The construction industry is labour intensive in nature. People often work long hours in relatively disagreeable environments, far from their families. Even if workers are not happy to be working in a particular environment they find themselves obliged to work. Fearing reprimands from their superiors, they often find it difficult to express their ideas. It is therefore difficult for management to identify the factors of motivation that affect their workers productivity in a work environment. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate motivational factors that affect the productivity of workers on construction sites in South Africa, focusing on skilled workers. For this, the scientific management approach and quantitative research methods were used. The findings from this study revealed that the motivational theories apply to construction sites, and management needs to apply these theories wisely in order to achieve improved productivity.

The modern Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is characterized by its fragmented, complex and multidisciplinary nature. Hence, the project success is heavily pivoted on its effective collaboration among the stakeholders during various project phases. The exchange and management of massive project information under various project delivery methods are cumbersome in modern day’s projects. Information Technology applications are playing a vital role in overcoming this difficulty; however the technological adoption and its full utilisation has always been slow in the emerging economies. Among these technologies, Building Information Modelling (BIM) dominates the AEC sector in developed countries; these countries are still experiencing the transition from 3D technologies to BIM in AEC industry. In South Africa, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is becoming the prime means of information exchange between various stakeholders involved in construction projects. Various aspects of BIM are explored and tools are developed continuously in order to make BIM more and more efficient for the whole life cycle of the construction projects. Nevertheless, in most implementations, BIM services are widely utilized in schematic design, design development and working drawings for both Engineering and Architecture as a graphical modelling and clash detection tool. But the developers of various BIM tools have listed many Project Management related benefits in their product portfolio. Nonetheless, it’s utilization in various project management knowledge areas according to PMBOK such as Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Resource, Procurement, Communication, Quality, Risk, Safety, Environmental, Financial and Claim Management are not fully realized in South Africa. This paper investigates the BIM’s utilization on the above said Project Management knowledge areas and identifies its challenges towards project management utilisation and strategies to overcome the identified challenges. The research philosophy adopted in this study follows positivism and a deductive research approach is used to unwind the truth about BIM’s utilization for project management, challenges and the strategies among the South African AEC industry. A survey research strategy is used in this research; data are collected through questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaire responses were obtained from a sample of 34 BIM adopters, the sample includes architectural, engineering, contracting, quantity surveying and construction management firms, questions related to the project management applications, implementation challenges and effective utilization strategies of BIM were asked. The obtained non parametric responses data through the questionnaire are analysed using appropriate statistical tests. The questionnaire results are triangulated through 3 open ended interviews data. Conclusions from this study help the South African AEC sectors to realize and expand their utilization of BIM in project management processes. Further, the identified challenges and strategies in this study assist the AEC industry to plan for the effective utilization of BIM in their future projects

by Zen Wei-peu. / Bibliography : leaf 112 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

by Choi Wai-ming. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 134-135.

If the UK is to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change a low-carbon transition (LCT) must be achieved, whereby our energy infrastructure and economy dramatically reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. The thesis argues that the UK construction sector is key to the success of the LCT and proposes some longer-term skills forecasts to assess whether future supply will meet demand. The thesis uses secondary data to examine features of the UK construction sector which make it essential to achieving the LCT by building and installing the low-carbon infrastructure. Existing construction skills forecasting methodologies are reviewed to determine the required properties for the long-term projection. A novel model where underlying activity, technical change and institutional change co-evolve is developed to frame forecasts of the demand and supply of skills necessary for the LCT and identify if any potential skills shortages could disrupt it. To predict long-term UK growth patterns a new approach - Multi-channel Singular Spectral Analysis - is employed, using educational and demographic forecasts and incorporating business cycles. Technical change is explored using four Government produced 2050 pathways, each proposing a differing bundle of technologies to deliver the LCT. The skills demand for each pathway is then forecast and evaluated. Additional forecasts cover other potential demands and the impact of institutions. In particular, the additional impacts of adaptation measures and the possibility of building more dwellings to meet growing demand are evaluated. The results suggest that given appropriate policies and if the impacts of recessions are minimalised, and the number of new construction workers continues to grow, shortages can be avoided. UK skills policy and training, currently based on an employer-led philosophy, is evaluated to determine if it can provide a timely response to the increased demand for construction skills or whether a more proactive approach is required. The thesis argues that, if a more proactive engagement by the construction skills institutions and policy makers is adopted, the supply of skills could be sufficient to achieve the LCT. However, the higher levels of adaptation measures combined with building sufficient dwelling to meet demand could produce destabilising addition demand on the construction sector leading to problems with the LCT.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-119)

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-133)

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-189)

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-94)

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-209)