This paper explores the benefits and barriers to partnering in quantity-surveying (QS) firms in Nigeria, and suggests projects and professional services best served by this practice. A mixed research design informs the identification of related concepts from extant literature and data collection from 132 registered members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) which were analyzed using statistical tools. The commitment of top management is found to be a key barrier to QS firm partnering. The facilitation of knowledge exchange and inclusivity is the most significant benefit. In this paper, feasibility studies, expert advice, and lifecycle costing are key services of QS firms that would benefit from partnering, and research findings also favor engineering projects as core projects in which QS firms should utilize partnering.This study presents project stakeholders with practical and efficient strategies to facilitate the implementation of partnering arrangements to execute construction projects and has considerable implications for the quantity-surveying practice because it recommends professional services and projects with greater viability for the partnering arrangement.

Purpose -Prequalification of contractors is a very important step in construction project procurement under the contract "Due Process" policy in Nigeria. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the impact of contractors' prequalification on cost, time and quality performance of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire addressed to construction practitioners selected from clients, consultants and contractors' organizations. Also archival data on 77 completed building projects relating to prequalification assessment of contractors and project delivery variables were sourced from consultant quantity surveyors. The data were analysed with the aid of mean score and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings -The results show that contractors' prequalification has significant impact on time and quality performance of construction projects as evidenced by p-values of 0.039 and 0.030, respectively. Practical implications -The findings should provide a valuable reference for clients and consultants during contractors' prequalification and contract award. Originality/value -The outcome of this paper will assist clients and consultants in the construction industry to carry out objective assessment of contractors' potential performance in relation to project goals prior to contract award.

PurposeThe increasing pressure from clients and global construction trends have led the construction industry to seek better options for overcoming the emerging challenges and critical issues battling construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to assess the factors affecting the performance of partners in joint ventures construction projects in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected through the administration of questionnaire to partners and consultants who have engaged in joint venture construction project in partnership with the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation. The data obtained were analyzed using Mean Item Score, Wilcoxon‐Mann‐Whitney (U‐test) test, Kruskal‐Wallis (H‐test) test and factor analysis.FindingsThe study revealed that all the factors identified were significant to the performance of partners in joint venture construction with communication, compatibility of objectives and mutual understanding among partners ranked as the most important to the performance of partners in Joint Venture Projects. A KMO value of 0.743 was also derived indicating the suitability of the data for factor analysis.Practical implicationsThe research could be beneficial to potential investors for deciding the factors that contribute significantly to the performance of Partners in Joint Venture Construction Projects for inclusion in the drafting of Joint Venture Agreements. The five groupings from factor analysis and their relationship will also help in developing a framework for Joint Venture Construction Projects.Originality/valueThe extracted factors and values will help to identify prioritized factors which could be used as an assessment tool to evaluate the performance of partners and thus identifying areas for improvement.

Construction projects in Nigeria are generally characterized by cost and time overrun, substandard work, disputes and abandonment; emanating from several factors of which the wrong choice of contractors is a key factor. This study evaluated the criteria adopted by clients and consultants in contractors’ selection in Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of questionnaire administered on clients and consultants within the Nigerian construction industry. Also prequalification/bid evaluation scores for eighty contractors were collected based on the criteria used in assessing them. The data collected were analysed with the aid of mean score and regression analysis. The result showed that past performance; contractors’ experience; workmanship quality; tender sum; and plant and equipment were the most important criteria for contractors’ prequalification/bid evaluation in Nigeria. A contractors’ selection model was eventually derived based on some of the identified factors. The goodness of fit of the model as defined by the value of r2 was found to be 99%. This therefore implies that only 1% is explained by other independent variables not included in the regression equation; hence the suitability of the model for contractors’ selection in Nigeria.

The functionalist paradigm of organisational culture (OC) views culture as a variable subject to conscious manipulation and control in order to solve organisational challenges. Therefore, this paper provides information on how OC is a solution to the challenges in Quantity Surveying firms (QSFs).  This was achieved by eliciting the dimensions of OC in forty two QSFs in Lagos, Nigeria, which are the business, people and external environment dimensions. The paper concludes that OC is a relevant solution to the identity and management related challenges in QSFs. Specifically, the paper informs on the implications of business and people dimensions of OC as a solution to the identity challenges, as well as on the implication of the external environment dimension of OC to the management challenges. Based on the findings, practical implications and recommendations were directed at the management and employees QSs in QSFs and Quantity Surveying researchers.