AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA

Innovation is ascertained to be a major driver of growth of the productivity of a firm. This has spurred the interest of many researchers to study and harness the adoption of innovation. Extant literature indicates that some professional services offered by the quantity surveying (QS) firms are not...

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Main Authors: D. Owusu-Manu, A Torku, E Pärn, M.N Addy, D.J Edwards
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UJ Press 2017-08-01
Series:Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/140
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author D. Owusu-Manu
A Torku
E Pärn
M.N Addy
D.J Edwards
author_facet D. Owusu-Manu
A Torku
E Pärn
M.N Addy
D.J Edwards
author_sort D. Owusu-Manu
collection DOAJ
description Innovation is ascertained to be a major driver of growth of the productivity of a firm. This has spurred the interest of many researchers to study and harness the adoption of innovation. Extant literature indicates that some professional services offered by the quantity surveying (QS) firms are not needed by the client, or may be outdated. Consequently, the QS firms have to develop the stamina to challenge the existing unnecessary and unwanted or outdated practices and implement innovative practices. What is more alarming is that the QS firms are rated to have a low disposition towards the adoption of innovation. This established context propelled the need for empirically assessing the innovation practices amongst the QS firms in Ghana. A quantitative research approach was employed for this study and a census sampling technique was adopted. A total of 43 questionnaires were administered to the entire population and 24 were retrieved. The current level of innovation practices amongst the Ghanaian QS firms was interpreted using Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory. The results indicated that QS firms in Ghana are early adopters of process innovation, product/technological innovation and business system innovation. The study showed that QS firms adopt innovation practices in rendering their services and even though they do not initiate new ideas, they are the first to adopt the ideas initiated by the innovators. This study has drawn attention to the assessment of innovation practices and increasing the knowledge base of innovation practices in Ghanaian QS firms.
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issn 2223-7852
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publishDate 2017-08-01
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series Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation
spelling doaj-art-4f4323de430349379d3960caaa35ab182025-01-08T06:11:37ZengUJ PressJournal of Construction Project Management and Innovation2223-78522959-96522017-08-017Supplement10.36615/jcpmi.v7iSupplement.140AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANAD. Owusu-Manu0A Torku1E Pärn2M.N Addy3D.J Edwards4Department of Building Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaDepartment of Building Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaFaculty of Technology Environment and Engineering Birmingham City University, UKDepartment of Building Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaFaculty of Technology Environment and Engineering Birmingham City University, UK Innovation is ascertained to be a major driver of growth of the productivity of a firm. This has spurred the interest of many researchers to study and harness the adoption of innovation. Extant literature indicates that some professional services offered by the quantity surveying (QS) firms are not needed by the client, or may be outdated. Consequently, the QS firms have to develop the stamina to challenge the existing unnecessary and unwanted or outdated practices and implement innovative practices. What is more alarming is that the QS firms are rated to have a low disposition towards the adoption of innovation. This established context propelled the need for empirically assessing the innovation practices amongst the QS firms in Ghana. A quantitative research approach was employed for this study and a census sampling technique was adopted. A total of 43 questionnaires were administered to the entire population and 24 were retrieved. The current level of innovation practices amongst the Ghanaian QS firms was interpreted using Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory. The results indicated that QS firms in Ghana are early adopters of process innovation, product/technological innovation and business system innovation. The study showed that QS firms adopt innovation practices in rendering their services and even though they do not initiate new ideas, they are the first to adopt the ideas initiated by the innovators. This study has drawn attention to the assessment of innovation practices and increasing the knowledge base of innovation practices in Ghanaian QS firms. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/140Innovation, quantity surveying, process innovation, product/technology innovation, business system innovation, Ghana
spellingShingle D. Owusu-Manu
A Torku
E Pärn
M.N Addy
D.J Edwards
AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation
Innovation, quantity surveying, process innovation, product/technology innovation, business system innovation, Ghana
title AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
title_full AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
title_fullStr AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
title_full_unstemmed AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
title_short AN AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATION PRACTICES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN GHANA
title_sort an empirical assessment of innovation practices of quantity surveying firms in ghana
topic Innovation, quantity surveying, process innovation, product/technology innovation, business system innovation, Ghana
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/140
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