POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Human Resource
Management in the
Construction Industry
CEM 7102
Assignment 1
Q1 Organizations
(a)Functions of an organization in fulfilling the objectives of a project.

Planning - To plan all project related works

Engineering To handle technical matters related

General Administration - To handle wages, and other personnel

matters

Accounts To handle all financial matters related

Estimating and Billing - All quantity survey related matters are

involved

Purchasing All project related purchases are handled by them

Stores All purchases and issues are managed

Security - To assure the security of all goods related

Safety To assure the safety of workmanship and trainings

Line organizations
Military type, where responsibility/authority flow vertically. There are clear
channels of communication. Operations may be direct and simplified by less
interaction. Everyone knows whom to take orders from and report to and whom
to instruct.
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Line and staff organizations

Where staff represent functional specialists advising line managers. E.g. Head
office structural engineer advising the Site Engineer, Chief Quantity Surveyor
instructing the Assistant Quantity Surveyor etc.

Functional organizations
Where the activities of organizations are divided among functional managers.
E.g. Accountant, Structural Engineer, Chief Quantity Surveyor etc.

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TYPICAL ORGANIZATION CHART TO CONSTRUCT AND ERECT CONCRETE POSTS FOR A LIGHTING SYSTEM

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Possible variations:

Erection and construction can be done as two separate sections under two
senior engineers / managers
For each section its possible to assign an experienced senior/ manager, and
then the work load to the project manager is less. So that he can manage it
easily

(b)
Responsibility
Each and every personnel in this structure is responsible to the task assign to
him. He has to report to his superior. The section manager is sole responsible
person to his function and they have to report to the Project Manager. But The
Project Manager is the overall responsible person for the project.

Accountability
Even though in the organization structure a certain person is assigned to a certain
task under a section manager he has an accountability to work under a superior in
another section. Especially the drivers and operators mainly report to the workshop
head. But once they assign to a site or under other section they have to follow the
relevant managers instruction. Likewise depending on the situation all personnel
(below the executive level) has this kind of accountability in this structure.

Authority
In this organization authority also given to each superior or the section in charge to
oversee/ control the subordinates under his managerial level if they have assigned
under him. Though theres no line relationship between them there can be a
functional relationship. In the same example above the Site Engineer have authority
to control the actions of drivers and operators assigned under him.

(c)

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Fredric Taylor realized that under the existing systems of initiative and
incentive that the great part of the responsibility for getting the work done was
left to the workers where as he believed that all responsibility for planning and
arranging work should rest with management leaving the doing of it to the worker.
This involved a complete change in attitude a mental revolution on the part of both
managers and workers.
(d)
No; of workers Taylor missed the human factor while making his assumptions. In
addition to his assumptions the following factors has to consider.

Hygiene factors.
Motivators/Self esteem factors.

Q2.
(a) Herzbergs two factor theory related to construction workers
(1.) Hygiene factors

Physiological needs Basic requirements for human being. E.g. Air,

Water, Food Provide workers with food and tea. Or provide adequate
salary / an allowance additional to the salary so that they can live their
own without much stress.
Security needs Provide workers with accommodations having
adequate safety or adequate salary. Provide all necessary Personal
Protection Equipments while working.
Social needs Organize entertainment events, Allow for play games,
organize holiday trips etc.

(2.) Motivators
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1.

Ego needs Provide workers with a recognized post according to his

qualification. Assign him under a good boss. Provide good working
environment with necessary equipment. Providing vehicles / transport
facilities (for both official and personal use),
Self actualization needs Award Bonus, Promotions, Extra allowances
depending on performance.

2.

(b)Use of motivation theories in to the job design of a junior Engineer in RDA

The best place to assign a junior Engineer in RDA is national highway sector
projects. As fresh Engineers are much like for sites they can gain much knowledge
while working him under a senior project Engineer under such project. As he is
trained he has to show that he can do the charted etc. by joining with head office
later on. Once he is assign the following factors are to be considered.

Assign him to a recognized post in a project with a scope.

Clarify his duties and standards of performance of RDAs norms.
Ensure that he has necessary equipments are there to work (location for
him in project office, Computer, stationary etc).
Provide necessary transport facilities.
Provide him an accommodation (Normally in projects client (RDA) is
provided with these facilities).
While proving all above we must take care to assign him neither under nor
over the level (professional level, based on education and experience) of
him.
Review his performance/ work done periodically by his superior.

Q3. Open University

(a)
The Open University can be classified as an open system, which cannot see a clear
inputs or outputs. Though its main purpose is distance learning, there are many
other outputs can be seen, like occupational base for its staff and business location
for cafeteria holders etc. It has many internal sub systems like students, staffs and
regional centers island wide. At the same time Academic and non academic staffs
can be classified as other sets of internal sub system. Canteen services, cleaning
services, maintenance teams are external sub systems to the Open University.
University grants commission, visiting lecturers and other universities also can be
categorized as external sub systems to the Open University.
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By considering above sub systems its very clear that each and every sub system
has different kinds of functions but they are interrelated. If one system collapsed or
not functioned well the total system will not functioned as well.
(b)The instances where informal group effect as advantageous;
Lets consider an asphalting work which is to be carried out in road at Dayata
Kirula project. As the constructions are very urgent the asphalt gang is formed by
different workers from different companies. For eg: Asphalt is from Company 1 and
the machine fleet is from company 2. Similarly, only the work gang is from the
mother company. A everybody in this group understands the importance of work
and the hurry to there can be a informal group formed apart from the usual group.
This group head might not be the head of the work gang, but they will work with
mutual understanding. Hence they will;

Work as much as faster they can with the maximum quality they can
maintain.
Work easily by dividend of works and workers will be getting work
satisfaction.
Be work without conflicts or cheating.
Continue without any shortcomings even when the key personnel are
absent.
Work in self oriented manner, so that its very easy to control as a whole
All companies will get the benefit, especially company 3 by completing
the job on time.

As disadvantageous, in the same example;

If they want to cheat, they can do it easily, by showing others faults (But
internally they have arranged to cheat)
Material cheating is easy. For eg: they can sell diesel and asphalt easily by
showing fraud join records.
The quality of work would be law ( if they want to cheat, by doing a law
quality job they can do material trafficking.
Its very hard to punish to a person because others acts against it.
Finally company three would meet severe financial and good will losses.

(c) The task culture is job oriented and can be represented by net where some
strands are thicker and stronger the others. Much of the power and influence lies at
the intersection of the nets. Normally construction projects are based on this
culture. It has a basic role t play in specific period. Once it is over the culture get
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vanished. In this culture we can see tasks like accounts, construction, purchasing,
and security are based on managers in head office while all project has a manager
to control them in site level. Since all are apart the site level is powerful to take
necessary actions appropriately and inform to head office.

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