A Framework for Construction Labor Productivity Improvement in Egypt

Being the human input of the construction process, construction laborers are the most dynamic elements of the construction industry. The cost of labor represents almost half of the overall construction cost. This paper proposes a framework to determine the significant factors impacting labor productivity, considering the Egyptian construction market as a case study. First, a craftsmen questionnaire is devised in light of a list of major factors affecting labor productivity that were specifically extracted from international studies on labor productivity. Second, a site-based survey is conducted with site operatives of different projects in Egypt through the craftsmen questionnaire to determine the particular factors affecting productivity in Egypt. Third, the factors that were commonly agreed upon by the surveyed sample of laborers are evaluated and ranked by industry experts through a subsequent importance factor survey. Fourth, the most important factors are plotted in a factors' matrix, which enable the quantification of their relative influences on labor productivity and their interrelated influence through a third survey. Fifth, the output of the factors' matrix is planned to model labor productivity using system dynamics. This technique permits the identification of areas where effort should be exerted to achieve maximum labor productivity by testing the different management strategies that would improve the influencing productivity factors. Validating the model's findings is proposed through a work sampling study on a real-life construction project in Egypt to measure the productivity improvement before and after applying the recommendations extracted from the model. The analogy of this research is not to assign a specific focus on a particular trade; however, the surveys are intended to depict the major factors influencing labor productivity within an entire work site. Upon applying the model findings, the work sampling study is to be repeated to measure the improvement of manpower productive time, which improves the overall site productivity. In the interim, the main outcome of this paper is the identification of the factors with the most influence on labor productivity in Egypt, those were: availability of material, respect for craft workers and foremen, availability of health and safety training, availability of power tools, availability of drawings, absenteeism, jobsite orientation program, coordination between the trades, and waiting for people and/or equipment to move material. As a future plan currently under implementation, the nine factors are to be incorporated in the factor matrix survey and in modeling productivity via system dynamics approach. The findings of the system dynamics model is expected to enable researchers and members of the construction industry to pinpoint the areas requiring more focus on improving labor productivity.