SOLD BY: AN ASSESSMENT ON COMMUNICATION PRACTICE DURING PROJECT EXECUTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
ABSTRACT
The study gives an insight on
communication practice in the construction industry during project
execution in Minna metropolis. In the research, the various means of
communication in the construction industry were determined, the role of
information communication technology and its devices during project
execution. Also the study further identifies the barrier to effective
communication during project execution. Random sampling survey was
conducted using questionnaires, which were distributed within ongoing
project in Minna metropolis. The results obtained were then analyzed
using statistical methods such as the analysis of mean and standard
deviation analysis based on the ranking order method. Also pie charts
were used in presenting results. From the result gotten from the means
of communication during project execution it was observe that among all
other means there are some that are very significant as a means such as,
drawing, report, auto-cad, letters, tender document, project planning
document, micro-soft project and program chart are ranked with a high
relative importance index. The role of information communication
technology was observed to be significant during project execution
because of the following; it reduce cost, is saves time, it facilitate
decision making, makes complex task easier and also earlier completion
of the project execution and also it devices are found to be significant
during project execution of which if they are not used can result to
delay in information communication flow. And also from the study on the
barrier to effective communication, it was analyzed that there are
factors that affect communication flow such as lack of motivation, lack
of understanding the role of communication, poor verbal skills, fear of
authority, language diversity and inferiority complex are some of factor
that majorly cause barrier in communication base on this research. In
conclusion, it is clear that before any project can commence the
management should be able to device a proper means of communication as
well as adopting a good information communication devices that can be
used during the project execution and also implement policies that will
properly handle the factors that cause barrier to communication during
project execution.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
Communication is define as a process of
conveying or the transmission of information from a source to another,
which include the transfer of idea, skills, emotion, knowledge by means
of figures, symbols, words, pictures, graph or by illustrations for the
purpose of making communication understandable to the recipient. It is
important to know that most construction industries or project
management depends solemnly on the large amount of information
communication during the construction process and throughout the
building life cycle (anon).
Therefore in this context, it is
important to know how effective communication has impacted the
construction industry in terms of providing information in the
construction site in such a way has enable data integration, task
control, communication between the company, client and supplier
(subcontractors) and also the material and resource control (Olalusi and
Jesuloluwa, 2013).
Many researchers in the field of
management communication have defined communication as a vital aspect of
management with an important role in project management. Some have a
tendency to be less successful and fall short of their optimal
performance, companies with effective communication strategies are
usually more successful (Smallman and Weir, 1999; Argenti and Forman,
2002 quoted by Mani Hemmaty and Peter Sutherland, 2008). Therefore,
researchers in the field of management communication have suggested that
companies should develop well-working communication strategies in order
to achieve success in the turfs of projects (Goczol and Scoubeau,
2003).
Adoption of effective communication
practice is very important in the construction industry since the
industry is considered to be diverse and fragmented. Since the
stakeholders represent professions and multi-disciplinary skills
including project management, quantity surveying, architecture, builders
etc., this diversity may limit possibilities for cooperation among
them. The reason for this lies in the problems of proper communication.
Some common examples are not having an open line of communication,
inappropriate communication channels and unexpected communication
breakdowns.
Today the diverse professionals involved
in larger and more complex construction projects are faced with a great
challenge of maintaining an efficient and better information
communication exchange than in other industries (Cheng et al., 2001;
Tommelein, 1999). As a result, the construction industry has been
categorized by inaccurate and untimely communications that often result
in added costs and time delays to the progress of a construction project
(Weippert and Kajewski, 2002).
Several researchers assert that
effective communication is difficult to achieve in the construction
industry due to the fact that the industry is unwilling to change.
According to Tam (1999), the construction industry is one of the many
industries that fully depend on information communication.
The task of managing all the information
needed to design and construct any major projects is a real challenge,
and according to Björk (2001) many believe that more efficient
information management systems (IMS) are primary mechanisms for the
construction industry to increase its productivity. Implementing new
communication methods however depend upon trust and mutually beneficial
stable partnerships. It is likely that the use of more efficient IMS
would offer greater possibilities for the efficient conduct of conflict
and claims situations that often arise as a result of poor transfer of
project documentation (Sommerville et al., 2004).
Moreover, construction projects are
characterized by several companies involved in local or international
projects consisting of a workforce of people from diverse cultural and
ethnical backgrounds working together in teams. Since the role of the
Project Manager is to successfully plan and execute the project,
communication is an important instrument to keep team members
coordinated (Strid, 1999). With large construction projects comes the
vast number of documents needed to sustain the information flow that
arises due to the large numbers of stakeholders in the project. Even
though the majority of the documents are created by computers, still lot
of documents are printed out and transferred through paper-based
documents, this often results in cost delays to the progress of a
construction project (Björk, 2001). Over the life of a project, team
members and organizations will accumulate huge amounts of real-time
information, and this coupled with the fluctuating nature of
construction contracts and the increased vulnerability of project
personnel, has often meant that project information is not transferred
nor stored in the way it was intended to be (Sommerville and Craig,
2006).
In addition, there is a propensity
within the construction industry to use old communication system and
face-to-face mediums (Björk, 2001), which has add to the need for the
industry to achieve an efficient flow of information communication.
Ineffective communication might create difficulties for the management
in terms of costs and extended projects, therefore a change is desired
towards more and better contact between the projects stakeholder
(Sommerville et al., 2004; Kadefors, 1997).
1.2 Statement of problem
The construction is a sector that
accommodate all discipline that relate to it of which in recent times
the industry is face with so many challenges of which information
communication is one of it major challenges, with this the industry is
trying to adopt a method that will be able to solve this challenge. The
industry, during project execution having been faced with improper
communication method or means to pass information during the project.
The method that was then adopted was the transfer of information using
the means of written document, with this means the management team to a
project were seriously faced with the challenge of how to store this
paper information in such away it will not be affected or get lost and
sometime how to get the information to other team members that are far
off since there were no other means of conveying this information all
because the construction industry has not been able to come up with a
very good means of communication that will suit the industry and will
suit any type of project execution. During project execution the
project management team on their own part as neglected or has failed to
adopt other means of communication that are more helpful in terms of
conveying information across because in countries like Nigeria where we
have divers languages, this has really affected the construction process
because the industry here has really find a way out of this menace. As
a result of this poor attitude in the industry, it is found necessary
to create solution to such problems through this research as to improve
productivity in the execution of a construction project.
In project execution one of the barriers
to proper practice of communication in the building project is the
diversity in languages and because of this communication has been so
difficulty to practice in during project execution. While it’s obvious
that language barriers can impede communication, even people who speak
the same language can run into communication barriers. Verbal and
non-verbal language are both equally important, and not understanding
jargon-even when used within your own organization, say within another
department-can cause misunderstandings. To this reason, attention has
not been giving to improve the effectiveness of communication.
1.3 Justification of the study
The impact of communication has become
more or less significant in the construction industry because of its
major role it places to make a successful execution or completion of a
construction project. It will be noted that most construction companies
has not being able to know the importance of effective communication and
a good communication method that will be adopted in other to
successfully complete a project at a good time and at less cost
implication. The importance of communication practice in project
execution is to reduce the time of construction, cost, risk, conflict
and also reduce the breakdown of construction production. Careful
selected communication method that will suit the construction project,
planning and setting the right expectations with all the project
stakeholders is extremely important so as to bring about a successful
productivity in the execution of a building project. Therefore looking
at the communication practice in the execution of a project it has being
noted that communication has a long way of affecting the execution of
any building project.
1.4 Aim/ objective of the study
1.4.0 Aim
The aim of the study is to assess the communication practice during project execution in the construction industry.
1.4.1 Objective
The specific objectives are;
- To identify the means of communication during project execution in the construction industry
- To determine the role of information communication technology during project execution in the construction industry
- To find out the barrier to effective communication during project execution in the construction industry
1.5 Scope of study
The research will be limited to some
ongoing project execution handled by some construction company in Minna
metropolis of Niger state.
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