EVALUATION OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF CONTRACTORS IN BUILDING INDUSTRY IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Many of the management practices used to support construction organisations are being challenged.  The industry’s  clients  are moving  forward and  demanding  improved  quality service, faster project delivery and innovations in technology. Total Quality Management (TQM) has increasingly been adopted by construction companies as an initiative to solve quality problems and to meet the needs of the final customer. This research therefore aims at evaluating the Total Quality Management Practices of contractors in building industry in Abuja, Nigeria. The study identified TQM practices used by contractors in housing delivery in Abuja, the level of commitment of contractors to TQM, the challenges encountered by contractors while implementing TQM and measures for effective quality assurance practice through the use of TQM. Quantitative research approach was used, field survey was carried out, structured questionnaires were administered to contractors and response were subjected to statistical analysis. The findings showed that most respondents were familiar with total quality management practices; its application was relatively low; further to this, it came to light that the potential barriers to the attainment of total quality management among construction firm are: lack of effective Supervision (3.91) ranked 1st followed by effective Communication (3.50) and Management’s Commitment to Quality Assurance (3.50) ranked 2nd, Proper Equipment available for use (3.36) ranked 3rd, Quality Assurance Team to lead the process (3.33) ranked 4th. More importantly, in curbing the above-mentioned potential barriers the study revealed the following as  measures  for effective quality management  practices,  namely:  Management Commitment, Communication between Managers and Employees, Employee Involvement, Detailed and Logical Work Program, Regular Inspection and Audit of Quality Report, Training and Education of Team Members and Review/Analysis. The research therefore recommended that construction companies should create a flexible and conducive organizational atmosphere which encourages the development of total quality management practices in all aspect of their work. Furthermore, construction firms should be encouraged to apply total quality management techniques during the execution of project and engage/include personnel in charge of Quality as part of an integrated team in the Project Management and Delivery process.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

The building industry provides a professional service that uses specialized, project management techniques to oversee the planning, design, and construction of a project, from its beginning to its end (Olatunji et al (2012). The purpose of management is to control a project’s time / delivery, cost  and  quality sometimes  referred  to  as  a project’s  “triple  constraint” (Battikha, 2002).

Management is compatible with all  project delivery systems, including design-bid-build, design-build, Risk and Public Private Partnerships.

The concept of quality management is to ensure efforts to achieve the required level of quality for a product which is well planned and organized. From the perspective of the building industry, quality management in construction projects should mean maintaining the quality of construction works at the required standard so as to obtain customers’ satisfaction that would bring long term competitiveness and business survival for the construction companies (Tan & Abdul-Rahman, 2005).

Quality of a product can be measured in terms of performance, reliability and durability. Quality is a crucial parameter which differentiates an organization from its competitors. Quality management tools ensure changes in the systems and processes which eventually result in superior quality products and services. Quality management methods such as Total Quality management have a common goal to deliver a high-quality product. Quality management is essential to create superior quality products which not only meet but also exceed customer satisfaction. Total Quality management is defined as a continuous effort by the management as well as employees of a particular organization to ensure long term customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Further to this, Olatunji et al (2012) also reiterated that the term quality management as used in the construction industry is all encompassing and embedded in the phenomenon itself and are concepts such as quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, quality standards etc. The authors revealed that the earliest form of formal quality management practices in construction can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome. In addition to the aforementioned, Harris and McCaffer, (2001) opined that quality management practices include all the means employed by managers in an effort to implement their quality policies. These activities include quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement.

Many of the management practices used to support building industry are being challenged. The industry’s clients are moving forward. Client’s demand improved service quality, faster buildings and innovations in technology. It is no accident that the construction industry has turned to the manufacturing sector as a point of reference and source of innovation. Successful concepts derived from manufacturing, such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Reengineering and Lean (or Just-in-Time) Production, are being adopted and integrated into the construction industry. Implicitly, the successful implementation of these concepts is heavily dependent on a culture of teamwork and cooperation at both intra- and inter-organizational levels in construction.

Naoum (2007) cited in Olatunji et al (2012) indicated that performance on a global level represents results of activities undertaken. He proceeded further to explain that performance of a project is measured as its ability to deliver the building or structure at the right time, cost and quality as well as achieving a high level of client satisfaction. It therefore stands to reason that quality performance in construction is results oriented and seeks evidence of quality awareness within the operations and output of a building/construction team. Quality performance is also defined over the long term for the effect to be permanent (Yasamis et al, 2002). In other words, quality performance improvements are expected to increase the productivity and profitability of contractors as well as increasing client satisfaction. Quality Management has increasingly been adopted by organizations in the building industry as an initiative to solve quality problems and to meet the needs of the final customer, if ever an industry needed to take up the concept of QMS (Quality Management System) it’s the construction industry. However, implementing QMS principles in construction industry is particularly difficult because of the many parties involved. There is therefore a need to evaluate TQM practice of contractors in Nigeria.

1.2       Statement of Research Problem

A building project in its life span goes through different phases. The main phases of a project can be described as: conceptual planning, feasibility study, design, procurement, construction, acceptance, operation and maintenance. Quality of building projects is linked with proper quality management in all the phases of project life cycle (Howell, 2013). Design and construction are the two important phases of project life cycle which affect the quality outcome of construction projects significantly (Hutchins, 2014). In a NEDO (National Economic Development Office), London survey aimed at improving methods of quality control for building works it was found that “design” and “poor workmanship in the construction process” combined to form more than 90% of the total failure events (NEDO, 2011).

During the last decades construction industry has been heavily criticized for its performance and productivity in relation to other industries. With the turn of the new millennium, it appears that the construction industry is going through an intense period of introspection, which is exacerbated by increased technological and social change (Kannan and Tan, 2015). These changes  are  altering  the  tempo  of  the  environment  within  which  construction  operates.

Moreover, such changes extensively affect the way business is carried. No organization operating in the building industry, whether large or small, private or public, can afford to ignore its changing environments if it is to survive (Kim and Park, 2013).

Poor  quality of  building  has  brought  the  need  for  more  maintenance,  rehabilitation,  and renovation work in an effort to ensure the serviceability and safety of such buildings. Consequently, housing in Abuja are prone to these stated housing challenges and deficits. The main cause of these problems is the fact that the government agencies responsible for housing delivery are not proactive in their responsibilities. However, the challenges facing the building industry do not appear to be of serious concern to the government (Kim and Park, 2013), and have consequently, not been addressed, such that there still remains a need for Total Quality Management (TQM). To date there has been no study of this subject, aimed at evaluating Total Quality Management practices of contractors in building industry in Abuja. It is against this background that this study seeks to ensure the use of total quality management in the execution phase of construction projects.

1.3       Research Questions

To enable the researcher, undertake this study, the research questions below were formulated;

i.      What are the Total Quality Management practices used by contractors in housing delivery in Abuja?

ii.      What is the level of commitment of Building Contractors to Total Quality management Plans in the execution of projects to deliver structurally sound buildings?

iii.     What are the challenges faced by building challenges in their effort to adhere to Total Quality Management during execution of projects?

iv.      What are the measures for effective quality assurance practices through the use of TQM in the building industry?

1.4       Aim and Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the Total Quality Management Practices of Contractors in building industry in Abuja with a view to improved performance of practices in building industry. The following objectives are set in order to achieve the aim of the study to:

i.    Identify the Total Quality Management practices used by contractors in housing delivery in Abuja

ii.  To determine the level of commitment of contractors to Total Quality Management Practices in the delivery of housing projects in Abuja.

iii. To examine the challenges encountered by contractors while implementing Total Quality Management during the execution of housing projects.

iv. To propose measures for effective quality assurance practice through the use of TQM in the building industry.

1.5       Justification for the Study

The existing studies in the area of interest (Kannan and Tan, 2005; Kim and Park, 2012; Abdel- Razek  et al, 2017 and Abdullah et al, 2016), did not address the issue of TQM practices in Nigeria context. Clearly, some research on TQM in building industry in Nigeria has been undertaken, very few articles focus on TQM practice to building industry in Abuja, and hence, the available literature is extremely limited in its focus and range. However, with recent developments and research in TQM practice, there is a great opportunity to investigate how TQM practice can assist in public housing development in Nigeria.

The significance of this study lies in its attempt to identify the TQM practice for achieving a successful housing development in Nigeria. Effectively, it explores the gap that exists between the theory and the practice. In doing this, the study develops a quality procedure based on the implementation of TQM practice to improve housing development. The proposed practice will bring benefits for both the industry and the local economy in general, being used as a guideline by housing developer to successfully prepare, develop, and apply more effective project management as a means to become more efficient and effective. The TQM procedures will consider the communication among maintenance parties and decision-makers involved in the business process, and assist in demarcating stronger lines of responsibility. The study will enrich the extant literature concerning TQM, implementation, and practices.

1.6 Scope of Study

This  study was  carried  out  in  FCT,  Abuja.  It  focuses  on  investigating  the  adoption  and implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the construction industry and developing  a “measurement methodology” of construction processes for customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. The main concept of this thesis is to identify “what” processes can be measured and “how” to measure them. To identify the above objectives, literature search, questionnaires and interviews were used. The tools used in the measurement is one of several of the “Tools  of Total  Quality”  such  as  control  and  run  charts,  cause and  effect  diagrams, flowcharts, check sheets, Pareto diagrams, and histograms. For the local construction industry, this project has the potential of demonstrating benefits of using TQM in their organizations. This was carried out by showing that quality improvement efforts can be quantified, measured, and analyzed – thereby showing the construction company to continuously improve in products and services to meet and even exceed customer needs.

1.7 Study Area

Abuja in the center of Nigeria and within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became the Nigerian capital on 12th December 1991, replacing Lagos which is till the country’s most populous city. It has Kaduna State by the north, Nasarawa State to the east, Kogi State to the south-west and Niger State to the west. It lies between7°20′and  9°15′ North of the Equator and longitudes 6°45′ and 7°39′East Greenwich Meridian, Abuja is geographically located in the center of the country (Figure 1.1)

Abuja is one of the fastest growing cities in West Africa. The territory has experienced rapid changes, urban spatial expansionand transportation infrastructure expansion over the last 30 years. Over time, urban growth significantly changed in Abuja which necessitate complex urban dynamics such as conversion of agricultural land to settlement, road and infrastructure (FCDA, 2011). The rate of  population growth is high with an estimated annual growth rate of 9.4% (UNFPA, 2015), and its status in the country as the FCT, it has undergone and is still undergoing a vast amount of development in terms of commercial, residential, industrial, social and political growth, with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) charged with the responsibility of its spatial planning and development. The level f development in the city and the number of offices and head quarters offices located in the FCT makes it a city where urbanization is at a high pace.

Abuja, being the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria houses most of the headquarters and head offices of Government parastatals, quite a number of private firms, foreign organizations and investors, offices and companies. It is an area undergoing a vast amount of development, with majority of these offices, headquarters and firms are located in an area which is referred to as the federal capital city. Due to its level of development, it is undergoing a vast amount of urbanization by people not only migrating in from rural areas, but also by individuals moving in from other parts / states of the country in search of a better wage or salary.

As the economy of the city continued to improve over time, people got and are still getting wealthier. Coupled with the continuous influx of people from different parts of the country, housing and land was seen by the wealthier individuals as a commodity and therefore bought and built in most areas in and around the central city. As identified by Logan and Molotch (1976), land entrepreneurs, which include: Landlords, Businessmen Developers, Transportation and Utility Companies, Banks and Corporations, etc, see homes as not just places that are lived in, but also as commodities in the real estate market, that can be bought and exchanged, hereby providing use and exchange values for producers (entrepreneurs) and customers (users), and therefore attempt, through collective actions and in most cases in alliance with other businessmen, to create conditions that will intensify future land use in an area.

Today, the housing developments in Abuja have completely diverted from the recommendations of the master plan for a housing program that offered a strategy to improve the housing conditions in urban areas in Nigeria. The ranges of housing options in the city do not support all income groups. Even though there are different house designs, they have been developed by private individuals and investors who have obtained parcels of land at very high rates from the government and therefore cost of rent for these buildings are on the high side, coupled with the cost of construction and finishing of the residents.

There was suppose to be an increased reliance on local construction materials and the use of self help and self contracted services / modes of construction. Today, in the central area of Abuja, construction  of  so  many buildings  and  houses  are  done  by multi  –  national  and  foreign construction companies, an example of which is Julius Berger, and with the use of foreign building materials, which in turn makes housing more expensive and unaffordable by the low middle and low income earners. Because of this, and the high influx of people from other parts of the country in search of a better source of income, the government have undertaken several mass housing projects to cater for the growing population of the Federal Capital Territory.

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