knowledge of Work  0.8261  0.7423  0.6132 
3  Overall Work Group / Team Skills   0.8126  0.7395  0.6009 
4  Self Initiative and Competence   0.8118  0.7157  0.5810 
5  Reasonable / Achievable targets given  0.7975  0.6961  0.5551 
6  Nature of work given  0.7815  0.7059  0.5517 
7  Frequent changes in teams   0.7412  0.7129  0.5284 
8  Frequent changes in work allocation   0.7496  0.6961  0.5218 
  
1  Technical qualified / educated for the trade   0.8437  0.7507  0.6334 
Personal Factors 

2  Attitude of person   0.8210  0.7255  0.5956 

3  Overall appreciation of ones work  0.8303  0.7101  0.5895 
4  Previous Experience   0.8143  0.7199  0.5862 
5  Overall job satisfaction   0.8017  0.7269  0.5827 
6  Accumulated Training   0.8151  0.7087  0.5777 
7  Motivation of the Operative   0.7849  0.7269  0.5705 
8  Overall appreciation of ones work   0.8925  0.7164  0.6394 

Results / Analysis of Pilot Study

Following is a summary of the results from the pilot study.

Total Questionnaires sent   =  500 
Medium        =  hard copies 
Follow Up Medium    =  telephone /personal interviews / email 
Time taken to respond    =  1 month 
Total Responses Received  =  238 
% Response      =  48% 

Significant Factors Analysis

Table 2 returns the results of the overall pilot study. The factors have been sorted for
ranks within the group for identifying the most significant of the group. As the rank
scores differed within each group, it was difficult to put a threshold value; so the first
8 within each group have been retained in the table. Table 2 has been reproduced as a
matrix below for comparisons within the groups.

Environmental  Organizational 
Group Factors  Personal Factors 
Factors  Factors 
1  Proper Work Timings 
giving a balance  Technical qualified / 
Leadership Skills of  Individual or Personal 
between work and  educated for the 
supervisors   Skills  
recreation and time with  trade  
family  
2  Transparency and 
Salaries on time   Accountability of each  Knowledge of Work  Attitude of person  
level of management  
3  Reasonably well paying  Overtime Paid for  Overall Work Group /  Overall appreciation 

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 job   work done beyond  Team Skills   of ones work 
normal Working hours  
4  Safe Secured Job   Materials available on  Self Initiative and 
Previous Experience  
time   Competence  
5  A job where your voice  Defined policies and  Reasonable / 
Overall job 
is heard and experience  procedures by  Achievable targets 
satisfaction  
is valued   management   given 
6 Employee Welfare 
oriented schemes ?  Competence of 
Nature of work given  Accumulated Training  
Health, Recreation,  supervisors 
Vacation 
7  Appraisals where  Systematic method 
statements /  Frequent changes in  Motivation of the 
improvements needed 
procedures in place  teams   Operative  
are identified  
and known? 
8 Free and Frank Two  Setting of goals and  Frequent changes in  Overall appreciation 
Sided Performance 
targets  work allocation   of ones work  
Appraisals  

Thus the most significant amongst each of the groups are:-

Work Timings (Environmental Factor)

Leadership Skills of Supervisors (Organizational Factor)
Individual or Personal Skills (Group Factor)
Technical Qualifications for the trade (Personal Factor)

This is followed by the second set of factors such as

Salaries on Time (Environmental Factor)

Transparency & Accountability of Management (Organizational Factor)
Knowledge of Person (Group Factor)
Attitude of the Person (Personal Factor)

Thus the most significant factors affecting productivity is related to the players
involved – the supervisors and their leadership skills, the workmen themselves – their
competency and attitude, work timings and whether salaries are paid on time and how
transparent and accountable the management is.

Other factors within the environmental envelop affecting productivity are related to
whether the workman is paid well, feels a sense of security and feels appreciated and
effective appraisals.

Organizational factors also include whether overtime is paid, whether materials are
made available, known management policies, procedures and method statements, set
goals and targets, how competent the supervisors are and whether goals are set.

Group factors also include the team skills, self initiative, achievable targets, nature of
work, whether teams are changed frequently and work allocation is disturbed.

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The personal factors further include overall appreciation of ones work, previous
experience, overall job satisfaction, training, motivation and overall competence of the
workman himself.

The above discussion summarized the factors within groups – however when we
assign the ranks and sort them out – the most significant factors with overall ranking
are:-

Probable Factor affecting  Importance  Frequency 

No  Rank 
productivity  Index  Index  
Proper Work Timings giving a 
1  balance between work and  0.9025  0.7339  0.6624 
recreation and time with family 
2  Leadership Skills of supervisors   0.8437  0.7619  0.6428 
3  Salaries on time   0.8496  0.7507  0.6378 
Technical qualified / educated for 
4  0.8437  0.7507  0.6334 
the trade  
5  Reasonably well paying job   0.8462  0.7465  0.6317 
6  Safe Secured Job   0.8412  0.7479  0.6291 
Transparency and Accountability 
7  0.8555  0.7283  0.6230 
of each level of management  
Overtime Paid for work done 
8  0.8353  0.7381  0.6165 
beyond normal Working hours  
9  Materials available on time   0.8580  0.7185  0.6165 
Defined policies and procedures 
10  0.8185  0.7521  0.6156 
by management  
11  Individual or Personal Skills   0.8050  0.7633  0.6145 
12  Competence of supervisors    0.8244  0.7451  0.6142 
Systematic method statements / 
13  0.8345  0.7353  0.6136 
procedures in place and known 
14  Knowledge of Work  0.8261  0.7423  0.6132 

These factors will then be used further within the study as variable parameters to see
how the productivity is affected.

On the other hand a review of the factors which did not return high rankings are also
worth a mention – For example – political situation, high temperature / humidity or in
general climate conditions scored low – giving a possible indication of the mindset of
most of the expatriates in the UAE.

Again on organizational front, contract system of getting a fixed volume of work in a

day scored low as against what is normally practiced on the sites! Further financial
and non financial incentives scored lowly compared to the systematic delegation of
tasks and a demonstration of management commitment.

On the group / team front, the cultural differences seem not to matter as is the
nationality of the team members, structure and the language.

Again on the personal front, the age of person, creativity, overall communal feeling
and camp conditions seemed not to matter much in productivity.

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5.0 FUTURE RESEARCH
The significant factors found from this survey are being utilized to formulate how a
combination of these could affect productivity in the construction industry. Average
productivity rates currently used by Target Engineering Construction Company are
being used as a basis for comparison with specific productivity rates derived from data
collection from the selected sites. Data collection is currently under progress.
Following trades are being considered.

Table 3: Site Teams & Activities

Trade Code  Trade Description 
1  Shuttering / Form Work) preparation and installation 
2  Rebar cutting and bending 
3  Concrete Casting 
4  Block Work 
5  Plaster Work 
6  Tiling (Ceramic, Terrazo, Marble) 
7  Excavation. 

The study is being carried out at current projects being executed at different site
locations, varying the factor, then comparing the results and trying to find out the
correlations. The different sites have been purposefully selected as each of them is
unique in nature and productivity rates vary tremendously due to nature of client
involvement, location – remote / city based and the workmen demography /
competence levels will vary considerably.

6.0 CONCLUSIONS
Productivity of various trades in the construction industry are critical for an accurate
estimation of the time and cost of a job. Having better productivity would mean
optimal utilization of manpower resources; more accurate estimates of cost to build,
better profits, high morale of employees and better relations between employer and
employee. This is all the more important in UAE as the construction industry
workforce come from a varied background, and different cultures and there is shortage
of manpower.

Factors affecting productivity have been classified broadly as - Environmental

Factors, Organizational Factors, Group Factors and Personal Factors. A pilot study has
been conducted amongst the various levels of personnel from company and
competitors giving weightage to each of the factors in terms of importance and
frequency of occurrence. Ranks or severity index of each factors was then determined
using the product of the importance index and the frequency index. The significant
factors were established on the rank / severity index in descending order.

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The most significant factors in their order of ranking are proper work timings giving a
balance between work and time for family, leadership skills of supervisors, technical
qualifications, whether they are well paid or not and on time, security of job,
transparency and accountability of management, payment of overtime, whether
materials are available, procedures, policies, work method statements are available, an
finally personal skills, competency of supervisors and knowledge of work on an
individual level.

The overall study is still ongoing and the best combination of factors that will lead to
increased productivity will be determined in due course of time in the form of a
model.

Further the study for significance itself could be limited by possible bias of the
company personnel and it is expected that as more responses come from non company
sources, the results might change a little.

7.0 REFERENCES
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Gordon J. R. (1999) Organizational Behavior: A Diagnostic Approach
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Tylor R (2002) The Future of Work Life Balance

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