Factors influencing adoption of resource planning by contractors in the construction industry of Kenya

Abstract

The construction industry in Kenya has grown in leaps and bounds over the years. Bon and Crosthwaite (2000) state that the industry makes a significant contribution to the economy of any country since it not only creates employment for many people but also supports other sectors of the economy. It is because of this significance that special consideration should be paid to the execution of construction projects since they are the backbone of the industry. Better execution of projects will lead to improved growth of the industry. In order for projects to be delivered effectively, resources ought to be managed in an optimum manner. According to Simon, Gwaya and Diang’a (2017) the two most critical aspects of resource management could be said to be resource planning and leveling. While it was established by the same authors that resource planning and leveling are highly practiced in the Kenyan construction industry though in an unstructured manner, the authors failed to outline the factors which influence such practices. It is because of such gap that the researcher sought to undertake this study. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors influencing the adoption of resource planning in the Kenyan construction industry. A survey research design was adopted and a response rate of 76% was attained. There seemed to be consensus among the respondents regarding the following factors influencing Resource Planning: Financial status of the contractor (RII=0.8390); adequacy of labour (RII=0.8308); adequacy of plant and equipment (RII=0.8304); presence of qualified personnel (RII=0.8152); prompt honouring of payments certificates (RII=0.7901); level of project documentation (RII=0.7410); compliance with safety procedures (RII=0.7154); type of procurement system (RII=0.6949); weather (RII=0.6127) and contractor’s ICT Compliance (RII=0.5897). The most significant factor was financial status while the least important was contractor’s ICT Compliance. Multiple regression analysis revealed that higher levels of Resource Planning are associated with higher levels of adequacy of labour and equipment, ICT compliance, high level of project documentation, high financial status, prompt payments, type of procurement, identifying the number of people required, establishing quantities of equipment, quantification of amount of materials. The analysis also revealed that higher levels of Resource Planning are associated with lower levels of Compliance with safety and bad weather.