AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PARTICIPATORY ATTRIBUTES OF CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS FOR EFFECTIVE VALUE MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT

Value management is a multidisciplinary team approach with a structured and analytical process for obtaining the best value. Studies carried out on Value management (VM) shows that the success of a VM study largely depends on the effectiveness of the VM team. The importance of team work can’t be underestimated as VM has been identified as a team based process. Amongst the impediments to the success of a VM study is lack of multidisciplinary team with appropriate skill mix. Member personality and member ability were found to be attribute of construction professionals. Quantitative research was used and also a questionnaire survey was carried out. The data received was analysed using IBM SPSS 21.0., descriptive and inferential analysis were undertaken. The Pearson correlation and regression analysis was used to test for relationship amongst variables. Construction professionals’ personalities and abilities were found to be mostly good with an exception to the listening and conflict resolution skills which they were found wanting which are also important for VM to be successful. The relationship between team composition factors; personality and ability and the skills required for the job plan stages of functional analysis and creativity were found to be positive and statistically significant enabling the researcher to draft a model which can be used during selection of VM team members in order to promote/increase the success of the VM studies. Good listening and conflict resolution skills should be developed to aid success of a value management study.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The attendant dwindling economic fortune of economies around the World has geared up the participant in these sectors (the client in particular) to take up the challenge of ensuring efficient use of their resources to obtain value for money in terms of performance (Eshofonre, 2008). Anyanwu (2013) stated that in Nigeria, many construction projects development have failed owing to the various technical and financial pressures of cost limit, quality and value optimization. Problems of poor project delivery are high and unabated in Nigeria. However, different attempts have been made to address these problems but unfortunately the problems still persists and unabated. However, current studies indicate that value management (VM) is capable of facilitating the achievement of the client’s value system. According to Ashola (2008), too often the client value system in the Nigerian construction industry is not achieved. The failure of such clients in achieving their value systems causes them to be dissatisfied with their investment in the Nigerian construction industry. As an alternative to Nigeria’s existing practice, the research proposed the application of value management (VM) in order to facilitate the achievement of the client value system in Nigeria. Abdullateef (2011) recommended the introduction of VM into the Nigerian construction industry in order to provide value added services and ultimate to improve the performance of the Nigerian construction industry. Oke and Ogunsemi (2009) recommended the need for professionals to encourage Nigerian construction clients (especially governments at all levels) in the adoption of value management in their projects. There has been considerable research into the application of VM within the construction industry. These researches have addressed issues such as promoting the use of value management in construction (Kelly, Male and Graham, 2004); adoption of VM (Kolo and Ibrahim, 2010) adoption rates, inhibitors and success factors for the adoption of VM in the construction industries of individual countries ( Fong and Shen, 2000); VM methodologies and techniques ( Spaulding, Bridge and Skitmore, 2005; Male and Kelly, 2007); VM performance measures (Lin and Shen, 2007); the relationship between VM and quantity surveying (Kelly and Male, 1988; Ellis, Wood, and Keel, 2005); group dynamics in VM (Leung, 2003); the use of VM to enhance value on public sector projects (Hunter and Kelly, 2003); managing value as a management style (Male, Kelly, Gronqvist and Graham, 2007); client value systems (Kelly, 2007); and hard versus soft VM (Green, 1999; Green and Liu, 2007); conflict stimulation in Value Management (Leung, Ng and Cheung, 2002); value management and sustainability (Pasquire and Abidin, 2007; Shen and Yu, 2012): implementation of Value Management (Bowen, Edwards and Catell, 2009, Jaapar, Zawawi, Ban and Ahmad, 2011); best practice & bench marking (Male, Kelly, Fernie, Gronqvist, Bowles, 1998); integration of Risk and Value Management (Dallas, 2006; Afila and Smith, 2007); VM for managing the project briefing and design processes (Yu, Shen, Kelly and Hunter,2005); Key competencies of VM facilitators (Thurnell, 2002; Kaufman, 2006; Leung and Kong, 2008); Reasons for applying VM (Leung, 2009). According to Oke and Ogunsemi (2009), Value management has not been fully embraced in Nigerian construction industry as only very few number of value management workshops have been organised so far according to investigation and the workshops were even concluded prematurely. The adoptability of Value Management in the Nigerian Construction Industry was researched by Kolo and Ibrahim (2010) using a theoretical approach. VM involves the structured, facilitated, multidisciplinary team approach to make explicit the client’s value system using function analysis to expose the relationship between time, cost and quality (Kelly and Male, 2004). Value management (VM) is a multidisciplinary team approach with a structured and analytical process for obtaining the best value (Leung and Kong, 2008). Studies carried out on team dynamics in VM indicate ensuring effective team composition (skills mix) as being the most influential (Bowen, Jay, Catell and Edwards., 2010). In terms of team composition, a key consideration when forming a team is to ensure that all the team members are qualified for the roles they will fill for the team. Wixson and Heydt (1991) commented on the importance of ‘people’, stating that it is the people involved in the team that have a direct bearing on the success of a value management study .Dawson (2002) stated that because of the ‘process’ nature of the job plan, little emphasis was placed on the human aspects of the workshop. Indeed, there was little need to do so, as the early field of Value Management had a technical bias as opposed to an executive/managerial one. Missing out on the human side meant ignoring the subtleties of communication, group dynamics and attitude. Tarricone and Luca (2002) identified interpersonal skills and appropriate team composition as part of the successful attributes needed for effective teamwork. Organizational behaviour is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding individual and group behaviour, interpersonal processes, and organizational dynamics. The field is particularly concerned with group dynamics, how individuals relate to and participate in groups, how leadership is exercised, how organizations function, and how change is effected in organizational settings. Topics such as change, leadership, teams and behaviour are just a few. It is a systematic study of the behaviour of individuals and groups within an organization. Membership and composition of the VM team is a factor that affects team dynamics or processes (Kelly et al., 2004). Hertel, Konradt and Voss (2006) stated that when hiring team members, be sure candidates can fulfill their team roles as well as technical requirements. Researches on team dynamics in VM have concentrated on different aspects of team dynamics making the general assumption that the members of the VM team have the right skills required to perform effectively in a VM. This study took a look at team dynamics in VM from an organizational behaviour point of view or perspective. This study seeks to access the attributes of construction professionals that will be future VM team members.

1.2  STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Value Management is a team-based approach to problem management in the construction industry. The success of a VM largely depends on the effectiveness of the VM team. Since VM is a proactive team based approach used in identifying/determining the client value system, the attribute and quality of each participating member will bear upon the effectiveness of the VM process. Amongst the impediments to the success of VM studies is lack of multidisciplinary team with appropriate skill mix. The participatory attributes of construction professionals (CP) given their significance to VM studies are yet unknown and may be responsible for the poor implementation of VM which underpins the assumption of previous studies. The lack of knowledge of construction professionals attributes thus makes the identification of areas for improvement in the implementation very difficult or impossible. Amongst the variables considered for the effectiveness of teams is team composition (Robbins and Judge, 2013), of which membership has been identified to be an important aspect. There has been studies on issues with regards to teams in VM such as group dynamics (Fong et al., 2001; Leung et al., 2003; Yu et al., 2007), conflict stimulation in VM (Leung et al. , 2002). Bowen et al. (2009) identified team composition as one of the influential factors that affect team dynamics. According to Shen and Liu (2003), the CSF’s for value management relating to the VM team were found to have the most significant influence on the success on the VM studies so more attention should be paid to the requirements of the VM team. However these studies have assumed that the members within the team automatically have the qualities and attributes to effectively perform therein. The characteristics/attributes of members of the construction industry in terms of their participation in VM teams in Nigeria is yet unknown. Hence this study will look into the capability of the construction professionals to effectively participate in VM team.

1.3  AIM AND OBJECTIVES

1.3.1  AIM

The aim of the study is to assess the participatory attributes of Construction Professionals within VM processes towards enhancing the outcomes of a VM study.

1.3.2  OBJECTIVES

1. To identify participatory attributes required for VM studies within organizational behaviour framework.
2. To develop a theoretical framework that explains the link between organizational behaviour parameters and VM processes.

• To determine the extent to which construction professionals exhibit the participatory attributes required during VM processes of functional analysis and creativity.

1. To determine the extent to which professionals demonstrate abilities required within VM processes of functional analysis and creativity.
2. To establish the relationship between construction professionals participatory attributes and those of VM processes of functional analysis and creativity.

1.4    NEED FOR THE STUDY

From the research carried out by Bowen et al (2010), team dynamics are important in VM of which the composition of the team is also found to influence the effectiveness of a VM study. According to Kelly and Male (2004), the membership and composition of the team will influence behaviour dynamics and outcomes, which are a function of the similarities and differences within the team membership. Team performance depends on the knowledge, skills and abilities of its individual members. In terms of team composition, a key consideration when forming a team is to ensure that all the team members are qualified for the roles they will fill for the team. This process often entails understanding the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) of team members as well as the personality traits needed before starting the selection process. This study will help the VM facilitator in choosing qualified team members for the VM study. According to Oke and Ogunsemi (2009), there has been low implementation of VM in the Nigerian Construction industry and there is the need for professionals to encourage Nigerian construction clients (especially governments at all levels) in the adoption of value management in their projects. Also according to Kolo and Ibrahim (2010), amongst the requirements for VM are

1. experience and knowledge
2. communication

• public sector client

1. personalities and reputation
2. ownership and commitment; all under the “people” category and;
3. skills and techniques under the “process” category;

requirements which the NCI is yet to meet. The study will help in finding out if construction professionals meet up with these requirements or not, aimed at improving implementation. With the importance of the composition of the VM team and the benefits derived from participating in a VM study having been highlighted, there is a need to find out if the team members in this case the construction professionals have what it takes to effectively participate in a VM study with the aim of tapping into the benefits of VM and also to be able to provide ways to which the requirements could be met if found wanting. Also the study will help towards developing integrated project teams (IPT).

1.5    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The team effectiveness model presented by Robbins and Judge (2013) is made of up of 3 categories; context, composition and process. This research took into consideration only the composition category of the team effectiveness model. This is because it is only in the composition category that factors relating to individual members are listed. Also the definition of value management was delimited to those that incorporate its being a team oriented approach rather than other broad based definition of VM. This research work was extended only to construction professionals in FCT Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Kaduna state in the NCI and data obtained from these states served as representation of what is obtainable in other states with in the country.

1.6  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The limitations of the study include limited availability of respondents that have participated in a value management study, readiness and willingness of respondents, resource and time constraints. Also the geographical spread of the respondents poses as most of the respondents are not located in one area.

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