IMPACT OF FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM ON PROJECT TEAM MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This study is on impact of feedback control system on project team management. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected construction companies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up human resource managers, site managers, builders and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Feedback, applied to interpersonal communication, carries with it the idea of evaluation or judgment of performance. Communicating information about requirements, expectations, scope, costs, schedules, and technical data is a vital element in achieving quality in construction projects. Feedback is an effective management tool because it serves an informational function that enhances an individual’s work performance and is an important process affecting productivity of construction organisations. Construction projects everywhere are prone to problems of communication and a great deal of effort has gone into ways of improving communication. Schermerhorn (1996) defines communication as an interpersonal process of sending and receiving symbols with meanings attached to them. Communicating information such as requirements, expectation, scope, cost, schedule, and technical data is a vital element in producing quality in construction projects. The process of communication involves an interchange of thoughts, information, knowledge, or opinions. Transmitting information to an individual is only part of the total process. Communication has not taken place unless the person receiving the information is in a position to understand what the information means and then to respond to it. The response constitutes feedback and is an essential part of the total communication process. Schermerhorn (2006) described feedback as the process of telling someone else how you feel about something that person did or said. A manager should make sure that any feedback is understandable, acceptable and plausible, all from the recipient’s point of view. Feedback typically consists of information provided to an individual concerning the outcomes of their performance. It provides information about the correctness, accuracy, and adequacy of work behaviours. Feedback control systems of various kinds at various levels operate continuously throughout the life of a project. Harris and McCaffer (2009) observed that the construction industry is unlike many manufacturing situations because it is concerned mostly with one-off projects. This naturally creates difficulties for effective management control, because each new contract often has a fresh management team; labour is transient and recruited on an ad hoc basis. In addition, sites are dispersed throughout the country and this tends to cause problems in effective communication with other parts of the company, subcontractors and ‘lump’ labour are common. Added to all these are ever-changing weather conditions. The problems encountered in the provision of feedback are related to conflicting interests, and poor communication. Guervara and Boyer (2001) analysed the communication problems known as overload, gate keeping and distortion within construction. They observed that when overload exists, there is not enough feedback, face-to-face communication modality, or interaction between employees. When gate keeping occurs, there is not enough feedback or employees are not satisfied with the communication, or both. When distortion exists there is inadequate feedback, or insufficient interaction and under-load.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Communicating information about requirements, expectations, scope, costs, schedules, and technical data is a vital element in achieving quality in construction projects. The problems encountered in the provision of feedback are related to conflicting interests, and poor communication. A manager should make sure that any feedback is understandable, acceptable and plausible, all from the recipient’s point of view. On this background the researcher wants to investigate impact of feedback control system on project team management.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1. To ascertain the impact of feedback control system on project team management
2. To ascertain the relationship between feedback and project team management
3. To examine the role of effective communication on team management
4. To examine the relationship between team communication and effective productivity
   • RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀:   there is no impact of feedback control system on project team management

H₁: there is impact of feedback control system on project team management

H₀₂: there is no relationship between feedback and project team management

H₂: there is a relationship between feedback and project team management

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

To aid the completion of the study, the following research questions were formulated;

1. Is there any significant relationship between feedback and project team management?
2. Does feedback control system has any impact on project team management?
   • SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will give a clear insight on impact of feedback control system on project team management. The study will be beneficial to students, Construction Company and the general public. The study will also serve as a reference to other researchers that will embark on this topic

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers impact of feedback control system on project team management. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities

• DEFINITION OF TERMS

FEEDBACK: Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to feed back into itself

CONTROL: The power to influence or direct people’s behaviour or the course of events

PROJECT: an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim.

MANAGEMENT: Management includes the activities of setting the strategy of an organization and coordinating the efforts of its employees (or of volunteers) to accomplish its objectives through the application of available resources, such as financial, natural, technological, and human resources.

TEAM MANAGEMENT: Team management is the ability of an individual or an organization to administer and coordinate a group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves teamwork, communication, objective setting and performance appraisals.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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