Research Information System
BEHAVIORAL STRATEGY FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, pp.171-194, 2018 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Behavioral strategy has long been neglected by researchers and professionals in the construction industry even though there is evidence to support the fact that behavioral strategy is important in decision making. Motivating individuals may have an impact on these individuals' preference of behavioral strategy, which in turn may affect their decisions. Motivated professionals positively affect construction project performance, hence creating competitive advantage for the company. One can use the most functional and aesthetic design, the latest technologies, and the most modern management techniques, and yet success can be elusive if the professionals employed in the project are not motivated to do their best. However, motivating employees is a challenge because the same motivators do not always have the same effect on every employee. One of the reasons for this situation is the effect of national culture on motivators. In today's global environment, the professionals employed in construction projects often have different cultural backgrounds. Some researchers have explored the relationship between national culture and motivation, but only for skilled and unskilled workers, not for professionals like civil engineers. The objective of this study is to investigate if national culture affects civil engineers' motivators by administering a questionnaire survey to American and Turkish civil engineers (i.e., professionals with radically different national cultures), and statistically analyzing the findings. The results suggest that some of the motivators are directly related to national culture but some are not. The findings of this study will help construction executives with identifying the appropriate motivators for the civil engineers they employ, consequently enhancing their company's competitive advantage.