Mapping the landscape of productivity in construction research: An umbrella review of trends, gaps and future directions

Purpose – The global construction industry has been grappling with persistently low productivity levels, prompting extensive scholarly investigation. While numerous reviews have examined this challenge, they exhibit considerable variation in focus, methodology, and findings, hindering the synthesis of actionable insights for both practice and research. This study addresses this fragmentation by conducting the highest level of evidence synthesis to comprehensively map construction productivity research, identify trends and critical gaps and establish clear directions for future inquiry. Design/methodology/approach – Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis, this systematic umbrella review analysed 46 review papers on productivity in construction research published between 2013 and 2025. The search involved both white and grey literature sources. Data synthesis was conducted through a thematic coding process to identify patterns, convergences, and divergences across the reviewed studies. Findings – The analysis revealed diverse research themes in the literature, predominantly focusing on factors influencing productivity and potential enablers for improvement. However, a significant limitation of the research area emerged: the absence of standardised terminology and inconsistent conceptualisation of productivity, severely impeding cross-study comparability. Furthermore, existing research has concentrated primarily on on-site construction productivity, neglecting significant productivity impacts across the broader project value chain. Practical implications – Findings highlight the urgent need for standardised productivity definitions and measurement frameworks across the construction sector. Actionable recommendations are directed at three audiences: industry practitioners are encouraged to adopt lifecycle-based metrics; policymakers to invest in productivity dashboards enabling cross-sector benchmarking; and researchers to prioritise longitudinal and meta-analytic designs capable of generating effect-size evidence currently absent from the field. Originality/value – This study constitutes the first umbrella review to systematically synthesise the extensive body of construction productivity literature, providing a meta-synthesis of existing knowledge. By identifying key research gaps and methodological inconsistencies, it highlights the pressing need for a more holistic and coordinated approach to productivity research within the construction industry. The findings offer evidence-based recommendations for future research directions. 2026