Masters Degrees (University of the Free State: Business School)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (University of the Free State: Business School) by Author "Bergh, L."
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Item Open Access Establishing a sustainable construction industry in Lesotho: A review of barriers inhibiting its ability to contribute to economic growth(University of the Free State, 2016) Mofolo, Tšepiso; Bergh, L.The study identified barriers to the establishment of a sustainable construction industry in Lesotho. The researcher grouped these barriers into four categories, namely: financial, corporate practice, leadership and management, as well as external factors. A quantitative research design was used to evaluate which of the identified factors are applicable to Lesotho’s construction industry. This unrestricted probability sampling strategy consisted of multiple questions critical in evaluating the significance and relevance of the identified factors to the Lesotho construction industry and assist in further confirming the existence of issues unique to Lesotho’s construction industry. Lesotho has a small economy, which results in only a few active construction industry role players. A questionnaire survey was convenient as most companies have centralised their offices or operations in Maseru, which is the capital city. The representative sample consisted of contractors registered with the Lesotho Roads Directorate. Project financing, delayed payments, cash-flow problems and access to credit were found to be the predominant financial barriers in the Lesotho construction industry. Conversely, the study revealed barriers relating to corporate practice and external factors as the least problems; bureaucracy, procurement procedures and delays resulting from obtaining approval from authorities were found to be significant. Leadership and management barriers were found to be widespread in Lesotho’s construction industry. The study established a strong correlation between the shortage of qualified technical staff and several operational issues such as poor performance, lack of experience as well as poor site management and supervision. The strong correlation might imply causality between these variables. The barriers identified as significant in Lesotho were similarly found to be prevalent in other countries. The study proposed establishment of a local construction industry development board to lead policies towards good sustainable practices, regulations and promotion of cutting-edge technology in the construction industry. The core mandate of the board should be the establishment of a socially, environmentally and economically sound practice in the Lesotho construction industry.