Assessing Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Ghanaian Construction Industry: An Exploratory Study in Kumasi.

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2015-02-24
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Competition among Contractors in the Construction Industry has increased as Ghana maintains her middle-income status. To have a sustained competitive edge, successful industries know that quality management is the key to competing successfully. Recognizing that quality is the key to competition, Total Quality Management (TQM) was introduced in the construction industry in developed countries as a philosophy and a culture to improve productivity and quality. However, developing countries such as Ghana are slow in adopting TQM in the Construction Industry. Therefore, the level of quality in local Ghanaian construction firms is low as compared to international construction firms operating in Ghana. This research assessed the Construction Quality management practices in the country and compared with the principles of TQM. In addition a framework was proposed to guide construction firms in adopting TQM. In order to know the quality management practices, questionnaires were administered to project managers, supervisors and construction professionals such as architects and engineers in construction companies in Kumasi to ascertain their perception of quality and their management practices. Data analysis revealed that Inspection and Quality Control was the predominant Quality Management practice in Ghana. The TQM critical success factors rated in order of importance were process management, continuous improvement, employee satisfaction/empowerment, supplier chain management, customer focus, management / leadership commitment and training. iv To enable the implementation of TQM, a framework has been proposed to guide management and this call for a radical cultural change that will transform the construction industry in Ghana. This research has made a significant contribution to quality management practice in the Ghanaian Construction Industry. It has helped to unearth the basic principles needed in improving competitiveness in Ghana. In this twenty-first century, Total Quality Management and not Inspection and Quality Control should be the way forward to make the construction industry more effective and efficient. Further proposed recommendations include (1) Quality Management practices in relation to Customer and Employee Satisfaction, (2) the maintenance of a well-trained workforce to improve overall performance and total quality and (3) A Study on Supplier Selection Issues in Construction Supply Chain Management and its effect on Quality.
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A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Science in Construction Management, 2014
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