PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES IN IMPROVING QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN ETHIOPIAN CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND SUPERVISION WORKS CORPORATION

Abstract

In a globalized and knowledge-based economy, quality and productivity management are keys to an organization’s success and survival in a competitive global environment. Many construction organizations therefore have to adopt quality and productivity as reliable management tools. These elements are primarily important inputs which lead directly or indirectly to the success of the construction industries. Construction is the major driving factor of the current Ethiopian economy, but current such practice in the Ethiopian building construction projects is still facing delays, cost overruns, poor quality and low productivity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the practices and challenges of motivating employees to improve quality and productivity in the Ethiopian Construction Design and Supervision Works Corporation. To achieve this objective, case study qualitative research design was employed. Thirty-five informants were used as samples to generate the required qualitative data through in-depth interviews with case informants through probing, semistructured interviews with key informants, and conducting documentary analysis method using interview guide, and documentary analysis template as data collection instruments, respectively. Thematic analysis and content analysis methods were used to analyze the data collected from different sources. Thematic issues emerged in data analyses were used to answer study questions and address the objectives. Findings reveal that top management mostly used non-financially related extrinsic motivational mechanisms in differential manner between experts and administrative staff in its different Sectors, Centres, and Corporate Service. Concomitantly, there were multi-faceted challenges encountered which had emanated from various factors while trying to improve quality and productivity in those divisions of the Corporation. Therefore, these findings have implications for business policy, professionals, interventions, and for further studies at different levels and various contexts at large.