Abstract
The subject of Green Supply-Chain Management has received attention in recent years among different industries. The huge consumption of resources by the construction industry has called for sustainable practices in construction. Green Supply-Chain Management (GSCM) has evolved as a tool to minimize the overall environmental impact in an organization. There are surveys and anecdotes about how companies are adopting GSCM. There is numerous literature on Green Supply-Chain Management in developed countries like the UK, U.S. and Asia; but only a few studies have been carried out in Africa. This research reveals a research gap regarding the implementation of GSCM in Nigerian and South African construction firms, to which this study responds.
This thesis aims to provide a holistic assessment on Green Supply-Chain Management in South African and Nigerian construction industries. This research is descriptive in nature and the research design has been developed in parallel with conducting the research. Triangulation was adopted in this research; using past literature, a well-detailed questionnaire and interviews.
Four hundred (400) questionnaires were sent by email, online and by visits to sites and offices; but only one hundred and sixteen (116) questionnaires were responded to and returned for analysis. While fifteen professionals in South African and Nigerian construction industries were interviewed. The results derived from both the questionnaire survey and interview provided a strong evidence that Green Supply-Chain Management is still at an infancy stage in the two countries and it is a practice that brings about sustainability in a construction firm. Although, it is an expensive venture, in the long run it yields great profit and gives a company a competitive edge. Several Green Supply-Chain Management definitions emerged from the questionnaire survey, all pointing towards environmental management and sustainability. In other words, GSCM is found to be compliant with environmental standards to bring about sustainability. The majority of the respondents’ suppliers are certified as Environment Management System (EMS) recognised bodies, like ISO 14000, to ensure that the materials which are used for construction are environmentally friendly and make the structure last for the entire intended life cycle. It was found that there are laws in place to ensure compliance of such practices. Approximately, forty two percentage (42.2%) of the respondents from the questionnaire survey agreed that they practise GSCM;...
D.Phil. (Engineering Management)