Factor analysis of quality assurance practices in small and mediumsized road-construction projects: A South African perspective

Abstract

Although implementing quality assurance (QA) processes in construction is important in the South African economy, small and  mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) faced difficulties in improving rural road infrastructure and highquality roads. Hardly any effort is made on to how sustain quality in road-project construction through suitable construction strategy in local governments. This article aims to analyse and examine the quality of road-construction projects built by SMEs contractors in Mopani District Municipality, South Africa. The article follows a quantitative survey approach in which a three-section questionnaire was administered to 160 purposively selected road- building practitioners in South African construction SMEs. The questionnaire was structured into three parts, which sought the participants’ profile, identified the quality assurance practices (QAPs) incorporated in the construction SMEs’ road-building programmes, and identified the factors that negatively influence the implementation of QA processes. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the reliability of the various constructs, mean scores, and standard deviations. The empirical findings established eight QAPs that were reliable and valid for implementation processes that can control or minimise their causes of poor quality in projects undertaken by construction SMEs’ level
of skill acquisition. These are: project planning and control techniques; project construction design; process implementation and process improvement; financial management; organisational structures; involvement of people, as well as quality standards and measurements. The eight factors attained high Cronbach Alpha values above the recommended 0.70, which indicates high internal consistencies among the sub-scales. This article is significant in that project managers working in similar environments may use the results of this study either as diagnostic tools or as a reference benchmark for strategic interventions in solving construction projects-related problems. The researchers also recommend that these practices are for QA in construction projects undertaken by SMEs in South Africa.

Keywords: South Africa, SME construction projects, quality assurance practice, road construction

 Alhoewel implementering van gehalteversekeringsprosesse in konstruksie belangrik is in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie, het klein en medium-grootte ondernemings (KMO’s) probleme ondervind met die verbetering van landelike padinfrastruktuur en hoëgehalte- paaie. Min moeite word gedoen oor hoe om gehalte in die bou van padprojekte deur middel van geskikte konstruksiestrategieë in plaaslike regerings te handhaaf. Hierdie artikel het ten doel om die gehalte van padbouprojekte wat deur MKO-kontrakteurs in Mopani Distrikmunisipaliteit in Suid-Afrika gebou is, te analiseer en te ondersoek. Die artikel volg ’n kwantitatiewe opnamebenadering waarin ’n drie-afdeling vraelys aan 160 doelgerigte padbou-praktisyns in Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksie-KMO’s gestuur is. Die vraelys is in drie dele gestruktureer, die deelnemers se profile, die ïdentifisering van gehalteversekeringspraktyke (QAPs) in die konstruksie-KMO se
padbouprogramme, en die faktore wat die implementering van KV-prosesse negatief beïnvloed. SPSS-weergawe 23, die Statistiese Pakket vir die Sosiale Wetenskappe, is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om die betroubaarheid van die verskillende konstrukte, gemiddelde tellings en standaardafwykings te bepaal. Die empiriese bevindinge het agt KVP’s vasgestel wat betroubaar en geldig was vir implementeringsprosesse wat hul oorsake van swak gehalte in projekte wat deur konstruksie-KMO’s onderneem word, se vlak van vaardigheidsverkryging kan beheer of verminder. Dit is: projekbeplanning en beheertegnieke; projek konstruksie ontwerp; verwerking van implementering en prosesverbetering; finansiële bestuur; organisatoriese strukture;  betrokkenheid van mense, en gehalte standaarde en metings. Die agt faktore het hoë Cronbach Alpha-waardes bo die aanbevole 0.70 bereik wat dui op hoë interne geldigheid tussen die subskale. Hierdie artikel is beduidend omdat projekbestuurders wat in soortgelyke omgewings werk, die resultate van hierdie studie gebruik as diagnostiese gereedskap of as verwysende maatstaf vir strategiese intervensies in die oplossing van konstruksieprojekte-verwante probleme.

Sleutelwoorde: Gehalteversekeringspraktyk, KMO-konstruksieprojekte, padkonstruksie, Suid-Afrika