EFFECT OF UNETHICAL CONDUCT OF PROFESSIONALS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Abstract

- Construction activity is a complex and dynamic one which requires the involvement of various professionals and specialists that work together to achieve a common goal of required project delivery. Construction process involves conceptualizing, designing, managing, supervising, organizing and coordinating project requirements which include time, money, human, resources, technology and methods. All these must be integrated in the most effective and efficient manner possible to complete and deliver construction projects in accordance to the required performance expected by the client. Unethical practices can take place at every phase of a construction from planning to project execution and to its service life. Such practices need to be identified and mitigated as it can affect delivery and usage of the project. As such the aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of unethical conduct of professionals on construction project with specific objectives of identifying factors responsible for the unethical conduct of professional, to determine the effects of unethical professional practices on construction projects and to determine remedies for curbing unethical professional practices in Nigeria construction industry. A questionnaire survey was conducted within the construction firms considering the professionals. A purposive sampling technique was adopted. A total of fifty-eight (50) questionnaires were used for the analysis. The findings of the study show that political system, personal behavior, inadequate enforcement of building code and regulation and absence of strict contractual laws and other factors are responsible for the unethical conduct of professionals. The study also revealed that high maintenance cost, aesthetic value and high construction cost are the major effect of unethical conduct of professionals on construction project. The findings, reveal that the enforcement on the usage of code of practice is one of the remedies to curbing unethical practice. The study recommends that setting standard for code of ethics to mitigate issues of unethical conduct of professionals on construction project can eradicate or minimize the problems of projects performance in the construction industry.