INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) DEPLOYMENT IN ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS IN NIGERIA

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Architecture

ABSTRACT 
Architectural practice has been in existence in Nigeria for more than fifty years and the 
earliest introduction of computers by firms  for  operations began in the early 1980s. 
Information and communication technology (ICT)  usage is inevitable in all fields  of 
endeavours and for professionals in the present era. The study of ICT usage and deployment 
therefore becomes imperative. This study aims at providing an understanding of the deployment of  ICT in architectural firms in Nigeria. It specifically examines organizational 
and ICT characteristics of the firms; the measure of fit between ICT tools deployed and tasks 
engaged; the effect of training programmes on  the availability of  ICT proficient personnel; and  the level of acceptance of Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) in 
architectural firms in Nigeria. The Task-Technology Fit model (TTF) and an Extended 
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) were  employed to test deployment of four design 
technologies (AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit Architecture and SketchUp) and the acceptance 
of CSCW. The multistage sampling technique was used to derive the sample drawn from six 
cities: Abuja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Enugu, Lagos and Portharcourt were selected  based on 
documented evidence of having the largest number of firms in their zones. A  total of 118 
questionnaires were returned from a total of 159 distributed. This represents a 74.21% return 
rate. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, crosstabulations, Chi-
Square tests, exploratory factor analysis,  Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)  and multiple 
regression analysis. The study revealed  improvements in the quality and availability of ICT 
systems in architectural firms in Nigeria as from 2001.  Internet connectivity and Website 
ownership is on the increase in architectural firms. Annual turnover of the architectural firms 
has is positively correlated to  the quality of installed systems. The study also found a 
relationship between ownership of websites and the date of ICT introduction. The integrated 
TTF/TAM test showed levels of fit between tasks engaged in architectural firms and the 
design technologies deployed. The model tests explain between  41.4%  -  52.1% of the 
residual variation in the production of detailed system product. The  coefficients of 
determination  and beta  coefficients  are significant to predict  model  fit  of  deployment. 
Reasonable proficiency levels of the staff in the deployment of the available software and 
technologies were confirmed. Furthermore firms are getting increasingly involved in 
outsourcing as a service delivery strategy. The study revealed that few firms fund training 
programmes within their organizations. Most of those that fund training programs commit 
lower than a million naira to it annually. The study revealed that there is no  significant 
relationship  between the availability of CAD/BIM proficient staff and the existence of 
training programmes within the firms. It was also confirmed that there was no  significant 
relationship between the availability of CAD/BIM proficient staff  and the training methods 
employed by the firms. It was found that there was a  significant  relationship  between the 
availability of CAD/BIM proficient staff and the CAD/BIM proficient staff needed.  The 
interview responses suggest that the schools of architecture have done much towards 
achieving  the availability of CAD/BIM proficient staff. CSCW has been adopted by only 
37.3% of the firms and the study revealed that perceived ease-of-use, security and the quality 
of installed systems were predictors of the extended TAM model.  In conclusion, the study 
recommends  that concerted efforts towards developing network infrastructure especially 
broadband access can  improve the practice of outsourcing and also have impact on CSCW. 
Quality investment and commitment by technology companies and vendors, firms, the 
government and other stakeholders in the area of ICT acquisitions, network security and the 
development of user-friendly technologies will surely improve adoption and deployment of 
ICT in architectural firms in Nigeria.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Title Page    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i 
Declaration    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ii 
Certification    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iii 
Dedication    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv 
Acknowledgements   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - v 
Abstract    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vi 
Table of Contents  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vii 
List of Tables    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xiii 
List of Figures    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xv 
List of Plates    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xvii 
 
Chapter One: Introduction 
11  Background to the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 
12  Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 
13  Aim and Objectives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 
14  Research Hypothesis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 
15  Justification of the Research - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 
16  Research Design - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 
17  Scope of Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 
18  Limitation of Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 
19  Key Definitions and Concepts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 
110  Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 
 
Chapter Two: Review of Literature 
 
21  Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 
22  Architecture and the Architect - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 
23  Scope of Architectural services - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 
  231  Scope of Services - - - - - - - - - - - - - p; 232  Normal Architectural Service: The Three Stages - - - - - - - 15 
24  Architectural Practice in Nigeria - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 
  241  Architecture and Regulatory Institutions in Nigeria - - - - - - 18 
25  Historical Account from CAD to BIM - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 
251  The Advent and Development of the Computer - - - - - - - - 19 
  252  Evolution and Development of CAD, CAAD and Graphic Packages - - 20 
  253  Evolution of Communication Systems - - - - - - - - - - 22 
26  The Real and the Virtual - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23  
27  ICT Applications in Architectural Firms - - - - - - - - - - - 24 
  271   Areas of Applications of ICT in Architectural Firms - - - - - - - 24 
28  ICT Adoption and Deployment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25 
  281  General Administrative Application - - - - - - - - - - - 26 
  282  Core Architectural Applications - - - - - - - - - - - - 27 
  283   Computer Aided Design (2D and 3D CAD) - - - - - - - - 27 
  284   CAAD as Distinct from CAD - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 
  285   Digital Object Library (DOL) - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
  286   Design and Virtual Modelling - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 
  287   Animations and Simulations - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 
288  5D Modelling - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 
29  BIM and Its Significance to Architectural services - - - - - - - - - 33 
291  Challenges of BIM Solutions - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34 
210  Web-Based Deployment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 35 
211  Human Resource for CAD, CAAD and BIM - - - - - - - - - - 38 
  2111  Outsourcing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40 
  2112  Training - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 
212  Hardware and System Requirements - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44 
213  Challenges of ICT Deployment in Nigerian Firms - - - - - - - - - 45 
  2131 Security - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46 
  2132  Availability - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47 
  2133  Accessibility - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 
  2134  Affordability - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 
214  Productivity Gains from ICT Deployment - - - - - - - - - - - 49 
215  Summary of Chapter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 
 
Chapter Three: Theoretical/Conceptual Framework 
 
31  Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52 
32  Research Approaches and perspectives in the Study of ICT in Organizations - - 52  
321  The positivist Perspective - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52 
322  The Interpretive Perspective - - - - - - - - - - - - 54 
323  The Critical Perspective - - - - - - - - - - - - - 54 
33  Theoretical Framework for the Study  - - - - - - - - - - - - 55 
34  Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) - - - - - - - - - - - 55  
35  Task-Technology Fit (TTF) Model - - - - - - - - - - - - 57 
36  Summary of Chapter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60

Chapter Four: Research Methodoloour: Research Methodology  
41  Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61 
42  Research Design - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61 
43  Research Population - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62 
44  Subjects - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62 
45  The Sampling Frame - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62 
46  Sampling Technique - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65 
47  Sample Size - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 66 
48  Pilot Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69 
49  Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69 
  491 Questionnaire/Interview Design - - - - - - - - - - - - 70 
  492 Data Collection and Treatment - - - - - - - - - - - - 70 
  493 Field Work Details - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 77 
411  Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 78 
 
Chapter Five: Organization and Information and Communication Technology 
Characteristics of Architectural Firms
 
51  Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80 
52  Period of Establishment of Firms - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80 
53  Date of ICT Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 81 
54  Number of Branches Operated - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82 
55  Annual Turnover of Firms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 83 
56  ICT Characteristics of Architectural Firms - - - - - - - - - - - 85 
  561 Availability of Websites - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 85 
  562 Number of Available Workstations - - - - - - - - - - - 86 
  563 Quality of Installed Systems - - - - - - - - - - - - - 87 
  564 Operating System Used - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 87 
  565 Availability of Internet Connectivity - - - - - - - - - - - 88 
  566 Forms of Internet Connectivity - - - - - - - - - - - - - 89 
  567 Internet Service Providers (ISP) - - - - - - - - - - - - 89 
  568 Mode of Connectivity Deployed - - - - - - - - - - - - 90 
57  Annual Turnover and Quality of Installed Systems - - - - - - - - - 91
58  Website Availability and Date of ICT Introduction - - - - - - - - - 94 
59  Implications of Findings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 94 
510  Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 95 
 
Chapter Six: Task Technology Fit in the Deployment of Design Technologies in 
Architectural Firms 

61  Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 97 
62  Task Significance in Architectural Firms - - - - - - - - - - - 97 
63   Task Technology Fit Model - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 99 
64  Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of TTF Constructs for Design Technologies - 100 
641  AutoCAD Deployment EFA - - - - - - - - - - - - 101 
642  ArchiCAD Deployment EFA - - - - - - - - - - - - 102 
643  Revit Architecture Deployment EFA - - - - - - - - - - 103 
644  SketchUP Deployment EFA - - - - - - - - - - - - 104 
65  Task-AutoCAD (TTF) Model - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 105 
  651  Hypothesis Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 108 
66  ArchiCAD TTF Models - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 111 
  661  Hypothesis Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 111 
67  Revit (Architecture) TTF Models - - - - - - - - - - - - - 112
  671  Hypothesis Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 113 
68   SketchUp TTF Model - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 114 
  681  Hypothesis Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 116 
69  Implications of Findings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 116 

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