CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS’ PERCEPTION OF A WEB-BASED RECRUITING SYSTEM FOR SKILLED LABOUR

Globally, the construction industry is experiencing shortage of skilled labour to handle most of its construction projects. There is the need to develop a two-way collaborative technology that adequately connects the available skilled labour to the construction projects where they are needed and vice versa in order to reduce the shortage. By harnessing the strength of web-based technologies, this study intended to evaluate construction professionals’ perception of a web-based recruiting system for skilled labour. The study developed a web-based recruiting system using CSS, HTML, Javascript and MyQSL. System block design and a use case diagram was used to model the web-based systems which are presented in screen shots in this study. A total of one hundred (100) structured questionnaires were distributed to construction professionals in the attitudinal survey on the developed web-based system. The data obtained was analysed and presented using SPSS v21. Statistical tools such as stacked bars, mean score, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskall Wallis test were utilized. Based on the designed web-based platform, the study revealed that in recruiting skilled labour for construction projects, construction professional are mostly concerned with having the sufficient number of skilled labour which are readily available to the site location, properly screened and obtained through a low-cost recruiting process in order to improve their competitive advantage in the construction industry. The study identified lack of knowledge about using a web-based system, low IT training among skilled labour and inaccurate information supplied by worker as major drawbacks to using a web-based system for sourcing for skilled labour. The study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the drawbacks to the use of web-based recruiting system for sourcing for skilled labour among the construction professionals. The study recommended that there is need to increase ICT trainings among construction professionals and its ancillary stakeholders in order to utilize new innovative ICT tools in the construction industry. Innovative ICT tools can be used to complement traditional methods in use in the construction industry so as to enhance the delivery of construction projects

Presence of Social Client Relationship Management within the Nigerian Construction Industry

Client relationship management (CRM) has become a subject matter of interest to both academics and business practitioners. This is because it reflects the need to manage successful and profitable client relationships for organizations. Construction organizations, as well as the construction industry, are vital components of economic development in Nigeria, but many organizations struggle to perform the client relationships expected of them. The use of social media in the present era has given power to the relevant stakeholders to express their perceptions to a very large audience on the social media platforms of construction organizations. The application of social media to marketing is essential to managing client relationships. This research has been carried out to examine the level of awareness and use of social client relationship management (CRM 2.0) in Nigeriancontracting and consulting construction organizations. In other words, the purpose of the study is to examine the level of adoption of social media platforms in client relationship management in the construction industry in Nigeria. The study also assessed the barriers to the adoption of the use of social media platforms in client relationship management. Using a questionnaire survey, a purposive quota sampling technique was utilized for the collection of data from contracting and consulting firms. The findings reveal that contracting and consulting firms have little to no awareness of CRM 2.0. This study suggests that Nigerian construction organizations are still hesitant to implement social media in a business environment and fully adopt CRM 2.0 in the construction industr

Development of a web-based building profession career portal as a guidance information system for secondary school students

Career selection is one of many difficult task students are faced with when leaving secondary schools. The lack of information about certain courses make students to shy away from taking up such profession which has adversely affected such professions. One of such profession is the Building profession. The aim of the study was to develop a web-based building profession career portal as a guidance information system for secondary school students with an aim to bring more awareness to the profession of building/building technology. The study utilized the use of a questionnaire and the system design of a web-based career portal. The latter was presented using a block diagram and screen shots of the portal. The web-based career portal was designed using CSS and HTML. The sample size for the study was selected through a convenience sampling technique. A total of 120 secondary school students and 30 of their teachers participated in the study. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS v.21. Statistical tools of charts and mean scores were used. The study revealed that secondary school students obtain information about their prospective careers mainly through their parents. The study revealed that the significant factors that can affect the career decision of secondary school students in choosing a profession are mainly JAMB scores/WAEC result of the students, Environment & society and Self-interest. The study revealed that secondary school students perceived the Building profession as people that ensure that people are safe while constructing buildings while their teachers perceived the Building profession as people that can detect the possibility of erecting a building. In conclusion, a web-based building profession career portal as a guidance information system for secondary school students was developed. The study recommended that less subscribed professions should find ways to educate secondary school students, teachers and parents. This can be actualized through the use of career web-based portals that have detailed information about the course

Assessing the Media’s Watchdog Role in Ensuring the Accountability of the Nigerian Government

This paper attempts to assess the performance of the media in their watchdog role as it relates to ensuring the accountability of the government to the electorate in Nigeria. The 21st century media are saddled with the responsibility of providing the citizenry with substantial information to help them make informed decisions. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) synergized with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have aided freer flow of information from the media to the electorate. To ensure a successful democratic governance and sustainable development, the media have the responsibility to communicate the actions of the government to its citizens and relaying the feedback to the government through opinion pages and public affairs programmes, among others. Since inhibitions on the path of freedom of information have been removed with the hopes to enhance media capacity to freely divulge information, this paper, therefore, examines how well the media are living up to the expectation of grooming an informed populace. It explores how well informed the citizens are about their rights to demand greater accountability from the government, as a result of media messages. It also investigates the citizens’ views about the media’s fairness in reporting government activities. The study would employ the survey research method. The social responsibility theory and the development media theory will be the axles around which the study will revolve. Suggestions will be made on how the media can further enlighten the citizens to become active participants in national developmen

Media Coverage of Entrepreneurial Innovation as a Determinant of Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Entrepreneurship has been widely recommended by scholars and professionals as one of the major ways to address the ever growing level of unemployment and continuous dwindling resources in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is also a consensus among stakeholders that conditions in the country are largely unfriendly for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Entrepreneurship may not survive without exposure or publicity. This, therefore, crystallizes the role of media coverage in the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Hence, this study examines the extent to which entrepreneurial innovation is given coverage in Nigerian national newspapers and how this can lead to sustainable development in Nigeria. Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian and Business Day newspapers were purposively selected and issues from 2013 to 2015 for each were used for the study. This paper recommends ways in which entrepreneurship can be enhanced through media partnership

CREATING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION: BUILDING INFORMATICS MODELLING AND LEAN CONSTRUCTION APPROACH

Sustainability concept has been a driving force in construction process because it has become a priority in the industry. This research explores a means to the desired good results by introducing the integration of Lean construction and Building information modeling in the construction industry. It was observed that most companies implemented the use of BIM tools in their design process but yet do not realize that a greater level of efficiency can be attained by the integration of the duo. This research sought to find answers to the areas of construction that Lean and BIM can be applied. Their workability, barriers to their implementation and the success factors for their effective implementation. Random sampling technique was used in sample sizing, 150 samples of questionnaire was used in data collation and processed with SPSS software. It was discovered among the number of construction companies surveyed that there is major focus on various challenges of delay and ineffective works during the course of their construction process. As a result of the research, a model was created to aid the easy implementation of lean construction using a BIM tool without playing blind to the truth that lean construction requires a conscious change of way of thinking and order of operations within a company

Learning Adequacy of Nigerian Tertiary Educational System for Sustainable Built Environmental Course

Learning is highly pivotal in every areas of life, it could be formal, informal or non-formal. Irrespective of the form of learning, it has turned out to be a veritable medium in human training. This study will concentrate on the adequacy of learning in a formal environment. The study examined some indicators that can limit learning of building course in some selected tertiary institutions which include the lecturer capacity, lecturing method and learning facilities indicators. The study adopt survey method with the aid of structured questionnaire to elicit information from the respondents on the adequacy of learning in their institutions. Findings revealed some gaps across the selected institutions learning adequacy and to address the gap, it is recommended that there should be collaboration among the institutions as to strengthen each other weakness and to encourage industries role in education funding

Learning Difficulties in the Study of Structural Analysis in Tertiary Institutions

In Education lies the bedrock of the future. Sustainability in education can be achieved through the transfer of knowledge and technology to the next generation and one of the vital ways of achieving this is through teaching in the classroom. Without proper dissemination of these knowledge and skills, there is a disconnection and the students are left without the proper foundation they should have in the first place. Several studies have shown that student experience difficulties in mathematical based courses. This study sought to identify the challenges students of structural analysis face and the factors responsible for these challenges. A survey of three institutions was carried out and data was obtained through the distribution of well-structured questionnaires to students that offered structural analysis from University of Lagos, Covenant University and Yaba College of Technology. Data obtained from this survey were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social sciences. The results were presented in form of frequency tables using relative index importance index to get a clearer view of the most significant factors. Results from the factors affecting students learning difficulty of the course showed that, poor background (in physics & mathematics) from secondary school made the course difficult for them, their lecturers mode of delivery made the course uninteresting, and also the class sizes were also a problem. To curb this situation, it was recommended among other things, that lecturers should try as much as possible to deliver the course in creative ways that would entice the interest of the students. Secondary and primary school education should be improved, by investing in continuous workshops, seminars and training of teachers to improve their productivity, and lastly, public universities should admit the number of students they have enough resources to cater for, so as to reduce the class sizes

Appraising the Barriers to Public-Private Partnership as a Tool for Sustainable Development of Infrastructures in a Developing Economy

The quest for sustainable development has been a subject discourse across the globe. Sustainable development has been deemed to be the pathway to all that is good and desirable in the society. Undoubtedly, social and economic infrastructure desirability in any economy is second-to-none and its sustainability needs to be prioritised. The worsened state of infrastructures and wide gap in its supply in developing economy have warranted this study. The study identified the sustainable tool (PPP) through which infrastructural supply can be enhanced and sustained and it revealed through literature review the major barriers to the tool performance in delivering infrastructures in developing country. Among the major challenges identified from literatures include inadequate consultation of stakeholders for greater acceptance of PPP, conflict of interest among PPP stakeholders, negative behaviour of the people towards PPP, lack of confidence and mistrust in PPP by stakeholders, poor enabling environment for PPP, weak or poor regulatory frameworks, law and regulation changes and weak and poor enabling policies. The barriers identified are due to more to the public than the private and the people. Therefore, the study recommends that beyond the need for stronger collaboration between the public and private sector, government should integrate the people in planning phase of the sustainable tool adoption for public infrastructures delivery. Also, government should build confidence and trust in the parties to PPP by creating enabling environment that can guarantee investors security

Assessment of Students’ Response to and Perception of Structural Analysis as a Course of Study in Tertiary Institutions

When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse becomes an inevitability. Education for Sustainability, as promoted by the United Nations is an essential tool for achieving sustainable development. This method of education is expected to foster creative thinking that will provide solutions to exiting societal problems. For sustainable development to occur, there has to be the proper transfer of knowledge and technology through teaching and other classroom activities. In the teaching of structural analysis, one of the encountered challenges has to do with the students’ poor performance in the course in the first place. This study sought to identify the response and perception of students of structural analysis. A survey of three institutions was carried out and data was obtained through the distribution of well-structured questionnaires to students that offered structural analysis from Covenant University, University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology. Data obtained from this survey were analyzed using SPSS, and then the agreement ranking of responses and perceptions were determined. The results were presented in form of frequency tables using relative importance index to get a clearer view of the most significant factors. The result showed in the response of students to structural analysis, that they acknowledge the importance of the course, despite any difficulty they might be facing, and also, they approach the course with fear and anxiety. The results also showed that even though the students understand the importance of the course, they are not interested in it. It was recommended that teaching methods that build interest in the students should be adopted such as the use of software and other technologies. This will demystify the learning of structural analysis. Problem based methods of learning should be adopted to as to build up interest and problem-solving capabilities in the students