Motivation has become one of the most widely discussed concepts in
general management. Although it has not generated the same
enthusiasm in the construction industry, substantial efforts have
been made to apply the concept to construction operatives. This
literature survey seeks to establish the relevance of motivation
theories to construction, and to review attempts to apply these
theories to construction operatives. It is the first stage in an ongoing
research into modelling the relationship between motivation and
productivity in construction operatives.