LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

EFFICIENCY IN THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF EMPLOYEES OF

A CONSTRUCTION-BASED COMPANY IN AN ALLOTTED
SCHEDULE OF COMPLETION OF A PROJECT

A Case Study
Submitted to the Faculty of the
Department of Engineering
College of Engineering, Computer Studies and Architecture
Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite Campus

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements of the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

JOSHUA KIRBY ACUMAN

CREESELLE DADIVAS
JEROME MAGDADARO
TERENCE JERVIN PULIDO

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Communication is an essential part of life. It is used for sharing, explaining, and
exchanging different ideas, thoughts or expressions between people. We do it every day,
from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep. We talk, write, listen and read just
about anything. This can be related to the most casual to the most professional topics, like
work.
Work requires a great amount of professionalism when it comes to
communicating. This can pose problems to the work at hand when colleagues
misinterpret certain directives. Small misunderstandings can create big problems that can
cause inflation of expenditure for a certain project , or delay in the schedule of the
completion.

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Marcbilt Construction, Inc. is a construction company that specializes in the
production of different construction needs, from pre-cast concrete, to ready mix, asphalt
mixing, even construction itself. Some of the problems the company regularly encounters
are delayed deliveries, errors in the construction on-site and misinterpretation in the part
of labourers from directions of engineers. This had roots from one major problem:
Inefficiency in the communication skills of the employees in a construction-based
company in an allotted schedule of completion of a project

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study was conducted to investigate all aspects of efficient communication
among employees of a construction-based company within the allotted schedule of
completion of a project. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

How does efficient communication affect the expenditure of money on the project?
How does efficient communication affect the expenditure of time on the project?
How does communication affect the morale of the employees?
How can an individual develop good communication skills?
What devices and gadgets can be used to provide better access to communication
among co-workers and employers?
f. How can communication contribute to the success of the company?

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to improve the efficiency of communication
among employees of a construction based company in an allotted schedule of completion
of a project. Specifically, the study aims to train the staff of the company to improve their
communication skills, introduce equipment and gadgets that will promote faster and more
reliable communication and prevent the misinterpretation through proper delivery and
execution of directions.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study is for everyone to understand that proper
communication affects the accomplishment of a project. It will help people to
communicate properly. The processes in the company will be accomplished much faster
and more efficiently. This will result in more projects, more developments and more
profit. This will benefit the engineers to earn more, and gain good reputation as efficient
and time-wise people. The labourers will benefit from this as they will have more job
openings as the company receives more and more projects.

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SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

The scope of the study are:

The communication skills which employers and employees alike

possess
The engineers ability to provide complete and clear details when
instructing labourers
The employees capacity to understand and carry out instructions
and the problems related to miscommunication.

The Delimitations of the study are:

The problems not caused by miscommunication.

The lack of supply of materials
The shortage in manpower

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter, the review of related literature of effective communication
will be discussed. The local review of related literature represents the authors
from the Philippines who has a knowledge or having this kind of problem, same
scenario with the foreign review of literature but it is outside the country.

FOREIGN LITERATURE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Construction is the physical act of carrying out designs created by
engineers or architects (Tipili et al.,2014). This industry has a very essential role
in the society. From houses, schools, to high rise buildings, construction
industries are the ones responsible for building those while the safety, protection
and convenience of structures are the responsibilities of the construction workers.

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EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE
CONSTRUCTION STAGE
It is inevitable for the construction professionals to communicate
from the start to the end of the construction stage. Having the same mindset and
being experienced, those construction professionals will be able to bring out their
best to meet the goals of the project and make it successful. But not only that,
communication has a big role on the success. Although, construction is dynamic
sector, effective communication becomes significant for the successful delivery
of performance
opportunities

goals

(productivity,

profitability

and

repeat

working

(Dainty et.al, 2006). Scope of work and details of construction are communicated
by means of drawings, contract documents, addenda and specifications (Mehra,
2009) which means that the efficient communication of the involved professionals
should not be overdone for them to perform or fulfill the production within the
organization.

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
During a project, communication can occur in various directions
depending on who is communicating: Upward, Downward, and Lateral Channel
(Tipili et al.,2014.Global Journal of Environmental Science and Technology).
From the book of Joann Keyton, Communication and Organizational Culture
(2011), here are the things done under each channels

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Upward Channel: This is where the buy-in strengthens

Communicate to Senior Executives

Highlight, Issues, Risks, and Exceptions
Tools Used:
o Exception Reports
o Weekly Status reports
o Project Charter
o E-mail Updates
o Face-to-face reviews
o Communication Plan

Lateral Channel: This Channel requires Diplomacy and Tact

Communicate to clients, vendors and functional managers

Involves negotiations for resources, budgets, and allocations
Tools Used
o Communication Plan
o Statement of Work
o Contracts
o Email

Downward Channel: This channel requires Delegation Skills

Provide Direction to Project team

Highlight tasks pending scheduled tasks, dates, and general team
briefings
Tools Used:
o Verbal Exchanges
o Agendas, Minutes
o Email
o Project Brief
o Project Plan
o Issue Logs

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FOREIGN STUDY
Efficient Communication can be analyzed as a two way process as
information is not only sent but also received, understood and implemented
(Adeleke, 2004). When the achieved idea is transmitted to the construction team:
from client, architect, engineers, and surveyor to the contractor successfully, that
is the time when communication is considered effective.
Effective Communication Method must bring balance and clarity
to the whole work process because the whole successful construction stage; from
operational procedure to other construction activities heavily rely or depend on
how the information is being transferred.
According to Adeleke, (2004), the structure of Effective
Communication in Construction Companies takes place. This machinery/structure
of communication must be given careful attention because it is very vital for high
productivity as an aid to construction project delivery in the construction site.
Three Structures of Communication:
1. Downward Communication- from superior to subordinate
2. Horizontal Communication- between colleagues of the same level
3. Upward Communication - from sub-ordinate to superior
This must also be given attention because changes in the attitude of
workers to their employers in the site environment may happen due to some
reasons and also to avoid misconceptions of information otherwise a superior
personnel may have a bad feeling and make a decision which may not be accepted
by other working personnel.

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LOCAL LITERATURE
Good communication is an essential component of any profession
or business, but given all its complexities, communication within the construction
industry is yet more important. One reason for this is the requirements of and the
need for compliance with health and safety legislation and regulations, such as the
Philippine Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Rule 1410 for Construction
Safety.
Communication here, for instance, may be conveyed through on site
health and safety information such as signage and through general instructions or
briefings. Poor communication in such instances could have devastating
consequences whereby people could be seriously or fatally injured. Generally, the
construction industry has a poor reputation for the way in which professionals and
organizations communicate this sort of information.
However, it is not only for health and safety reasons that communication
is important in the construction industry. It is also a matter of efficiency and
effectiveness in producing the final product which can be attributed to careful
communication at a number of levels, in order to avoid poor production or
dissatisfying results.
There are generally three forms of communication that take effect during,
for instance, a project.

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These include:

Oral communication spoken messages (face-to-face,

telephone, presentations, meetings)

Written Communication (emails, letters, fax, memos, plans, legal

documents, reports, manuals)
Nonverbal Communication
In order for the forms of communication to be successful, communication
instruments are required. These instruments are essential to providing the
relevant information in order to clearly transmit messages and understanding
across the range of professionals working on a project. For example, at the
tendering stage of a project, the key communication instruments would likely
involve formal letters, calculations, telephone calls, reports, presentations and
contracts in order for the contractor to win a bid to work on a certain project.
Another example would be through the everyday workings on a construction site,
such as non-verbal communication of health and safety information through
letters, and signage and, verbally, through word of mouth. Verbal communication
through mediums such as two way radios would facilitate the movement of
materials using heavy machinery.
In the case of a designer or architect, communication is predominantly
carried out through the process of visual representations via drawings; however
other forms of communication are necessary to fully convey such messages to
others.

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LOCAL STUDY
Traditional means such as paper-based communication, phone calls and
face-to-face meetings seem to be the common way of communication in the
construction industry, especially as permanent records are usually in paper-based
form. However, such methods can have major constraints, possibly because of the
burdens of storage and keeping documents in good condition in situations like
poor weather, which can compromise this.
This could lead to poor communication of information and delays on a
project. For such reasons, many companies based in the construction industry
have adopted the use of more technological methods such as electronic
communication and Information Technology (IT). The introduction of technology
is seen as a tool which can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
communication and the rates at which it can be stored and transmitted.
For its daily functioning, every firm depends on an effective
communication network which has grown up during the years and has proved
itself indispensable. The bigger the firm, the more elaborate the communication
system must be, and the greater the likelihood of expensive and time wasting
mistakes caused through misunderstandings. The precise form of communication

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network will vary from firm to firm.

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Communication is between the client (owner) and the consultants, and is a
continuous process from inception to completion of the project. The clients
statement of requirements which include information such as the size of the
building, nature of the building, funds available, building function and time
limitation of the project will be made available to the consultants.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY
METHOD OF RESEARCH
The descriptive method was used in this research. Descriptive research describes
what is. It may be defined as a purposive process of gathering, analysing, classifying, and
tabulating data about phenomena that is happening and cause-effect relationships and
then making accurate and adequate interpretation about such data with or without the aid
of statistical methods. Such was needed to conduct this study as it is concerned about the
present conditions in the company.

METHOD OF COLLECTING DATA

We collected data by interview, asking the respondents one by one and recording
their answers on a piece of paper.
The questions we asked were:

When given clear instructions, does it decrease the expenditure on time and money?

Does your employers way of communicating with you affect your morale?

Does the company provide training and seminars on the technicality of the terms to
be used during the provisional period of employment?

Are there any media that provides access to better communication among the
employees?

Does communication affect the success of the company in terms of the efficiency and
reliability of the services that the company offers?

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THE RESEARCH DESIGN
The size of the population in the company is approximated to be
209 employees. Having a margin of error of 3%, a total of 178
respondents were chosen, 164 respondents from the labourers and 14
respondents from the employers were interviewed. The type of sampling
used was quota sampling, as a specified number of people were included
in the sample. The formula:
n=N/(1+N(e)2)
where n = Sample size , N = Total population, and e = Margin of error, was used.
Therefore,
n=209/(1+209(0.03)2)
n=175.91

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STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA
Sample size

Number of labourers

Number of employers

Total

193

16

Respondents

164

14

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Responses
Labourers

Employers

Yes/No

Yes/No

1. When given clear

instructions, does it
decrease expenditure on
time and money?

115

49

10

2. Does your employers

way of communicating
with you affect your
morale?

113

51

14

3. Does the company

provide training and
seminars on the
technicality of the terms
to be used during the
provisional period of
employment?

164

4. Are there any media

that provides access to
better communication
among the employees?

155

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5. Does communication
affect the success of the
company in terms of the
efficiency and reliability
of the services the
company offers?

164

14

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