Professionals’ Ambivalence toward Ethics in the Nigerian Construction Industry
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Following the growing consensus within and outside the Nigerian construction industry that corruption and other unethical
practices are endemic in the industry, coupled with scarce empirical study on professional ethics in the industry, there is a need to examine
the perceptions of the professionals regarding ethical issues. This study therefore assesses the perceptions of construction professionals
regarding ethical issues in the Nigerian construction industry. One hundred and ninety two professionals were sampled from 108
construction organizations comprising 55 consultancy organizations, 35 contracting organizations, and 18 client organizations in selected
Nigerian major cities. A survey research design was employed. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the data. The results indicate
that there is a decline in unethical practices within the industry compared to the pre-1999 era. The more common form of bribery is
financial. Quantity surveyors were perceived as the most susceptible to bribery among the professionals in the industry. The builder/
construction manager faces the greatest pressure to act unethically among the professionals in the construction industry. The study
recommends that professional institutions should give more priority consideration to ethical discourse at technical sessions, public
lectures, and seminars. Furthermore, project financiers should ensure adequate and prompt remuneration for professional services. Since
the quantity surveyors are perceived as the most susceptible to bribery, clients should ensure that their discretionary powers in the
procurement of building projects are limited or subjected to third party verification. Finally, additional research is needed to explore the
types of measures that might help curb professionals’ unethical practices in Nigeria
Keywords
TH Building construction