An Overview of Management Principles in the Construction Sector

This report provides a comprehensive overview of management principles as applied within the construction industry. It delves into the core functions of management, including planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling, and explains their significance in achieving project goals. The report examines the application of these principles in various contexts, such as strategic, tactical, and contingency planning, and emphasizes the importance of effective resource management, team organization, and leadership. It highlights the role of managers in problem-solving, decision-making, and ensuring project quality and cost control. The report also discusses the essential elements of staffing, including staff acquisition, training, and reassignment, along with the interview process for new team members. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of implementing control systems to monitor and correct activities, ultimately contributing to successful project outcomes and the avoidance of potential failures.

Acknowledgment
Apart from my effort, the success of this project depends largely on the encouragement and
guidance of many others .
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to each and everyone who has been instrumental
in the successful completion of this assignment. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my
dear lecture Mr. Sunesh Hettiarachchi , for his constant support and help . And without him, I
would not have been able to accomplish this assignment
Executive summary
Construction Management is a professional service that applies effective management techniques
to the planning, design and construction of a project from inception to completion for the
purpose of controlling time, cost and quality.
Construction Management is a discipline and management system specifically created to
promote the successful execution of capital projects for owners.
I have explained principles of management, in relation to construction industry, and its market
activities, and role of its professionals. As well as organizational structures environmental
management issues, procumbent methods have been explained in this assignment.
Introduction
Management is a set of activities including planning, decision making, organizing, leading and
controlling directed at an organization’s resources (human, financial, physical and informational)
with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner.
.management has lots of stages an organization is a combination of all these things. In an
organization each and every member has responsibilities and they have to work as a team.
Management consultants help organisations to solve issues, create value, maximise growth and
improve the business performance of their clients. They will identify options for the organisation
and suggest recommendations for change, as well as helping with additional resources to
implement solutions.

Task 01(P.1.2, P.1.2)
What is management?
A set of activities (including planning and decision making, organizing, leading and controlling) directed
at an organization’s resources (human, financial, physical and information) with the aim of achieving
organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner.
Definitions of management
1. The organization and coordination of the activities of
a business in order to achieve defined objectives
Management is often included as a factor of production along with‚ machines, materials,
and money
2. The directors and managers who have the power and responsibility to make decisions and
oversee an enterprise.
3. The collective body of those who manage or direct any enterprise or interest; the board of
managers.
Manager should have ,
• Activators - The type of strategy followed by a manager before his workforce sets on with performance.
• Behaviors - How the workforce performs or behaves within the activity or situation as a result of activators or
consequences.
• Consequences - How the manager handles the workforce after the performance.
Manager should have problem solving and decision making skills. As well as time management. Manager will need to
know the basic ethics of problem solving
Functions of management
1.planing
2.Staffing
3.Organizing
4.directing
5. controlling

Planning : setting the organization’s goals and deciding how best to achieve them this is the basic
managerial function. planning is a decision in advance, what to do, when to do, how to do
and who will do a particular task. It bridges the gap from where we are and where we want
to be .Planning is a process which involves thinking before doing.
Staffing : this is filling, keeping filled positions, in the organization structure through defining work-
force requirements, selecting compensating training. Staffing involves manning the position
created by organization process and concerned with human resources of an organization.
Organizing : determining how best to group activities and resources.
▪ When there is more than one employee needed to carry out a plan.
▪ Then organization is needed.
▪ A team must be formed.
▪ Each job must be carefully defined in terms of what is to be done.
▪ Establish delegation of responsibility.
Directing : motivating members of the organization is a part of directing. It is the part of managerial
function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of
organizational purposes.
Controlling : monitoring and correcting activities are the main two things of controlling. This is a method
of checking up to find what has been done and what must be done. This is essential for
achieving objectives of an enterprise.
Planning
Planning is normally done by higher level managers of the organization. It includes,

❖ Planning
❖ budgeting
❖ sets targets
❖ establishes detailed steps
❖ allocates resources
There are 3 types of planning
strategic planning: manager needs to plan the duration of the project.and also he has to plan the
cost of the project.size of the workforce. Number of employees in each catogary .
such as engineers, architechs, car penters, plumbers, welders. Starting date and
finishing date should be plan before stat the project .
tactical planning: manager has to plan where to put the entrance , where to put the exit, where to
locate the stores, where’s to install the crains, where to place the security room
etc. when to bring the row materials, when to pay the salaries for the workers,
should plan by manager.
Contingency planning: manager has to plan the alternative solutions available in case of the
original plan fail. If a supplier of steel required for the building did not supply
on time , manager should have arrangements with another supplier. If the
architect or structural engineer withdraws from the project or something
happened to them, several other people of similar calibre should have been
line-up by the manager. If the electricity from national grid is disconnected
due to some reason or other the manager should have planned for a
generator with a sufficient capacity.
Before hiring a supplier there has few things that always need to be ticked off before hiring one
• Do they supply good quality materials and equipment?
• Do they guarantee they can meet your target
• Does the provider have a good standing and recommendation rate?
When dealing with any person in the construction industry, it’s a good idea to take the time to make
careful decisions. Manager should have a good knowledge for that.

Staffing
its describes the overall approach for acquiring and managing human resources of the project. This is
consisting with overall staffing approach, location, staff acquisition, training, reassignment
Overall approach : for staffing the project we take this type . with contractors, use of employees and
outsourcing firms. For example when some of the work is subcontract we can situate that here. We can
discuss about the timing of bringing in resources if it’s important .
Location: we should explain correctly to the team members where the team or group is located. It is
very important. Because some team members may be working from home or somewhere else
.sometimes the team members may be co-locating. We should have essential team members that live in
other areas, cities or other countries.
Staff acquisition: basically this is a table that explains the types of resources. It describes what types of
resources are needed for the project. At what time they are needed and the place they are coming from.
If we are planning to use properties (resources) or new workers we may need to explain when we will
start to take on for the location
Training: most of the time we may have enough number of workers(team members) for the project.
But the main problem is they don’t have the right skills. At that time if we know of specific workers who
will need good training and guiding state so in this section. This section only include the training that
specifically required for your team to be successful on the project.
Reassignment: we should give explanation the arrangement for reassigning the project team once
their all duties, roles and job on the project is completed.
Project rewards and consequences: explain if there will be specific incentices for all the members on
your project. It could be very simply like formal “thanks” awards at weekly status meeting. Sometimes
there can be Financial bonuses based on the victorious end of the project.
Interview new team members: when the project comes to the final stage, a project team must be put
together. You may have variety of workers and contractors.in some cases the workers are assigned
based on availability and skills. But sometimes we have to hire workers for the position from somewhere
else.

The interview process is very important. There have some rules to remember before your interview.
Understand the job opening : sometimes people interview a worker and immediately they forgot what
position the worker was being interviewed. So if you have a good picture of the worker and if you can
identify the job that he can do, you can easily evaluate the worker.
Understand your role: in the interview process normally people have defferent roles and they expect
different things.for an example you may be asked a practical or industrial interview.from that every
interviewr should realize whether he has specific interview prospects.
Be prepared: before the interview you sholud be prepared well.some times you may have additional
questions that your company requires you to ask a part of standard review process.
Go into the interview with a clear mind.you should only focus on the discusion and dnt think about
other problems that you need to fix.
These are very important and help certify that practised, skilled and qualified candidates are hired.this
helps to increase the value that you give to the interview procedure and helps you company make
excellent.
Organizing
❖ Creates structures
❖ Job descriptions
❖ Staffing
❖ Hierarchy
❖ Delegates
❖ Training
Organizing is deciding how best to group organizational activities and resources.managers should
arrange a structure that links workers, resources and tasks together. Its very easy to achieve the
organizational goals. All the structural elements of the company and how those elements work together
are used to manage the total organization. The structute shown bya chart and it shows positions in the
organization.manager has a responsibility to ensure the workers have good skille and talents which need
for the workplace.manages should have know whether appropriate workers are hired.sometimes
manager has to order parts or other components which need for the project.in todays business world,
things chang very quckly. Therefore manager should have well organizing skills.for an example
sometimes site manager has to order materials and other things which need for the project.when
manager organize these things he should plan when materials should need and when the materials
should order. Manager must be organized to keep track of items needed, without having components
too early and too late.

Main contractor must organize each of subcontractors and receipt of building materials. Managers who
take the organizing function seriously and always update their plans appropriately will achieve success in
the workplace and the whole project.
Directing
❖ Solves problems
❖ Negotiates
❖ Brings to consensus
It is the part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for
achievement of organizational purposes. Directing is leading workers to achieve the goals. Managers
should have leadership skills in order to get workers to perform successfull.sometimes managers are
trying to direct by empowering workers. It doesn’t mean that manager hasn’t responsibility .empowered
workers can make decisions about what plans will they have in next few weeks. Managers give full
support for empowered workers and they always try to perform well on the job. Also managers should
have negotiation skills. Manager should know to negotiate with each other and come to a good
resolution.
Controlling:
❖ Implements control systems
❖ Performance measures
❖ Identifies variances
❖ Fixes variances
Cost control and quality control are the main parts of controlling. Defects or failures in constructed
facilities can effect in very large costs. Even with minor defects, re-construction may be required and
facility operations damaged. Increased costs and delays are the result of these failures. In the worst
case, failures may cause personal injuries or physical properties. Good project managers always
concentrate their mind on these things and try to certify that the job is done right the first time and that
no major accidents occur on the project.
cost control, the most important decisions regarding the quality of a completed facility are made for the
period of the design and planning stages rather than during construction. It is during these opening
stages that component structures, material requirements and functional performance are decided.
Quality control during construction consists largely of insuring applicable to these original plans and
planning consistence.

Quality management is a method for ensuring that all the activities necessary to design, develop and
impliment a product or service are effective and efficent with respect to the system and its
performance.
In construction engineering and manufacturing, quality control and quality engineering are involved in
developing systems and ensure products or services are designed and produced to meet or exceed
customer requiments.
Manager should provide material for works at the right time and manager has a responsibility to control
the workers when they work at the site. When workers working at the site manager should control the
materials which using by workers at the site. Sometimes workers don’t care about materials and they
don’t know the cost of those materials.
❖ Managing the health, safety, and welfare of employees
❖ Managing the maintenance and safety of plant and machinery
❖ Ensuring proper and safe delivery, storage, and handling of material
❖ Monitoring the overall functioning of each section and department of the project
❖ Managing the quality of all work carried out
❖ Ensuring the timeliness of all work carried out
❖ Ensuring effective utilization of manpower, plant, and material
❖ Monitoring the budget on all activities and taking corrective action
❖ Controlling project finance
Task 02(P1.13)
Leadership
the principal dynamic force that motivates and coordinates the organisation in the
accomplishment of its objectives. in another way leadership is a process of motivating people to
work together collaboratively to accomplish great things. Manager has to issue orders and
instructions and guide and counsel his subordinated in their work with a view to improve their
permonace and achieve enterprise objectives.
Leadership is the abilitity to build up confidence and zeal among people and to create an urge in
them, to be led. To be succeful leader , a manager must processs the qualities of foresight, drive
intiative, self confidence and personal intergity.
who are leadres?
• People who :
✓ Can influence the behaviros of others
✓ Are able to influence withoutt having to rely on force
✓ Are accepted by others as leaders
There are 3 types of leadership

1. Aurocraric
2. Domecraric
3. Lessie-Fair
Aurocraroc
– Leader makes decisions without reference to anyone else
– High degree of dependency on the leader
– Can create de-motivation and alienation
of staff
– May be valuable in some types of business where decisions need to be made quickly
and decisively
Domecraric
• Encourages decision making
from different perspectives – leadership may be emphasised throughout
the organisation
– Consultative: process of consultation before decisions are taken
– Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeks to persuade others that the decision
is correct
– May help motivation and involvement
– Workers feel ownership of the firm and its ideas
– Improves the sharing of ideas
and experiences within the business
– Can delay decision making
Laissez-Faire
– ‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities
are shared by all
– Can be very useful in businesses
where creative ideas are important
– Can be highly motivational,
as people have control over their working life
– Can make coordination and decision making
time-consuming and lacking in overall direction
– Relies on good team work
– Relies on good interpersonal relations

For an example if we are going to start a project ,Planning, staffing, deircting and controling are done by
leagers.when we have a project, the leader guiding all the things of the project.there is no correcting
decissions made.normally leader decides what to do, how to do, where as team members perform the
work.leader has to decide everything throughout the project. From begining leader has to manage
everything and he has a responsibility to manage the projest and give the right guidence at the righ time
to the workers. And Assist the team to forge a clearly articulated visionwith clear objectives and goals leader
needs to Devise a workplan in which each member isallocated clearly defined tasks that are meaningfuland
challenging for that individual. The leader should be a role model for the team –
good at communicating openly and honestly and winning the respect and trust of all involved.
when workers are going to lay a contreate leader has to Calculating the volume of ready-mix required for the
project, Health and safety when working with concrete, Materials needed, Preparing the concrete base,
Assembling the concrete formwork, Weather
Concrete should not be laid in very cold weather or in rainy conditions.therefore leader has to plan
everything correctlr before do something,
Leader first asks from the workers or team what to do and how to do something before make the
decission.leader gives a chance for everyone to give their ideas and plans for the project.
Team members can participating making decission. But the final decission is made by the leader.
Motivation
The act or process of stimulating to action, providing an incentive or motive, especially for an
act.
Motivation is considered goal-oriented behavior and the underlying motives. Motives arouse
and direct our behavior toward some goal
Work motivation is the set of internal and external forces that cause an employee to chose a
course of action and engaged in certain behaviors.
There are three elements of work motivation
1. Direction and focus of the behavior

2. Level of effort provided
3. Persistance of the behavior
There are three types of motivation theories.
1. McGregor’s Theory- X
2. McGregor’s Theory- Y
3. Maslow’s theory
4. Herzberg’s theory
McGregor’s Theory- X
A set of assumptions of how to manage individuals motivated by lower order needs
People inherently dislike work and will avoid it if they can
People must be coerced , controlled, derected, and threatened in order to make them work
The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility and has relatively little
ambition.
McGregor’s Theory- Y
A set of assumptions of how to manage individuals motivated by higher order needs
The expenditure of physical and mental effort in work is as natural as play or rest.
People can exercies self-direction and self-control in the service of objectives to which they are
commited.
The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibiity.
Experiences in organizations result in passive and resistant behaviors; they are not inherent
Motivation, development potential, capacity for assuming responsibility, readiness to direct behavior
toward organizational goals are present in people
Management’s task—arrange conditions and operational methods so people can achieve their own
goals by directing efforts to organizational goals
Maslow’s theory
Maslow proposed the concept of "Hierarchy of Needs. He developed the concept of the hierarch of
needs:

Physiological needs: food and shelter
Security and safety needs: danger, threats and deprivation
Social needs: belonging and acceptance
Self-esteem needs: recognition and status
Self-actulization needs: creativity and self realization
Herzberg’s theory
Hygiene Factor - work condition related to dissatisfaction caused by discomfort or pain
◼ maintenance factor
◼ contributes to employee’s feeling not dissatisfied
◼ contributes to absence of complaints
Motivation Factor - work condition related to the satisfaction of the need for psychological growth
◼ job enrichment
◼ leads to superior performance & effort
suggestions for motivation
participation needs:
➢ encourage group decision making
➢ consult subordinates
➢ information sharing
power needs:
➢ endourage participation
➢ delegating authority
recognition needs:
➢ praising people for their achievements
➢ responding to people as individuals and not rolea
independence needs: