Ma, L and Liu, C (2018) Decomposition of temporal changes in construction labour productivity. International Journal of Construction Management, 18(1), pp. 65-77. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
Construction productivity is recognized as an indicator reflecting the performance efficiency and competitiveness of the industry. A large amount of research has been carried out focusing on the decomposition of the influential factors and the temporal trends of construction productivity changes, respectively. However, the decomposition of the temporal changes in construction labour productivity has not yet been explored. Analogous to the framework of the productivity frontier, this research argues for a four-component decomposition of the temporal changes in construction labour productivity, including technology, technology-utilization efficiency, the capital-labour ratio and production capacity. An error correction model is subsequently estimated using the panel data regression method to investigate the effects of these components on the temporal changes in construction productivity across a sample of the Australian construction industry. The empirical results con?rm that the effects of the four components on the temporal changes in construction productivity changes vary over the observed time periods. From the aggregate level, the technology-utilization efficiency and capital-labour ratio across the regions are found to be barriers to growth in Australian construction productivity. Nevertheless, the effects of technology-utilization efficiency and production capacity varied significantly over the three sub-periods, when innovative national economic systems were introduced.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Australia; construction; error correction model; four-component decomposition; labour productivity; seemingly unrelated regression; temporal change |
| Index terms: | productivity, aggregate, error correction model, Australia, efficiency, construction industry, construction productivity, construction labour, labour productivity, competitiveness, influential factor |
| Subjects: | market analysis, statistical analysis, industry analysis, performance management, management, Geography, operations management, risk assessment, materials science |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Quality Management, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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