ARCOM

Search or browse again.

Click on the titles below to expand the information about each abstract.
Viewing 5 results ...

Adendorff, G L (2014) Possible futures for the African built environment towards 2050, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Dyariwe, A (2015) Professional, personal and corporate ethics challenges during infrastructure delivery, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Emuze, F A (2011) Performance improvement in South African construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Construction Management, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

• Type: Thesis
• Keywords: infrastructure; supply chain management; non-value adding activities; performance; procurement; system dynamics; South Africa
• ISBN/ISSN:
• URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1642
• Abstract:
  

  In general, dreams are conceived, ideas are conceptualised, and initiatives are embarked upon in order to alter the state of realities. Dreams change realities; when mechanisms are put in place to realise them, dreams succeed. However, anecdotal evidence as well as empirical findings has continued to reiterate the difficulties associated with realising dreams related to construction projects. Extending the dream analogy to the South African construction industry context therefore paints an uninspiring picture. Dreams associated with construction do not have a 100% chance of becoming realities as evident in reported poor project performance in the industry. Shattered dreams in the form of poor performing projects, poorly implemented construction processes, or worst, projects delivered at the expense of unexpected cost to the client as a direct result of poor H&S or time overruns, negate the intent of dreams. This thesis is primarily concerned with project performance related bottlenecks in South African construction. After an extensive review of related literature that entails the analysis of publications related to non-value adding activities (NVAAs), supply chain management (SCM), and system dynamics (SD) in the construction project management realm, an exhaustive mixed-mode quantitative survey was conducted among key participants in the South African infrastructure sector. Public sector clients, consulting engineers and contractors that were involved in civil engineering projects were surveyed repeatedly with approximately five survey instruments at convenient intervals. Results arising from the study, inter-alia, indicate that: an appreciable amount of NVAAs occur in South African construction; these NVAAs become further compounded when propagated into other value adding activities (VAAs) in the construction process; the identified NVAAs equally perpetrate the menace associated with poor performance to the detriment of the achievement of cost, H&S, quality, and time project targets, and the root cause of these NVAAs that often contribute to poor performance is not far from the much reported shortage of skills in South Africa. Notable contributions to the body of knowledge include SD models are extendable regardless of the source of their empirical data as evident in the qualitative models proposed in this study; within the SD domain, it is advisable to consider the competence of individuals assigned to tasks especially in a developing country as this study revealed that human resources issues predominate among the sources of NVAAs that eventuate in a range of poor project performance; the NVAAs that occur, and their causes on projects are perceived to be due to lapses and/or inadequacies that involved the entire construction supply chain; there is no single construction process/task that is immune from being affected by NVAAs; and within the South African, and by implication construction context generally in developing countries, the adequacy of required knowledge among project stakeholders is the most crucial determinant of project performance. As opposed to what is obtainable in developed countries, the construction industry in developing countries, particularly in South Africa, should take advantage of knowledge management (KM) techniques such as brainstorming, communities of practices, and face-to-face interactions. These techniques can be driven through appropriate mentorship programmes, industry-focused built environment education, and other human resources driven avenues that do not necessarily require substantial investment in technologies, so that to a large extent organisations in the industry can prioritise KM, and thereafter, continually engage in it for future performance improvement. Using inferential statistical methods for hypotheses testing, and SD concepts for creating qualitative models led to a range of recommendations which, inter-alia, propose that halting the tide of NVAAs and poor performance requires the management of both tacit and explicit knowledge gained in construction; and most importantly, it requires the assurance that competence is the overriding criteria for selecting project partners, and also, for assigning either design or construction-related activities to responsible parties involved in project realisation in South Africa. In effect, in order to engender a culture of continuous improvement in South African construction, other considerations should be subservient to competence in the construction supply chain. Competence must be located among everyone involved in project realisation, that is, enhancing the competence of all involved in project realisation is as good as ensuring performance improvement, which in turn, equates to the acceleration of project delivery in South Africa.

Nemutandani, T M (2020) Critical success factors for sustainability governance in transport infrastructure delivery in the City of Johannesburg Metropole, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Tsosane, M B (2020) Innovative construction methods to address housing demand in South Africa, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.