Motivation and satisfaction factors in construction workers: study case

Abstract

The objective of this article is to identify the areas of opportunity, addressing the motivation and satisfaction of the needs of the construction worker to highlight the importance of the topic in this sector. An exploratory study was made which sought more precise research and hypothesis development. A theoretical frame of reference was created in which legislation, theories and contextualization of the problem are contemplated. This frame offers a vision of the relationships, representations, needs, and problems of the group studied. The following assumptions were confirmed as main results: ‘‘If the reward obtained exceeds what the worker considers appropriate or if it is comparable, the worker reaches a state of satisfaction. If this relationship develops in the opposite direction, dissatisfaction occurs’’; ‘‘The satisfaction of needs influences the following hierarchical order: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem and personal fulfilment in the results of the work process’’; ‘‘Workers are mostly motivated by intrinsic factors rather than by extrinsic factors’’, and ‘‘Workers are more motivated depending on their position in the construction company’’. This research uses quantitative data to interpret them qualitatively and reflects the context, as well as the specific needs of a construction company, is a social and cultural reflection of the conditions in which construction workers live in Mexico and some Latin American countries.