📈 economics

The Influence of Team Effectiveness on Team Motivation in Building Construction Projects in Sierra Leone.

This study utilizes PLS-SEM analysis of 250 construction professionals in Sierra Leone to demonstrate that team experience is a more critical driver of motivation and satisfaction than technical skills, suggesting that project managers should prioritize experience-based reward systems to enhance team effectiveness.

Original authors: Mohamed Mousa Sesay

Published 2026-10-07

📖 5 min read🧠 Deep dive

CC BY 4.0

Original authors: Mohamed Mousa Sesay

Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

In the bustling, often chaotic world of building construction, the success of a project depends less on the strength of the concrete or the precision of the blueprints than on the people who mix the cement and lift the beams. For decades, experts have known that a motivated team builds better, faster, and safer. But what actually makes a team feel motivated, especially in places where resources are tight and the work is physically demanding? The answer often lies in two distinct qualities: the technical skills a worker brings to the job, and the collective experience the group shares. While skills are the tools in the toolbox, experience is the wisdom of knowing how to use them together when the unexpected happens. In developing nations like Sierra Leone, where construction projects are vital for economic growth but often face difficult conditions, understanding the difference between these two drivers is not just an academic exercise; it is a practical necessity for getting buildings finished.

A recent study set out to untangle this relationship within the building sector of Sierra Leone. The researchers wanted to know if a team's motivation comes more from having highly skilled individuals or from having a group that has worked together for a long time. They focused on three specific ways a team feels motivated: the formal rules for giving rewards, the actual rewards the team receives, and the general satisfaction the members feel with their work. To find the answer, the team surveyed 250 construction professionals, ranging from project managers and engineers to site supervisors and skilled laborers. They asked these workers to rate how their team's experience and skills influenced their feelings about rewards and satisfaction. The data was then analyzed using a sophisticated statistical method designed to map out complex relationships between different factors, allowing the researchers to see which connections were strong and which were weak.

The results revealed a clear and somewhat surprising hierarchy. The study found that a team's collective experience was a powerful engine for motivation. When a group had worked together for many years, they were significantly more likely to feel that the reward systems in place were fair, to perceive the rewards they received as meaningful, and to feel satisfied with their jobs. Experience seemed to act as a bridge, helping teams understand the rules of the game and feel confident that their hard work would be recognized. In contrast, the technical skills of the individual members told a different story. While having skilled workers did make the team feel more satisfied and helped them feel that their specific contributions were rewarded, these skills did not significantly influence how the team viewed the formal rules for giving out rewards. In other words, being good at the job did not automatically make a team feel that the system for paying or praising them was fair or well-structured.

This distinction suggests that in the construction environment of Sierra Leone, the shared history of a team matters more than the raw talent of its members when it comes to navigating the system of rewards. The researchers observed that experienced teams, having faced challenges together, developed a shared understanding that helped them feel more secure and motivated, regardless of whether they were the most technically proficient group on site. The data showed that while skills are essential for doing the work, they are not the primary factor that makes a team feel that the organization values them through its reward structures. Instead, it is the accumulated wisdom of the group—the ability to handle uncertainty and the deep knowledge of how things work on a real-world site—that drives the feeling of being fairly treated and motivated to continue.

The study also highlighted that while the team's experience and skills explained a good portion of why some teams felt more satisfied or rewarded, there were still other factors at play that the researchers could not measure. About a third of the variation in how teams felt about their rewards was explained by the team's experience and skills, but the rest remained a mystery, likely influenced by the broader organizational culture or external economic pressures. This means that while building experienced teams is a proven strategy for boosting morale, it is not a complete solution. The findings suggest that project managers and policymakers in Sierra Leone should focus on retaining experienced groups rather than constantly reshuffling teams with new, perhaps highly skilled, individuals. By keeping the same people together, they can foster a sense of continuity and mutual trust that naturally leads to higher motivation and better project outcomes, even in a resource-constrained environment.

Ultimately, this research offers a practical guide for improving construction projects in challenging settings. It indicates that the path to a motivated workforce is not necessarily found in hiring the most technically gifted individuals, but in nurturing the long-term relationships and shared history of the teams that do the work. When a team has been together long enough to learn the ropes and support one another through difficulties, they develop a resilience and a sense of fairness that technical ability alone cannot provide. For the leaders of construction projects in Sierra Leone, the lesson is clear: invest in the people who know each other, and the motivation to build a better future will follow.

Technical Summary: The Influence of Team Effectiveness on Team Motivation in Building Construction Projects in Sierra Leone

Problem Statement
While team motivation is globally recognized as a determinant of construction project success, there is a significant gap in understanding how team effectiveness shapes motivation within low-income, labor-intensive economies like Sierra Leone. Existing literature predominantly focuses on developed regions with robust institutional frameworks and standardized reward systems. In contrast, Sierra Leone's construction sector operates under resource constraints, informal structures, and fluctuating project environments. The study identifies a lack of integrated research examining how specific indicators of team effectiveness—specifically Team Experience (TmE) and Team Skills (TmS)—influence motivational drivers such as Reward Mechanisms (RM), Team Reward (TR), and Team Satisfaction (TS) within this specific socio-economic context.

Methodology
The research employs a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze complex interrelationships among latent variables.

Data Collection: A structured questionnaire was administered to 300 construction professionals (architects, engineers, managers, supervisors, and laborers) in Sierra Leone, yielding 250 valid responses (83.3% response rate).
Sampling: A stratified sampling method ensured representation across roles, experience levels, and educational backgrounds.
Measurement: Constructs were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. The study utilized SmartPLS 4.0 for structural modeling and SPSS 25 for descriptive statistics.
Validation: The measurement model was assessed for reliability (Cronbach's Alpha > 0.7, Composite Reliability > 0.7) and validity (Average Variance Extracted > 0.5, HTMT ratios < 0.90, and Fornell-Larcker criteria). Multicollinearity was ruled out (VIF < 2.5).
Analysis: The structural model was evaluated using path coefficients ( $\beta$ ), $t$ -statistics, $p$ -values, $R^2$ (predictive power), $f^2$ (effect size), and $Q^2$ (predictive relevance) via bootstrapping (5,000 subsamples).

Key Results
The study tested six hypotheses regarding the influence of TmE and TmS on RM, TR, and TS. The findings reveal distinct patterns between experience and skills:

Team Experience (TmE):
- Significant Positive Influence: TmE was found to be a critical driver for all three motivational constructs.
- Reward Mechanism (RM): $\beta = 0.365$ ( $p < 0.001$ ).
- Team Reward (TR): $\beta = 0.282$ ( $p < 0.001$ ).
- Team Satisfaction (TS): $\beta = 0.340$ ( $p < 0.001$ ).
- Interpretation: Experienced teams are better aligned with reward systems, perceive rewards as fairer, and report higher satisfaction.
Team Skills (TmS):
- Mixed Influence: TmS significantly influenced Team Reward and Satisfaction but failed to significantly impact Reward Mechanisms.
- Team Reward (TR): $\beta = 0.347$ ( $p < 0.001$ ).
- Team Satisfaction (TS): $\beta = 0.221$ ( $p = 0.003$ ).
- Reward Mechanism (RM): $\beta = 0.101$ ( $p = 0.078$ ). Rejected.
- Interpretation: While technical skills contribute to perceived rewards and satisfaction, they do not significantly influence the perception of formal reward mechanisms (RM) compared to experience.
Model Predictive Power:
- The model explained 32.3% of the variance in Team Reward ( $R^2 = 0.323$ ) and 25.9% in Team Satisfaction ( $R^2 = 0.259$ ).
- The explanatory power for Reward Mechanisms was lower ( $R^2 = 0.190$ ), suggesting that factors outside of TmE and TmS (e.g., organizational culture, external incentives) significantly influence reward structures.

Key Contributions and Significance
The paper claims its significance lies in its contextual specificity, methodological rigor, and theoretical integration within an underexplored geographic and economic setting.

Theoretical Contribution: The study challenges the universal application of classical motivation theories (e.g., Herzberg, Maslow, Vroom) in low-resource environments. It suggests that in Sierra Leone's construction sector, collective experience often outweighs individual technical skills in driving motivation and aligning with reward systems. It proposes a recalibration of these theories to account for informal structures and communal dynamics prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Empirical Contribution: By utilizing PLS-SEM, the research provides a robust empirical framework linking team effectiveness dimensions to motivational outcomes. It highlights that while skills are necessary for performance, experience is the primary catalyst for motivation, particularly regarding the perception of fairness in reward distribution.
Practical Implications: The findings suggest that project managers and policymakers in developing economies should prioritize experience-based reward systems and retention strategies over purely skill-based incentives. The study advocates for transparent, participatory reward mechanisms that recognize team-based contributions and procedural memory rather than solely individual technical competencies.

Limitations
The author modestly acknowledges limitations, including the cross-sectional design (limiting causal inference), potential self-reporting bias, a gender imbalance in the sample (68% male), and the exclusion of broader organizational culture variables. The study notes that the lower $R^2$ for Reward Mechanisms indicates a need for future research to explore additional factors such as leadership styles and external compensation systems.

Technical Summary: The Influence of Team Effectiveness on Team Motivation in Building Construction Projects in Sierra Leone

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