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Some construction quality human-related factors in the Jordanian housing sector.

Article Excerpt
Introduction

Ashford, (1992) defined quality as a summation of those characteristics, which together make a product acceptable to the market. The concept of quality can be translated into the quality dimensions that include: performance, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics and perceived quality (Evans & Lindsay, 1990; McGeorge & Palmer, 2000).

Harris and McCaffer, (2001) emphasized that it is a major management function within construction organizations to compete effectively in the construction market. The quality of construction works produced by a construction organization has significant impact on the reputation and competitive advantage of the organization in the construction market. Abdul-Rahman, (1996) explained that management of quality in construction is an important factor in determining the competitive edge of a construction business. Similarly, Landin, (2000) stated that quality management appears to be considered primarily as a means of increasing effectiveness and enhancing competitive advantage.

Recent events in the Middle East region coupled with restructuring of economies, emergence of the World Trade Organization and the recent accession of many Middle Eastern countries to it, and the rising price of oil are expected to yield an unprecedented growth in construction activities, especially in the tourism and the residential sectors. Consequently, a huge number of large-scale projects are currently under construction or in the planning and contract-awarding phase. Recently, the Jordanian construction industry has been undergoing a boom. One major question of concern however arises: what are the major causes of quality problems in the Jordanian construction industry and what are their relative importance?

Problem Statement and Study Objectives

Quality problems are common in the Jordanian construction industry. Poor quality is often responsible for turning profitable projects into losing ventures. These quality problems could be avoided or reduced if the major factors causing such problems can be identified and acted upon in a timely fashion. Therefore, the study objectives are

(a) To identify the major factors causing problems in quality management implementation in the Jordanian residential construction sector; and

(b) To evaluate the relative importance of these factors from the perspectives of both the contractor and the owner.

Literature Review

Redman, Snape and Wilkinson, (1995) highlighted that lack of commitment within the organization, resource limitations, and cost constraints are major hindrances to quality management implementation. Lack of commitment included lack of commitment from management and/or lack of commitment from staff. Resource limitation included lack of human resources and/or lack of financial resources.

Shammas-Tuma, Seymour and Clark, (1996) shared the view of insufficient inspection of works as one of the problems in quality management implementation in construction projects. Other problems were lack of competence and low level of skill among staff. Abdul-Rahman, (1996) found that the major issue in quality management implementation in construction projects were that QA systems are incomplete and fail to permeate throughout the organisation when implemented. Moreover, Kubal, (1996) noticed that collaboration and integration of resources for quality management implementation among various parties of project participants was poor. In addition, Fryer, (1998) identified poor communication, inadequate checks and controls, and lack of technical expertise and skills as severe problems in quality implementation.

Research relating to the adoption of ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 in the field of construction showed that major challenges and constraints to the implementation of ISO were: confusing technical terms, ineffective communication, cost and time consumption, more paper work, changing traditional procedures, and stress (Beattie & Sohal, 1999; Calisir, Bayraktar...

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