COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES OF INDIGENOUS CONSTRUCTION FIRMS

The Nigerian construction market is one of the most vibrant and largest in Africa. However, indigenous construction firms (ICFs) in Nigeria struggle to survive in a harsh business environment characterized by intense competition and relatively low profit margin. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the competitive strategies adopted by ICFs in order to improve their competitiveness in spite of stiff competition. The study adopted a cross sectional survey research approach with the use of questionnaires. Seventy two (72) well-structured copies of the questionnaire were distributed to ICFs in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria based on convenient sampling technique. Data obtained was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and Spear man's rank correlation. The findings of the study showed quality in constructed facilities as the most significant competitive strategy of ICFs. The study also indicated a strong and positive correlation between the competitive strategies of quality, schedule and cost. Since tradeoffs in any of these three (quality, schedule and cost) basic project performance criteria can have a devastating impact on project performance, the study concludes that ICFs adopt innovative and inclusive competitive strategies that focus on quality while attempting to achieve on-schedule performance and cost reduction in construction operations.