Stakeholder Engagement and Operational Performance of Construction Firms in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of stakeholder engagement and operational performance of construction firms in Rivers State, Nigeria. To further understand operational performance, three measures including on-time delivery, project quality and cost minimization where used. This study was conducted in a non-contrived setting and the quasi-experimental research design method was adopted. A questionnaire was distributed to 121 study elements made up of managers and supervisors of eight selected construction firms with operational/regional offices in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The retrieved and valid copies of the questionnaire were analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that operational performance of construction companies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria as measured by on-time delivery, project quality and cost minimization is highly dependent on how engaged stakeholders of such a project are. Such engagement leads to high project quality, timely delivery of projects as well as cost reduction as stakeholders would have better understanding of the firm’s operations. It is then concluded that stakeholder engagement is key to project success for construction companies operating in the Niger Delta, specifically Rivers State. Hence, managers and supervisors must deliberately ensure that project stakeholders properly engaged all through the various stages of the project.