Human Factors in the Management of Becon Construction Company's Heavy Oil Test Station Project

摘要

In January 1986, the Becon Construction Company - an open shop contractor based in Houston, Texas - mobilized a work force to a construction project location at the Belridge Oil Field, near Bakersfield, California. The construction craftsmen and helpers in Becon's work force were expected to improve their level of productivity as the work proceeded because of the knowledge and skills that they would acquire as a result of the repetitive nature of the work. As it was originally organized, the Becon HOTS project represented almost a pure laboratory environment in which to collect data concerning the learning effect on worker productivity as well as to statistically isolate the impact on productivity of such external factors as weather, absenteeism, turnover, and especially work methods improvement techniques and pay incentives. From the outset of the HOTS project, the project manager had established an accurate system to quantitatively measure and compare the total manhours that each crew - civil, mechanical, electrical and prefabrication -- performed at individual HOTS construction locations. Additionally, it was initially assumed that the project manager would be relatively free to implement changes to the job site conditions involving incentive pay and work methods improvement. The subsequent effect of these changes on the productivity of separate work crews could then be evaluated in terms of measured manhours per crew per HOTS.