Assessing Construction Constraint Factors on Project Performance in the Construction Industry

Abstract

A construction constraint is a condition that impedes progress toward meeting construction project goals. This paper seeks to assess the constraint factors affecting project performance in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative research design, and a questionnaire was designed to retrieve data from the target populations. The target population were construction professionals within the South African construction industry. One hundred and eighty questionnaires were administered to construction professionals within the study area through the purposive quota sampling technique. Retrieved data were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. In order to determine the data reliability and the interrelatedness of the variables, Cronbach’s alpha test was carried out on each component. The results of the exploratory factor analysis show that stakeholders’ inappropriate project scheduling and coordination factors, organisation and government policies factors, and organisation and government policies factors were the leading constraints affecting construction project performance in the South African construction industry. Due to time and distance constraints, this study was limited to construction professionals in South Africa’s Free State province. The paper concluded that to reduce the construction constraints affecting construction project performance, construction professionals must improve their project scheduling, coordination, organisational policies, and managerial capacity. The paper’s findings will assist stakeholders in identifying and overcoming construction constraints in construction projects’ execution and delivery.