Investigating Factors Influencing Construction Worker Productivity: The Case of the Middle East

Abstract

Construction labor productivity (CLP) is a critical factor influencing the success of projects, especially in regions like the Middle East where unique challenges, such as extreme weather and complex labor dynamics, are prevalent. Despite the growing interest in improving CLP globally, research in the Middle East remains limited. This review aims to identify the most significant factors affecting CLP in the region, including managerial practices, labor characteristics, worker motivation, technical challenges, and external factors. Additionally, the potential of wearable technology to monitor fatigue and enhance productivity is explored, as it remains an underutilized tool in Middle Eastern construction sites. Findings from this review emphasize the need for tailored, region-specific strategies to improve CLP and drive efficiency in construction projects.

Introduction

The construction industry, unlike other sectors, still faces unique challenges in fully replacing human labor with automation. This is primarily due to the extensive reliance on manual work across a wide range of activities, including but not limited to tiling, masonry block laying, framing, and plastering. Another common issue faced in construction is the prevalence of delays in project submissions. These delays stem from various factors directly related to labor productivity. Horner et al. (1989) suggested that enhancing construction labor productivity (CLP) by 10% could result in an annual cost reduction of around 1 billion pounds for the British economy. Moreover, it has been discussed that project management teams often face considerable difficulties when attempting to gauge manpower and productivity levels (Hanna et al., 2005). Worker fatigue is also directly related to labor productivity. Sembulingam et al. (2015) indicated that occupations with high physical demands and unfavorable working conditions can exert detrimental effects on cardiac function and oxygen consumption, potentially resulting in fatigue and physical strain. Thus, assessing labor’s fatigue and productivity is the basis to improving CLP and accordingly the project’s productivity.

Given these challenges, our primary objective is to identify the factors that most significantly affect CLP, particularly in the context of the Middle East, by reviewing previous research on this topic. A secondary objective is to examine the use of wearable devices or sensor-related devices within construction sites in the region. Furthermore, a detailed discussion investigates the following issues: the standardization of the concept of labor productivity in construction, the maturity of the literature on CLP in the Middle East compared to other regions of the world, the differences in CLP rates between the Middle East and other parts of the world, the regional and context-specific factors that drive CLP, and the roles that modern technologies (e.g., wearable devices, AI) serve in improving CLP, particularly in the context of the Middle East. Ultimately, this review will serve as a valuable resource to motivate the need to improve CLP and project efficiency in the construction sector. In turn this would save companies and governments resources and drive positive outcomes in construction projects across the region.

Methods

The methodology employed in this review encompassed the utilization of four distinct databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase. Two researchers collaborated on the screening process, adhering to a scoping review method guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria comprised empirical studies conducted on-site, published in English, and focusing on CLP and workload within the context of construction sites. Regarding the exclusion criteria, articles were excluded if they fell under the following categories: review articles, safety-oriented publications, abstracts or other partial academic articles, surveys targeting individuals not directly associated with construction sites, studies not conducted within construction sites, and pilot studies.

The search was divided into two categories. The first category aimed to explore existing research on the use of wearable devices in the construction industry in the Middle East. Initially, 181 articles were identified, of which only two articles passed the title/abstract screening. Subsequently, after full-text screening, this number was further refined to one article. The second category aimed to evaluate previous research on fatigue/burnout in construction workers in the Middle East, where 7,312 articles were found. After removing duplicates and conducting title/abstract screening, Cohen’s kappa between the two researchers was iteratively checked and improved by discussing decision rationale. Eventually, 68 articles were included, which was brought down to 46 following the full-text screening. A thematic analysis then ensued to extract the key themes and approaches to model productivity and fatigue.

Results

The review revealed that the studies in the Middle East were spread across the region as follows: Iran (n = 8), Turkey (n = 8), and various Arabic-speaking countries (n = 30). Several factors affecting CLP were assessed in the reviewed articles. The findings were predominantly grouped under managerial, labor characteristics, motivational, technical, and external categories. Among these, the lack of supervision and working overtime were identified as common factors under the managerial section. Additionally, the motivational group, which included on-time payment, fairness of payment, and financial rewards, emerged as a common aspect affecting CLP across different countries in the Middle East. In the labor characteristics section, labor experience and skill were highlighted as highly important factors. As for the technical section, the availability of materials and errors in drawings emerged as significant issues identified in several studies. Finally, an important aspect that receives attention in the region is the significant effect of extreme weather on CLP. Most of the reviewed studies concluded that high temperatures generally have a negative effect on CLP. While more factors were also identified, they were more specific to individual countries or studies, unlike the aforementioned factors that were consistently addressed across most studies.

Discussion

The results obtained from this review provide an understanding of the main issues affecting the improvement of CLP and project efficiency in the Middle East region. The identification of common factors also provides valuable insights into the challenges that need to be addressed to enhance productivity. However, it is crucial to recognize that one size does not fit all, and context-specific solutions are essential. Therefore, tailoring interventions to the unique challenges and dynamics of each country in the Middle East is paramount for effectively addressing CLP issues and optimizing project outcomes.

As per the research we conducted, it is clear that there are various methodologies in measuring and modeling CLP. Moreover, the region’s unique challenges, such as extreme weather, political uncertainty, and cultural dynamics, necessitate tailored approaches to productivity improvement. The growing body of research indicates an increasing interest in this field, yet it is crucial to recognize wearable technology has grown significantly in use within digital health and has even been integrated into the construction industry. While a limited number of studies exist globally assessing the efficacy of wearable technology to improve worker productivity, there seems to be a complete absence of such studies in the Middle East. In fact, most studies on CLP predominantly address the issue simply through surveys. Consequently, our next aim would be to bridge this research gap by conducting a study that utilizes wearable devices to assess labor fatigue and its relationship to productivity.