IMPACT OF INNOVATION ON PERFORMANCE OF SPECIALIST CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS IN KADUNA STATE

Abstract

Findings from previous studies have revealed that specialist construction practices in Nigeria have been influenced by a lack of innovation as well as the use of outdated and inappropriate innovation, which has hampered successful public project delivery. Innovation has been found out to be critical to gaining a competitive advantage and ensuring a firm's survival in business. This study therefore assessed the impact of innovation on the performance of specialist construction contractors (SCC) in Kaduna State. The study adopted a quantitative research approach. Data was collected with the use of a questionnaire survey. The population for the study comprises 28 specialist construction firms registered with the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) operating within Kaduna metropolis and one specialist was selected from each firm amounting to 28 respondents. Analysis of the data was undertaken with the use of frequency counts, percentages, and Meant Item Score (MIS). The study revealed that intensified market competition and survival were the most significant drivers of innovation among specialist construction contractors in Kaduna state, with an MIS of 4.73 and 4.55, respectively. On average, all the drivers of innovation among specialist construction contractors are important (average MIS = 4.39). The most significant barriers to innovation among specialist construction contractors are the high cost of innovation (4.53) and a lack of understanding of the benefits of innovation (4.50). All the identified innovation among specialist construction contractors is moderate (average MIS = 3.87). Improvement of services (MIS = 4.69); and improvement of product quality (MIS = 4.62) are the most important benefits of innovation among specialist construction contractors. On average, all the identified benefits of innovation among specialist construction contractors are important (average MIS = 4.31). The spearman’s rank correlation revealed that there exists a significant strong relationship between the adoption of innovation and the performance of a specialist construction contractor. It was concluded that innovation, when adopted, has a positive impact on the performance of specialist construction contractors in Kaduna state. It was therefore recommended that Specialist contractors should make every effort to attend workshops, seminars, and other training programmes that will enlighten them on new ideas, cutting-edge technologies, and how to apply them.