Effect of Supervision on the Performance of Building Construction Craftsmen in Ikorodu Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria
1 *Adeyinka, A.A., 2Ijigah Edoka., and 3Okuntade, F.T.
1,2,3,Department of Building Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
DOI: 10.36108/laujoces/6202.71.0110
Abstract
The construction industry in Lagos State, Nigeria, continues to grapple with persistent challenges including project delays, cost overruns, poor workmanship, and building collapses, many of which have been associated with inadequate site supervision, alongside low craftsmen performance. This study examined the effect of supervision on the performance of building construction craftsmen in Ikorodu Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos State, Nigeria. A quantitative survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 270 construction craftsmen (120 masons, 80 carpenters, and 70 steel fabricators) randomly selected from 20 active building sites in Ikorodu LGA. The questionnaire measured supervision practices across four dimensions (i.e. technical supervision, communication and feedback, autonomy and support, and monitoring and control) and craftsmen performance across five dimensions (i.e. output rate, quality of workmanship, rework frequency, safety compliance, and efficiency). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that craftsmen performance was moderate overall (M = 3.78, standard deviation [SD] = 0.31), with only 31.1% achieving high performance levels. Supervision practices were also moderate (M = 3.44, SD = 0.23), characterised by high monitoring and control (M = 3.86) but low autonomy and support (M = 2.72). Contrary to expectations, no statistically significant correlations were found between supervision variables and performance (p > 0.05), with regression models explaining less than 2% of performance variance. However, responses to open-ended items revealed a significant perception-practice gap, with craftsmen strongly valuing supervision (M = 4.12) while reporting deficiencies in current practices. The study concludes that the supervision-performance relationship in the Ikorodu LGA construction context is complex and may be moderated by contextual factors including informal labour practices, economic pressures, and measurement limitations. Recommendations include supervisor training programmes, presence protocols, feedback systems, fairness mechanisms, and optimised supervision ratios.
Keywords: supervision, craftsmen performance, construction supervision, participatory supervision, Ikorodu LGA