A Qualitative Enquiry into Professional Project Management Practices in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Kissi, Ernest; Ahadzie, Divine Kwaku; Cobbinah, Joe Frederick

doi:10.5539/emr.v4n1p5

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The mean scores, standard deviation and significance (p-values) of each variable were used to examine the outcome of the survey. The test value of the population mean was hypothesized at 3.5 and the significance level was set at 95 per cent as used by several researchers (Ling, 2002;Ahadzie et al, 2008;Kissi, 2013). The five-point Likert rating scale was adopted.…”

Section: Data Analysis and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors driving the career progression of construction project managers

Agyekum

Kissi

Danku

et al. 2020

JEDT

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Purpose This paper aims to examine the factors that drive the career progression of construction project managers (CPM) in the Ghanaian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Based on the quantitative approach, the views of 80 CPMs working with D1 building construction firms were elicited using a structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using one-sample t-test, which was used to examine the relative significance of the variables. The mean scores, standard deviations and significance values (p-values) of each variable were used to examine the outcome of the survey. Findings The findings suggest that “existence of organizational support systems”, “ability to create identity”, “having an influential mentor and coach”, “accepting complicated and high visibility assignments” and “ability to gain managerial or leadership experience” are the key factors that drive the career progression of CPMs in Ghana. Research limitations/implications Findings from this study is limited to CPMs, specifically within the Ghanaian construction industry. This implies that with the fragmented nature of the construction industry, adopting these findings in construction settings within other countries may not yield the desired results, especially, if those countries do not share similar characteristics and context with Ghana. Practical implications Practically, this study highlights for the benefits of project managers (PM) (especially those in the construction industry) the key factors that drive their career progressions. Identification of these drivers offers the professionals with those factors to be prioritized when seeking to progress their careers in the construction industry. Originality/value Empirical research on the factors that drive the career progression of CPMs has not been fully examined in previous studies, though such studies in other sectors aside construction are prevalent. Hence, the identification of the drivers for career progression of construction PMs advances literature in the area and offers the professionals with those factors to be prioritized when seeking to progress their careers.

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Section: Data Analysis and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors driving the career progression of construction project managers

Agyekum

Kissi

Danku

et al. 2020

JEDT

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“…Like many DCs, Ghana faces several setbacks in the management of its projects (Darko & Löwe, 2016). Studies on this country report a lot of incomplete projects that have not yielded any benefits to the citizenry (Kissi et al, 2015).…”

Section: The Ghanaian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

What drives project management success in developing countries? The case of Ghana

Amoah

Berbegal‐Mirabent

Marimón

2022

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Many projects in developing countries (DCs) have been recognised as crucial forces for poverty reduction and making people’s lives easier. Despite their relevance, projects in these countries typically fail or are abandoned before completion. Recent calls suggest that projects in DCs are multifaceted, interdependent and of a complex nature; consequently, they are influenced by various factors that are specific to these territories, requiring new research efforts that delve deeper into the particularities of this specific setting. Literature on project management success (PMS) in DCs is very limited, and the existing attempts either rely on PMS factors for developed countries and/or use conventional variable-oriented analyses that are not transferrable to the context of DCs. Aiming to shed new light on the factors that shape PMS in DCs, this study examines both the configurational and the independent influence of three factors that have been emphasised in PM literature as determinants of PMS. To achieve this objective, a survey was conducted among 215 project manager practitioners in Ghana. First, we validate the factors’ structure obtained from literature. Next, we examine the configurational influence of these factors on PMS in DCs, complementing the findings with robustness checks. Our results support the existence of distinct pathways, suggesting that there is no unique recipe, but different strategies that can be followed. The study concludes with a series of recommendations that are expected to help engineers and project managers in DCs understand and deal with project management challenges.

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“…Currently, project managers in the road infrastructure sector originate from civil engineering, materials engineering, quantity surveying, geomatic surveying and others (Kissi et al, 2014). Though project management concepts and practices have been globally acclaimed over the past seven decades, the road construction industry in Ghana started over four decades ago (Ahadzie and Amoah-Mensah, 2010).…”

Section: Assessment Of Competenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the demand for improved and efficient road infrastructure projects in developing countries keeps rising, project managers must position themselves toward best practices to meet the growing infrastructure demands and challenges. In Ghana, project management professionals face a myriad of technical and nontechnical project management challenges, including little documentation on project management best practices, funding and its conditionalities (Kissi et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ahadzie and Amoah-Mensah (2010) further identified that project management practices in developing countries face personnel shortages, complex economic and social conditions, frail political institutions and entrenched and sometimes outdated cultural and religious views. Kissi et al (2014) identified five constructs of weak knowledge base, poor clarity in project managers' roles, poor procurement practices, frail institutional background and poor communication practices as limitations to project management practices in the Ghanaian construction industry. These challenges, among others, are associated with the road infrastructure sector, which, when properly managed, will help improve project success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of competencies to promote best project management practices for road infrastructure projects in Ghana

Aboagye

Kissi

Acheampong

et al. 2022

JEDT

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Purpose This research aims to evaluate the status of project management best practices in the road infrastructure sector of Ghana through the inquiry of project managers’ competency. Design/methodology/approach Based on a thorough literature review on competency and project management best practices, a criterion for measuring best practices based on the competencies was identified. Using closed-ended questionnaires as a survey instrument, data was collected and analyzed using a one-sample t-test, Kendall’s concordance coefficient and simple regression. Findings The key finding reveals that in achieving project management best practices for the Ghanaian road infrastructure projects, project managers should straighten and strengthen their capability in terms of skills, personal characteristics and knowledge as ranked. An appropriate blend of these characteristics would be a necessary requirement for project managers. Through this, project managers and project-based road infrastructure organizations will be able to win the confidence of their stakeholders and attain improvements in cost-effectiveness, quality and time management. Research limitations/implications This study provides project managers in the road infrastructure sector with relevant information on which criteria and variables are critical and are frequently required to manage such projects. This will be helpful for training programs and professional development of project managers in the road infrastructure sector. Originality/value The study provides a new direction and focuses for project managers in the road infrastructure industry toward best project management practices in developing countries. It also complements existing studies in this area which deepen the understanding of the subject area.

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A Qualitative Enquiry into Professional Project Management Practices in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Factors driving the career progression of construction project managers

Factors driving the career progression of construction project managers

What drives project management success in developing countries? The case of Ghana

Assessment of competencies to promote best project management practices for road infrastructure projects in Ghana

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