ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION IN ADDIS ABABA: THE CASE OF FLINTSTONE REAL ESTATE

Abstract

In today's competitive and challenging construction project environment, implementing the quality management system helps to bring organizational excellence in their overall activities. However, there are very few construction companies in Ethiopia that have implemented quality management in their operational systems. This study intended to assess the practice and implementation of quality management system at Flintstone real estate projects, which is among very few construction companies certified of ISO-9001-2008 Quality management system. Concerns regarding to understanding the extent of management responsibility in implementing and practice in projects activities were the basic question and issues raised in this study. To achieve the objectives of the research, data was collected using quantitative and qualitative methods from concerned personnel's and experts in the project environment. The data were collected with a response rate of 76.7% from the distributed sixty six(60) questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics focusing on the mean, standard deviation and percentages, which is calculated using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20. For analyzing the qualitative data content analysis were conducted and it was then triangulated with the quantitative data to summarize the findings, conclusion and recommendations. The validity of the instrument was checked and internal consistency of the instrument was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha and the result was greater than 70%, which signifies that reliability of data was good. Results of the findings were presented both in qualitative and quantitative manner. The finding of the study revealed that the performance regarding to improvement, evidence-based decision making, process approach and relationship management were found to be performed under poor performance level. On the contrary the management responsibility in understanding the customer needs, commitment of the top management and empowering people, was carried out in a very good manner. It is therefore recommended that for a quality management system to be practiced and implemented effectively it is important for the real estate construction company to establish the appropriate degree of improvement, handling of accurate and reliable data, establishing proper guidelines for decision making, focus on the process and maintain a strong relationship with suppliers on the basis of mutually shared benefits.