Impact of team members’ composition on construction projects delivery in selected higher institutions in Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 355-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde ◽  
Deji Rufus Ogunsemi ◽  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of team members’ composition on cost and time of completion of construction projects in selected higher institutions with a view to improving construction project delivery in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study used the purposive sampling technique to select two higher institutions out of six in the study area, and census survey was used in selecting 35 completed construction projects executed by the institutions within the time frame 2000 to 2013. A total of 191 questionnaires were distributed to obtain information from construction team members (quantity surveyors, architects, structural/civil engineers, services engineers, contractors and clients) who participated in the selected construction projects. Mean item score and Kendall’s test were used in examining team members’ composition, while the relationship between team members’ composition and construction cost and time was tested using t-test and eta-squared. Findings The results revealed that construction team members’ composition has a significant impact on the completion time of construction projects, though with small magnitude, while the impact of construction team members’ composition on construction cost is not significant. Also, it was revealed that some team members did not play any team role due to the fact that the main criterion for team members’ composition was knowledge, skill and abilities (KSA). Practical implications The study finally recommended that a deliberate effort should be made in studying and ascertaining the team role every construction team member will play before appointing them to be member of a team, as improper team members’ composition could hamper effective construction project delivery in terms of completion time. Originality/value The study is an attempt to discourage the traditional construction team members’ selection system which was based on KSAs, which is deficient under team environment.

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Karimi ◽  
Timothy R.B. Taylor ◽  
Paul M. Goodrum ◽  
Cidambi Srinivasan

Purpose This paper aims to quantify the impact of craft worker shortage on construction project safety performance. Design/methodology/approach A database of 50 North American construction projects completed between 2001 and 2014 was compiled by taking information from a research project survey and the Construction Industry Institute Benchmarking and Metrics Database. The t-test and Mann-Whitney test were used to determine whether there was a significant difference in construction project safety performance on projects with craft worker recruiting difficulty. Poisson regression analysis was then used to examine the relationship between craft worker recruiting difficulty and Occupational Safety and Health Administration Total Number of Recordable Incident Cases per 200,000 Actual Direct Work Hours (TRIR) on construction projects. Findings The result showed that the TRIR distribution of a group of projects that reported craft worker recruiting difficulty tended to be higher than the TRIR distribution of a group of projects with no craft worker recruiting difficulty (p-value = 0.004). Moreover, the average TRIR of the projects that reported craft worker recruiting difficulty was more than two times the average TRIR of projects that experienced no craft recruiting difficulty (p-value = 0.035). Furthermore, the Poisson regression analysis demonstrated that there was a positive exponential relationship between craft worker recruiting difficulty and TRIR in construction projects (p-value = 0.004). Research limitations/implications The projects used to construct the database are heavily weighted towards industrial construction. Practical implications There have been significant long-term gains in construction safety within the USA. However, if recent craft shortages continue, the quantitative analyses presented herein indicate a strong possibility that more safety incidents will occur unless the shortages are reversed. Innovative construction means and methods should be developed and adopted to work in a safe manner with a less qualified workforce. Originality/value The Poisson regression model is the first model that quantifiably links project craft worker availability to construction project safety performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olugbenga Jide Olaniran

Purpose – This paper aims to present the outcome of a study conducted on the impact that cost-based contractor selection (CBCS) might have on construction project performance. Several criteria are normally used to select construction contractors, competitiveness of the quoted prices of the prospective contractors is one such important criterion. However, choosing contractors solely on the basis of the quoted price may cause poor performance in the construction project. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was adopted. A critical review of the literature was conducted to develop 50 survey questions relating to the problems that CBCS might have on construction project performance. Findings – Analysis of close data obtained from the survey of construction experts showed the nature of project performance problems associated with the CBCS to be project time delays and non-compliance with construction standards. The major reason they occurred was found to be the reduced profit margin for contractors. Research limitations/implications – The research sample size is small and restricted to construction professionals in Brunei. Practical implications – The study findings present updated information to construction professionals about the inherent impacts of choosing contractors based on cost. Furthermore, this study enhances the approach of selecting contractors within the construction industry. Originality/value – The study made strong and unique arguments about the problems associated with choosing construction contractors based on cost. This study contributes to the body of knowledge relevant to the management of construction projects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-811
Author(s):  
Najib Al-Fadhali ◽  
Dodo Mansir ◽  
Rozlin Zainal

Purpose Influential factors attributed to causing project completion delay (PCD) differ because of prevailing variability of local conditions. Construction projects specifically in Yemen (and other developing countries) experience devastating effects of PCD which include litigation, cost overrun, arbitration, abandonment and failure. While existing works have investigated the causes and effects of PCD, not much exist on approaches to optimizing its occurrence in Yemen. In a bid to enhance the effects of PCD in Yemen, the integrated influential factors (IIFs), which is a construction-party specific model, was developed to mitigate the effects of PCD in Yemen. As a build up to the development of this model, this paper aims to validate the IIFs model with a view to foster its application to enhance PCD in construction project delivery in Yemen. Design/methodology/approach The validation of the IIFs model was done through seeking the opinions of 12 selected construction industry experts. This involved using a structured questionnaire to seek information on the sustainability of implementing the IIFs model. Findings The findings revealed that if the IIFs model is vigorously implemented, it would go a long way in curbing delay in the delivery of construction projects, making construction delivery less risky due to the effects of delay. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to only influential factors of internal stakeholders of the construction phase. Similarly, the study was only conducted in the state of Sana'a, Yemen. The implication of the adoption of the IIFs model is that it can hopefully serve as an adaptive controller to construction project delivery relative to the specific parameters and factors investigated in this study. Originality/value The IIFs model is a novel approach to optimizing PCD in Yemen specific to both the construction-phase and internal stakeholders. Existing studies on PCD in Yemen, although investigating the causes and effect of PCD, hardly proffer any approach to optimizing PCD for successful construction project delivery.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Sami Ur Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Tariq Shafiq ◽  
Muneeb Afzal

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the global economy and, thus, the global construction industry. This paper aims to study the impact of COVID-19 on construction project performance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative and exploratory approach to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and its policies on project performance in the UAE construction industry in critical areas of the project management body of knowledge (e.g. schedule, cost, resources and contracts). Semi-structured interview questions were asked from ten construction professional to obtain valuable insights into the pandemic’s effects on the UAE construction industry and the effectiveness of policies implemented to rectify the damage and identify the industry’s new normal. Findings The findings indicate that the construction industry faced several challenges such as schedule delays, disrupted cashflows, delayed permits, approvals and inspections, travel restrictions, serious health and safety concerns, material and equipment shortages, among others which hindered the timely delivery of construction projects. It also indicates that efforts made by the government institutions and the construction industry of the UAE such as economic support programs, digitization of processes, fee and fine waivers, health facilities, among other statutory relaxations proved effective in supporting the construction industry against the adverse effects of the pandemic. Research limitations/implications The research findings are limited to the literature review and ten semi-structured interviews seeking an expert’s opinion from industry professionals working in the UAE construction industry. The research team did not get access to project documents, contracts and project progress reports which may be required to validate the interview findings, and to perform an in-depth analysis quantifying the impact of COVID 19 on construction projects performance, which is a limitation of this research. Practical implications The implication is that, owing to the imposed lockdowns and strict precautionary measures to curb the rapid spread of the pandemic, smooth execution of the construction project across the country was affected. The government institutions and stakeholders of the construction projects introduced and implemented various techniques and solutions which effectively handled the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry of the UAE. Originality/value This study has identified the challenges faced by the construction industry of the UAE in the context of the management of project schedule, project cost, construction contracts, health and safety of construction employees and other related aspects of the construction projects. This study also identified the techniques and solutions adopted by various public and private institutions of the country and their implications on construction projects. Therefore, this study provides guidelines for policymakers and future research studies alike.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 2429-2449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ma ◽  
Hongwei Fu

PurposeUnderstanding the impact of project complexity on the mega construction project success will help improve the efficiency of project management. However, the influencing mechanism of project complexity on project success has not been clearly depicted. This paper aims to divide project complexity and project success into five dimensions, trying to explore the impact of different complexity combinations on mega construction project success.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method to find out the impact of the combinations of different project complexities on the every dimension of mega construction project success. First, 21 cases were interviewed and scored in five categories of project complexities and five aspects of project success. Second, with the QCA program, the combinations of different project complexities influencing every aspect of mega construction project success was obtained.FindingsThis research found that high organizational complexity or a combination of high environmental complexity and goal complexity can lead to serious schedule delays of mega construction projects, high technological complexity and goal complexity are important reasons for cost overrun, high technological complexity or a combination of high environmental complexity and low organizational complexity usually lead to low quality of mega construction projects, high goal complexity and cultural complexity are important factors affecting the key stakeholders' satisfaction and high technological complexity and environmental complexity are the reasons for the poor sustainability of mega construction projects.Originality/valueThis study clearly reveals the influencing mechanism of project complexity on mega construction project success, which can help the project managers to understand and assess the complexity of mega construction projects and accurately predict their negative impacts on the mega construction projects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xie ◽  
Zheng ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Li

Payment is the lifeblood of construction projects. However, steady fund flow is rare in construction projects. This paper focused on a quantitative evaluation of the impact of payment delays at the two links (i.e., from owner to general contractor and from general contractor to subcontractor) on the progress of a construction project. A hybrid research method combining the interpretative structural modeling (ISM) method and system dynamics was used to simulate the complex relationships between a payment delay and project progress. Four distinct payment policies are quantitatively simulated to reveal the impact of payment delays at the two links on the progress of a construction project. The results show that shortening the payment period at the two links in the payment chain will accelerate the flow of funds and relieve the burden on contractors in providing advance funds in terms of amount and duration, making them powerful measures to ensure smooth progress. The other three payment policies require that the subcontractor provide large sums of advance funds for lengthy periods to ensure smooth project delivery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Tayo Adu ◽  
Akintayo Opawole

Purpose Effort towards improving project performance has necessitated the need for effective teamwork among the stakeholders in the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major attributes of effective teamwork and the challenges encountered by the team during construction with a view to improving performance of projects. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were obtained through 420 structured questionnaires, which were administered to a sample of project participants including clients’, contractors’ and consultants’ organizations’ representatives in South-Southern region of Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean item score and Kruskal–Wallis rank test. Findings The findings revealed leadership skills, top management support and interpersonal dynamics of the team among the critical attributes for effective teamwork. The prevailing challenges of effective teamwork were identified as essentially; poor leadership, poor rapport among team members and lack of effective communication. Practical implications The study ultimately provides implication for effective team building among clients’, consultants’ and contractors’ organizations towards efficient delivery of construction projects. Moreover, the stakeholders in the industry would find the results of this research useful in managing human and non-human components of construction projects through the understanding of the attributes and challenges of teamwork with ultimate aim of achieving effective project performance. Originality/value The findings reveal that all the key stakeholders’ organizations; clients, consultants and contractors’ organizations exhibit similar perceptions of the attributes and challenges confronting teamwork in construction project delivery. The empirical evidence provided on the attributes and challenges would therefore offer robust information in building effective project team by stakeholders during the planning and implementation stages, which is a right step towards enhancing construction project performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1105-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Itodo Daniel ◽  
Christine Pasquire

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the current knowledge surrounding social value (SV) and show how lean approach supports SV realisation in the delivery of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A critical literature review was adopted, to gather the current knowledge surrounding SV from mainstream management sciences, construction management and lean literature. A total of 70 studies were critically reviewed. Findings The study establishes that the current level of awareness on SV is still low and there is a dearth of scholarly publications on SV especially in the construction management literature. The investigation reveals the potentials of lean approach in supporting the delivery of SV on construction projects. Social implications This study conceptualises the community and the physical environment around where the construction project is executed as customers using lean production approach. It shows that the transformation, flow and value view supports smooth workflow, which enhances the achievement of SV objectives. This creates a new insight into how SV can be realised in construction project delivery. Originality/value This study extends the on-going debate around the need for SV in construction project delivery and contributes to construction management and lean construction literature on SV. Future studies could build on this to obtain empirical data and develop an approach/method that would support the evidencing of SV delivery on construction projects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reza Hosseini ◽  
Petra Bosch-Sijtsema ◽  
Mehrdad Arashpour ◽  
Nicholas Chileshe ◽  
Christoph Merschbrock

Purpose The “virtuality” of a team collaborative interaction is the extent to which it is accomplished in the same place, in fully distributed virtual teams, or in a hybrid combination of the two. However, existence, strength and process of potential association between virtuality and effectiveness in construction project teams have remained elusive. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach In this study, a conceptual model demonstrating the association between virtuality and effectiveness of teams was developed through integrating the input-process-output (IPO) model and the “Big Five” theory. This conceptual model was contextualised for the construction industry drawing upon conducting 17 semi-structured interviews with hybrid team experts. Findings The findings provide the first model mapping the associations between virtuality and dimensions of team effectiveness for the construction context. Practical implications The discovered patterns of associations between virtuality and dimensions of effectiveness for hybrid construction project teams (HCPTs) will assist managers in designing and running more effective teams. In addition, the findings help construction practitioners better understand how virtuality influence the performance and satisfaction of team members in HCPTs. The present study concludes with outlining a set of recommendations based on the findings of the study. Originality/value As the first study in its kind, the present study offers a new insight into the concept and impacts of virtuality for construction teams and provides instructions and guidelines for designing and maintaining the effectiveness of such teams on construction projects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4513
Author(s):  
Summaira Malik ◽  
Muhammad Taqi ◽  
José Moleiro Martins ◽  
Mário Nuno Mata ◽  
João Manuel Pereira ◽  
...  

The success of a construction project is a widely discussed topic, even today, and there exists a difference of opinion. The impact of communication and conflict on project success is an important, but least addressed, issue in literature, especially in the case of underdeveloped countries. Miscommunication and conflict not only hinder the success of a project but also may lead to conflicts. The focus of this paper was to examine the impact of communication on project success with the mediating role of conflict. By using SPSS, demographics, descriptive statistics and correlation were determined. Smart PLS version 3.0 was used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal accuracy and validity estimates, hypothesis checking and mediation testing. The results showed that formal communication has a negative impact on the success of a construction project, resulting in conflicts among project team members, whereas informal communication and communication willingness have a positive impact on project success because people tend to know each other, and trust is developed. Task, process and relationship conflicts were used as mediating variables. It was found that task conflict effects the relations positively because project team members suggest different ways to do a certain task, and, hence, project success is achieved. On the contrary, process conflict and relationship conflict have a negative impact on communication and project success. Both of these conflicts lead to miscommunication, and project success is compromised. Hence, it is the responsibility of the project manager to enhance communication among project team members and to reduce the detrimental effects of process and relationship conflict on project success.


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