An analysis of employee motivation in the construction industry : the case of Hong Kong

Abstract

Hong Kong is a top-tier region in terms of technological advancement, globalization, and competitiveness. One of the drivers of the global relevance of any region is the attitude or motivation of its employees towards their jobs, as it determines their productivity, which directly impacts the economy. This study is conducted to identify the factors contributing to employees’ motivation in the construction industry in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey is administered to experienced professionals/workers in the construction industry to examine the significance of the motivators. “Monetary incentive” is found as the most correlated factor with the level of employees’ motivation in Hong Kong, while “Job security” is found as the least motivating factor. Furthermore, ten hypotheses are developed based on the identified motivators using the literature. These hypotheses are validated by analyzing the responses to the questionnaire using ANOVA. Subsequently, an employee motivation model based on Porter and Lawler’s model is developed, showing the complete relationships between the factors, and recommendations are presented to improve the state-of-the-art of employee motivations.