CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS & PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022 · Vol. 2022, Issue 1

Job satisfaction in the South African construction industry: Towards sustaining productivity

Kenneth Otasowie, Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Aigbavboa and Ayodeji Oke

Keywords: Construction, job satisfaction, South Africa, productivity, workers

Abstract

Workers’ satisfaction has been discovered to be fundamental to continuous productivity in the construction industry. This might not be unconnected with the fact that construction in developing nations tends to be mostly physically intensive. Therefore, the need to find measures that ensure job satisfaction among workers in the South African construction industry to sustain productivity. In order to achieve this, this study appraised the measures to ensure job satisfaction among workers in the South African Construction industry. A survey design was adopted. A total number of one hundred and twenty-five (125) questionnaires were administered to construction professionals and workers in Guateng Province and eighty-six (86) were returned and found suitable for analysis. Collected data was analysed using percentage, mean item score, standard deviation and Kruskal-Wallis. The findings show that reward, approved leave and rest days, employee empowerment, and training for career development are most of the significant measures that should be in place for job satisfaction among workers. As a result, this study made meaningful recommendations such as construction firms putting in place a structure that will lead to the career development of workers for maximum productivity.