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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