THE PERCEPTION OF FUTURE DECISION MAKERS ON THE BUILDING PROFESSION

Out of all the professionals involved in the built environment, the most misunderstood is the Professional Builder. To avoid the dearth of the profession and ensure a sustainable profession, the study as a social judgment aims to assess the building profession in the eyes of future decision makers in Nigeria. Through a purposive sampling method, a structured questionnaire was distributed to two hundred and thirty-six (236) final year students of selected private and public universities in Lagos and Ogun state, Nigeria, termed as future decision makers. Using SPSS 17.0, descriptive and inferential statistics test such as Mean Score, Analysis of Variance and Factor analysis were used for the study. The results of this study indicated that future decision makers in the selected institutions in Nigeria had very little awareness of major and evolving roles of the professional builder. In conclusion, two (2) major areas can influence the popularity of the profession which are the Student/Professional builders’ participation and the Professional Associations. The study developed a framework to ensure the sustainability of the profession by influencing the awareness level of future decision makers

Post Contract Cost Management Practices of Contractors in Nigeria

It is a well-known fact that a lot of problems have arisen during the construction projects implementation; out of which, the main distinctive problem is cost overruns. Cost overruns are evidently frequent problems in the construction industries of many developed and developing countries. Once the construction projects implementation begins, the project's costs rarely remain static. There is need for cost control on the part of contractor in order to guarantee profit and ensure the continued achievement of long term goals of the company. This study was therefore carried out to examine the post contract cost management practices of contractors in Nigeria. The study examined the frequency of use of contractor’s cost control methods and their effectiveness. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was used as the principal instrument for collecting data from respondents. Random sampling method was used to drawn up sample from the population. A total sample of eighty (80) was drawn from these collections of building construction contractors of various categories (small, medium and large) from Lagos, Nigeria. Thirty four (34) were completed and returned representing a 44% response rate. Frequency, percentage, mean score, spearman rank order correlation and analysis of variance were used in analysing data collected for the study. Findings reveals cost projection measure is the most frequent cost control method used by contractors, while actual versus forecast reconciliation (labour/material/plant) is regarded as the most effective control method. Expatriate and partly expatriate contractors agree on the effective cost control methods in the construction industry. It was recommended that building contractors should ensure reliable and accurate cost estimating, the quantification of actual costs for labour, equipments and plants should be done on site during construction to ensure cost control on construction sites. The feedback which requires adjustments during pricing future estimates should be kept and updated in the form of bills of quantities. This study further recommends contractors should embrace cost control methods which ensure close monitoring and reporting of work progress and cost performance. This is very important for effective cost control process during post contract stage. The report also claimed that IT integration is the only way to get quick and accurate reports to solve cost overrun and its associated problems identified by several literature and professionals. Keywords: Construction project, cost control, cost overrun, Nigeria, post contract

SKILLED LABOR CHALLENGES AND AUTOMATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry remains one of the most labor-intensive industries worldwide, creating an average gross domestic product (GDP) of 8% for the global economy and helping reduce unemployment. However, the last few years have brought a plague of skilled labor shortage and retirement, the most recent pandemic also playing a part in hastening retirement due to the present age cohort (baby boomers). Therefore, the need to begin to source viable alternatives to mitigate these issues that could be catastrophic is critical. One possible option is automation, but the industry remains lethargic toward innovation adoption and its use. Past and present challenges should determine alternatives given evidence of success recorded from the application of technology for processes in other industries and some aspects in construction. This study aims to investigate occupations with the most shortage and the impact of retirement approaching 2023 while promoting research information about automation adoption and use as a viable alternative. The study utilized data from the bureau of labor statistics and a systematic review of literature to encapsulate the weight of these issues for the construction industry. The findings demonstrate a similar trend among the 15 occupations and total employment in the construction industry as it relates to increases and dips from 2007 to 2021. Most occupations experience labor shortages at the same pace; hence, automation has been adjudged a vital solution not only to help mitigate shortage and retirement issues but improve performance in the construction industry accordingly

An analysis of social media marketing of indigenous construction firms in Nigeria: A tool for sustainable growth

Indigenous construction firms in Nigeria operate in one of the harshest economic climates while competing with their foreign counterparts. ICFs require strategic and innovative marketing skills in selling their products and services to current and prospective clients. The paper examined the use of social media marketing strategies by indigenous construction firms in Nigeria; a tool for sustainable growth. The study used quantitative data through a questionnaire survey instrument at company-level. A total of seventy-nine (79) questionnaires at firm level were utilised. The data collected were presented using stacked bars, radar charts and matrix correlation. The study identified the social media platforms mostly utilised by ICFs and the major barriers resisting the adoption of the innovative marketing strategy in Nigeria. The perceived benefits accrued to ICFs in the use of social media as a marketing tool differs across the type of social media platforms in use by the ICFs. ICFs need to be concerned about image and trust building through a concerted effort in client engagement on social media platforms to improve their brand and reputation. Social media marketing strategies should be integrated with the traditional marketing plans of construction fir

Built Environment Professionals' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Building Control Measures in Lagos State

Due to the alarming rate of building collapse, this study assesses building control practices in Lagos state. It examines the effectiveness of building control practices, and it also identifies the factors limiting the capacity of building control practices. To achieve these objectives, quantitative techniques were used in which 61 questionnaires were distributed to selected professionals from contracting firms within the built environment. The sample was selected using the purposive sampling technique. The data collected were processed using mean item score, percentage and ANOVA. The study revealed that not all building control measures were thoroughly observed. It was discovered from the findings that, aside from the measure of processing and scrutinising the building plans for approval, which was duly observed, no other measures were observed, and they are all equally significant. The study also identifies factors that impede adherence to building control practices, such as corruption and the bureaucratic process, which were ranked highest. Hypothesis testing revealed that there is no significant difference among the professionals in their perception of the effectiveness of building control practices. In conclusion, this study recommends regular auditing of the activities of building control agencies due to the prevalence of corruption cases among their members

Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Production of Building Materials

An aspect of an operational nation building would be a country that has a sustainable construction industry whereby it is self-sufficient in the production of its building materials, but that is not the case. The aim of this study was to assess the entrepreneurial opportunities in the production of Building materials. A literature review approach and desk study using secondary data of net income (Profit after tax) during the period 2010 – 2014 of eight (8) building materials companies, publicly listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) were used for the study. From the study, it is evident that there are entrepreneurial prospects in the Housing and infrastructural needs, Maintenance and repairs, need for quality building materials to avoid Building collapse. These entrepreneurial opportunities gives room for huge production of Building materials such as cement, paint, tiles and steel reinforcement. In conclusion, there is a dire need for investment in the production of building materials locally rather than the heavy reliance on importation. In this exasperating times when oil prices have dwindled, the study calls for diversification to other sector. It was recommended that internally and international short term loan acquisition schemes supported by the federal government should be made available to entrepreneurs in production of building materials. Allied facilities such as improved power sector and material protection policy on imported building materials should be fast tracke

Factors Affecting Contractors' Bidding Decisions for Construction Projects in Nigeria

Bidding is the most common means by which contractors obtain work. The construction industry accounts for approximately three quarters of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the country. It is generally believed that wrong bidding practice is a major contributor to the construction industry's inefficiency. This means that any improvement in bidding has the potential to enhance the industry's performance, improve the quality of the decision-making process and assist in achieving the strategic objective of contracting organisations. In an effort to uncover the main factors that characterise the bid/no bid decision of contracting organisations, a study to evaluate the factors that affect contractors' decisions to bid for a project and to evaluate the importance of the identified factors to decision makers was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used as the principal instrument for collecting data from respondents. A total sample of 100 was drawn from these collections of construction contractors from Lagos state. Fifty were completed and returned, representing a 50% response rate. Frequency, percentage, mean score and Spearman's correlation were used in analysing data collected for the study. The results indicate that the financial capability of clients, availability of capital and availability of material are the most important factors that contractors consider when making a bid/no bid decision. The study also reveals that competition (number and identity of competitors) does not have significant influence on contractors' bidding decisions. The study recommends that contractors should also build their reputations in the construction industry by acquiring technical competencies and capabilities as these qualities have become important considerations in assessing contractors' competiveness, as well as being key indicators of successful tendering in construction projects

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