THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Project Managers (PM) plays a significant role in the successful delivery of construction project‟s deliverables. More emphasis should be placed on Human Resource Management (HRM) for PMs as they are key drivers in performance. The aim of this research is to discover the relationships between HRM practices and performance factors. The specific objectives are to: (i) investigate the HRM practices adopted for PMs in construction firms, (ii) identify the significant associations between HRM practices and project performance and (iii) recommend HRM practices to improve project performance. A questionnaire survey of PMs in construction firms was conducted. The data were analysed SPSS software. The statistical tests included one sample t-test, one-way ANOVA test, Pearson‟s Correlations and multiple regression analysis. Primary findings showed that most PM experienced the practices found in the 5 basic HRM constructs: staffing, work design, training and development, compensation and performance management. Most of the practices were found to be practiced to a significant extent. A quality performance prediction model was developed. To improve project quality, firms should improve PM‟s perception of their ability to provide career counselling, ability to retain talents and satisfaction levels with their compensation packages. Based on the findings, recommendation on HRM practices were introduced.