The Extent of Adoption of Quality Management Practices in the Construction Lifecycle by Contractors of State-Owned Enterprises

This study examined the quality management practices implemented by contractors involved in infrastructure development, specifically focusing on the various stages of the construction lifecycle such as feasibility, design, and construction, except the final phase, commissioning. A conceptual framework was developed to facilitate the implementation of quality management practices, specifically within areas of quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance. The quantitative method using a survey questionnaire has gathered the perspectives from contractors engaged in South African infrastructure projects. Data was collected from a representative subset sourced from the National Treasury Database, yielding 39 respondents. Hypothesis 1 found significant differences in practice adoption across construction stages. Hypothesis 2 revealed a strong positive correlation between quality planning and quality assurance, as well as between quality control and quality assurance, emphasizing their interconnection. The study was limited to discussing the contractors’ who were employed by Eskom, a single state-owned corporation, and has restricted the emphasis on all the aspects of quality management practices in the construction industry. The results from Design Stages of Construction Projects revealed some significant differences between the opinions regarding the practice adoption across construction stages along with the distinction in quality planning predominantly in the design and construction phases