Innovate to compete: an empirical assessment of measures to enhance innovation adoption in Ghanaian quantity surveying firms

Abstract

Innovation in construction services is a source of competitive advantage; thus, firms are constantly innovating new ways of working and producing new products in order to stay in competion. Regardless of this immeasurable benefit of innovation, the

Ghanaian quantity surveying (QS) firms are very sluggish in adopting innovation. Also, there is a paucity of research work that will enable QS firms to maximize innovation adoption. This study was conducted to identify and examine measures to enhance innovation adoption in Ghanaian QS firms. Quantitative approach and census sampling technique were employed in the study. The dependent variables retrieved from 24 out of 43 questionnaires administered to QS firms in Accra and Kumasi were analysed using mean score and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance test. The study concluded that leadership, information and communication technology, supportive work environment, education and training policy, collaboration with partners, and organisational resources are the most significant measures to enhancing innovation adoption in Ghanaian QS firms. It is recommended that QS firms constantly put into practice large spectra of new ideas in rendering services in order not to be out of competition. This study could serve as basis for management in various QS firms in drawing up policies to enhance innovation adoption. Also, QS firms in other developing countries particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa where the challenges impeding innovation are likely to be similar can also benefit from the findings. Future research could be focused on identifying the key attributes and managing the expectations of innovation champions in the QS firms.