Parviz Ghoddousi - College of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology
Nima Bahrami - College of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology
M. Reza Hosseini - School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia
Nicholas Chileshe - School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia

The aim of this study is to reveal a snapshot of the process of motivating construction workers through deploying a proposed model of motivation based on expectancy theory. This also involves testing the validity of this model within the construction industry of a developing country such as Iran. To this end, a total of 194 questionnaire responses based on the perceptions of construction workers were used in the analysis of data. Accordingly, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach based on the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) technique was deployed. The findings indicated that the five indicators of expectancy theory, which are intrinsic instrumentality, extrinsic instrumentality, intrinsic valence, extrinsic valence and expectancy were all valid to map the process of construction workers’ motivation. As the other corollary of the study, it could be proffered that intrinsic indicators could be more effective than extrinsic ones. This implies the necessity of construction managers placing further focus on intrinsic motivators.

Construction industry, expectancy theory, motivation, structural equation modelling, workers