SOURCE:

Faculty: Environmental Sciences
Department: Building

CONTRIBUTORS:

Alintah-Abel U. Vanessa
Okolie K. C
Emoh F. I

ABSTRACT:

Majority of firms in Nigerian construction industry are small and medium scale firms, yet they have recorded a low level of participation and have often been sidelined in most of the construction activities by clients, who prefer using large firms due to their adherence to quality standards. They need to engage on practices that will increase their quality standards and are very prominent in giving them competitive advantage and one of such practices is total quality management (TQM).
The study aimed at developing a total quality management model for small and medium scale construction firms (SMCFs) in South-East Nigeria for competitive advantage and effective service delivery. Some of the objectives were to evaluate the current level of TQM implementation in SMCFs in South-East Nigeria and to determine the critical success factors of TQM and their impact on SMCFs’ strategies for success in South-East Nigeria. The study employed a survey research method where data was collected from staff working with small and medium scale construction firms in the South-East Nigeria using the mixed method approach. Qualitative data was collected through walkthrough evaluation and through interviews with seven purposively selected respondents and analysed using the thematic analysis technique. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaire and analysed using percentage frequency, mean score, one sample z-test, ordinary least square techniques, Pearson correlation coefficient and Poisson regression with the aid of SPSS version 22, MS-Excel and E-views econometric version 8. Findings showed, majority of SMCFs in South-East Nigeria are aware and understand the concept of total quality management, however their level of implementation of total quality management is significantly low. There is a significant relationship between identified critical success factors and SMCFs’ strategies where the critical success factors causes increase in strength and opportunities and decrease in weakness and threats of the firms. In addition, there is no clear or systematic mechanism for measuring the successful implementation of total quality management. Finally, a total quality management model was developed. The study concluded that the model would assist in restructuring small and medium scale construction firms in South-East Nigeria for competitive advantage and effective service delivery.