IDENTIFYING AND CREATING SERVICE QUALITY PROBLEMS IN CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT
Keywords:
Service Quality, Continuous Improvement, Employee Training, Access to Finance, Economic Recession, Construction Firms, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
This study was on identifying and creating service quality problems in construction firms in Port Harcourt. The study aim is to identify and creating service quality problems in construction firms in Port Harcourt. The study adopted cross-sectional survey method. The population comprised of 40 selected construction firms in Rivers State. One hundred and twenty (120) copies of questionnaires were distributed; one hundred and nineteen (119) copies were fit for analysis. Using a five point scaled questionnaire, data was collected and analyzed via Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient, with the aid of SPSS version 23.0. The findings of the study showed that service quality through continuous improvement and employee training significantly relates with access to finance and economic recession. Based on the findings, the study, recommended that the management should always get important feedback from her customers in respect to their service delivery quality. The management should as well maintain the quality service delivery which will contribute immensely to the growth of the firm
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References
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Aga, M. and Safakli, O.V. (2007). An empirical investigation of service quality and customer satisfaction in professional accounting firms: Evidence from North Cyprus. Journal of Problems and Perspectives in Management, 5(3): 84–98
Aluko, O. R., Omoniyi, S. S. and Adedotun, A. D. (2022). Evaluation of service quality gaps in construction professional service firms in Nigeria. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 27(1): 25–40.
Angelova, B. and Zekiri, J. (2011). Measuring customer satisfaction with service quality using the American Customer Satisfaction Model (ACSI Model). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 1(3): 232–258.
Arditi, D. (2014). Service quality performance of design/buildcontractors using quality function deployment. Construction Management and Economics, 22(1), 123–127
Arditi, D. and Gunaydin, H .M. (2017). Total quality management in theconstruction process, Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Chicago, IL 60616, US.
Bessant, J., Caffyn, S. and Gallagher, M. (2001). An evolutionary model of continuous improvement behaviour, Technovation, 21(2), 67-77.
Bhuiyan, N., &Baghel, A. (2005). An overview of continuous improvement: From the past to present. Management Decision, 43, 761-771.
Burati, J. L., Michael, F. M., & Satyanarayana, N. K. (2011). Quality managementorganizations and techniques. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 118(1), 112- 128.
CBN, (2005).Understanding monetary policy series. NO 14. Economic Recession. ISBN: 13:978-52861-3-7
Chang, H. H. (2005). The influence of continuous improvement and performance factors in total quality organization", Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 16(3), 413 — 437.
Chassiakos, A., and Serafim, S. (2001). "Time-cost optimization of construction projects with generalized activity constraints,"Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 131, 1115-1124.
Chinny, N.-E. (2007). Improved client satisfaction: A strategic approach in the construction sector. Available at: https://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/ CIB10781.pdf.
Claessens, S. and Kose, A. (2012). Recession: When bad times prevail. Available at: www.imf.org/external/pubs/ ft/fandd/basics/recession.htm
Collier, D. (2014). The service/quality solution: using service management to gaincompetitive advantage, ASQC Press, Milwaukee, WI.
Cooke, F. L. (2000). Implementing TPM in plant maintenance: some organisational barriers", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 17(9), 1003-1016.
Cronin, Jr. J.J. and Taylor, S.A. (2012). Measuring service quality: a re-examination and extension, The Journal of Marketing, 56(7), 55–68.
Ditcher, T. (2003). Non-governmental organisations (NGOS) in microfinance: past, present and future-an essay. Sustainable banking with the poor, World Bank Case Studies
Evans, J. R. (2011). Quality management, organization, and strategy, 6th edition, South Western CENGAGE Learning.
Fischgrund, J. &Omachonu, V. (2014). Quality in construction: Identifying the gaps. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 3(2): 65-73
Forsythe, P. (2008). Modeling customer expectations in construction industry. 15, 485-496.
Fryer, K. J., & Ogden, S. M. (2014). Modelling continuous improvement maturity in public sector: Key stages and indicators. Total Quality Management, 25, 1039-1053.
GEM, (2014). Africa‘s young entrepreneurs: Unlocking the potential for a better future.
Grierson, S. and Brennan, R. (2017). Referrals for new client acquisition in professional services. Qualitative Market Research, 20(1): 28–42.
Gronroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4): 36–44.
Gunaydin, H. M. (2013). TQM in the home building process. Proceedings of the 24th IAHS Worm Housing Congress, 1, 279-289, METU,Ankara, Turkey.
Gupta, A. and Chen, I. (2015) Service quality: Implications for management development, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 12 (7), 28–35.
Heskett, J. (2017). “Lessons in the service sector,” Harvard Business Review, 65(2),118-126.
Hoxley, M. (2000). Measuring UK construction service quality: The what, how, when and who. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 17(4/5): 511–526.
Igwe, P. A. (2016). Entrepreneurial ecosystems & the role of government in promoting entrepreneurship; book chapter in the festschrift textbook on building entrepreneurial universities in a developing economy, issues, challenges and prospects. Published December 2016.
Igwe, P. A., Newbery, R., Icha-Ituma, A. (2018). Entrepreneurship challenges and gender issues in the African informal rural economy. Book Title: Knowledge, learning and innovation, Research insights into cross sector collaboration. Editors: Vanessa Ratten, Carla Marques and Vitor Braga. Publisher: Springer International Publisher, 2017.
Ilgen, D. R. (1971). Satisfaction with performance as a function of the initial level of expected performance and the deviation from expectations. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 6, 345-361.
Ismail, S., Othman, M.H. and Amat, S.C. (2012). Measuring refurbishment contractors' service quality and client satisfaction: A case study at public institutions of higher education. Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 20(1): 107–120.
James, J. J. and Gary, K. (2009). Expectation-confirmation theory: Capitalizing on descriptive power” IGI Publishing:www.igi-global.com/chapter/expectation-confirmation-theory/35842.
Kamara, J.M., Anumba, C.J. and Evbnomwan, F.O. (2002). Capturing client requirements in construction projects. London: Thomas Telford. https://doi. org/10.1680/ccricp.31036
Khan, M.M. and Fasih, M. (2014). Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: Evidence from the banking sector. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 8(2): 331–342.
Lau, A.W.T., Li, Y.S., Tang, S.L. and Chau, K.W. (2016). Total quality management application by engineering consultants in Hong Kong. The TQM Journal, 28(4): 561–587.
Lawal, Z. A., Sani, U. K. & Usman, S.A. (2020). Study of quality management practices ofbuilding construction firms in JosMetropolis. International Journal of Environmental Design & Construction Management, 18(4), 96-115
Lubbe, B., Douglas, A. and Zambellis, J. (2011). An application of the airport service quality model in South Africa. Journal of Air Transport Management, 17(4): 224–227.
Mahmood, W. and Abdul, M. (2018). "A conceptual framework for the development of quality culture in the construction industry.", Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 247-256.
McDonald, M. (2019).The keys to safety."Journal of Safety Research 40.9. 40, 53-61.
Mishra, A., Igwe, P., Lean J. and Megicks, P. (2014). Book chapter on supporting micro and small enterprises, the Routledge companion to financial services marketing, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group). http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415829144/ Published December 2014.
Oke, A.E., Timothy, I.O. and Olaniyi, A.I. (2010). Perceptions of construction professionals to the performance of Nigerian quantity surveyors. Journal of Building Performance, 1(1): 64–72.
Olatunde, N.A., Ogunsemi, D.R. and Oke, A.E. (2017). Impact of team members' composition on construction projects delivery in selected higher institutions in Nigeria. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 15(3): 355–377.
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17, 460-469.
Oliver, R.L. (1993). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Omachonu, V., Johnson, W.C. and Onyeaso, G. (2008). An empirical test of the drivers of overall customer satisfaction evidence from multivariate casualty. Journal of Services Marketing, 22(6): 434–444.
Oyedele, L.O. (2010). Sustaining architects' and engineers' motivation in design firms: An investigation of critical success factors. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 17(2): 180–196.
Oyewole, E.O. and Dada, J.O. (2019). Training gaps in the adoption of building information modelling by Nigerian construction professionals. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(3): 399–411.
Pandey, I. M. (2008). Financial management. Vikas publishing House PVT Ltd.
Parachivescu, A. O. (2015). Quality continuous improvement strategies: Kaizen strategy comparative analysis. Economy Trans-disciplinarity Cognition, 18, 12-21.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. and Berry, L.L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research, The Journal of Marketing, p. 41–50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1994). Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implications for further research. Journal of Marketing, 58(1): 111–124.
Razavi, S.M., Safari, S., Shafie, H. and Khoram, K. (2012). Relationships among service quality, customer satisfaction and customer perceived value: Evidence from Iran's software industry. Journal of Management and Strategy, 3(3): 28–37.
Roth, A.V., and J.E. Jackson (2015). “Strategic determinants of servicequality and performance: Evidence from the banking industry”, ManagementScience, 41:11, 1720-1733.
SANNI .U. K., &Windapo (2013). Study of quality management practices ofbuilding construction firms in JosMetropolis.. International Journal of Environmental Design & Construction Management, 18(4), 96-115
Schneider, B. (2006). “Notes on climate and culture,” in M. Venkatesan, D.Schmalensee, and C. Marshall (Eds.) Creativity in Services Marketing: What’s New,What Works, What’s Developing. American Marketing Association, Chicago.
Schneider, B., and B. Chung (2013). Creating service climates for servicequality,” in E. Scheuing and W. Christopher (Eds.) The Service Quality Handbook.AMACOM, San Francisco, 124-133.
Sunindijo, R.Y., Hadikusumo, B.H.W. and Phangchunun, T. (2014). Modelling service quality in the construction industry. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 15(3): 262–276.
Tabaku, E. and Cerri, S. (2016). An assessment of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel sector. In Tourism and Hospitality Industry 2016, Congress Proceedings. Opatija, Croatia: The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija, University of Rijeka, 480–488.
Tang, S.L., Lu, M. and Chan, Y.L. (2003). Achieving client satisfaction for engineering consulting firms. Journal of Management in Engineering, 19(4): 166–172.
Teas, R. K. (1993). Expectations, performance evaluation, and consumers’ perceptions of quality, The journal of marketing, p. 18–34.
Torbica, Z.M. and Stroh, R.C. (2001). Customer satisfaction in home building. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(1): 82–86.
Wolf, J. (2013). "The importance of communication during a construction project."Stonemark Construction Management, 1-3.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (2003). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation (revised ed.). New York, NY: Free Press
Wyckoff, D. (2014). “New tools for achieving service quality,” Cornell Hotel andRestaurant Administration Quarterly, 25(3), 78-91.
Aga, M. and Safakli, O.V. (2007). An empirical investigation of service quality and customer satisfaction in professional accounting firms: Evidence from North Cyprus. Journal of Problems and Perspectives in Management, 5(3): 84–98
Aluko, O. R., Omoniyi, S. S. and Adedotun, A. D. (2022). Evaluation of service quality gaps in construction professional service firms in Nigeria. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 27(1): 25–40.
Angelova, B. and Zekiri, J. (2011). Measuring customer satisfaction with service quality using the American Customer Satisfaction Model (ACSI Model). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 1(3): 232–258.
Arditi, D. (2014). Service quality performance of design/buildcontractors using quality function deployment. Construction Management and Economics, 22(1), 123–127
Arditi, D. and Gunaydin, H .M. (2017). Total quality management in theconstruction process, Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Chicago, IL 60616, US.
Bessant, J., Caffyn, S. and Gallagher, M. (2001). An evolutionary model of continuous improvement behaviour, Technovation, 21(2), 67-77.
Bhuiyan, N., &Baghel, A. (2005). An overview of continuous improvement: From the past to present. Management Decision, 43, 761-771.
Burati, J. L., Michael, F. M., & Satyanarayana, N. K. (2011). Quality managementorganizations and techniques. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 118(1), 112- 128.
CBN, (2005).Understanding monetary policy series. NO 14. Economic Recession. ISBN: 13:978-52861-3-7
Chang, H. H. (2005). The influence of continuous improvement and performance factors in total quality organization", Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 16(3), 413 — 437.
Chassiakos, A., and Serafim, S. (2001). "Time-cost optimization of construction projects with generalized activity constraints,"Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 131, 1115-1124.
Chinny, N.-E. (2007). Improved client satisfaction: A strategic approach in the construction sector. Available at: https://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/ CIB10781.pdf.
Claessens, S. and Kose, A. (2012). Recession: When bad times prevail. Available at: www.imf.org/external/pubs/ ft/fandd/basics/recession.htm
Collier, D. (2014). The service/quality solution: using service management to gaincompetitive advantage, ASQC Press, Milwaukee, WI.
Cooke, F. L. (2000). Implementing TPM in plant maintenance: some organisational barriers", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 17(9), 1003-1016.
Cronin, Jr. J.J. and Taylor, S.A. (2012). Measuring service quality: a re-examination and extension, The Journal of Marketing, 56(7), 55–68.
Ditcher, T. (2003). Non-governmental organisations (NGOS) in microfinance: past, present and future-an essay. Sustainable banking with the poor, World Bank Case Studies
Evans, J. R. (2011). Quality management, organization, and strategy, 6th edition, South Western CENGAGE Learning.
Fischgrund, J. &Omachonu, V. (2014). Quality in construction: Identifying the gaps. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 3(2): 65-73
Forsythe, P. (2008). Modeling customer expectations in construction industry. 15, 485-496.
Fryer, K. J., & Ogden, S. M. (2014). Modelling continuous improvement maturity in public sector: Key stages and indicators. Total Quality Management, 25, 1039-1053.
GEM, (2014). Africa‘s young entrepreneurs: Unlocking the potential for a better future.
Grierson, S. and Brennan, R. (2017). Referrals for new client acquisition in professional services. Qualitative Market Research, 20(1): 28–42.
Gronroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4): 36–44.
Gunaydin, H. M. (2013). TQM in the home building process. Proceedings of the 24th IAHS Worm Housing Congress, 1, 279-289, METU,Ankara, Turkey.
Gupta, A. and Chen, I. (2015) Service quality: Implications for management development, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 12 (7), 28–35.
Heskett, J. (2017). “Lessons in the service sector,” Harvard Business Review, 65(2),118-126.
Hoxley, M. (2000). Measuring UK construction service quality: The what, how, when and who. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 17(4/5): 511–526.
Igwe, P. A. (2016). Entrepreneurial ecosystems & the role of government in promoting entrepreneurship; book chapter in the festschrift textbook on building entrepreneurial universities in a developing economy, issues, challenges and prospects. Published December 2016.
Igwe, P. A., Newbery, R., Icha-Ituma, A. (2018). Entrepreneurship challenges and gender issues in the African informal rural economy. Book Title: Knowledge, learning and innovation, Research insights into cross sector collaboration. Editors: Vanessa Ratten, Carla Marques and Vitor Braga. Publisher: Springer International Publisher, 2017.
Ilgen, D. R. (1971). Satisfaction with performance as a function of the initial level of expected performance and the deviation from expectations. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 6, 345-361.
Ismail, S., Othman, M.H. and Amat, S.C. (2012). Measuring refurbishment contractors' service quality and client satisfaction: A case study at public institutions of higher education. Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 20(1): 107–120.
James, J. J. and Gary, K. (2009). Expectation-confirmation theory: Capitalizing on descriptive power” IGI Publishing:www.igi-global.com/chapter/expectation-confirmation-theory/35842.
Kamara, J.M., Anumba, C.J. and Evbnomwan, F.O. (2002). Capturing client requirements in construction projects. London: Thomas Telford. https://doi. org/10.1680/ccricp.31036
Khan, M.M. and Fasih, M. (2014). Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: Evidence from the banking sector. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 8(2): 331–342.
Lau, A.W.T., Li, Y.S., Tang, S.L. and Chau, K.W. (2016). Total quality management application by engineering consultants in Hong Kong. The TQM Journal, 28(4): 561–587.
Lawal, Z. A., Sani, U. K. & Usman, S.A. (2020). Study of quality management practices ofbuilding construction firms in JosMetropolis. International Journal of Environmental Design & Construction Management, 18(4), 96-115
Lubbe, B., Douglas, A. and Zambellis, J. (2011). An application of the airport service quality model in South Africa. Journal of Air Transport Management, 17(4): 224–227.
Mahmood, W. and Abdul, M. (2018). "A conceptual framework for the development of quality culture in the construction industry.", Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 247-256.
McDonald, M. (2019).The keys to safety."Journal of Safety Research 40.9. 40, 53-61.
Mishra, A., Igwe, P., Lean J. and Megicks, P. (2014). Book chapter on supporting micro and small enterprises, the Routledge companion to financial services marketing, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group). http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415829144/ Published December 2014.
Oke, A.E., Timothy, I.O. and Olaniyi, A.I. (2010). Perceptions of construction professionals to the performance of Nigerian quantity surveyors. Journal of Building Performance, 1(1): 64–72.
Olatunde, N.A., Ogunsemi, D.R. and Oke, A.E. (2017). Impact of team members' composition on construction projects delivery in selected higher institutions in Nigeria. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 15(3): 355–377.
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17, 460-469.
Oliver, R.L. (1993). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Omachonu, V., Johnson, W.C. and Onyeaso, G. (2008). An empirical test of the drivers of overall customer satisfaction evidence from multivariate casualty. Journal of Services Marketing, 22(6): 434–444.
Oyedele, L.O. (2010). Sustaining architects' and engineers' motivation in design firms: An investigation of critical success factors. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 17(2): 180–196.
Oyewole, E.O. and Dada, J.O. (2019). Training gaps in the adoption of building information modelling by Nigerian construction professionals. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(3): 399–411.
Pandey, I. M. (2008). Financial management. Vikas publishing House PVT Ltd.
Parachivescu, A. O. (2015). Quality continuous improvement strategies: Kaizen strategy comparative analysis. Economy Trans-disciplinarity Cognition, 18, 12-21.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. and Berry, L.L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research, The Journal of Marketing, p. 41–50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1994). Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implications for further research. Journal of Marketing, 58(1): 111–124.
Razavi, S.M., Safari, S., Shafie, H. and Khoram, K. (2012). Relationships among service quality, customer satisfaction and customer perceived value: Evidence from Iran's software industry. Journal of Management and Strategy, 3(3): 28–37.
Roth, A.V., and J.E. Jackson (2015). “Strategic determinants of servicequality and performance: Evidence from the banking industry”, ManagementScience, 41:11, 1720-1733.
SANNI .U. K., &Windapo (2013). Study of quality management practices ofbuilding construction firms in JosMetropolis.. International Journal of Environmental Design & Construction Management, 18(4), 96-115
Schneider, B. (2006). “Notes on climate and culture,” in M. Venkatesan, D.Schmalensee, and C. Marshall (Eds.) Creativity in Services Marketing: What’s New,What Works, What’s Developing. American Marketing Association, Chicago.
Schneider, B., and B. Chung (2013). Creating service climates for servicequality,” in E. Scheuing and W. Christopher (Eds.) The Service Quality Handbook.AMACOM, San Francisco, 124-133.
Sunindijo, R.Y., Hadikusumo, B.H.W. and Phangchunun, T. (2014). Modelling service quality in the construction industry. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 15(3): 262–276.
Tabaku, E. and Cerri, S. (2016). An assessment of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel sector. In Tourism and Hospitality Industry 2016, Congress Proceedings. Opatija, Croatia: The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija, University of Rijeka, 480–488.
Tang, S.L., Lu, M. and Chan, Y.L. (2003). Achieving client satisfaction for engineering consulting firms. Journal of Management in Engineering, 19(4): 166–172.
Teas, R. K. (1993). Expectations, performance evaluation, and consumers’ perceptions of quality, The journal of marketing, p. 18–34.
Torbica, Z.M. and Stroh, R.C. (2001). Customer satisfaction in home building. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(1): 82–86.
Wolf, J. (2013). "The importance of communication during a construction project."Stonemark Construction Management, 1-3.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (2003). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation (revised ed.). New York, NY: Free Press
Wyckoff, D. (2014). “New tools for achieving service quality,” Cornell Hotel andRestaurant Administration Quarterly, 25(3), 78-91.
Published
2024-07-01
How to Cite
Chinwe, O., Princes, A., & Doris, A.-G. (2024). IDENTIFYING AND CREATING SERVICE QUALITY PROBLEMS IN CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT. GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 6(10), 129-149. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12608366
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