CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information

A construction project is considered successful when it is completed on time,

within budget, following specifications and to stakeholders' satisfaction. However,

levels of project performance and project successes are low in the construction

industry especially in developing countries such as Nigeria where owners are

generally dissatisfied (Odediran, Babalola & Adebiyi, 2013; Isa, Jimoh &

Achuenu, 2013). One of the significant reasons for owners' dissatisfaction with

building projects is their poor quality (Abdulrahman, Wang & Wen, 2010; Achi,

Onukwube & Ajayi, 2007). Every customer wants a quality product that meets its

needs and worth the value of money it has invested unto the product (Achi et al.,

2007). Therefore, customers tend to be satisfied when quality product and service

are delivered to them. Project executors need to understand customer's need and

requirement so that both their stated and implied quality levels can be met at all

times. Understanding customers need, and requirement could enable organizations

to implement quality management practices and imbibe cultures which guarantee

their customers' satisfaction. A strong commitment to quality and continuous

company- wide quality improvement will lead to significant improvement in

quality performance and increased profit margins for any construction

1
organization. Poor performance has adverse effects which transcend the industry to

impact on national growth and sustainable development (Windapo, 2006).

Structural failure seems to abound in developing countries (Aini et al., 2005;

Taiwo & Afolami, 2010) with worst cases resulting in building collapse with major

causalities (Windapo & Rotimi, 2012). In a nutshell, quality management practices

have a direct impact on the level of client satisfaction, quality enhancement,

elimination of rework, and the enabling synergy between different project

parameters (Smallwood & Rossouw 2008; Alwi, Hampson & Mohamed, 1999).

Building construction has become more complex, partly due to project owners'

increasing demands and expectations. Hoonakker (2006) reported that the

construction industry's clients are demanding improved quality of service, faster

buildings and innovations in technology. As a result, building products and

systems have had to become more innovative to meet the owner's demands.

However, newer and innovative procurement processes bring about challenges

which building contractors need to manage effectively while delivering

value to the project owner. Also, with the advent of globalization, construction

firms are striving to achieve internationally accepted quality levels to ensure their

forefront position in emerging international markets. Hence the need for a proper

system that provides more quality when compared to other project objectives

(Abdul Rahman et al.; 2010). Burati, Matthews and Kalindi (1992) describe
2
quality

as the conformance to certain performance requirements. However, going by

abysmal practices in developing economies such as Nigeria, it is pertinent that an

assessment of quality management practices will benefit its construction industry.

The current study investigation is, therefore, on assessment of quality management

practice in building construction project.

1.2 Problem Statement

Building construction firms in Nigeria implement ISO 9001 Quality Management

System and obtain consequent approvals, rewards and certificates. The standard is

based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer

focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach

and continual improvement and using US ISO 9001:2015 helps to ensure that

customers get consistent good quality products and services, which in turn brings

many business benefits. The design and implementation of building construction’s

quality management system is influenced by varying prices of inputs for instance,

there was highest 25.8 percent increase in average prices of inputs in the overall

construction sector registered in 2011, followed by an increase of 11.4 percent in

2009 and the lowest increases in average prices for the whole sector was 2.2

percent which was registered in 2013 (Gunaydin, 2013). Despite the standard set

by 1SO 9001, the quality of buildings have continued to deteriorate in Port

3
Harcourt whereby there has been a high death rate because of collapsed buildings

during rainy seasons and earth quakes, they have experienced cost and time over

run. The cause of the breakdown might be caused by un experienced personnel

using poor materials to maintain the quality of building projects by many building

firms and it is against this background that this study sought to assess the quality

management practices of building construction firms in Nigeria particularly Port

Harcourt.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The objective of this study is to analyze quality management practices in building

construction project in Port Harcourt with a view to suggest ways for improved

quality control and service delivery. Specific objectives are

i. To assess factors affecting quality management in building construction

project in Port Harcourt

ii. To assess the conformance of building construction firms in Port Harcourt to

quality management practices.

iii. To investigate the effect of firm size on conformance to quality management

practices of building construction project in Port Harcourt

4
1.4 Research Questions

i. What are the factors affecting quality management in building construction

firms in Port Harcourt?

ii. What are the conformances of building construction firms in Port Harcourt

to quality management practices?

iii. What is the effect of firm size on conformance to quality management

practices of building construction firms in selected construction firms in Port

Harcourt?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H01: There is no significant factors affecting quality management in building

construction firms in Port Harcourt

H02: There is no significant effect of firm size on conformance to quality

management practices of building construction firms in selected construction firms

in Port Harcourt

1.6 Justification of Study

Construction projects are usually capital intensive. Therefore, time and resources

play a very essentials role in determining the cost factor of every project, likewise

defects and failures in constructed facilities can result in delays and costs increases

where re-construction may be required and facility operations impaired. Increased

costs and delays are the result. In the worst case, failures may cause personal
5
injuries or fatalities (Sanni and Windapo, 2008). By adhering to quality

management practices the very first time total project cost can be reduced

substantially by identifying mistakes, analyzing the situation and solving any

unforeseen problem that may arise. The construction industry in Nigeria is one of

the biggest industries and any extra cost means huge losses to the contractors and

increased cost to the clients (Aibinu and Odeyinka, 2006). To avoid such loss in

construction rework, extensive research on quality control needs to be conducted to

improve the construction process and delivery. The benefits of strict adherence by

professionals like Architects, Engineers, Builders and contractors to the need for

quality management has not been given the required attention in spite of a major

developmental projects (Jimoh, 2012). Quality management in Nigerian

construction industry is of great importance to achieve overall project cost benefits

and effective service delivery, as this has already been tested and used in many

countries around the world and proved to be very effective at optimizing the total

cost throughout the project life cycle considering these problems faced in

construction as a result of inadequate quality management (Aina and Wahab,

2011), it is justified to carry out this research in order to, suggest best practices that

improve quality management in building construction firms, which in turn result to

improved service delivery.

6
1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is on quality management practices in selected construction

firms in Port Harcourt and it covered quality management practices in building

construction firms registered in Port Harcourt. Only quality management practices

of the construction processes were assessed, not the quality of the buildings

constructed by the building construction firms.

1.8 Limitation

The research was limited to the views of top management of firms, due to the firms

reluctance to allow the researcher first hand access to assess the quality

management practices on site. Some firms were not cooperative and this in turn

affected the response rate

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.1.1 Concept of Quality Management

The concept of quality management is as an approach to ensure that a whole

organization is involved in producing high quality outcomes in everything they do.

According to Willar (2012) earlier researchers in the quality movement there is no

particular definition for quality in construction. Quality can be defined according

to American Society of Civil Engineering (2005) as meeting the legal, aesthetic

and functional requirements of a project. These requirements may be simple or

complex, or they may be stated in terms of the end result required or as a detailed

description of what is to be done.

For construction projects, quality management means making sure things are done

according to the plans, specifications, and permit requirements. The days of

embarking on projects which usually involve huge funds without due diligence and

proper regulation seem to be over, making it imperative that communities get the

most out of their infrastructure projects (Arditi, 2004). Gunaydin (1997) opined

that one of the best ways to assure good construction projects is to use an

inspector.

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2.1.2 Quality Management in Nigeria

The Nigerian construction industry produces nearly 70% of the nation’s fixed

capital formation, and its performance within the economy has been, and continues

to be on the increase. But despite the increased growth of the sector the Nigerian

construction industry’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic product

(GDP) of 3.05% as at the close of 2012 is still below the World Bank’s average of

employment in the construction sector of about 3.2% in developing countries.

Whereas the sector has remained consistently on the increase in terms employment

to about 7.6% of the total employed citizens both directly and indirectly after

rebasing of the Nigerian economy according to reports from National Bureau of

Statistics (2015).

The construction sector is globally considered to be a basic industry on which the

development of a country depends. To a great extent, the growth of a country and

its development status is generally determined by the quality of its infrastructure

and construction projects (Wasiu et al., 2012).

According to Kado (2010) the acceptance of the BSI publication and standard by

Nigeria, establishing SON/NSI and the development and National Building Code

(2006) in 2007 are all steps towards improvement in the quality of building

construction in Nigeria among many other things. In addition, there are laws,

9
decrees, associations, authorities and regulatory bodies that are responsible for

regulating building construction practices in the country.

Further development which sought to regulate professional practices in the

construction industry led to the founding of The Architects Regulation Council of

Nigeria (ARCON) from CAP A19 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

According to the Law, ARCON derives the power to register and control practices

of Architecture in Nigeria (Yunusa, 2019).

2.1.3 Quality Management Factors

Establishing the project requirements for quality begins at project inception. As

opined by Artidi and Gunaydin (2017), a careful balance between the owner's

requirements of the project costs and schedule, desired operating characteristics

materials of construction, etc. The design professional is obligated to protect public

health and safety in the context of the final completed project. The process of

construction can be broken down into three main phases, namely,

1. The planning and design phase,

2. Construction phase

3. Operation and maintenance phase

2.1.4 Employee Training on Quality

The importance is recognized by every quality expert. Under TQM, quality

becomes everyone's responsibility and the training must be targeted for every level
10
of the company. There should be customized training plans for management,

engineers, technicians, home and field office staff, support personnel and field

labor (Smith, 2008). It can be argued that the transient construction work force is

quite different from the relatively stable manufacturing work force. This transient

nature may make it more difficult to train workers, particularly craft labor, for the

construction industry (Burati et al., 2011).

If TQM concepts become widely accepted throughout the construction

(Oberlender, 2009) industry, workers switching from one company to another

should require less TQM training since all workers would have received basic

quality awareness in their previous employment (Burati et al., 2011). The training

effort may include instruction in the basics of TQM, cause-and-effect analysis,

team problem solving, interpersonal communication and interaction, rudimentary

statistical methods and cost of quality measurement. A study of TQM in more than

200 companies found that skills in human interaction, leadership, and initiative are

instrumental to the success of any quality improvement effort. The demands on

these interpersonal skills increase as the complexity and sophistication of the

technical systems increase. The training effort follows a specific plan, and its

implementation and effectiveness are carefully tracked. It is initiated in a limited

number of pilot teams (Gunaydin, 2003).

11
It follows that operation and maintenance crews working in constructed facilities

should be the main recipient of training efforts, Findings are parallel to ISO 9001

which emphasizes the importance of training and underlines that activities

demanding acquired skills should be identified and the necessary training provided

(Doyle, 2011).

2.1.5 Building collapse in Nigeria

One of the most significant current discussions among building owners,

governments, approving authorities and professional bodies is the increasing

incidence of building collapse in Nigeria. Dimuna. (2010) and Ede (2010) pointed

out that the frequency of building failures and in extreme cases, building collapse

in Nigeria has become alarming and worrisome. Several other studies have

reported the continuous increase in building collapse in Nigeria, with the most

affected areas being urban areas because of their population growth rate. For

example, Windapo (2006) study on 61 cases of building collapse between 1974

and 2006 found that the highest incidents of building collapse occurred in Lagos

State. Of the study cases, 40% were residential buildings (Windapo, 2006).

Another analysis by Dimuna (2010) shows that between 1975 and 1995, of 26

incidences of building collapse recorded, 14 between 1982 and 1996, and ten

occurrences were recorded between 2004 and 2006 in Lagos State alone. Ede

(2010) investigated 47 cases of building collapse in Abuja, Lagos and Port

12
Harcourt between the periods of 2000 to 2010. The study also found Lagos State to

have the highest incidences of building collapse. These findings are unanimous

about Lagos State having the highest rates of building collapse. In summary,

building collapse is significant in the construction industry in Nigeria. These result

in significant casualties and loss of lives that could be avoided. The

implementation of efficient and effective quality management principles in

construction organization could bring an end to the needless loss of lives. There are

suggestions for the construction industry to examine the competency and

effectiveness of construction site workers as well as the standards of the materials

and components used in building construction (Oke & Abiola-Falemu, 2009;

Taiwo & Afolami, 2010). Coupled with this is the establishment and

implementation of sound quality management systems that would improve process

performance across all construction activities (Rotimi & Tookey, 2012).

2.1.6 Quality management systems in construction

Quality management systems have therefore become the focal points in businesses

within the construction industry (Smallwood & Rossouw, 2008) Quality

management system according to the ISO 8402, (1994), refers to all

management functions that determines quality policy, objectives and

responsibilities, and implements them by means such as quality planning, quality

control, quality assurance, and quality implementation within any quality system.
13
The quality management system establishes a framework of reference points that

ensure that every time a process is performed, the same information, methods,

skills and controls are used and applied in a consistent manner (Dale, 2003).

Essentially a quality management system standardizes organizations’ processes,

helps to minimize waste and reworks, and increase organizations’ profit margin

(Wilkinson & Scofield, 2010). This management discipline is concerned with

preventing problems from occurring by creating the attitudes and controls that

could make prevention possible. According to Nicholas and Steyn (2008), a good

quality management system is crucial in ensuring compliance with the quality

criteria of projects. In other words, the quality management system is the criteria

by which organizations’ quality performance are measured and for which quality

management standards were developed. It is now used by many in the construction

industry to ensure that the right things are done right the first time.

Abdulrahman (1996) suggests that minimizing errors/mistakes during the delivery

of goods and services is possible with the introduction of formal quality

management systems to plan, monitor and control production processes.

Toward this end, a series of international quality management standards have

gained wide acceptance in the construction industry. The International

Organization for Standardization (ISO) for example, emerged during the last two

decades as a system that can be applied to different types of organizations in order

14
to obtain improvements in quality procedures and products. The ISO’s initial sets

of standards have been progressively developed to be relevant to construction due

to its generic nature (Chini and Valdex 2003). The ISO creates an assurance

regime that provides confidence that an organization has a quality process installed

and that the organization provides consistent products that will meet its customers’

needs and other regulatory requirements. Love and Li (2000) state that such

implementation leads to third party certification that a product / service performs

to requirements and provides evidence that an optimal level of quality is achieved.

Quality is about meeting standards and end user requirements. A quality

management standard like the ISO has a customer focus in all its requirements

(Rotimi, 2013). The probability of meeting customers’ needs is higher when such a

standard, guides quality management performance. ISO 9000 sets the minimum

standard for quality management systems and many organizations have become

ISO 9000 compliant as a result of pressure from their customers (Kumaraswamy &

Dissanayaka, 2000); although these clients tend to be public sector based that build

one-off projects.

In Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has formally adopted the

ISO 9000 for quality management in the country (Achi et al., 2007). Although

there is anecdotal evidence that suggest that its implementation is not clearly

evident in the Nigerian construction industry. The current study assesses quality
15
management practice and attempts to identify the factors that may be preventing its

implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. The authors reflect that to

achieve a quality assured construction performance, construction organizations

need to be consistent in their pursuit of quality. However, consistency can only be

achieved through a documented quality management system, which effectively

incorporates quality control, assurance and quality improvement.

2.1.7 Quality management process

According to Smallwood and Rossouw (2008), the quality management process

commences with the production of a quality management plan which needs to be

submitted along with tender documents during the initial stages of a construction

project. There are three major processes involved in the management of quality in

construction projects (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008; PMI, 1996). These are quality

planning, quality assurance and quality control. Each of these processes is briefly

described in the following sub-headings.

a. Quality Planning (QP)

QP is essentially a process that guides future quality activities. It sets the

requirements and standards to be met as well as the actions necessary to meet those

requirements and standards. The quality of a project is assessed by conformity to a

quality plan designed to meet customer needs. According to Nicholas and Steyn

(2008), quality planning provides the confidence that all steps necessary to ensure
16
quality have been thought through. It involves identifying which quality standards

are relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy them (PMI,

1996). The quality plan specifies the requirements to be met in each project phase,

getting approvals before continuing to the next phase. For example, it specifies at

what stage formal design reviews could be held, how quality assurance would be

managed for work done by subcontractors, as well as when and how deliverables

will be inspected (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008). The quality plan could also indicate

the quality techniques that would be used and when. Checklists are usually

incorporated as part of the quality planning process to verify that a set of

required steps have been performed (PMI, 1996). Organizations in more developed

economies have a standardized checklist for ensuring consistency in activities

performed frequently.

b. Quality Control (QC)

Quality control (QC) describes an ongoing process of monitoring and appraising

work, and taking corrective action so that quality outcomes that are planned for

could be achieved (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008). QC is essentially the activities and

techniques employed to achieve and maintain the quality of a product, process, or

service by monitoring activities, finding and eliminating causes of quality

problems so that the requirements of the customer are continually met. QC is thus,

primarily concerned with defect detection. The main QC techniques are related to
17
inspection and statistical quality control (statistical sampling). The results of these

processes are used in taking corrective actions and to inform the quality assurance

(QA) process, so steps can be taken to prevent similar errors and defects (Kemp,

2006). Other QC techniques are control charts and flowcharts. Inspections involve

checking that what is produced is what was required (Harris & McCaffer, 2002).

The inspection takes two forms in construction works: that which is quantifiable

for example lines, levels, verticality and dimensions; and that which is open to

inspectors' interpretation such as fitness, tolerance, cleanliness and visual checks

(Harris and McCaffer, 2002). Quality checks for construction performance are

undertaken by work supervisors to ensure they comply with specifications.

Inspections do not of themselves prevent or correct mistakes unless appropriate

corrective measures are taken subsequently. On the other hand, statistical sampling

involves choosing a part of a population of interest and subjecting them to checks,

tests or inspections (PMI, 1996). The result of tests on a small sample helps to

establish the acceptability of an entire lot or batch of materials or work products

(Hendrickson & Au, 2008). Each lot tested, determines whether they satisfy a

minimum acceptable quality level (AQL). Testing the cube strength of concrete is

a typical example of statistical sampling in construction. Appropriate

sampling can often reduce the cost of quality control (PMI, 1996).

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 c. Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Assurance is a more modern approach to quality achievement in

production. It is a shift from the old inspection and quality control systems where a

lasting and continuous improvement in quality is achieved by directing

organizational efforts towards planning and preventing problems occurring at the

source (that is a shift from detection towards the prevention of non- conformance).

Thus quality assurance (QA) seeks to eliminate errors and mistakes that will give

rise to wastes and defects and subsequently avoid reworks through replacement

and making good the defects. QA is broadly the prevention of quality problems

through planned and systematic activities. These include the establishment of

sound quality management systems, the assessment of its adequacy, the audit of

the operation of the system and the review of the system itself (Harris & McCaffer,

2002). The PMI (1996) describes QA as all the planned and systematic activities

implemented within a quality system to provide confidence that projects will

satisfy relevant quality standards. ‘Fitness for purpose' and ‘right first time' are the

basic principles of QA to ensure that specifications are consistently met (Harris &d

McCaffer, 2002). QA concentrates on production or construction management

methods and procedural approaches to ensure that quality is built into the

production system. QA may be provided to the project management team or

management of performing organization as internal quality assurance; or provided

19
to customers and other parties not actively involved in project execution as

external QA (PMI, 1996). Quality planning tools and quality audits are the basic

techniques used for providing QA. Quality audit is simply a structured review of

other quality management activities (PMI, 1996). A quality audit examines the

elements of a quality system to evaluate how well these elements comply with

quality system requirements. The elements of a quality system identified by Harris

and McCaffer (2002) include responsibilities, authorities, relationships, functions,

procedures, processes and resources. The main objective of any quality audit is to

identify lessons learnt that could improve the performance of the project or other

projects within an organization (PMI, 1996). It helps to establish how well a

system is working (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008).

2.1.8 Factors affecting the application of quality management practice

a. Quality Planning and Quality Assurance

Quality planning is defined as a set of activities whose purpose is to define quality

system policies, objectives, and requirements, and to explain how these policies

will be applied, how these objectives will be achieved, and how these requirements

will be met (Harris, 2011). Quality assurance is defined as a set of activities whose

purpose is to demonstrate that an entity meets all quality requirements. Quality

assurance activities are carried out in order to inspire the confidence of both

customers and managers, confidence that all quality requirements are being met. It
20
is noted that quality requirements should be clear and verifiable so that all parties

in the project can understand them for conformance (Khan et al., 2018).

Quality assurance emphasizes defect prevention, unlike quality control that focuses

on defect detection once the item is produced or constructed. According to Khan et

al., 2018, it was further established that quality assurance concentrates on the

production or construction management methods and procedural approaches to

ensure that quality is built into the production system.

b. Stakeholder Framework and Building Construction

Stakeholder involvement in building construction involves determining how to

plan, developing the scope statement, selecting the planning team, identifying

deliverables and creating the work breakdown structure, identifying the activities

needed to complete those deliverables and networking the activities in their logical

sequence, estimating the resource requirements for the activities. It also involves

estimating time and cost for activities, developing the schedule, developing the

budget, risk planning and gaining formal approval to begin work in order to

construct output with quality specification, time and cost (Harold, 2010).

Stakeholders can affect an organization’s functioning, goals, development and

even survival (Chinyio et al., 2019). Successful engagement of stakeholders

involves actively giving and getting their support and working together to devise,

plan and develop new construction designs (Pearson et al., 2014). Senior leaders in
21
construction projects can adopt stakeholder engagement as an opportunity to

influence other organizations and create alignment to structures and processes to

support the vision and mission of timeliness, quality, durability and minimizing

costs (Quinn et al., 2019).

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.2.1 Stakeholder Theory

The study was guided by stakeholder theory that was propounded by Freeman,

1984. According to McCloskey, 1988, the “maximizing shareholder value” view is

put forward as a “scientific” theory that is modeled and verified appropriately by

ideologists called “economists.” On the other hand, a study by Phillips, 2003

argued that stakeholder ship involved a theory of organizational management and

ethics which was distinct because it addressed morals and values as explicit central

features of organizational management. He also pointed out that management for

stakeholders involved attention to more than simply maximizing shareholder

wealth.

2.2.2 Deming’s theory of profound knowledge

Is a management philosophy grounded in systems theory? It is based on the

principle that each organization is composed of a system of interrelated processes

and people which make up system’s components. The success of all workers

within the system is dependent on management’s capability to orchestrate the

22
delicate balance of each component for optimization of the entire system (Bowen,

2010). The system of profound knowledge is based on system appreciation to

understand the company's processes and systems, variation knowledge to

understand the occurrence of variation and their causes, knowledge theory to

understand quality programs and psychology knowledge to understand human

nature. In his fourteen points, he proposed that among other points, management

commitment, positive corporate culture, employee’s education and training and

proper communication system is paramount in implementation of TQM.

2.2.3 The Shewart Cycle

This is consistent with the theory of constraints discussed by Zadry and Yosuf

(2006). Theory of Constraints (TOC) which is a set of concepts, principles and

tools that can be used to improve management of systems and maximize

performance by identifying the most restrictive limiting factor that constraints the

system’s performance and managing it. It focuses on improving performance rather

than reducing costs. This study is anchored on these two theories in that: it takes all

the organizations’ systems to have a successful implementation of TQM and the

organization performance is highly dependent on its ability to continuously

improve on management of its systems.

23
2.3 Empirical Review

Muhwezi et al., 2021 assessed quality management practices of building

construction firms in Uganda with the purpose of developing a framework that can

be used by construction firms to improve on the quality of buildings. In this study,

descriptive design was employed in which both qualitative and quantitative data

were collected from a sample size of 54 respondents purposively selected from

employees of construction firms and Kamwenge local government using a survey

questionnaire and documentary reviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive and

multivariate analysis in SPSS version 25. The contribution of each of the factors on

the quality of construction firms was determined by use of Relative Importance

Index (RII) and the ranking of these attributes in terms of their criticality as

perceived by the respondents. The findings indicated that procurement systems,

third party certification and on site supervision greatly influenced the cost,

timeliness and delivery of buildings hence affecting the quality management

practices. The developed framework shall be used to engage stakeholders in the

phases of the construction projects mainly buildings to improve on cost estimation

and timely completion hence improving on quality management of buildings and

service delivery.

Lawal et al., 2016 examined the project quality management processes adopted for

project success. The study covered 36 private projects and 25 public projects,
24
making 61 projects in the state. The research instrument used was questionnaire. It

elicited information on the issues such as respondents’ designation, type of projects

executed, project quality management processes and challenges encountered by the

contractors. The data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential

statistics. The results among others showed that the application of the required

standards to the project to impact on the deliverable (2.45) and involvement of

Quality Assessment (2.34) were below average. There were inadequate facilities,

machines, tools and equipment for effective work on site (2.72), and scarcity of

skilled workers (2.58). The study recommended among others that adequate

facilities, machines, tools and equipment should be provided on site during project

execution. This will assist the workers on site to meeting the client’s requirements

during project execution.

Lawal et al., 2020 aimed at assessing quality management practices of building

construction firms in Jos metropolis. Data used for the study were gathered through

the use of 40 returned questionnaires administered to construction sites in Jos

metropolis. A random sampling technique was used in determining the sample. A

sample size of 52 and a population size of 61 were used. Descriptive statistics and

relative importance index (RII) were used in the analysis. The research findings

shows that adequate of site personnel (RII=0.87), adequate of project control

(RII=0.86), certification of materials (RII=0.83) ranked highly significant as

25
factors of quality management. Whereas onsite supervision (RII=0.86), education

of employee on the need for quality (RII=0.83) and compliance to quality standard

(RII=0.83) ranked highest as the most significant among the practices that firms

conform with ensure quality management. The research also established that there

are some variations with regards to firm size in conformity with quality

management practices. It was concluded that inadequate on site supervision,

customer satisfaction and education of employees on the need for quality

management are the major practices that firms need to conform to ensure quality

management in building construction firms. The research recommends building

construction firms to conform strictly to quality management practices.

Abdullah et al., 2018 assessed quality management practice in the Nigerian

construction industry. Incidences of building failures and in extreme cases,

building collapse have been attributed to poor quality management among other

factors. This paper assesses the quality management practices of Nigerian

construction firms intending to suggest appropriate courses of action for improving

quality performance. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to

management staff in 20 construction firms in Abuja, Nigeria. Findings from the

study show that inspections and statistical quality control techniques are the most

widely used quality management tools by construction firms in Nigeria. However,

the study found that the preparation of quality management plans (QMP) and
26
quality auditing (a measure of quality assurance in building production), is not

popular among Nigerian construction firms. Inadequate planning arrangements for

quality, poor communication of quality requirements and lack of awareness of the

benefits of quality management were identified as the most significant issues

affecting quality management practice. Therefore, there is a low uptake of quality

management practice principles within construction organizations in Nigeria.

Innocent et al., 2020 aimed to determine factors that influence the BPM practice

in the Nigerian construction industry, particularly; during the project execution

phase. A cross-sectional survey used; a questionnaire to identify 73 factors, which

were grouped into 12 categories and assessed. A purposive sampling technique

was used to identify 20 construction organizations specializing in building

production management in Lagos, Nigeria. 114 questionnaires were distributed to

the pool of stakeholders, which included 31 clients, 34 consultants and 49

contractors of current and past building production projects carried out by the

selected firms in Lagos. The research used a selection of statistical tools for SPSS

v.23, including the chi-square test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Kendall’s

coefficient of concordance. The obtained result revealed the factors that mostly

influence the BPM practice namely, architectural drawings, the construction

program document, the work breakdown structure, the adequacy of communication

and coordination between the parties, the adequacy of

27
raw materials and equipment, the availability of the competent team, the

implementation of the safety management system, regular maintenance of project

equipment, clear and timely inspections, the availability of funds as planned

throughout the project duration, the availability of skilled personnel, and the

aesthetics of the completed work. The research resulted in the development of the

BPM implementation framework and recommendations for the improvement of the

BPM practice in Nigeria

2.4 Research Gap

This chapter has reviewed the extensive literature on QM and TQM, and in doing

so, the researcher has recognized that the emphasis on quality has led organizations

to adopt QMS. From reviewing the literature, the researcher believes that the term

quality means different things to different people. This is why defining quality is

often the first step in most quality improvement journeys. A common

understanding and vision of what is meant by quality helps the organization to

focus its quality improvement efforts. Muhwezi et al., 2021 assessed quality

management practices of building construction firms in Uganda with the purpose

of developing a framework that can be used by construction firms to improve on

the quality of buildings. The contribution of each of the factors on the quality of

construction firms was determined by use of Relative Importance Index (RII) and

the ranking of these attributes in terms of their criticality as perceived by the

28
respondents. Lawal et al., 2020 aimed at assessing quality management practices

of building construction firms in Jos metropolis. Descriptive statistics and relative

importance index (RII) were used in the analysis. The research findings show that

adequate of site personnel (RII=0.87), adequate of project control (RII=0.86),

certification of materials (RII=0.83) ranked highly significant as factors of quality

management. Whereas onsite supervision (RII=0.86), education of employee on

the need for quality (RII=0.83) and compliance to quality standard (RII=0.83)

ranked highest as the most significant among the practices that firms conform with

ensure quality management. In this study, the research was centered on quality

management practices in building construction project in Port Harcourt. A total of

eighty-nine (89) respondents were consulted for the study.

29
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter discusses the methods, strategies and approaches adopted for this

study. The research methodology aids researchers in establishing a set of

procedures that can be repeated to test the results of a study in different

environments. This chapter shall discuss the research strategy, research design,

research approach, data collection processes and the tools adopted to analyze the

data collected.

3.2 Research design

Research design can be described as the logical steps employed in other to achieve

the objectives of a study by providing answers to the research questions (Creswell,

2009). This study adopted the explanatory research design. The explanatory

research design was to analyze the quality management practices in building

construction project in Port Harcourt with a view to suggest ways for improved

quality control and service delivery.

3.3Sample and sampling method

Sample is the set people or items which constitute part of a given population

sampling. The sample population of 52 respondents is employed for this research

work. For the purposes of this study, a total of 52 respondents constituted the target
30
population and a percentage of this total population size was taken as the sample.

In order to choose a fair representative sample from the sample population, a

random sampling technique was adopted. The sample Due to large size of the

target population, the researcher used the Taro Yamani formula to arrive at the

sample population of the study.

n= N

1+N(e)2

n= 52

1+79(0.05)2

= 79

1+(0.0025)

= 60

3.4 Data Collection Procedure

For purposes of triangulation (Ghauri and Grönhaug, 2005) both primary and

secondary sources of data were used. According to Kumar (2005) primary sources

are sources of data collection where the data is collected for the specific purpose at

the time of collection. The primary sources of data were collected primarily

through survey of the staffs using questionnaires. The study also made used

secondary sources of data. To Ghauri and Grönhaug (2005) secondary sources of

31
data are data that were collected, recorded and used previously. The secondary

sources of data were from featured periodicals, company websites and journals.

3.4.1 Questionnaire development

An elaborate questionnaire was developed based on the objectives of the study.

Questionnaires are effective means of collecting and analyzing data (Spector,

2006). The questionnaire had two (2) sections. The first section concentrated on

the background of the respondents whiles the second section was developed based

on the three objectives of the study. With the background of the respondents, they

were asked to indicate their category in the construction industry, the number of

years of experience, the highest level of education and the number of projects they

have worked on. Also, the section B of the questionnaire had four (4) questions.

The first question was to assess factors affecting quality management in building

construction project in Port Harcourt. The second question asked the respondents

to assess the conformance of building construction firms in Port Harcourt to

quality management practices. The third question was to investigate the effect of

firm size on conformance to quality management practices of building construction

project in Port Harcourt.

32
3.5 Data analysis

The data collected was coded and entered into the Statistical Package of Social

Scientist (SPSS) version 21. The data were analyzed using mean score ranking for

both objective one and two. The responses obtained from respondents in selected

construction firms in Port Harcourt formed data. The data were treated statistically

in accordance with research questions generated from the study. Tables and simple

percentage were used as techniques of analyzing the research questions while

Descriptive statistics and relative importance index (RII) were used in the analysis.

3.5.1 Decision Rule

Accept the null hypothesis if the calculated value is less than the tabulated value

otherwise reject the null hypothesis at 5% level of significance.

33
 CHAPTER 4
DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Type of organization

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Public 35 58.3 58.3 58.3
Private 25 41.7 41.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0

Source: Primary data.

This table above shows the percentage based on type of organization, and we see that a
percentage of 58.3% works in the public sector while 41.75 works at the private sector. Based on
the analysis I can say that more respondent works on the public compared to the private sector.

Designation of Respondent

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Builder 7 11.7 11.7 11.7
Architect 17 28.3 28.3 40.0
Engineer 11 18.3 18.3 58.3
Quantity Surveyor 14 23.3 23.3 81.7
Others 11 18.3 18.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0

Source: Primary data.

This table shows the total percent of role played by different respondent. A total of 11.7% are
builders, 28.3% are Architect, 18.3% are Engineers, 23.3% are Quantity Surveyors and other
sum up 18.3%. this shows that more respondents are respondent are Architect, which is followed
by Quantity surveyors.

Academic qualification

34
 Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid OND / HND 17 28.3 28.3 28.3
B.SC / B.TECH 13 21.7 21.7 50.0
M.SC / M.TECH 12 20.0 20.0 70.0
Others 18 30.0 30.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0

Source: Primary data.

The table above shows the academic qualification of the respondents, and from the
data we get 28.3% to have a qualification of OND / HND, 21.7% are B.SC / B.
TECH, 20.0 are M.SC / M. TECH, while others turn out to fall under other
qualifications which have a percentage of 30.0%. The table simply means there are
higher number of people doesn’t have the qualification listed in the table above but
other qualifications.

work experience

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 1-5 years 11 18.3 18.3 18.3
6-10 years 13 21.7 21.7 40.0
11-15 years 8 13.3 13.3 53.3
16-20 years 20 33.3 33.3 86.7
over 20 years 8 13.3 13.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0

Source Primary data.

From the able above the 1-5 years consist of 18.3%, 6-10 years consist of 21.7%,
11-15 years consist of 13.3%, 16-20 years have a total percentage of 33.3%, while
more than 20 years are 13.3%. this means that there are higher number of
people(respondent) of 16-20 years, followed by people within the range 6-10 years,
over 20 years with people of 11-15 years followed suit, then lastly 1-5 years is the
minimum.

35
 Nature of construction

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Building Work 18 30.0 30.0 30.0
Civil Engineering work 27 45.0 45.0 75.0
Both Building and Civil 15 25.0 25.0 100.0
Engineering work
Total 60 100.0 100.0

Source: Primary data.

The table above shows the nature of construction being carried out and from a 100% we have
30.0% allocated to building work, 45.0% allocated to Civil engineering 25.0% allocated to both
building and civil engineering work. This means that a higher number falls under civil
engineering work, followed by those building work which takes 30.0% lastly both.

4.2 TEST OF HYPOTHESIS

To test the originally formulated hypothesis, the researcher selected an appropriate
test statistic i.e., one-sample T-test for the hypothesis to be tested.
4.2.1 Statement of hypothesis
H01: There is no significant factors affecting quality management in building

construction firms in Port Harcourt

H02: There is significant factors affecting quality management in building

construction firms in Port Harcourt

=0.05

One-Sample Statistics

N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

36
Client satisfaction 60 2.93 1.364 .176
Getting more jobs as a result 60 2.98 1.347 .174
of previous good work done
Reduction in maintenance 60 3.08 1.576 .203
cost
Meeting general construction 60 2.85 1.471 .190
standards
Durability assurance 60 3.18 1.490 .192
Improve on the built 60 2.72 1.427 .184
environment
Guaranty users comfort 60 3.08 1.476 .191
Excessive reduction of 60 3.23 1.345 .174
human resources wastage
Reduction of function-ability 60 3.22 1.342 .173
risk
Positive climate change 60 3.08 1.331 .172
effect

One-Sample Test

Test Value = 95
t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Client satisfaction -522.919 59 .000
Getting more jobs as a result -529.310 59 .000
of previous good work done
Reduction in maintenance -451.704 59 .000
cost
Meeting general construction -485.273 59 .000
standards
Durability assurance -477.326 59 .000
Improve on the built -500.844 59 .000
environment
Guaranty users comfort -482.285 59 .000
Excessive reduction of -528.490 59 .000
human resources wastage

37
Reduction of function-ability -529.953 59 .000
risk
Positive climate change -534.767 59 .000
effect

Decision Rule

Since Significance (2-tailed) values of the t-test are lower than = 0.05, we reject

the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis which conclude that there is

significant factors affecting quality management in building construction firms in

Port Harcourt.

4.2.2 Statement of hypothesis

H01: There is no significant effect of firm size on conformance to quality

management practices of building construction firms in selected construction

firms in Port Harcourt

H02: There is significant effect of firm size on conformance to quality

management practices of building construction firms in selected construction

firms in Port Harcourt

One-Sample Statistics

N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

Lack of adequate sanction 60 2.73 1.506 .194
by the standard assurance
organization

38
Non implementation of 60 3.00 1.414 .183
National Building Code
Lack of proper inspection at 60 2.87 1.371 .177
every construction stage
Award of contract to 60 2.92 1.576 .203
unqualified contractor
Lack of construction quality 60 3.30 1.357 .175
control inspection program
Lack of effective quality 60 3.05 1.501 .194
policy implementation
Inadequate personnel and 60 2.93 1.339 .173
craftsmen training
Poor specification 60 3.22 1.290 .167
Bribery and corruption 60 2.80 1.400 .181
Usurpation of role among 60 2.92 1.453 .188
professional
Unrealistic project cost 60 2.75 1.385 .179
Unrealistic project time 60 2.97 1.353 .175
Non-Compliance to Quality 60 3.28 1.427 .184
control
Inadequate workers 60 3.23 1.477 .191
motivation
Inadequate and poor 60 2.95 1.523 .197
coordination of project
resources

One-Sample Test

Test Value = 95
t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Lack of adequate sanction -474.708 59 .000
by the standard assurance
organization
Non implementation of -503.905 59 .000
National Building Code

39
Lack of proper inspection at -520.460 59 .000
every construction stages
Award of contract to -452.523 59 .000
unqualified contractor
Lack of construction quality -523.547 59 .000
control inspection program
Lack of effective quality -474.649 59 .000
policy implementation
Inadequate personnel and -532.719 59 .000
craftsmen training
Poor specification -551.121 59 .000
Bribery and corruption -510.215 59 .000
Usurpation of role among -490.854 59 .000
professional
Unrealistic project cost -515.761 59 .000
Unrealistic project time -527.071 59 .000
Non Compliance to Quality -497.769 59 .000
control
Inadequate workers -481.217 59 .000
motivation
Inadequate and poor -468.169 59 .000
coordination of project
resources

Decision Rule

Since Significance (2-tailed) values of the t-test are lower than = 0.05, we reject

the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis which conclude that there is

significant effect of firm size on conformance to quality management practices of

building construction firms in selected construction firms in Port Harcourt.

40
 CHAPTER 5

Conclusion and Recommendation

The study revealed that top among the factors affecting quality management on

construction sites both in public and private organization in Port Harcourt were

Lack of adequate sanction by the standard assurance organization, Non

implementation of National Building Code, Lack of proper inspection at every

construction stages, Award of contract to unqualified contractor, Lack of

construction quality control inspection program, Lack of effective quality policy

implementation, Inadequate personnel ad craftsmen training, Poor specification,

Bribery and corruption and Usurpation of role among professional. All these

factors require due consideration to ensure effective quality management on

construction sites. Similarly, the study revealed that the effect of quality

management cannot be overlooked as it helps to reduce maintenance cost, ensure

client satisfaction, improves built environment, reduce excessive human resources

wastage among others. This study has clearly established the fact that most of the

factors affecting effective project quality management in Port Harcourt were

generated by the government, professionals, quality organization agencies,

construction workers and other stakeholders in construction industry.

41
Base on the result gotten from the analysis, recommendations were put forward to

provide some direction for improvement in this regard as follows:

1) Adequate sanction should be imposed on the non-compliance of quality by

the standard assurance organization.

2) Legislative arm of government should endeavor to pass National Building

Code into law.

3) Proper inspection should be done at every construction stage so as to ensure

adequate quality.

4) Contractors should be well scrutinized before awarding contract.

5) Construction industry should implement quality control inspection program

and quality policy.

42
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