Keith Cattell

Corruption in the South African construction industry: a thematic analysis of verbatim comments from survey participants

Corruption is a pervasive stain on the construction industry in many countries. South Africa is no exception. A questionnaire survey showed that corruption there is perceived to be widespread. Beyond the quantitative survey findings, thematic analysis was used to explore the verbatim comments offered by many survey participants. This analysis clarified the nature and extent of corruption more precisely and four predominant themes emerged: involvement in corruption, forms of corruption, factors that may give rise to corrupt activities, and the means of combating corruption. Public officials are thought to be actively involved in acts of corruption, particularly in the soliciting of bribes and in tender manipulation. Professional consultants and other actors in the construction supply chain are not above reproach. Forms of corruption centre largely on appointment and tender irregularities, and to a lesser extent on contract administration and closeout irregularities. Factors instrumental in corruption include the skills shortage within the industry, a perceived absence of deterrents and sanctions, and poor ethical standards. Procedural impediments, fear of victimization and personal attitudes all act as barriers to combating corruption. While confirming opportunity, pressure and self-justification as the three pillars of the Cressey ‘Fraud Triangle’ theory of corruption, the research findings suggest that a more dynamic interpretation of this model is advisable. In addressing corruption, at least in the public sector, improvements in procurement processes are needed along with shifts towards higher standards of ethical behaviour among public sector employees at all levels. Greater procurement process transparency (in both public and private sectors of the industry) would address the worst effects of undue political interference and nepotism. The South African construction industry (particularly its statutory professional councils and contractor affiliation bodies), together with public sector agencies and private sector client associations, should collaborate to adopt a more proactive stance against corruption, and be more engaged with detecting and reporting it.

Job satisfaction of South African quantity surveyors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the significance of the relationship between job satisfaction experienced by South African quantity surveyors and demographic factors, workplace characteristics, choice of career, and instances of harassment and discrimination at work.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained via a web‐based national questionnaire survey of the registered quantity surveyors. The results were analysed in order to establish the degree of significance between perceived levels of job satisfaction and the identified factors.Findings – Demographic factors found to have a significant relationship with job satisfaction are gender and race. Workplace characteristics such as feelings of personal satisfaction, recognition, the opportunity to undertake challenging work and non‐repetitive work, the degree of supervision, participation in decision making, and the opportunity for social interaction at work were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction. Signific...

Workplace Stress, Stress Effects, and Coping Mechanisms in the Construction Industry

AbstractMany construction professionals experience high levels of stress. Workplace stress leads to psychological, physiological, and sociological strain effects. Sufferers adopt different coping mechanisms in attempts to mitigate their condition. Using an online survey, opinions were sought from architects, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers in South Africa. The contribution of the research reported in this paper lies in its examination of the work stress experienced by construction professionals in a developing country characterized by economic hardship and social problems, such as inequality and crime. Most respondents experience high levels of stress at work. Architects (more than engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers) and female (more than male) professionals feel stressed. Psychological effects of workplace stress include the feeling of not being appreciated by others for a job well-done, feeling dissatisfied with one’s own perfo...

Guidelines for effective workplace HIV/AIDS intervention management by construction firms

Construction firms have an important role in combating HIV/AIDS in the South African construction industry. The HIV/AIDS intervention management practices of 12 construction firms in Cape Town are examined through interviews and documents. From thematic analysis, five themes emerged: construction firms’ perceptions of HIV/AIDS as a threat to the firm; construction firm interventions; barriers to the success of interventions; the role of service providers; and state-led interventions. A tension exists in managing HIV/AIDS interventions as firms are concerned with productivity and profit maximization, but are becoming more engaged with corporate social responsibility and a higher duty of care towards employees. Interventions should extend beyond awareness and prevention campaigns to include testing and treatment programmes. A guideline checklist for such interventions is proposed. Partnering with specialized service providers is recommended, as well as engaging closely with public sector services. Firms successfully managing their HIV/AIDS response should share their experience with others struggling to respond. Employee issues of stigma and reluctance to disclose need to be addressed. Attention should be paid to the employment structure of the construction industry and to the needs of the informal sector.

Perceptions of HIV/AIDS policies and treatment programmes by Western Cape construction firms

The HIV/AIDS pandemic poses a substantial long‐term threat to economic development in South Africa. A questionnaire survey explored the perceptions of a sample of construction firms in the Western Cape regarding HIV/AIDS policy and treatment programmes. The findings show that there is no universal view about the long‐term threat of HIV/AIDS. Most organizations have awareness policies in place but prevention and treatment policies are less common. Treatment programmes are the least implemented of all intervention services due to insufficient resource capacity, the potential stigmatization of infected persons, and low take‐up rates. Despite an acknowledgement of the benefits flowing from mounting treatment programmes, doubt exists as to their financial viability.

Value management practice in South Africa: the built environment professions compared

Using an online survey, value management practice by construction professionals in South Africa is investigated. Opinions were sought from architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers. An objective is to test the UK‐based assertion of Kelly et al. (2004) that VM is an established service with commonly understood tools, techniques and styles. While awareness of VM is reasonably prevalent among the professions, it is far less so among architects. Actual practice of VM is considerably less extensive, with the architects reporting the lowest level of usage. Much higher levels of awareness and practice could have been expected. Knowledge of VM techniques appears dated, and membership of VM associations is rare. Usage of VM is invariably founded on a cost‐minimization driver. Little attempt is made to benchmark VM activities against international standards nor is a standard methodology employed. Value management is not generally used to facilitate the client briefing process. The findings are important given the increasing globalization of construction services, especially the growth of international ties between built environment professionals. It is recommended that the professional associations that promote the activities of the professions in SA should organize suitable refresher skills and training opportunities in VM.

The impact of online retail grocery shopping on retail space: a Cape Town case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of completed case studies of two major multi‐channel grocery retailers in South Africa. The aim of the research was to establish the potential that online grocery retail has to undermine traditional retail by decreasing foot traffic and undermining rental income.Design/methodology/approach – The growth of online shopping in the retail sector is a matter of concern for those involved in the development and management of shopping centres. Non‐probability convenience sampling was employed to interview shoppers in the five largest regional shopping centres in Cape Town tenanted by the two major grocery “e‐tailers” in South Africa.Findings – The findings show that the online grocery market is an expanding market segment. Furthermore, diminished foot traffic is likely to affect the ability of smaller retailers to pay turnover rentals. Millers revised rent model is adapted and used to illustrate the potential savings that may be generated by chang...

Predictive Modeling of Workplace Stress among Construction Professionals

As a high-stress working environment, the construction industry affects the health and well-being of people who work in it. Knowing what factors contribute to or ameliorate workplace stress, and their interrelationships, are important. Data from 350 cases that reflect self-perceived stress experiences were collected via an online questionnaire survey of architects, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers in South Africa. These data were used to conduct logistic regression modeling to explore the relationship between perceived stress at work, workplace demands, job control, and workplace support. The strength of the relationship of 13 factors with perceived stress was modeled. Although all the cataloged factors contribute to a predictive likelihood of high workplace stress, the strongest predictive factor is the perceived presence of work-life imbalance. The perceived need to work long hours is overwhelmingly mediated through imbalance experienced between work and life/family commitments. A perceived need to prove oneself at work also strongly mediates this relationship, whereas the extent of support received from colleagues in difficult situations may serve as a strong moderator. An amended model of occupational stress is proposed that distinguishes between mediating and moderating factors, providing possible target areas for organizations wishing to address employee stress issues. The contribution of this work lies in its examination of the work stress experienced by construction professionals in a developing country that is characterized by economic hardship and social problems.

Job satisfaction of South Africa quantity surveyors

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to report the findings of a comparative study examining levels of job satisfaction of employees and employers in the quantity surveying profession in South Africa. Factors that have an impact on job satisfaction are explored. In addition, issues relating to gender at work and harassment and discrimination in the workplace are examined.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained via a web‐based, national questionnaire survey of the registered quantity surveyors. A response rate of 10 per cent was achieved. Of the 146 respondents, 43 per cent are salaried employees whilst 57 per cent are employers. Likert scales were used to measure respondent perceptions regarding factors influencing their job satisfaction, and to explore gender‐related issues at work and perceived instances of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.Findings – Contrary to the published literature, employers and employees do not differ significantly in levels of job satisfaction, al...

Stress among South African construction professionals: a job demand-control-support survey

Research into workplace stress in the construction industry has been dominated by studies undertaken in Hong Kong, England and Australia, with relatively little attention having been paid to African countries. A purposively selected sample of thirty-six construction professionals (comprising architects, project managers, construction managers, engineers and quantity surveyors) based in Cape Town, South Africa, were surveyed regarding their perceptions about, and experiences of, workplace stress. The purpose was to identify and rank job demand, job control and job support factors and to analyse these by gender and professional grouping, both in terms of how respondents perceived them, as well as in terms of how frequently they had experienced them. The main finding was that respondents’ perceptions about the importance of job demand, job control and job support factors were largely consistent with their own experience of these factors. Distinguishing between perceptions and experience of stressors and moderators of stress was, however, considered valuable because the fact that differences were found indicates the need for precision in the design of scales. The highest ranked factors were, respectively, ‘critical time constraints’, ‘volume of work’ and ‘adequate compensation (salary)’. Women and men ranked items differently, as did the various professional groups. The main conclusions were that the construction project environment is a time-pressured, complex, environment in which work-life balance is negatively affected, particularly for women. Control over the type, flow and volume of work were perceived to be the main moderators of stress, whilst salary and career path opportunities were perceived to be the main job support moderators of stress. The applicability of using the job demand–control–support framework was confirmed given that the main stressors, control and support moderators were found to be to be largely consistent with the findings of previous studies. Future research taking a gendered approach should anticipate issues important to female respondents and should consider the benefits of qualitative methods. The design of research focusing on construction professionals should consider using the project team as the unit of analysis to ensure that the influence of the interconnectedness of participants’ roles is taken into account.