Agyekum, K; Kukah, A S and Amudjie, J (2022) The impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry in Ghana: The case of some selected firms. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 20(1), pp. 222-244. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: With its impact already felt, the construction industry worldwide is gradually reviving following the lifting up of lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Though some articles have been written regarding its impact on the construction industry in other countries, much is yet to be known concerning the current impact in Ghana. This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on Ghana’s construction industry and assess how construction companies are contributing to the fight against COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews with nine key professionals working with D1K1 firms currently working on projects of almost similar sizes within the confines of a reputable tertiary institution in Ghana were conducted over a span of three weeks. Thematic analysis was conducted with Nvivo 12 Pro Application software. Findings: From the findings, the major impact includes: a decrease in work rate, delays in payments and an increase in the cost of materials arising from border closure. On the measures by construction companies in contributing to the fight against the pandemic, findings indicated: educating the workforce on the virus, the provision of PPEs, regular and effective checks on entry and exit from the site. Practical implications: The study is significant, as knowledge of the impact posed by the pandemic will provide some idea of the measures to put in place to ensure the gradual to full recovery of the industry. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in the fact that it is a pioneering study on the impact of COVID-19 on the Ghanaian construction industry.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | case study; construction firms; construction industry; COVID-19; Ghana; impact |
| Index terms: | lifting, interview, construction firm, case study, Ghana, thematic analysis, methodology, construction industry, recovery, tertiary, pandemic, COVID-19, construction company |
| Subjects: | Geography, research methods, industry analysis, curriculum development, methods and analysis, health risk and incident analysis, occupational health and safety management, data collection methods, organization, operations management |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Education, Geographical Context, Project Management, Health and Safety, Research Practice |
| 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