Identifying intangible resources to enhance profitability strategies of small-medium scale construction firms (SMSCFs) in developing countries

Profit sustainability by Small-Medium Scale Construction Firms (SMSCFs) is a major concern for the parties in the construction industry. Additionally, identifying efficient and effective use of resources has been a challenge. The study sought to identify intangible resources that will enhance the profitability strategies of small construction firms. Purposive sampling was used to identify professionals who were Owners/managers. Relative Important Index was used for ranking and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance to measure the degree of agreement of the ranking among the professional groups. Employer’s experience, client trust, employee experience, patent and copy-right, networking were the key intangible resources. There was a high degree of agreement between the selected professionals on the ranking. Small construction firms are encouraged to improve their understanding of the political and economic environment in which they operate. This study highlights intangibles resources that parties in the building construction industry should be conscious of. It further provides an opportunity for researchers in construction management to interrogate the impact of these resources within the wider industry as the study was limited to building professionals.