Adedapo Oluwatayo

Employee architect’s perception of human resource practices and their job satisfaction

Purpose – There has been little empirical study on employees’ perceptions of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in the architectural industry, where the employee architects have been described as the assets of the firm, and how these influence their job satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that define the perceptions of these employees of the HRM practices and how these perceptions influence their job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey of employee architects in Lagos, Nigeria was carried out. The respondents were asked to rate their perceptions of HRM practices in their firms. Data were analyzed using mean ranking, principal component analysis, and regression analyses. Findings – The results show that contrary to popular beliefs, most of the respondents were satisfied with their jobs overall, although they were least satisfied with their pay. The factors that predict the satisfaction of the employee architects with various aspects of ...

Survey dataset on architect׳s awareness and adoption of building envelope technologies for energy efficient housing in Lagos State

Low energy houses are forms of housing that use less energy from the design, technologies and building products from any source than a traditional or average contemporary house. The survey dataset examines architect׳s awareness and adoption of building envelope technologies (BET) for energy efficient housing in Lagos State, Nigeria. The dataset was based on seventy-four (74) returned questionnaires of both registered and non-registered Architects. A multistage sampling that involved cluster sampling and random sampling of architects in Lagos State was adopted. Descriptive statistical tools were used to present the dataset. The dataset contains the intent of promoting energy sustainability by architect while designing their building envelopes, the awareness of the building envelope strategies to adopt, factors influencing their adoption of these strategies, strategies that can be adopted to improve adoption of building envelope technologies for energy efficiency in housing units. The dataset can be used for evolving housing energy policy by decision makers.

Survey data on users perception of flexibility of spaces in selected cultural center in southwest Nigeria

Architects that specialize in designing cultural centers have often been accused of providing spaces that become obsolete in the coming years. This is because as technology and time changes, requirements also change, necessitating new arrangement of spaces. Very few of the spaces provided in cultural centers can however be adapted to other uses. This has affected the sustainability of those spaces. These data present the perceptions of users on the need for, and the features that enhance flexibility in cultural centers. The data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of users of the three (3) cultural centers in Nigeria. The survey was conducted between October and November 2017. The data may facilitate the evidence-based approaches to facilitate improved built environment and will be useful to built environment professionals, policy makers and design researchers.

Private sector participation in domestic waste management in informal settlements in Lagos, Nigeria:

Lagos is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, which is grappling with the challenges of poorly managed urbanisation. With an estimated population of about 17.5 million, solid waste management is one of the most pressing environmental challenges currently faced in the city. It is estimated that more than 9071847.4kg of urban waste is generated every day in the city. The city lacks the capacity to deal with such magnitude of waste. Consequently, the city has involved the private sector (private sector participation) in its waste management drive. This article examines the effectiveness of this public–private sector collaboration model in waste management in informal settlements in Lagos using empirical data. Major findings of the article include the irregularity of waste collection owing to a poor road network, an inadequate transport infrastructure and the desire to maximise profit, as well as poor waste handling and disposal methods by the private sector participation operators who are not chosen based on competence and capacity to perform. Another major finding is the lack of cooperation from residents evidenced in non-payment of bills and poor packaging of wastes, resulting in wastes being littered. The article concludes on the need to restructure the scheme through proper sensitisation of residents, selection of operators with demonstrable delivery capacity and provision of a well-maintained road network to facilitate access of operators to settlements.

Characteristics of Global Architectural Firms

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors which discriminate between local and global architectural firms in Nigeria. The rationale was to examine how the globalization process differs in Nigeria and contribute to the discourse on globalization.Design/methodology/approach – The research is quantitative, using discriminant analysis to differentiate the global architectural firms from the local ones. The study used a random sample of 92 architectural firms in Nigeria, examining various characteristics of the firms through a questionnaire.Findings – There was a strong distinction between global and local firms. Compared to the local architectural firms, the global firms were larger, and mostly run by sole principals who were more experienced. The internet was used more to communicate with other professionals, but less to communicate with clients and in designing and drafting. The global firms also placed higher value on developing expertise in specific building types.Research limitations/...

RETROFITTING OF LEARNING SPACES: A CASE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIOS AT COVENANT UNIVERSITY

Studies have revealed that the physical environment of learning spaces exerts commensurate effect on students learning outcomes. Previous researches have posited for classrooms to be decorated with maps, decals, charts, posters and murals as they increase the interest, attentiveness and motivational level of the students. This is also in addition to the need for classroom walls to be well painted. In architectural education, formal learning takes place at the design studios where the students get to engage, collaborate and learn both theoretically and practically. Increasing the interest of students in inculcating the studio culture, working in the design studio has been a continuous goal. The research design made use of structured interviews carried out randomly to selected students in the undergraduate level of the department of Architecture of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria in the first semester of the 2017/2018 academic session following the retrofitting of the design studios. The qualitative research were analyzed and presented in tables and word clouds. Findings reveal the positive influence of the retrofitting to a significant population of the respondents and the simultaneous boost in design thinking and studio culture, while few of the respondents were indifferent as to the influence of the retrofitting on their learning outcomes. The study submits that learning spaces should undergo frequent retrofitting and maintenance to suit timely needs of learners and the learning environment. Adaptability, flexibility and responsiveness are key parameters for retrofitting.

Data on the awareness and adoption of ICT in town planning firms in Lagos state, Nigeria

This dataset covers an investigation into awareness and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in town planning firms in Lagos state, Nigeria. A survey of thirty (30) town planning firms in Lagos state, Nigeria was conducted. The survey was carried out between January to March 2017 by the use of questionnaires. The dataset contains responses on the factors that influence ICT usage, barriers and constraints of ICT usage. The five (5) point Likert scale was used for quantitative data analysis. The data can help identify the level of ICT usage, identify areas of concern and solutions can be proffered based on the results of the analysis.

Survey dataset on factors that influence satisfaction of clients with architectural services in Lagos State, Nigeria

The retention of clients of professional service practitioners is often dependent on their satisfaction with the services they obtain. This article presents data on the factors that influence the satisfaction of clients with architectural services in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey research, which adopted random sampling of clients from six estates in the State. The questionnaire was used as an instrument for the survey. The response rate was 81.3%. The dataset is made available in tables and charts of frequencies and means. The data are of interest to researchers in the professional service organisation, management and those in the decision sciences. The data could also be of interest to practitioners who may further analyse the data to develop business strategies to satisfy their clients.

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: WHAT IS IMPORTANT?

One often wonders why graduates with apparently good graduation grades do not get recruited, while some with lower grades get the good jobs. In this study, the attributes that employers consider in recruiting fresh graduate in the construction industry are investigated. The informants in the survey are employers in the architecture and estate management industries. A questionnaire was used to obtain the data for the study in a cross-sectional survey of owners and managers of firms. The results suggest that although graduation grades are important in the recruitment of these graduates, other attributes such as technical skills and personality are also considered. It is interesting to note that institution attended was also a factor considered by these recruiters. The findings suggest a need for the institutions that train graduates in these sectors to incorporate activities that develop these relevant skills into their programmes.

INVESTIGATING THE EXTENT OF USE OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) IN DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE, COVENANT UNIVERSITY OTA, NIGERIA

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is gradually gaining wider acceptance in the Nigerian Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry and the education industry should match that level of acceptance by training future professionals in the Nigerian AEC industry on the concept and its practice. BIM describes the process of designing a building collaboratively using one coherent system of computer models, rather than as separate sets of drawings. This allows for proper and effective management of information which in turn creates smarter and more informed professionals in a construction industry that loses billions per year, due to ineffective communication. This research aimed at examining the extent of use of BIM in Covenant University‘s department of architecture focused on three major variables; awareness, effective use and application of the subject matter outside the classroom. The result of this research however suggests that the more advanced facets of BIM are used at marginally low levels, compared to the rather basic facets such as 2D and 3D BIM. Nonetheless, this research did not give room for fallacy of generalization as extensive means of cross analysis were used to properly examine awareness, use and application of BIM outside the classroom‘ (amongst other variables) across the several levels of study. Hence, allowing for more detailed and precise findings