A comprehensive assessment of time overruns in Ghanaian telecom cell site construction

Abstract

It is imperative for researchers to study construction projects in all industries, in order to find lasting solutions to the occurrence of time overruns during projects. Considering the myriad of studies on time overruns in construction projects, there is a scarcity of such studies in the construction of cell sites for the telecom industry. Therefore, this paper sought to investigate time overruns in the construction of cell sites, and quantitatively, to determine the real causal factors of its occurrence within the context of the Ghanaian telecom industry. As a mixed method approach, this study used the expert interview method in the case study, and structured questionnaires in the survey study to elicit information from practitioners with direct project management responsibilities in cell site construction. The findings indicate that time overruns, ranging from three weeks to two months, occur across the industry, with the overall impact of loss of revenue and business value. After the EFA and CFA analysis, 9 out of 28 factors were retained, forming two principal components named “project planning” and “project control”. The findings and recommendations made by this paper would enlighten the perspective of project management practitioners in their quest to deliver successful cell site construction. Both scholars and industry players can use the research methodology that has been designed to aid and facilitate the conduct of any such study in any industry in future.

Keywords

• time overrun
• delays
• cell sites
• 3G
• 4G
• telecom industry