Evaluation of construction labor productivity factors in turkish construction industry: Labor productivity index

Productivity is considered as the main factor for competition in every sector under today's economic circumstances. For the last several decades, unfortunately, productivity in the construction industry has lagged behind the manufacturing industry. The aim of this study is development of productivity factors implementation index to improvement the efficiency construction labour productivity in Turkish construction industry. Productivity factors implementation index is a checklist for productivity factors affecting construction labour productivity in positive way. The development of the productivity factors implementation index manly depends on academic literature and experts opinions. These practices have been grouped together into a formalized set of categories. Planning and implementation levels of each productivity factors are described clearly. Each productivity factor weighted by the view of construction labours. The term of productivity factor is predictable and used as a ratio of construction labor productivity. The hypothesis of the research is projects with the higher level of productivity factors implementation exhibit higher productivity performance than projects with the lower level productivity factors implementation. To prove that, the study that consists of three different parts is conducted. To obtain necessary data, face to face interviews were carried out with the 136 craft workers. In the first part of the study, the factors affecting construction labor productivity are identified, defined and described in detail. 52 factors affecting construction labor productivity categorized under 6 different categories namely; (1) Materials Management, (2) Construction Machinery and Equipment (3) Execution Approach (4) Human Resource Management (5) Construction Site Management and (6) Health and Safety. The most affecting category; Human resource management, construction site management, materials management, construction machines and equipment, execution approach and health and safety in descending order. The most affecting productivity factors are; amount of pay, working in social insurance, camping conditions, overtime payments, incentive payment programs, relaxation allowances, distribution of site tools and equipment, working hours, procurement plan and procurement team in descending order. In the second part of the study, productivity practices implementation index developed for Turkish construction industry by the taking into consideration of relative importance of each productivity factor. The index determines planning and implementation levels of each productivity in construction work sites. Construction labor productivity connected with planning and implementation levels of productivity factors linearly. The last part of the study, three different types of construction projects are evaluated by the perception of productivity index in Turkey. The purpose of making real assessment is determination of the current productivity status of construction projects in Turkey. Construction industry is still labor intensive industry, and the main purpose of this study is improvement high construction labor productivity. This study is beneficial for industry practitioners and academics.