Quantitative appraisal of cost and time performance of construction projects in public and private universities in Osun State, Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 619-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde ◽  
Oluwaseyi Olalekan Alao
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Cost ◽  
University Settings

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the cost and time performance of construction projects in public and private universities in Osun State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select four universities (two public and two private) used for the study. Archival data on 40 completed construction projects (ten from each university) was used in the study. Data were analysed with percentile and t-test. Findings The study showed that only 35 per cent of the construction projects in public and 10 per cent of those in private universities were completed at the estimated cost. There were no construction projects completed within the planned time in public universities, but 20 per cent were completed within the planned time in private universities. The t-test showed there is no significant difference in performance of construction projects in public and private universities in Nigeria. The study concluded that time performance of public and private universities in Nigeria was still below acceptable international best practices. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study are limited to universities’ construction projects and may be of little application to other construction projects outside university settings. Practical implications It is recommended that construction stakeholders be more proactive in ensuring that significant improvement is achieved in cost and time performance of construction projects both in public and private universities; the clients need to be more detailed in their briefs and requirements, the designers (architects and engineers) need to be more precise and avoid varying their designs, the quantity surveyors should use their professional competency in cost engineering adequately and the contractor should avoid spurious claims that result in increase in construction cost and time so that performance of construction projects can be improved. Originality/value The study is an attempt to compare cost and time performance of construction projects in public and private universities in Osun State, Nigeria.

Do social networking applications support the antecedents of knowledge sharing practices?

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 494-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Naeem ◽  
Mohammad Javid Khan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Settings ◽  
Social Networking Tools

Purpose Many organizations are struggling to achieve competitiveness due to lack of knowledge sharing (KS) practices. The sustainability of the service sector is linked to KS practices and creativity. Therefore, to survive in a dynamic business environment, universities have to formulate and implement such practices and innovative learning systems. This paper aims to highlight how social media networking apps can be used efficiently and effectively to support the antecedents of KS among the employees in public and private universities. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a positivistic approach and a quantitative research design. A survey was carried out with employees at public and private universities. The respondents were chosen based on simple random sampling with the purpose of increasing the validity and generalizability of the results in the context of university settings and for other sectors as well. Findings Certain individual and organizational factors have been found, which have been supported by social networking tools. These factors can enhance KS practices, such as informal relationships and social networking, effective communication and collaboration, mutual trust and the intention to share knowledge, the KS culture and new ideas. The results of this study reveal that social networking applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, Facebook, Research-gate, YouTube and personal blogs are more productive in supporting the antecedents of KS stated above in university settings. Research limitations/implications Social networking applications have received attention because executives and researchers are increasingly focusing on finding new ways to use social networking tools for business purposes. The effective and efficient use of social networking tools helps organizations to foster knowledge amongst employees to address various critical issues, such as knowledge hoarding, lower levels of skills and knowledge, lower levels of communication and employee involvement, a lack of the intention to share knowledge and resistance toward the adoption of new technology. Originality/value There is rare literature available on how social networking tools can support the antecedents of KS in university settings. Most of such literature has investigated the link between social media and KS using a systematic literature and qualitative research approach. This research is based on empirical study and it is unique as it investigates the hitherto under-researched issue of the adoption of social networking applications to foster the antecedents of KS in university settings.

Cost and time performance analysis of progressive design-build projects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Adamtey
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cost Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Design Build ◽  
The Cost

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate and determine the time and cost performance of progressive design-build (PDB) projects compared with that of design-build (DB) projects. The objective is to provide empirical evidence on the performance of PDB delivery method. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used by analyzing time and cost data collected on 75 PDB and 92 DB projects from the database of Design-Build Institute of America. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine statistical difference in time and cost performance between PDB and DB. Findings PDB projects have a comparatively better time performance than cost performance. When compared with DB projects, there was a statistically significant difference in time overrun with PDB performing better than DB (0.41 vs 8.0%). Additionally, about 80% of PDB projects had shorter or as scheduled duration compared to 74% for DB. There was no statistically significant difference of cost performance between PDB and DB. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is the sample size of 72 PDB projects. It is recommended that further research should be conducted using a larger sample size to confirm the findings of this study. Practical implications PDB will be more beneficial for projects with sensitive deadlines. For an owner deciding between PDB and DB, the advantage of using PDB is in its time performance, which may lead to the project being completed on or ahead of time. As such, PDB can serve as another “tool in the toolbox” for owners to help in reducing construction delays. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt to provide an empirical evidence of the cost and time performance of PDB based on analyzing multiple projects. Owners will be better informed when selecting PDB for their projects.

Analysis of characteristics affecting completion time for Malaysian construction projects

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zayyana Shehu ◽  
Gary D. Holt ◽  
Intan R Endut ◽  
Akintola Akintoye
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Duration ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Design Build ◽  
Additional Costs ◽  
Project Characteristics ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Better Than

Purpose – Construction projects within Malaysia are plagued by time overruns that can transform what should have been successful projects, into those incurring additional costs, disagreements, litigation and in some cases abandonment. To help better understand this problem, the purpose of this paper is to investigate Malaysian project characteristics in relation to time overruns. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 150 Malaysian quantity-surveying organisations provided data relating to recent projects they have worked on. Project characteristics considered in analysis are new build and refurbishment, public and private sectors, procurement methods used, nature of projects and tendering methods. Findings – Public sector projects were found more prone to overruns than those in the private sector; refurbishment projects experienced better time performance than new build; construction management demonstrated better time performance than design-build or traditional procurement; and infrastructure projects/negotiated tendering, performed better than selective/open tendering, respectively. The study also developed a linear model to predict project duration, based on contract period. Research limitations/implications – The study adds a geographically specific detailed analysis to the extant literature of project performance generally and to that of time overruns more specifically. Practical implications – Findings provide stakeholders with information that may help mitigate the frequency of project delays among construction projects, especially in Malaysia. Originality/value – The analysis and modelling of time overrun in relation to Malaysian project characteristics in this way is novel.

scholarly journals Impact of Massification on Resource Adequacy in Public and Private Universities in Kenya

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Wilberforce N. Mwirichia ◽  
Nelson Jagero ◽  
Hillary Barchok
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
University Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of resource adequacy in public and private universities in Kenya. Massification is the rapid enrolment of students in universities. Kenya has expanded her student enrolment in universities for her development needs. Research findings raise pertinent issues touching on the quality of education in the Kenyan universities. The study adopted a causal- comparative survey research design. The respondents were students and lecturers in the eight purposely selected universities in Kenya. A sample of 399 respondents consisting of 361 students, 22 lecturers and 16 heads of Department from four public and four private universities in Kenya were selected for the study through simple random sampling technique. The inferential statistics used in the study was chi-square. The hypothesis of the study was stated as “there is no statistical significant difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities in Kenya. The study found that there is no significant statistical difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities. From the study it was concluded that there was no statistical significance difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities in Kenya. The study recommends that university management in public universities should provide adequate learning, welfare services, computing services and human resources to improve the quality of education and training in the universities in Kenya.

scholarly journals Role of Personal Factors in Epistemological Access to Higher Education: Comparison of Public and Private Universities in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Irfana Rasul ◽  
◽  
Dr. Seema Arif ◽  
Dr. Muhammad Nadeem
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
The Difference

The aim of this study was to find the difference between the perceptions of students of public and private universities regarding relationship of personal factors (comprising four sub-factors (personal competency, participation in university activities, personal efforts for improvement, personal willingness) and epistemological access. A survey was held with undergraduate students of eight universities (4 public & 4 private) in Pakistan. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample that targeted 1600 under-graduate students of 6thsemester from two faculties (Information and Technology, and Business School) of 8 universities (4 private and 4 public) situated in the province of Punjab and Islamabad (Capital Territory) in Pakistan. The data were collected through a self-constructed questionnaire during the academic session ‘Fall 2018-2019.’ Data was recorded on SPSS and treated statistically; after confirmatory factor analysis, one-way ANOVA was conducted to find the difference between perceptions of students of public and private universities across 5 factors stated above. The results showed that significant difference existed between perceptions regarding provision of epistemological access among four out of five factors. In three cases (personal competency, participation in university activities and personal willingness for improvement) the perceptions of private students were better than the students of public universities, whereas, the public university students’ perceptions were better in personal efforts for improvement. It was deduced from the results of Pearson correlation that there existed a positive relationship among the mentioned constructs— personal competency, personal effort for improvement, and epistemological access. However, no significant difference was found between students of public & private universities regarding provision of epistemological access in their respective universities.

Talent management and academic context: a comparative study of public and private universities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdallah Mohammad Taamneh ◽  
Mohammad Taamneh ◽  
Abdallah Alsaad ◽  
Manaf Al-Okaily
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Process Oriented ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

PurposeThe aims of this research are to present a comprehensive and holistic view of talent management (TM) at universities by exploring the current practices of TM among private and public universities in Jordan and make a comparison between the two sectors in regard to how they recruit, retain, train and develop, and measure the performance of talented people. Moreover, the practice of recruitment and selection, or so-called reflective or process-oriented practices, has given special attention to see how both public and private universities differ in regard to this process in particular.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was utilized to elicit responses from participants on five selected constructs, recruitment and selection reflective or process-oriented practices, retention, training and development, and performance management. A convenient sampling approach was used to source participants for the study. The data has been analyzed, structured and organized utilizing SPSS software to analyze the results. Frequency tests have been used to test the demographic variables. Descriptive analysis was used to check the standard deviation and mean for total items. The reliability, discriminate validity, convergent validity and correlation matrix of all the questions have been tested using various methods. Moreover, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) tests were performed. For testing the hypothesis and to examine whether or not there is a significant difference in TM practices between public and private universities in Jordan, independent sample t-tests have been employed.FindingsThe results show that the means of TM practices differ slightly between public and private universities. The public universities demonstrate a higher level of TM practices compared to private universities in all practices except that of performance management. However, while there are visible differences in TM practices between public and private universities, these differences were not statistically significant. On the other hand, we revealed a significant difference in the reflective or process-oriented practices between public and private universities. The results show that HR departments in public universities are more likely to have less power in performing the recruitment and selection processes as compared to private universities. We also compared the extent to which elite academics in public universities select candidates congruent with their own personal and scientific preferences to the extent their counterparts do so in private universities and the results indicate that this practice differs significantly between public and private universities being far more common in private universities. Finally, we compared the practice of academic talents being recruited through informal networks of scouts between private and public universities. The results show a slight and insignificant difference between private and public universities concerning this practice.Originality/valueThis study is built on the concept of “new managerialism” in higher education, which supports collaboration between HRM professionals and academics to enhance TM practices. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by combining “reflective or process-oriented practices” with other TM practices in an attempt to make a comparison of public and private institutions’ practices and provide a more comprehensive view of the TM process. However, the overwhelming majority of study on TM has been carried out in Western countries, with limited attention paid to non-Western contexts. Even though this growing body of research has advanced our theoretical and empirical knowledge of TM, there is still a need to comprehend TM practices in the rest of the globe, particularly when one considers the cultural and institutional disparities that exist between countries. Moreover, according to the researcher’s best knowledge, no previous studies have compared public and private universities regarding talent management, and it would be of great importance to investigate the implementation of TM practices in this vital sector.

Analysis of causes and impact of variation order on educational building projects

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi ◽  
Richard Jimoh ◽  
Bashir Olanrewaju Ganiyu ◽  
Abdullateef Adewale Shittu
Keyword(s):  
Average Cost ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Construction process is complex and traditionally fragmented; thus, it is almost impossible to have a project completed without changes to the original plan or the construction process. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the causes of variation orders, ascertain their effects and establish the cost and time performance implication as a result of variation orders. Design/methodology/approach This study obtained information from 90 construction stakeholders on 30 completed educational building projects to ascertain the causes and effects of variation orders on project delivery using questionnaire survey. In addition to this, a pro forma document was designed to obtain the project characteristics, cost and time data from these 30 completed educational building projects. Factor analysis was used to categorise the causes of variation orders, while severity index was used to examine their effects on project delivery. The hypothesised statement was tested using paired t-statistics to examine whether a statistically significant difference existed between variation orders, cost and time performance of the projects. Findings The study identified 13 main factors as causes of variation orders and the results revealed that the most frequent effects of variations were increase in construction costs, time, client dissatisfaction, increase construction project rework and demolition and project abandonment. The results also showed that variation orders had significant effects on both cost and scheduled performance of the educational building projects with average cost and time escalation of 33.95 and 29.45 per cent of the original project cost and time, respectively, for the entire projects studied, while average cost implication of variation orders is 23.79 per cent. Practical implications The findings in this study will be of assistance to government agencies and management of public works in higher institutions of learning in managing variations in construction projects. The study will also add to the current literature on the impact of variation orders on educational building projects in developing countries. Finally, it will create the much-needed awareness on the severity and implication of change or variation orders on project delivery. Originality/value The study identified and examined the causes of variation orders, ascertained their effects and established the cost and time effects of the causes of variation order on project performance. This will assist project initiators, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders to fully appreciate and understand the significant effects of variation orders on project performance.

Ethical climate and deviant behavior among employees of selected public and private universities: The case of the emerging country

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Oluwafunmilayo Obalade ◽  
Kayode Kingsley Arogundade
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Deviant Behavior ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
State University ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Deviant Behaviors ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Multistage Sampling ◽  
Simple Regression

The study was borne out of the need to assess the effect of ethical climate on deviant behavior among employees in the educational institutions and the need to ascertain whether workplace deviant behavior has a force to bear with institutional ownership. Questionnaires (375) were distributed among the academic and administrative staff of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) and Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin (EU); selected using multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics (table, percentage) and inferential statistics (simple regression) were employed to analyse the data. Simple regression was used to analyse the data. Based on the test of the hypothesis, the study found that deviant behavior among employees of selected public and private universities can be significantly determined by ethical climate factors. Ethical climate contributed significantly to deviant behaviors in the public and private universities showing probability of t-statistic (.012 &.022) lesser than 5%. Hence, it is concluded that the ethical climate or wrong ethical system is the major determinant of deviant behaviors in selected public and private universities.

Labour productivity motivation framework for Iskandar Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuka Christian Ohueri ◽  
Wallace Imoudu Enegbuma ◽  
Ngie Hing Wong ◽  
Kuok King Kuok ◽  
Russell Kenley
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Continuous Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Major Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a motivation framework that will enhance labour productivity for Iskandar Malaysia (IM) construction projects. The vision of IM development corridor is to become Southern Peninsular Malaysia’s most developed region by the year 2025. IM cannot realise this foresight without effective labour productivity. Previous studies have reported that the labour productivity of IM construction projects was six times lower than the labour productivity of Singapore construction projects, due to lack of motivation among IM labourers, and a shortage of local skilled labour. Therefore, there is a need to study how to motivate IM construction labourers, so as to increase their productivity. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research method was used to collect data from IM construction skilled labourers and construction professionals, using two sets of questionnaire. The respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. In total, 40 skilled labourers and 50 construction professionals responded to the questionnaire survey, and the data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science software (version 22). Findings The analysis revealed the major factors that motivate labourers participating in IM construction projects. The factors were ranked hierarchically using Relative Importance Index (RII) and the outcome of the ranking indicated that effective management, viable construction practices, financial incentives, continuous training and development, and safe working environment were the most significant motivation strategies that positively influence IM construction labourers. Originality/value The study developed and validated a framework that can be used to boost the morale of IM construction labourers, so that their productivity can be increased. Implementation of the established motivation framework will also lead to career progression of IM construction labourers, based on the training elements in the framework. This career prospect will attract local skilled labourers to participate in IM construction projects.

Students’ perception and satisfaction of services provided by public and private higher education institutes: a case study in Albania

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Drita Kruja ◽  
Huong Ha ◽  
Elvira Tabaku
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Instructional Effectiveness ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Individual

Purpose There have been many research studies on students’ satisfaction of services in universities in developed countries. However, students’ expectation and satisfaction of public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) with regard to service quality in Eastern Europe have been under-researched. Therefore, this study aims to offer an empirical examination of student satisfaction of the service quality of public and private HEIs in Albania by evaluating the gap between students’ expectation and perception and the effect of student satisfaction on retention in HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The survey instrument used in this study was the student satisfaction inventory in the USA. Primary data were collected from a survey of students in two private and four public HEIs in Albania. A total of 554 valid responses were collected from the survey. Findings The findings suggested that there were performance gaps between public and private HEIs. Public universities performed well in terms of concern for the individual, campus support services, student-centeredness and instructional effectiveness. Private HEIs scored well in terms of concern for the individual, academic advising effectiveness, instructional effectiveness and safety and security (parking). There is a significant difference in students’ perception of the overall satisfaction of HEIs. Students’ overall satisfaction positively impacts their retention. Originality/value Overall, this study provides valuable insights to private and public HEIs’ administrators regarding to student satisfaction and retention. The findings will have far-reaching managerial implications for all groups of stakeholders in terms of the service delivery by universities in Albania and Eastern Europe.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document