Workers' efficiency motivation and management: the case of Tanzania - Zambia railway construction.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1987
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Most development projects in Tanzania usually take longer to complete than the expected time. Reasons given to rationalise the delay in implementation are based on the argument that projects are undertaken in difficult physical as well as material conditions. The TANZAM railway project had provided a contrasting experience. Despite the often cited reasons that prevented efficient implementation, the project was completed one year before the planned time, an indication of the possibility of demonstrating that it was still possible achieving efficiency in implementation within the prevailing hostile environment. This study hypothesised that the early completion of the railway project was a result of an effective motivational programme on the workers. The construction workers were well motivated through the application of an appropriate management style which aggregated the motivational effects of all the management functions. Data was obtained by applying a combination of three methods, namely, the historical method, the survey method and interview with heavy emphasis put on the historical method. Data analysis showed how the different management functions had contributed to the motivation of the workers who had shown emotional attachment and commitment to their work through the decision-making, organising, staffing, supervising and reviewing functions. The thesis is divided into twelve chapters. The first chapter introduces the problem of study and describes the theoretical framework and methodology. Chapters two and three review the existing literature on capitalist and socialist management, respectively, while chapter four examines the management pattern operating in Tanzania. Chapters five to ten present and analyse data on the different management functions of planning, organising, staffing, supervising and reviewing as practised by the Chinese in the TANZAM project. Chapter eleven focuses on the political environment in which the project was undertaken. Chapter twelve concludes the study. It presents the overall analysis of the findings as related to the original problem of the study and the underlying hypotheses. Finally the chapter draws the conclusion. The study concludes that the TANZAM railway project workers were well motivated leading to their efficiency. This means that given an appropriate management style, development projects in Tanzania could efficiently be implemented despite the existing obstacles to efficient implementation.
Description
Available in print form
Keywords
Zambia Railway Construction, Rail workers, Productivity, Transport, TANZAM railway project
Citation
Sendaro, A. M. (1987). Workers' efficiency motivation and management: the case of Tanzania - Zambia railway construction. Doctoral dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/search.aspx?formtype=advanced)