AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF CONSTRUCTION SKILLED WORKERS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND
Productivity has become the term of the day since it is widely accepted that the higher the productivity, the better. However, productivity in the building business is dismal. The significance of this cannot be overstated. According to Aboyade (1966), the capability of a country’s building industry, which accounts for half of the country’s fixed capital accumulation, determines the growth process. Horneir (1987) confirmed the significance of the construction business by claiming that a 10% increase in construction labor productivity would result in a massive annual savings. Productivity is the result of a number of factors interacting to enhance the value of output faster than the cost of input. Mc Beath (1974), Nwaroh (1987), and Kendrick (1977) agreed with Mali’s (1978) definition of production. According to Mali (1978), productivity is “the measure of how well resources are brought together in an organization and utilized for accomplishing a set of results,” implying that productivity is achieving the best degree of performance with the least amount of resources expended. According to Riggs and Felix (1983) and Bain (1982), productivity is not a measure of output produced; rather, it is a measure of how well resources are pooled and exploited to achieve desired goals. As a result, it is clear that Nigeria’s construction industry contributes significantly to the country’s gross national product (GNP). According to Nwachukwu (2002), this industry is divided into four major segments.
(i) The building sector (ii) The civil sector (iii) The mechanical/electrical sector (iv) The industrial/heavy engineering sector According to Nwachukwu (2002), the building industry sector in Nigeria accounts for around 67% of total construction operations in the country. Unfortunately, building construction sites in Nigeria are currently experiencing a gloomy and difficult period, as opposed to what used to be a boom situation in the early 1970s. Many factors, such as high reliance on foreign building materials and technology, a lack of adequate finance, unfavorable government policies, and so on, have been identified as some of the causes of a lack of productivity in the construction work environment, which has resulted in project abandonment, project termination, and project failure. Another key issue that has recently piqued the interest of building stakeholders in the industry is the issue of “UNSKILLED” workers in the construction environment, which has resulted in low productivity on the building environment. This state of affairs does not reflect well on the sector, prompting the question, “What can be done?” It is against this backdrop that this research, an assessment of the impact of work environment on the productivity of construction skilled workers, is conducted. A case study from Imo state in Nigeria was saved.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
The majority of construction sites in Nigeria are handled by unqualified individuals who lack the necessary capacity to identify work environment tests. According to research, the number of young men and women pursuing a career or apprenticeship in specialist construction jobs has significantly decreased. This has resulted in a situation in which the majority of men and women (unskilled construction workers) lack proper and adequate training on the construction work environment and its procedures. This scenario poses a serious problem to the building process, not only in terms of poor quality work, project delays or abandonment, but also in terms of low productivity, which impedes national development. Many elements are internally generated and hence controllable by management; however, certain aspects are beyond management control (e.g., worker nutrition, climatic conditions, etc.) and their impact is beyond the purview of the current discourse.
1.3 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficiency and productivity of construction skilled employees in Nigeria, using Imo state as a case study. The following are the study’s objectives:
1. Determine the productivity factor in the construction workplace.
2. How much can competent workers add to productivity and effective project delivery?
3. Determine whether or not construction skilled personnel are productive.
1.4 QUESTION FOR RESEARCH
The following question would be considered in the study.
1. What are the primary elements that influence productivity in the construction industry?
2. What strategies can be used to assess productivity and performance on the job site?
3. How much can competent workers add to productivity and successful project completion?
4. How does this element contribute to the achievement or failure of the project’s on-site goals?
5. To what extent might unskilled workers contribute to resource waste, project failure, or project delivery failure?
6. How effective are these factors when used together? This research would attempt to answer the aforementioned issue.
1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
Productivity is very important in construction since labor productivity accounts for a considerable portion of the production input for a construction project. Many external and internal influences in the building sector are never stable and are difficult to predict. This component causes labor productivity to fluctuate continuously. It is critical to ensure that a decrease in productivity does not disrupt the work plan and schedule, causing delays, which could result in significant financial losses. Furthermore, significant costs can be saved if productivity is improved because the same task can be done with less workers, lowering overall labor costs.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study would be extremely beneficial to all construction skilled personnel in Nigeria’s construction work environment. It intends to identify ways to improve performance, allow for more efficient resource usage, and increase knowledge and research on general productivity issues in the Nigerian construction industry. Above all, the study will help to increase the building industry in Nigeria and so enhance the nation’s economy.
1.6 THE STUDY LIMITATION
Although Nigeria is the study’s focus, it is limited to southeast Nigeria. It is assumed that construction skilled workers are not illiterates and have the same personality across the country. As a result, the situation/workforce behaviors are same. For the purposes of this study, productivity assessment is limited to construction and work environment. It is hoped that the study will accomplish its stated goal and objectives.
1.7 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
TOFFIAR 1981 defines PRODUCTIVITY as the link between commodities produced or services provided and the resources consumed in doing so.
ASSESSMENT: the value or amount at which something is calculated; it is something’s judgment or opinion.
SKILLED WORKER: often known as a tradesman, this is any worker who has specialized skills, knowledge, or talent in their field, particularly in the construction business.
CONSTRUCTION SITE: Areas of land where building construction or construction work/activities are carried out.
ENVIRONMENT: The totality of all internal and external forces and conditions affecting construction and development activities.
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