Abubakar Manu, Agnes M. Kotoh, Rexford Kofi Oduro Asante and Augustine Ankomah
Available studies on parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health in Ghana have largely focused on assessing communication frequency, barriers, and who…
Abstract
Purpose
Available studies on parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health in Ghana have largely focused on assessing communication frequency, barriers, and who communicates with whom within the family. The purpose of this paper is to examine parental and family contextual factors that predict parental communication with young people about sexual and reproductive health.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional interviewer-administered survey was conducted among 790 parents selected through a multistage sampling technique. The Cronbach’s α statistic was used to assess various parental and family contextual constructs on parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health. Separate hierarchical multiple regression models for mothers and fathers were constructed to assess predictors of parental communication about sexual and reproductive health.
Findings
Nearly the same factors predicted mothers’ and fathers’ communication with young people about sexual and reproductive health matters. The predictors for both mothers and fathers included high socioeconomic status (SES), family religiousity, parent discipline, perceived parent sexual knowledge and parent trustworthiness. Parent permissiveness predicted only for fathers.
Social implications
Parental communication on sexual and reproductive health is influenced by high SES, family religiousity, parent sexual knowledge, parent discipline and trustworthiness. Interventional programmes on communication about sexual and reproductive health need to take cognisance of these factors to improve parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the limited evidence on parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health in Ghana, by examining parental and family contextual factors that influence parental communication with young people about sexual and reproductive health.
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Gordon Abekah‐Nkrumah, Abubakar Manu and Roger Ayimbillah Atinga
This paper seeks to assess the implementation of Ghana's Patients' Charter by investigating the level of awareness and knowledge of the Charter's content, some socio‐demographic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to assess the implementation of Ghana's Patients' Charter by investigating the level of awareness and knowledge of the Charter's content, some socio‐demographic factors that may influence awareness and knowledge of the Charter and how providers have discharged their responsibilities under the Charter.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey research approach, sampling respondents from providers and patients in four facilities from the Greater Accra region, was used. Simple frequencies and Chi‐square test were used for analysing responses.
Findings
Study findings show that the majority of patients (53.4 per cent) are not aware of the existence of the Charter of those that know about it, a sizeable minority (33.7 per cent) are not knowledgeable about its contents. Relative to patients, providers exhibit better awareness (61.8 per cent) and content knowledge (61.8 per cent) of the Patients' Charter, but on the whole are not yet carrying out their responsibilities under it. In terms of socio‐demographic factors influencing awareness and knowledge of content, only education was found to be a positive correlate of awareness and knowledge. The relationship between providers and patients is generally cordial and could be used as a platform for improving awareness and knowledge of the charter, which could be crucial for improving service delivery.
Research limitations/implications
This is an initial exploratory research with a limited sample, which was biased towards the educated. Findings are, however, instructive and essential for more extensive and representative research in this area.
Originality/value
Since the Charter was launched in 2002, this study is the first of its kind and therefore provides important information for policy and further research.
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Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud, Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, Yahya Mohd Yatim and Yakubu Aminu Dodo
This study proposes a self-regulatory framework to enhance safety performance at the construction stage among building developers.
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a self-regulatory framework to enhance safety performance at the construction stage among building developers.
Design/methodology/approach
Extant literature identified 137 potential factors that influence the construction safety performances of building developers. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with 11 panels of experts and professionals. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to analyse the response feedback described in a similar paper. In this study, the survey tool used was set up with 40 variables grouped into eight latent variables in the framework, which were agreed and certified as “extremely important” by the panel. Based on random sampling, data were collected from 229 valid respondents. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using Smart PLS software was then used to analyse the respondent's feedback.
Findings
The results show that safety administration and processes, effective communication of safety behaviour, significantly influenced safety performance on a construction site with β values of 0.330 and 0.431 along with t values of 3.005 and 2.547 at p < 0.1, respectively. These factors, among others, provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of safety practices.
Research limitations/implications
The study may not have covered all possible factors that influence the construction safety performance of building developers. Also, the generalizability and transferability of the research outcome to the construction industry wide use is also limited when reference is made to the characteristics of the research respondents and/or participants. In addition, validation of the framework by five professionals is rather small.
Practical implications
Theoretically, the framework through the identified factors provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety through voluntary adherence to self-regulatory standard where there are no enforceable laws and regulations to promote safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of the health and safety practices of the construction industry.
Originality/value
Many research efforts have developed frameworks and models for construction safety. However, the particularity of these frameworks to countries other than Nigeria requires similar research to be conducted to enhance the safety performance of building developers.
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Adefemi Aka, Abubakar Danladi Isah, Olusegun Idris Salisu and Abdulkabir Opeyemi Bello
Waste has been a major challenge in the construction industry. Lean concepts have been adopted in developed nations to overcome waste. However, developing countries are still…
Abstract
Purpose
Waste has been a major challenge in the construction industry. Lean concepts have been adopted in developed nations to overcome waste. However, developing countries are still faced with the challenge due to a lack of strategies for effective lean knowledge by construction practitioners. The purpose of this research is to identify the strategies for lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This was achieved through a case study of a Nigerian university. Assignments and questionnaires were the two instruments used for data collection in the study. Content analysis was adopted to analyse the data obtained from the assignments, while statistical tools such as correlation and ANOVA analysis were used to analyse the questionnaire data.
Findings
The findings of the study showed that the introduction of lean theory into students’ academic curriculum, lean practical classes and collaboration between universities, industry and lean construction institutes are some of the critical strategies for adequate lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry.
Research limitations/implications
The study is case-based and focused on a single university. The study did not also put clients’ level of lean knowledge as well as future required acquaintance into consideration.
Practical implications
This study is important as it will enable students to have an adequate understanding of the concept of lean construction right from a higher institution level. This study will enable students to put the knowledge into practice in the construction industry, hence eliminating waste or NVAAs in future construction projects.
Originality/value
The findings of the study could enhance concerted efforts by universities, lean construction institutes and the construction industry towards an intentional and systematic delivery of lean knowledge that will reduce waste in future Nigerian construction projects. Further studies should be carried out to identify the success factors required by clients for effective lean knowledge in construction projects.
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Timothy Adu Gyamfi, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa and Wellington Didibhuku Thwala
Construction organisations cannot underestimate the improvement in public–private partnership (PPP) projects’ implementation. At the same time, construction organisations cannot…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction organisations cannot underestimate the improvement in public–private partnership (PPP) projects’ implementation. At the same time, construction organisations cannot overlook the risk arising from engaging in PPP construction projects. Hence, this study aims to establish the influence of risk resource management (RRM) in managing PPP risk in the construction industry in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods to achieve the aim of the study, in which Delphi questions and a close-ended questionnaire were developed. A total of 650 construction specialists, including procurement officers, consultants, project managers, quantity surveyors, site engineers and planning officers were chosen using random and purposive sampling techniques. Recovered data were analysed using descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The CFA maximum likelihood estimation extractor compresses 19 variables into 3 pattern matrices.
Findings
The results of the study revealed three factors that measure RRM in Ghana’s PPP construction industry, including financial resource management which was influenced by communicating the budget to project team members and project partners understanding the budget, and material resource management which was influenced by the provision of materials transportation and provision of delivery programs and labour resource management which was impacted by a commitment to pay social security and taxes and provision of good salaries, to address RRM in PPP construction organisations.
Research limitations/implications
To incessantly improve the PPP risk management (RM) in construction through RRM, there should be a strong liaison between the universities, government agencies and the construction industry, and such collaboration will assist the industry to obtain first-hand information regarding the study findings and how they can be implemented to help the development of RM in the construction industry. This study is limited to Ghana and CFA and further study should explore structural equation model to determine the structure and measurement model of the risk resource variables.
Originality/value
The study may be valuable to industry stakeholders looking for new approaches to improve RM in their construction activities, particularly in PPP projects. Also, to assist reduce PPP risk, construction companies should use RRM in their organisations.
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Najimu Saka, Abdullahi Babatunde Saka, Opeoluwa Akinradewo and Clinton O. Aigbavboa
The complex interaction of politics and the economy is a critical factor for the sustainable growth and development of the construction sector (CNS). This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The complex interaction of politics and the economy is a critical factor for the sustainable growth and development of the construction sector (CNS). This study aims to investigate the effects of type of political administration including democracy and military on the performance of CNS using the Nigerian Construction Sector (NCS) as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
A 48 year (1970–2017) time series data (TSD) on the NCS and the gross domestic product (GDP) based on 2010 constant USD were extracted from the United Nations Statistical Department database. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models were used to analyze the TSD. The ANCOVA model includes the GDP as correlational variable or covariate.
Findings
The estimates of the ANOVA model indicate that democratic administration is significantly better than military administration in construction performance. However, the ANCOVA model indicates that the GDP is more important than political administration in the performance of the CNS. The study recommends for a new national construction policy, favourable fiscal and monetary policy, local content development policy and construction credit guaranty scheme for the rapid growth and development of the NCS.
Originality/value
Hitherto, little is known about the influence of political administration on the performance of the CNS. This study provides empirical evidence from a developing economy perspective. It presents the relationships and highlights recommendations for driving growth in the construction industry.
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Moses Jonathan Gambo, Sani Usman Kunya, Bala Ishiyaku, Musa Jacob Ashen and Wilfred Emmanuel Dzasu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between housing finance institutional related variables and financial related variables of low-income earners in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between housing finance institutional related variables and financial related variables of low-income earners in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi, Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, quantitative research approach was adopted. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect information from 500 primary school teachers in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi, Nigeria. A correlation analysis was carried out to find the relationship between housing finance institutional contexts and finance contexts to low-income earners in the study area using SPSS Version 23 software.
Findings
The findings shows that the low-income earners were more concerned with the accessibility and affordability on housing ownership, and it also showed that performance and effectiveness of the housing finance institutions were of paramount importance to housing ownership for the low-income earners in the study area.
Practical implications
The finance institutions are the prime consumer of these research findings. The participants in the finance institutions are going to benefit from the low-income earners’ housing ownership development.
Originality/value
The paper also emphasized that the finance institutions should make the housing finance loan accessible and affordable to the low-income earners to meet their dream to sustainable housing ownership.
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Solomon Olusola Babatunde, Damilola Ekundayo, Chika Udeaja and Uthman Olawande Abubakar
Although several studies have been undertaken on sustainability within infrastructure projects, limited attention has paid to the drivers for, and the barriers to, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Although several studies have been undertaken on sustainability within infrastructure projects, limited attention has paid to the drivers for, and the barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects through empirical study, particularly in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aims to identify and examine the drivers that promote sustainability in Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects and assess the barriers to the full integration of sustainability practices into current Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were collected using a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey was targeted on four different stakeholders’ organizations. They were public sector authorities, concessionaires, consultants and banks already undertaking PPP infrastructure projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. The obtained data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation and the Kruskal–Wallis test.
Findings
The study identified 17 drivers that promote the incorporation of sustainability in PPP infrastructure projects. The analysis of the total ranking of the drivers in Nigeria revealed the top five ranked drivers to be: consideration of long-term performance; contractual arrangements; incentives for new market penetration; award criteria; and selection criteria, respectively. The study further identified 11 barriers to sustainability integration in PPP infrastructure projects and the top five ranked barriers in Nigeria are as follows: comprehensive sustainability procurement guidelines; no enabling environment; education needs; uncertain economic environment; and a lack of clear government policy, respectively. The results of the Kruskal–Wallis test conducted on both the 17 identified drivers for, and the 11 barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in both rankings from the perceptions of the aforementioned four different respondents’ groups.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides empirical insights on the knowledge and awareness of drivers which could lead to a greater uptake in sustainability measures by the stakeholders in Nigerian PPP projects; it also identified barriers to overcome.
Originality/value
The importance of the incorporation of sustainability in public procurement cannot be over-emphasized. It is anticipated that the study will be of great value to PPP stakeholders involved in sustainability decision-making processes when delivering sustainable PPP projects.
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T.M.M.P. Tennakoon, Udayangani Kulatunga and Himal Suranga Jayasena
The purpose of this study is to comprehend the influence of the organisational culture on knowledge management (KM) in an automated construction environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to comprehend the influence of the organisational culture on knowledge management (KM) in an automated construction environment.
Design/methodology/approach
An abductive research approach is used, constantly matching theories and observations on KM and organisational culture in testing the influence within a building information modelling (BIM)-enabled environment. A questionnaire survey is used for the primary data collection. Simultaneously, expert interviews are conducted to find the rationale through triangulating data. The primary data analysis is conducted through relative importance index (RII) calculation and content analysis.
Findings
The analysis has declared an increment in the level of influence of culture on KM in a BIM-enabled environment when compared to the conventional construction environment. Coordination and integration, strategic direction and intend and organisational learning are the leading cultural factors that have an increased influence on KM with RII values of 0.8730, 0.8540 and 0.8222, respectively. Because BIM is a technology-infused solution in the construction industry, it can be concluded that technical implementations positively shape the organisational culture to improve the KM process.
Research limitations/implications
The data collection and findings of this research paper regarding the influence of organisational culture on KM are limited to scenarios in the construction industry. Yet, these findings could be implied to similar industries as well, when the KM process is under question.
Originality/value
The study provides the perception of knowledge in terms of the technological implementations such as BIM and organisational culture in the construction industry.
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Solomon Olusola Babatunde, Srinath Perera, Damilola Ekundayo and Damilola Sarah Adeleke
Building information modeling (BIM) is vital in the performance improvement of contracting firms. Thus, there is a need to stimulate its implementation in the construction sector…
Abstract
Purpose
Building information modeling (BIM) is vital in the performance improvement of contracting firms. Thus, there is a need to stimulate its implementation in the construction sector with a view to meeting the competitive demands of the industry. However, there have been very few studies on BIM implementation among contracting firms in Nigeria. Hence, this study aims to examine the current BIM uptake among Nigerian contracting firms, assess the barriers to BIM implementation and examine the ways of improving BIM implementation within these contracting firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was conducted on contracting firms (comprising small-, medium- and large-sized firms) in Lagos, Nigeria. The obtained data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. These included percentage, mean score, standard deviation, the Kruskal–Wallis test and factor analysis.
Findings
This study revealed the current state of BIM implementation among contracting firms in Nigeria in terms of their knowledge of BIM, their usage of BIM as well as the BIM software adopted. Furthermore, the study identified 25 barriers to BIM implementation in contracting firms and identified 15 ways to improve BIM implementation in contracting firms. The relative importance of both the identified barriers and the ways for improving BIM implementation was gauged among contracting firms comprising small-, medium- and large-sized firms. The result of the Kruskal–Wallis test revealed that, except for two (out of 25) identified barriers, and one (out of 15) identified ways of improving BIM implementation in contracting firms, there is no significant statistical difference in the perceptions of the three respondents’ groups. The result of the factor analysis categorized the identified 25 barriers into seven main factors.
Practical implications
This study provides empirical evidence on the barriers to BIM implementation and the ways of improving its implementation among contracting firms, thereby providing a better insight of the Nigerian construction industry’s BIM environment.
Originality/value
This study’s findings can positively inform the decisions of construction stakeholders to formulate strategies capable of improving BIM implementation in the construction industry at large.