Investigating the major causes of scope creep in real estate construction projects in Ghana

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes of scope creep on project completion in the real estate development industry in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachBoth simple random sampling and convenience sampling techniques were used in selecting the respondents for the study. The respondents were experts working in the real estate development industry in Ghana.FindingsResults from the study showed that the most critical factors that cause scope creep in the Ghanaian real estate development industry are client changes, unforeseen risks and unclear scope. Mitigating measures for addressing these factors were proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to causes of scope creep in the real estate development industry in Ghana based on data collected from only real estate development firms in Accra. Due to geographic constraints, the researcher was unable to sample real estate development companies across the entire country. The finding of this study may not be generalised since causes of scope creep can be unique to individual country contexts.Practical implicationThis paper has documented the critical causes of scope creep and its major impacts on project completion in the real estate development industry in Ghana. The results will help project managers in the industry to appreciate the causes of scope creep and its effect on project completion as well as increase the quality of economics on real estate management and reduce the costs and risks of housing of delivery in the country.Originality/valueThe paper examined the causes and mitigation of project scope creep in the Ghanaian context.