Compensation Structures and Staff Retention in Rwanda’s Construction Sector: Evidence from Access International Construction

Nyirazibera Justine
University of Kigali
Email: bazigajustine@gmail.com

Abstract: Voluntary staff attrition constrains project continuity in Rwanda’s construction industry. This study examined the role of employee compensation on staff retention at Access International Construction Rwanda, focusing on four reward dimensions: performance-based bonuses and incentives, competitive base pay and overtime, employee benefits packages, and career skill-based pay. Anchored in Expectancy Theory, Equity Theory and the Total Rewards Model, the study adopted a correlational, cross-sectional design. From a target population of 377 employees, a sample of 128 was drawn through simple random sampling, supplemented by interviews with three key informants. Data were collected using a structured Likert questionnaire and analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression in SPSS. Instrument reliability exceeded the 0.70 Cronbach alpha threshold for all constructs, and content validity was 0.80. The regression model was statistically significant and the four dimensions jointly explained a substantial share of the variance in retention, with employee benefits packages and performance-based bonuses exerting the strongest effects. The study recommends that construction firms prioritise comprehensive benefits and transparent, milestone-linked incentive schemes over base-pay adjustments, and that policymakers incorporate welfare-mechanism guidelines into construction-sector labour policy.