KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

TCBE 4107: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

LECTURER: ENG. ASUMAN KIRENZI

S/NO NAME REGISTRATION NUMBER

1 ALINDA LYNN SHILLA 18/U/ECD/246/GV

2 MIIRO BENJAMIN 18/U/ECE/15109/PE

3 AMONE BEN BRIAN 18/U/ECD/9022/PD

4 HASASHA MUSA 18/U/ECD/251/GV

5 MUKAMA HOPE 18/U/ECD/19167/GV

6 KYEWALABYE FELIX MUSISI 18/U/ECD/21019/GV

7 KYABALONGO PEARL PRAISE 18/U/ ECD/9032/PD

8 KABARANZI SHEILA BAGUMA 18/U/ECE/15128/PE

9 ATUKUNDA SHEENA 18/U/ECE/15141/PE

10 NYESIGYE HOLLY TORRES 18/U/ECD/21381/PD

11 AJWANG SAMANTHA 18/U/ECD/9042/PD

1 a) A multi-displinary construction project in Northern Uganda has recruited young
and vibrant employees from different parts of Uganda to help in implementation of the
project. Management has decided that the works must be completed in a maximum
period of two years. This would mean employing more resources and increasing
productivity of the employees right from senior management at head office to junior
officers. As a project manager, briefly explain how you would improve the desire to
work amongest the employees so as to achieve the project construction timelines (12
Marks)

a) How to improve desire to work amongst employees

Employee motivation is the enthusiasm, energy level, commitment, and amount of creativity
that an employee brings to the organization on a daily basis. Employees can be motivated
from within or the motivation can be stimulated by external factors (Heathfield, 2021).
Motivation plays a very important role of ensuring employees remain active and contribute
their best towards their organization (Dickson, 2021). However, it’s totally normal for
employees to face dips in motivation, but it becomes a problem when your colleagues are
consistently disengaged therefore the project manager should understand his or her
employees and act accordingly through the following ways;

Recognize great work

One of the most important factors that contribute to employee motivation is how often their
hard work gets recognized. 70% of employees say that motivation and morale would improve
massively with an increased recognition from managers (Dickson, 2021). After all, if an
employee produces exceptional results but their hard work isn't recognized, why would they
continue to be a high-performing employee.

Use training and development for motivation

The quality and the variety of training options that you supply for employees are key for
motivation. You can provide training including new employee onboarding, management
development, new concepts for a workgroup, team building, and how to operate a new
computer system. They all add to a working environment that employees would be proud to
call home (Heathfield, 2021).

Set small, measurable realistic goals

Setting clear, achievable goals provides a real boost of motivation each time one is conquered
and it keeps teams on the right track. Create a work environment that provides the greatest
possibility for employees to achieve individual or group goals.

A motivating work environment provides clear direction so that employees know what is
expected of them. Hand-in-hand with clear direction, employees should have goals that fit
within the company's.

Celebrate results

Part of what makes setting small and measurable goals so important is that it provides plenty
of opportunities to celebrate your team’s hard work. This doesn't mean you need to give a
standing ovation to every employee who made it to work on time, but it is crucial to let
everyone know exactly how (and how much) each of their contributions moves the
organization forward (Heathfield, 2021).

Encourage teamwork

Teamwork is one of the greatest motivators out there. Knowing that your colleagues have
your back and are your cheerleaders is an amazing feeling. When your motivation dips, your
teammates are right there with you, rooting for you as you complete your next project.

Stay positive

Negative emotions have their place, and some really good organizational changes can stem
from having tough conversations. However, it's important to find ways to inject positive
experiences into your team's interactions to create a net positive workplace.

Learn what employees want

Motivation is different for each of your employees. Every employee has a different
motivation for why they work. But we all work because we obtain something that we need
from work. The something that we need that we obtain from work has an impact on our
morale and motivation.

Learning what employees want will help you formulate the next step when building
motivation in the workplace.
See and share the big picture

boost motivation in the workplace by ensuring your team understands how each of their
efforts impacts the organization, customers, and the community.

Completing a task usually provides a small sense of accomplishment, but knowing how that
work helped others is the real antidote to disengagement.

Be transparent

Every relationship, including work relationships, is built on trust. Defaulting to transparency

is one of the best ways to encourage an atmosphere of trust amongst you and your team, and
a team that trusts you will be more motivated and engaged with their work.

Transparency also helps ensure that everyone is working with the same information. That in
itself can benefit the team.

Promote positive employee self esteem

People who have high self-esteem are more likely to continuously improve the work
environment. They are willing to take intelligent risks because they have confidence in their
ideas and their competence to take on new challenges while performing capably. They shine
with motivation in your workplace.

Loosen the reins

Autonomy and flexible work schedules are incredibly effective motivators. Giving employees
more agency around when and how they get their work done can actually improve their
efficiency, and help keep them motivated.

Tell your employees what needs to be done by what deadline; allow them to decide when
they will do the actual work giving employees the freedom to work on their projects when
their motivation is strongest, not just when they're in the workplace.

Celebrate holidays and create holidays

Traditions are as important in organizations as they are in families. Nothing is more

important for employee motivation than the annual traditions workplaces create for seasonal
holidays.

A holiday celebration builds positive morale, which results in increased motivation.

Provide a sense of security

The project manager should create an environment where Employees should feel secure
enough to show their full selves at work.

Power pose

The project managers posture not only says a lot about their motivation levels but it can
actually impact them. Project manager in whatever he does should present himself/herself in
a way that insinuates motivation in the employees.

Offer small, consistent rewards

Rewarding employees for their hard work is a motivational rule that nearly goes without
saying. However, there are several ways to go about doing that, and some are more effective
than others. Rewards can be in form of gifts, salary rise, promotion or even an extra tip on
their salary (Square, 2020).

1.(b A project manager responsible for construction of a water treatment sedimentation

tank sets a crew of Five workers a target of 70 man hours to do the steel fixing and
concrete casting in the base. Calculate the bonus earned by each crew member, given
that the work is completed in the time shown in the table below: (Basic rate of Payment
is ugx 500 per hour).

solution

Total time worked = (8 x 4) + 5 = 37

Total time saved = 70 – 37 = 33 hours
Amount of money saved = 33 x 500 = UGX. 16,500
Total shares = 12 + 10 + 10 + 8 + 5 = 45
Bonuses
12
Supervisor = ∗16,500=UGX 4,400
45
10
Steel fixer 1 = ∗16,500=UGX 3,667
45
10
Steel fixer 2 = ∗16,500=UGX 3,667
45
8
Concreter 1 = ∗16,500=UGX 2,933
45
 5
Concreter 2 = ∗16,500=UGX 1,833
45
2.(a Okech is a manager in very vibrant and successful manufacturing company in
Uganda. He has been identified by a struggling company located in Namanve. He has
been offered one of the best remuneration around the country. His immediate role is to
ensure that he brings back the company to light by increasing productivity, quality and
employee efficiency. As a long serving employer of the company who has been
approached by Okech for guidance, briefly explain the fundamental aspects you would
advise him to examine and how in order to achieve his goal of increased productivity

employee motivation

Employees can be motivated to be work harder through offering good salaries and benefits,
offering a good working environment through ensuring safety of workers maybe by giving
them protective gear, training interested employees in other areas of expertise and
encouraging experienced employees to mentor newer ones this will motivate workers to
ensure increased productivity.

Company bureaucracy

There could be a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy in the company which would slow down
production. This could be due to unavailability of certain personnel to approve given
processes which could easily be approved by the employees given the fact that they are
skilled and qualified for that particular job and need no approval for the little details.
Therefore I would advise Oketch to reduce on the bureaucracy in the company to increase
productivity.

Work methods
Oketch should aim at improving the ways in which the work is done (methods) improves
productivity, work study and industrial engineering techniques and training are the areas
which improve the work methods, which in turn enhance the productivity.
Competition from other companies in Namanve.

Namanve being an industrial park, there could be other companies producing similar products
to those of the struggling company. These other companies may have come up with better
branding of the same product, better marketing skills, and better channels for customer
feedback. The struggling company on the other hand may not have reviewed there marketing
skills, branding, among other factors for failure and are still using outdated techniques. I
would advise Oketch to analyze some of these aspects with the competing companies as a
benchmark for improvement of productivity.

digital technology and automation

I would advise him to adapt to digital technology and information. While adapting to new
technology can be challenging, with patience and dedication, the rewards can be tremendous.
Looking at the advancements in the construction industry software. construction management
software solutions cover everything from estimating software and job costing, to accounting
software, plant and asset management.

visionary leadership

One’s vision and direction are contagious, whether good or bad, so it’s important to take it
serious. One needs to develop a plan they believe in they are to lead their people towards
success and a growth mindset. Once you believe in something, you can get others to believe
in it as well. With everyone stretching for the same goals and vision, your company is much
more likely to succeed.

solid accounting process

I would advise him to set up a strong accounting team which can properly monitor the
finances of the company. Solid accounting is necessary to know what is coming in, what is
going out and how much it costs to do business. Without good accounting practices, you
won’t be able to say with any certainty that your company is even growing. If one plans to
secure larger bonds or secure financing for projects, you can bet the lender will want to see
your accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank statements and other financial documents.

speciality

Being known as an expert in a specific type of construction will give you the advantage over
your competitors that are a jack of all trades. So I would advise him to concentrate on some
given area the company is best at. For example, if they are an expert in office construction,
then you should focus on that sort of work period this will give you the ability to charge
premium rates and will give you more credibility than your competitor when it comes times
to negotiate.

hiring the right construction management team

Oketch should invest in the company team because these are the people that are going to be
running the high-level work of the company. If it means getting more new skilled workers
who are really experienced in such works. Oketch should do so and by such the productivity
of the company will increase.

Lowering bids

Oketch may need the upfront capital to aquire a new project or renting new equipment and
purchasing some company things so I would advise him to bid intelligently so that he can be
in position to get funding for the company through the project obtained. He might be tempted
to bid low to receive a new contract.

Outsourcing in some areas

I would advise him to outsource certain tasks especially in areas where the company is not so
conversant that is where nominated subcontractors would come in thus increased
productivity. Regular Board of Directors’ meetings.

The company may not have scheduled regular Board of Directors’ meetings to evaluate the
performance of the company and hence the struggle it may be going through due to
negligence and lack of follow up by the directors of the company. Hence, I would advise
Oketch to organize regular meetings of the board for example three times annually.
2b In the construction industry and in real life, workers have needs. A need is anything
that is required, desired or useful. Many managers offer incentives in fulfillment of
certain employee needs. Most of these incentives are based on well-established theories.
Using clear illustrations, explain your understanding of people’s needs as per Maslow’s
1954 theory of needs. (10 Marks)

solution

Abraham Maslow, a well-known psychologist developed theory of motivation based on

human needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising
a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are physiological (food and clothing),
safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization.
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs
higher up.

These are the five categories of needs according to Maslow:

Physiological

These refer to basic physical needs like drinking when thirsty or eating when hungry.
According to Maslow, some of these needs involve our efforts to meet the body’s need
for homeostasis; that is, maintaining consistent levels in different bodily systems (for
example, maintaining a body temperature of 98.6°)

Maslow considered physiological needs to be the most essential of our needs. If someone is
lacking in more than one need, they are likely to try to meet these physiological needs first.
For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it is hard to focus on anything else besides
food. Another example of a physiological need would be the need for adequate sleep.

Safety

Once people’s physiological requirements are met, the next need that arises is a safe
environment. Our safety needs are apparent even early in childhood, as children have a need
for safe and predictable environments and typically react with fear or anxiety when these are
not met. Maslow pointed out that in adults living in developed nations, safety needs are more
apparent in emergency situations (e.g. war and disasters), but this need can also explain why
we tend to prefer the familiar or why we do things like purchase insurance and contribute to a
savings account.

Love and Belonging

According to Maslow, the next need in the hierarchy involves feeling loved and accepted.
This need includes both romantic relationships as well as ties to friends and family members.
It also includes our need to feel that we belong to a social group. Importantly, this need
encompasses both feeling loved and feeling love towards others.

Since Maslow’s time, researchers have continued to explore how love and belonging needs
impact well-being. For example, having social connections is related to better physical health
and, conversely, feeling isolated (i.e. having unmet belonging needs) has negative
consequences for health and well-being.

Esteem

Our esteem needs involve the desire to feel good about ourselves. According to Maslow,
esteem needs include two components. The first involves feeling self-confidence and feeling
good about oneself. The second component involves feeling valued by others; that is, feeling
that other people have recognized our achievements and contributions. When people’s esteem
needs are met, they feel confident and see their contributions and achievements as valuable
and important. However, when their esteem needs are not met, they may experience what
psychologist Alfred Adler called “feelings of inferiority.”

Self-Actualization

Self-actualization refers to feeling fulfilled, or feeling that we are living up to our potential.
One unique feature of self-actualization is that it looks different for everyone. For one person,
self-actualization might involve helping others; for another person, it might involve
achievements in an artistic or creative field. Essentially, self-actualization means feeling that
we are doing what we believe we are meant to do. According to Maslow, achieving self-
actualization is relatively rare, and his examples of famous self-actualized individuals
include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Mother Teresa.

From Maslow’s theory of needs, we understand that:

i). Man is a Wanting Being

Man’s wants are continuous and more and more. What he wants or will want depends upon
what he already has. As soon as one of man’s needs is satisfied, another appears in its place.
This process is unending. It keeps man to work continuously.

ii). Fresh Needs Can Motivate Persons to Work

A man wants to satisfy his needs. When a particular need is satisfied, fresh needs can
motivate persons to work.

iii).Man’s needs have a Hierarchy of Importance:

A man’s needs are arranged in a series of levels. As soon as needs on a level is fulfilled, those
on the next higher level will emerge and demand satisfaction. Thus, Maslow views an
individual’s motivation as a pre-determined order of needs.

iv). Meet people's basic human needs.

Sounds simple, but even the most able, confident and respected people have basic human
needs that must continue to be met if they are to remain motivated and productive. This is
especially relevant during a crisis, whether it is a global event, such as a pandemic, or a
personal problem, such as debt .
 v). Motivation is more than money.

Hard cash is not enough! People have many needs that have to be met beyond this.

vi). Satisfaction can be achieved in many different ways.

The model gives managers a whole range of tools that they can use to build team satisfaction,
even if they do not have much money to hand out. It usually does not cost much to provide a
safe working environment. It is often inexpensive to have team socials where team members
can get to know one another outside the work environment and it costs nothing
to compliment people on a job well done.

vii). Self-actualization can be achieved by anyone.

Finally, Maslow's conviction that we all have the potential to be self-actualizers can be a
source of hope and encouragement for everyone – including you!
REFERENCES
Dickson, G. (2021). 20 Simple Ways to Increase Motivation in the Workplace. Bonusly.

Heathfield, S. (2021). 9 Ways to Inspire Motivation in the Workplace. the balance careers.

Square. (2020). 10 Scientifically Proven ways to motivate employees. SQUARE.