Ogbu, C P and Imafidon, M O (2022) Influence of selection criteria on clients' satisfaction with construction consultancy services in Nigeria. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 20(6), pp. 1519-1537. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: To receive a satisfactory consultancy service, a construction client must first select suitable consultants. While numerous criteria for the selection of construction consultants have been suggested in the literature, their influence on client satisfaction has hardly been statistically established. This study aimed to reduce the criteria for the selection of construction consultants into a more manageable set of fewer factors and ascertain the influence of the factors on client satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered through a purposively administered cross-sectional survey of public sector clients in Nigeria. Analyzes were done using relative importance index, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings: The results proved that the criteria for the selection of consultants can, in the order of decreasing influence on client satisfaction, be grouped into service delivery approach (SDA), relationship with the client, the caliber of personnel, firm reputation and firm certification. However, SDA is more influential on client satisfaction. All the factors were found to have significant statistical effects on clients' overall satisfaction with consultancy services. Originality/value: The study demonstrates the extent to which construction consultant selection criteria are relevant to client satisfaction. It shows that SDA is the most important predictor of clients' satisfaction with consultancy services. The results are helpful for grouping consultant selection criteria in future studies, and in guiding clients on the weights to assign to consultant selection criteria during tender evaluation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | client satisfaction; consultancy; consultant selection; service quality |
| Index terms: | satisfaction, service delivery, construction client, Nigeria, client satisfaction, factor analysis, selection criteria, future study, personnel, certification, relative importance index, public-sector client, survey, methodology, service quality, tender evaluation, multiple regression analysis, consultancy |
| Subjects: | performance measurement, management, tendering, research methods, Geography, service delivery, sociology, administrative processes, statistical analysis, risk assessment, data collection methods, organization, research design and methodology, client relations, practitioner, project delivery |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Contract Administration, Organizational Design, Quality Management, Human Resources |
| 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