Appau, M. W.; Anugwo, I. and Attakora-Amaniampong, E. (2026) Rethinking office building rehabilitation: Perceptions of stakeholder influence and institutional norms in Ghana. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 16(3), pp. 503-519. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose – Studies on office building rehabilitation often drive both technical and financial considerations. However, neglected institutional and perceptual dynamics have shaped rehabilitation decisions in office buildings in Ghana. This study bridges the gap by assessing the effects of stakeholder perceptions and institutional norms on office building rehabilitation in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed research design was employed in this study. Data were purposively gathered from 334 stakeholders, including public office buildings, facility managers and HVAC professionals serving municipal and metropolitan services, and building users across Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and a thematic analysis, five constructs were analyzed: perceived risk, rehabilitation priority, trust in governance, stakeholder influence and institutional norms. Findings – The model explained 97.5% of the variance in rehabilitation prioritization. Institutional norms regarding prioritization affected stakeholder influence indirectly, and governance trust regarding prioritization contributed to the perceived risk of office building rehabilitation. Stakeholder influence emerged as the most significant predictor of office rehabilitation decisions in public office buildings in Ghana. Practical implications – The findings suggest the need for institutionalize accessible feedback systems with transparent communication strategies, flexible procurement procedures institutionalized accessible feedback systems with transparent communication strategies, flexible procurement procedures and decentralized financial systems. Furthermore, data access, responsiveness and transparency must be adhered to in order to elevate risk perception and drive decision-making in office rehabilitation. Originality/value – Quantification of institutional dimensions alongside behavioural and perceptual dimensions provides new insights into participatory infrastructure governance in developing contexts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | facilities manager; institutional norms; office building; rehabilitation; stakeholder; trust |
| Index terms: | governance, manager, norms, Ghana, office building, methodology, research design, transparency, decision-making, structural equation modelling, variance, strategy, Accra, partial least square, dimension, thematic analysis, quantification, risk perception, dynamics, facilities manager |
| Subjects: | business, construction type, health monitoring assessment and metrics, environmental hazards, systems engineering, professional development, practitioner, measurement and scaling, statistical analysis, research methods, management, Geography, methods and analysis, sociology, decision analysis, research design and methodology |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Construction Technology, Sustainability, Risk Management, Health and Safety, Roles and Professions, Information Management, Geographical Context, Governance, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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