Ethiopian institutes of architecture, building construction
and
city development
(EiABC)
Human resources management in construction
(COTM 5201)
By
Getaneh G.
March 2012
1. FUNDAMENTALS OF GENERAL MANAGMNET
1.1 Introduction
Management is a set of goal-directed,
interrelated and interdependent activities,
aimed at accomplishing organizational
goals in an efficient and effective manner.
Managers are the people looking beyond Managerial activities consist of
what is known to be the
themselves and exercising formal
functions of management:
authority over the activities and planning, organizing, directing,
and controlling
performance of other people in pursuit of
organizational goals.
Planning is devising a systematic approach for attaining the
goals of the organization.
Organizing is determining how activities and resources are
grouped and the composition of work groups and the way in
which work and activities are to be coordinated.
Leading is guiding, leading and overseeing of employees to
achieve organizational goals.
Controlling is establishing performance standards and
comparing results and expectations to make appropriate
changes.
1.2 Levels of Management
The primary function of top managers is strategic and
long-range planning. Top management manages the
organization’s overall goals, strategy, and operating
policies and is responsible for the entire organization.
Middle managers are responsible for sections or
departments and supervise and coordinate the
activities of lower-level managers. They are
responsible for implementing the policies and plans of
top managers.
First line Managers are directly responsible for day-to-
day operations and supervise and coordinate the
activities of operating employees.
1.3 Managerial Skills
Technical skills are skills necessary to
accomplish or understand the specific kind of
work being done in an organization.
Interpersonal skills are the ability to
communicate with, understand and motivate
both individuals and groups.
Conceptual skills are the capacity to think in the
abstract and to see the organization as a
complete unit and to integrate and give
direction to its diverse activities so that
objectives are achieved.
1.4 Organizing Function
The main function of the organizing is to optimize the organization’s
resources to accomplish organizational goals.
Organizations are inter-related groups of people, with knowledge, skills
and resources, working toward common goals.
These groups, according to their orientation, can be classified as formal
and informal groups. Formal groups are those authorized by the
organization.
These groups possess legitimate power within the organization, and
generally are formed to carry out a designated task or function.
Informal groups are those created by employees themselves, and
not authorized by the organization.
Organizing is establishing the internal organizational structure to
accomplish the goals identified in the planning process.
Organizational structure is the formal decision-making framework
which defines job tasks, lines of authority and interface between
departments.
1.4.1 Types of organizational structures
Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker classify organizational structures into
mechanistic and organic forms.
Mechanistic organizations are rather rigid in that they comprise
distinctly delineated jobs, clearly defined hierarchical structure and
are driven primarily by top-down command and control. Mechanistic
organizations are tall structures, consisting of hierarchies with several
layers of management levels.
On the other hand, the organic structures are is relatively flexible.
They are structurally decentralized, empowering employees at all
levels of the organization to take personal responsibility for the
processes and activities in which they are engaged.
1.4.2 Organization Design
Organizational design is creating an appropriate organizational
structure that will enable the organization to accomplish its goals.
The organization can choose from among functional, divisional or
matrix designs, whichever is appropriate.
Functional organization
In a functional organization, tasks or
jobs of similar nature are grouped
together and structured as a unit. Each
unit is staffed by functional specialists.
Structuring the organization along the
functional lines facilitates good
coordination and makes supervision of
the unit easy for managers as they
only need to be familiar with a narrow
set of skills.
Divisional organization
In a divisional organization,
divisional structures are
grouped according to workflow
and structures are made up of
independent strategic
organizational units.
The workflow can be broken
into product lines, geographic
regions, etc.
Matrix organization
In matrix organization, individuals are made
responsible both to their line manager and the
project manager involved.
The matrix concept facilitates working on
concurrent projects by creating a dual chain of
command, the project (program, systems, or
product) manager and the functional manager.
Matrix structures utilize functional and
divisional chains of command simultaneously
in the same part of the organization,
commonly for one-of-a-kind projects
1.5 Staffing and motivation
Staffing is critical to improve the quality and performance of
employees at all levels of an organization. Therefore, it should
be a strategic priority for the manager.
The manager has to not only set the vision and strategy but
also hire the people to achieve them.
A staffing system is defined as a model and a process for those
who recruit, screen, interview, and hire new employees.
When properly designed and implemented, it leads manager
through the hiring process from start to finish. A well
designed staffing system:
– Helps in hiring the right people.
– Creates consistency in hiring decisions throughout the organization.
– Supports management development.
– Helps to improve benchmarking throughout the organization.
– Reduces costs of the hiring process.
– Limits liability.
1.5.1 Staffing Process
The best staffing option is the one that takes into
consideration, to the greatest extent possible, both the
current and future business needs of your organization.
By choosing options that can, in the long run, save time and
resources, you can ensure the availability of staff for the work
that needs to be done – for now, and for the future.
The staffing process generally involves at least four steps.
These four steps are:
1. defining the job, involving the development of a position
description;
2. determining the qualifications and competencies
3. filling the position, which involves screening applicants and
selecting an individual; and
4. training.
1.5.2 Motivation Motivation is the key to performance
improvement and the job of a manager is
not just to get things done through the
employees but to get things done more
efficiently and quickly because motivated
employees are more productive.
To be effective, managers need to
understand what motivates employees
within the context of the roles they
perform.
Broadly, there are ten strategies to induce employee motivation and
improve their work performance:
(a) job security,
(b) sympathetic help with personal problems,
(c) personal loyalty to employees,
(d) interesting work,
(e) good working conditions,
(f) tactful discipline,
(g) good wages,
(h) promotions and growth in the organization,
(i) feeling of being in things, and
(j) full appreciation of work done.
Theories of Motivation
Prior to Hawthorne Studies carried out by Elton Mayo from 1924
and 1932, employees were considered just another input in the
production of goods and services.
This study was revelation in that it found employees are not
motivated solely by monetary rewards and their behavior is
essentially linked to their attitudes.
The Hawthorne Studies set out the human relations approach to
management, whereby understanding what motivated employees
and how they were motivated became the focus of many
researchers.
Five important approaches that have led to the understanding
of motivation are;
Maslow’s Need-Hierarchy Theory,
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory,
Vroom’s Expectancy Theory,
Adams’ Equity Theory, and
Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory.
Maslow’s Need of Hierarchy
According to Maslow, employees
have five levels of needs:
physiological, safety, social, ego,
and self- actualizing.
Maslow reasoned that lower level
needs had to be satisfied before
the next higher level need would
motivate employees.
Physiological needs are biological needs necessary for basic
survival, such as food, water, sleep and sex.
Security needs are essential for a safe physical and emotional
environment.
Belongingness needs are the desire for love and affection.
Esteem needs are recognition and respect from others.
Self actualization needs are realizing one’s potential for
personal growth and development.
1.6 Leadership
Leadership is defined as the process of influencing the
activities of people toward achievement of specified
organizational goals.
The term “leadership” denotes a particular approach or style
of influencing fellow personnel in the organization.
Whatever the style, each leader must have some basis for
exerting influence over others.
In general, there are five ways to influence others:
Coercion: A subordinate perceives or is made to believe that
failure to comply with the instructions of a superior would
lead to punishment.
Reward: Compliance with the instructions of a superior leads
to positive consequences. These rewards could be monetary
or non-monetary.
Position: Power evoked by the position of a superior in the
organizational hierarchy. For example, the director of an
agency possesses more legitimate power than a volunteer.
Knowledge: Use of expertise, skill, knowledge or experience
as the basis for influence. Possession of one or more of these
attributes gains the respect and compliance of peers or
subordinates.
Admiration: A subordinate’s identification with a leader. The
leader may be admired because of one or more personal
traits, and the subordinate can be influenced because of this
admiration.
Leadership is distinct from “managing” which means directing
the activities of others.
Leadership Theories
There are several approaches to leadership and management
based on different theories.
The style that individuals use will be, based on a combination
of their beliefs, values and preferences, as well as the
organizational culture and norms.
A. Trait Theory
The underlying assumption of Trait theory is that people are
born with inherited traits. The emphasis is on discovering
these traits, often by studying successful leaders.
The Trait Theorists suppose that if other people possess the
traits that are generally found in leaders, they too could also
become leaders.
There have been many different studies of leadership traits
and not all of them converge at a similar conclusion.
B. Behavioral Theory
• Put forward by Blake &
Mouton in the early 1960s,
the Managerial Grid
underlines the need for
proper balance between
concern for people and
concern for task. Five
leadership styles are indicated
in the grid.
C. Participative Leadership
Rensis Likert identifies four main styles of leadership, in
particular around decision-making and the degree to which
people are involved in the decision.
– Exploitive authoritative: In this style, the leader has a low
concern for people and uses such methods as threats and
other fear-based methods to achieve conformance.
Communication is almost entirely downwards and the
psychologically distant concerns of people are ignored.
– Benevolent authoritative: When the leader adds concern
for people to an authoritative position, a ‘benevolent
dictatorship’ is formed. The leader now uses rewards to
encourage appropriate performance and listens more to
concerns lower down the organization.
– Consultative: The upward flow of information here is
improved to some degree, although the leader is making
genuine efforts to listen carefully to ideas. Nevertheless,
major decisions are still largely centrally made.
– Participative: At this level, the leader makes maximum use
of participative methods, engaging people lower down the
organization in decision-making. People across the
organization are psychologically closer together and work
well together at all levels.
D. Situational Leadership
The path-goal theory postulates that the most successful
leaders are those who increase subordinate motivation by
charting out and clarifying the paths towards high performance.
According to Robert House’s path-goal theory, effective leaders:
– Motivate their followers to achieve group and organizational
goals.
– Make sure that they have control over outcomes their
subordinates desire
– Reward subordinates for performing at a high level or achieving
their work goals by giving
Raise their subordinates’ beliefs about their ability to achieve
their work goals and Perform at a high level.
Take into account their subordinates’ characteristics and the
type of work they do.
The Path-Goal theory describes four styles of
leadership:
Supportive leadership: Considering the needs of the follower,
showing concern for their welfare and creating a friendly
working environment.
Directive leadership: Telling followers what needs to be done
and giving appropriate guidance along the way.
• Participative leadership: Consulting with followers and taking their
ideas into account when making decisions and taking particular
actions. This approach is best when the followers are expert and their
advice is both needed and they expect to be able to give it.
• Achievement-oriented leadership: Setting challenging goals, both in
work and in self-improvement (and often together). High standards are
demonstrated and expected. The leader shows faith in the capabilities
of the follower to succeed. This approach is best when the task is
complex.
E. Contingency Leadership
Fiedler identified the Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) scoring for
leaders by asking them first to think of a person with whom they
worked and that they would like least to work with again, and then to
score the person on a range of scales between positive factors
(friendly, helpful, cheerful, etc.) and negative factors (unfriendly,
unhelpful, gloomy, etc.).
High LPC leaders tend to have close and positive relationships and act
in a supportive way, even prioritizing the relationship before the task.
Low LPC leaders put the task first and will turn to relationships only
when they are satisfied with how the work is going.
Thank you
