Aichouni, M; Messaoudene, N A; Al-Ghonamy, A and Touahmia, M (2014) An empirical study of quality management systems in the Saudi construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management, 14(3), pp. 181-190. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
Construction firms work in a harsh competitive environment where every company struggles to ensure that its projects are successfully completed with the constraints of best quality, cost and time. Quality management systems (QMS) have been widely used by world-class construction companies to ensure successful projects delivery. The main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the degree of readiness of Saudi construction firms operating in Hail region towards the implementation of QMS and the proper use of quality tools. The perception of both managerial and technical staff about QMS and quality tools is investigated and analysed. Based on previous research dealing with QMS and quality tools implementation in the construction industry, a comprehensive survey tool is designed and conducted. Results show a high degree of misunderstanding of QMS strategies, tools and techniques in the surveyed construction firms. The study indicates that organizational culture represents a real barrier impeding the implementation of QMS and quality tools in the Saudi construction sector.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | improvement tool; quality management system; total quality management |
| Index terms: | construction sector, organizational culture, strategy, construction firm, construction company, survey, total quality management, construction industry, implementation, quality management system, empirical study |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, sociology, management, research methods, contractual arrangements, project delivery, evaluation methods, data collection methods, organization |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Procurement, Quality Management, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here