ABSTRACT
Construction companies experience low performance of non-construction professionals and lack of self-actualisation as a result of inadequate motivation. This study assessed motivation of non-construction professionals in construction companies in Abuja with a view to improving their performance and self-actualisation in the study area. To achieve this, the study focused on the factors that influence the motivation of non-construction professionals, their current level of motivation, effectiveness of motivational techniques on non-construction professionals and their professional satisfaction and self-actualisation within the industry. The quantitative research approach was adopted using structured questionnaire, the population size is 38 and 348 for management and non-construction professionals respectively. Stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample of 186 non-construction professionals. Relative Importance Index (RII) was used for the various ranking on motivation. The study found that the level of motivation of non-construction professionals in relation to physiological and belongingness needs is high, while their level of motivation in relation to security, esteem, and self-actualisation needs is low. The ranking of motivational techniques revealed the first five factors as outlined in order of their effectiveness on non-construction professionals: Good remuneration (0.93), professional training courses (0.92), job design (0.91), bonus (0.89) and promotion opportunities (0.88). The study concluded that majority of non-construction professionals were not satisfied with the level of motivation in relation to the provision of security, esteem, and self-actualisation needs by their companies and were primarily motivated by monetary rewards as well as opportunities for self-actualisation. The study recommended that the construction industry should perhaps base their motivation strategies around these preferred motivators.