EVALUATION OF INTERNAL FACTORS INFLUENCING INNOVATION PRACTICES AMONG NIGERIAN CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY FIRMS

Abstract

Construction industry consultants who play vital roles in the conceptualisation, planning as well as in the implementation of construction projects are often criticised of inefficiency in their services delivery. Scholars generally agree that innovation practice is a vital strategy for achieving greater efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability in modern businesses including the construction consultancy services. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impacts of organisational factors on the innovation practices among Nigerian construction industry consultancy services firms. The data was obtained through structured questionnaire administered to various construction consultancy services firms; Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers, Professional Builders and Consortium of services firm operating in Abuja and some selected states within its environs. Collected data was subjected to statistical screening and analysis. The results show that all the identified internal factors have significant impacts on the firms’ innovation practices with organisation culture having the greatest impact followed by firm resources on these consultancy firms’ innovation practices. The results imply the need to establish innovation enhancing culture within the various firms and introduce innovative delivery processes in their consultancy services delivery operation.