UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Editorial
Get PDFWelcome to the sixth issue of the Journal of Construction Business and Management. This issue will contribute scholarly discussion to the theoretical and methodical challenges impacting construction business management research and practice. The focus is to enhance the theoretical foundation for potential explanations to the various issues affecting construction operations towards assisting in the achievement of characteristics required for efficient construction organisations, projects, developments and resource use. The topics covered in this issue are related to corporate organisational effectiveness, quality management, maintenance performance, growth of the built environment professions, building regulations and contractor's risk attitudes. The issue contains six articles that were written by fifteen scholars based in Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa.
The first paper by Ogbu and Olatunde evaluates the measures of corporate Organisational Effectiveness (OE) of Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) contractors. The study found out that the SME contractors’ corporate OE can be measured by using corporate advantage, firm experience, certification and owner background. Also, a significant relationship was found between the OE of the firm and measures of project performance. They posit that better firm experience alone does not necessarily improve a contractor’s project performance. Paper two by Abdullahi, Bustani, Hassan and Rotimi assessed the quality management practices of Nigerian construction firms. Their study revealed that inspections and statistical quality control techniques are the most widely used quality management tools by construction firms in Nigeria. Abdullahi et al. conclude that there is a low uptake of quality management practice principles within construction organisations in Nigeria and proffered solutions to mitigate these challenges. The paper by Ajayi, Koleoso, Ajayi and Faremi evaluates the satisfaction ratings of the maintenance performance of prison facilities in South-Western Nigeria. The study revealed that prison staff were satisfied with the level of cleanliness, quality of water and control of ventilation; and partially satisfied with twenty-nine other criteria that were assessed. Ajayi et al. conclude that there is a need for continuous evaluation of prison facilities to ascertain their condition and performance levels.
The fourth paper by Rwelamila and Manchidi examines the growth of professions as a consequence of the division of expert labour evolving to fill in knowledge gaps created by emergent social forces as other knowledge areas are rendered less relevant. The study shows how professional work negatively impacts on the delivery efficiencies in the project as a temporary organisation. Also, the study explains how boundary margins keep professions relational and how the dynamics of boundary work unfold in a territorial space in a project (meso) environment. The study by Omollo the author of the fifth paper investigates key barriers to the effective regulation of the building construction industry in Kenya. The article reveals that ineffective regulation of the construction industry was prompted by joint activities of building development contractors and the limitation of the National Construction Authority (the regulator). While building development contractors were found to be non-compliant with the building regulations, while the National Construction Authority fail to enforce the rules. Omollo concludes that regular monitoring and enhanced enforcement would promote compliance and sensitisation of contractors with applicable standards. Lastly, the paper by Taofeeq and Adeleke examines the factors affecting contractors’ risk attitudes in the Malaysian construction industry. Taofeeq and Adeleke found that the four leading factors influencing contractors risk attitude in the Malaysian construction industry are project-related, working capital, human-related factors and the external environment. The findings suggest that knowledge of these factors will help contractors’ decision-making processes in project management.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge all authors who submitted papers for consideration, members of the JCBM Editorial Board and panel of reviewers for their support, timeous review and comments that have helped in defining and improving the quality of manuscripts published by the journal. We welcome feedback and suggestions from readers towards improving the quality of the journal and in maintaining the integrity of the findings published.
Abimbola Windapo PhD
Editor-in-chief
 
Greedy Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk Melierax canorus
Get PDFPale Chanting Goshawks never miss an opportunity for feeding on any creature living or dead. Here three birds are recorded with the mouth or crop still full, and hunting techniques and diet are described
Residential Property Location Choice of Tenants in Bosso Local Municipality of Minna, Nigeria
No full textResidential location choice (RLC) is key to the pattern of urban development in any city. This paper investigates factors influencing the choice of residential location by tenants in Bosso Local Government Area (LGA), Minna. The objective of the paper is to establish the roles played by a variety of housing attributes, and thus the design is an analytical survey. Data was collected from 277 structured questionnaires completed by household heads who are tenants in Bosso LGA neighbourhoods. This data was further investigated through factor analysis to reduce the variety of housing variables to a smaller set of influential components. The results reveal that the principal component in the determination of residential location of tenants is dwelling attributes comprising of the number of bathrooms, number of toilets and number of bedrooms. In addition, the second principal component, named accessibility attributes, plays a modest role with proximity to a secondary school and/or primary school loading very high. The study recommends that property owners should respond to the desires of tenants by paying attention to the provision of the right ratio of bathrooms and toilets to the number of bedrooms. Also, urban planners and policymakers should efficiently allocate educational properties like secondary and primary schools across all the neighbourhoods in the study area. With these recommendations, it is hoped that residential locations across Bosso LGA will be equally attractive to tenants
Stakeholders’ Perception of Residential Rental Value Determinants in Ghana
Get PDFThe determinants of Residential Rental Values (RRVs) have been analysed differently by housing researchers across the globe. This paper scrutinises the perception of stakeholders in Accra’s housing market in order to identify and conceptualise commonalities and differences in variables that determine RRVs. It adopts relative importance index to rank 38 different variables that determine RRVs. Using the stratified sampling technique, the population of experts and stakeholders with knowledge in the rental market space were identified and categorised into six distinct strata. The sample frame was drawn from landlords; tenants; real estate agents; academic staff from real estate departments in universities; valuation and estate surveyors; and a group labelled as ‘others’. Purposive sampling was then used to identify respondents within each stratum. The findings suggest that electricity and piped water connection, type of house, property condition and number of bedrooms are the most significant determinants of RRVs in Accra. Contrariwise, the least significant variables include storeroom availability, proximity to recreational facilities, proximity to place of worship, landscape quality and number of storeys. This study contextualises RRVs by identifying variables that reflect characteristics of the rental housing market in Accra. This paper serves as a guide in understanding rental market dynamics in a typical African city where access to data remains a challenge
C-THAN: A new research center for the development of point-of-care technology for HIV/AIDS
Get PDFTheCenter for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for HIV/AIDS at Northwestern University (C-THAN) is a partner in the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network (POCTRN) of the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. POCTRN’s mission is to drivethe development of appropriate point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies through collaboration that merges scientific and technological capabilities with clinical need. C-THAN develops POC technologies for improved management of HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. C-THAN incorporates clinical and user needs with technology expertise and resources to address commercialization and implementation barriers through: 1) assessment of unmet clinical needs in POC testing for HIV/AIDS and its comorbidities; 2) collaborations with physicians, researchers and engineers; 3) development of technical, clinical, industrial and regulatory partnerships; 4) clinical testing of prototype devices; and 5) creation of training opportunities for technology developers, evaluators, and other stakeholders. Technologies supported include tests for detection and monitoring of HIV/AIDS and its common comorbidities including tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, viral hepatitis and HIV-related malignancies. CTHAN relies on collaborations established by Northwestern University in Nigeria, South Africa, Mali and Tanzania, to have impact on the prevention and clinical management of HIV/AIDS
Firm Attributes and Performance: A Study of Architectural Firms in Nigeria
Get PDFThe performance of architectural firms has been a concern to the professional bodies. Studies have however shown that there are factors within organisations that influence their performance. From the Resource-Based Theory of the Firm, this study aims to identify attributes in the profiles, structure and strategies of architectural firms, which are associated with the success of these firms. The performance of firms is conceptualized according to profitability, while the attributes considered are the ones identified as resources in the Resource-Based Theory of the firm. Data on the attributes and performance of the firms were obtained from a survey of ninety-two randomly selected architectural firms in Nigeria, using questionnaires and interviews. The results of the discriminant analysis carried out show that factors, which were related to the successes of the firms, include the availability of information technology facilities and the level of specialization of duties. The findings suggest that appropriate sizes, professionally qualified staff; and provision and use of IT facilities were areas that architectural firms can concentrate on for enhanced performance.
Keywords: Architectural firms, Architectural practice, Firm attributes, Firm Performance, Nigeria, Professional Service Firms
Effect of Management Strategies in Entrenching Organisational Safety Culture in the Electricity Industry of Zambia
Get PDFEntrenching safety cultural aspects is one of the functional areas within the management system that underlines various strategies. A number of investigations in the electricity industry revealed that a deficiency of organisational safety culture is one of the underlying causes of accidents. This study sought to determine management strategies that impact organisational safety culture in the electricity industry in Zambia. The objectives underpinning the study include establishing management strategies that affect organisational safety culture, assessing worker's knowledge on safety, health and environmental (SHE) programs, and ascertain the effect of organisational safety culture on workers attitude towards safety. Various literature was reviewed on management strategies. The research used the quantitative method in which descriptive and analytical survey methods using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) as inferential statistics. A structured questionnaire to obtain data was designed, and the multiple linear regression method to analyse data in order to meet the research objectives was applied. The study selected 230 workers from companies within the electricity industry using simple random sampling while 170 questionnaires were completed, giving a response rate of 73.91%. Findings revealed that workers understand organisational safety culture and SHE processes; while management strategies such as recruitment, and rewards and compensation, had a significant influence on organisational safety culture. The study concluded that management commitment and their involvement in the safety aspects of the electricity industry is not just a benevolent obligation, but it compels and motivates the workers they protect to achieve organisational objectives and goals. Furthermore, the study recommended the restructuring of processes during induction and orientation to maintain high levels of safety at workplaces in order to record few workplace accidents.
Keywords: Electricity Industry, Entrenching, Management Strategies, Organisational Safety Cultur
A State Legitimation Approach of Reserved Built Environment Professional Work - A Case for South Africa – Part 1
Get PDFThis paper borrows from the lenses of the sociology of professions, sociology of science and temporary project organisations and construction reform to examine state legitimation of reserved built environment (BE) professional work as the first part of a two-part study. In doing so, it examines the growth of professions as a consequence of the division of expert labour evolving to fill in knowledge gaps created by emergent social forces as other knowledge areas are rendered less relevant. It shows how professional work negatively impacts on the delivery efficiencies in the project as a temporary organisation. In making this argument, it draws on the jurisdictional theory of professions to illustrate the relational and interactional relationship of professions in construction projects. To help focus on collaboration, a preliminary conceptual model for the legitimation of professions at the macro (policy) level is developed to explain how boundary margins keep professions relational, and how the dynamics of boundary work unfold in a territorial space in a project (meso) environment. Finally, it provides the scope of the second part of the study (the field study) by formulating the main research objective and research question and their respective specific research objectives and research questions, respectively.
Keywords: Built Environment Professions, Division of Expert Labour, Jurisdictional Boundaries, Legitimation, Professional Work, Temporary Organisation
Valuation Inaccuracy: Implication on Commercial Property Investment Performance in Akure, Nigeria
Get PDFIssues of valuation error have become one of the most significant challenges of the valuation profession lately. The derivation of property returns from commercial income and prices actually paid has cast a lot of doubt on the reliability of valuation opinion in the commercial property investment decision process. This study investigates the implication of valuation inaccuracy on investment performance of commercial properties in Akure, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 25 registered and practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers (ESVs) in Akure and 19 duly filled questionnaires were returned for analysis. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the level of inaccuracy and the factors influencing the valuation inaccuracy, while regression analysis was used to examine the effect of this inaccuracy on investment performance. It was discovered that the most common level of valuation inaccuracy in Akure is ±11-15% which is above the acceptable range of ±5%. It was also discovered that the various assumptions made by the valuers and the market indices used in carrying out valuation have the highest influence on the inaccuracy discovered in their valuation. From the simple linear regression analysis carried out, it was found that valuation inaccuracy has negative implication, at β=-.800, t=3.873, p>.05 on the investment performance. This shows that the higher the level of inaccuracy of valuation, the lower the performance of the investment. The result, however, indicates that the effect of valuation inaccuracy on commercial property investment performance is statistically insignificant. This study recommends that valuers in Akure should be very careful in making assumptions and be more vigilant regarding their use of market indices for valuations. It also recommends that valuers should be aware that investors rely on the accuracy of their valuations for making timely investment predictions and should therefore ensure conscientious efforts are put in place for accuracy of their valuations
IRIDESCENCE OF VIOLET WOODHOOPOE MANTLE FEATHERS
Get PDFMantle feathers of Namibian Violet Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. Iridescence of violet barbules and their biological basis were figured and discussed