Kwofie, T E; Ohis Aigbavboa, C and Thwala, W D (2019) Communication performance challenges in PPP projects: Cases of Ghana and South Africa. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(5), pp. 628-641. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: The need to gain theoretical and practical understanding into the communication performance challenges in public private partnership (PPP) projects is considered as a precursor to effective communication strategies, management, planning and improvement in PPP models in both developed and developing countries. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of communication performance challenges in PPP projects. Design/methodology/approach: By adopting a deductive research design, a questionnaire survey of participants in the communication network of PPP projects in two countries (Ghana and South Africa) was conducted. The responses were analyzed using mean scores, Kendall’s concordance and Mann–Whitney U test. Findings: The results revealed communication performance challenges that are unique to PPP project environment. Additionally, there were other typologies of communication challenges such as untimeliness, distortions and protocols that were frequently experienced in Ghana and not in South Africa. Also the emergence of misunderstanding affirmed that indeed this is a communication problem that is common and not peculiar to any project context or country. Practical implications: With communication challenges and information asymmetries as notable challenges in PPP coupled with suggestions that effective communication is central to success of PPP projects and management, the insight into the communication performance challenges given by this study could be very useful to effective planning and strategies towards communication in construction project delivery in PPP and thus underline the importance of deriving mechanisms and protocols that suit PPP project environments. Originality/value: These findings can be a precursor for developing bespoke communication systems, tools, protocols and communication behaviours to facilitate information flow aimed at overcoming information asymmetries and ultimately improving the quality of communication actions, tasks and outcomes in PPP project delivery.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | business development; communications; developing countries; partnering; project management; project teams |
| Index terms: | South Africa, emergence, distortion, project management, project team, business development, public private partnership, project delivery, methodology, questionnaire, communication performance, strategy, research design, Ghana, information flow, survey, construction project delivery, developing country, partnering, communication network, information asymmetry |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, transaction economics, research design and methodology, business, contractual arrangements, project delivery, Geography, project management theory and practice, development economics, communication studies, management, research methods, systems engineering, information systems, project controls, partnership management, networking |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, International Construction, Time Control, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Information Management, Engineering Principles, Stakeholder Management, Procurement |
| 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