Leadership approach to quantity surveying.
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Date
2017
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Abstract
Professional Quantity Surveyors (QSs) play a leading role in the built environment by
managing cost on projects such that the client achieves best value for money. The QS has had
a long history where they emerged in England and later established in South Africa and have
been renowned for their good work. However as time passed QSs have not met deadlines,
and if they did, the quality of work has been substandard. This has brought the reputation of
professional QSs into question. Further to diminished reputation the South African economy
has been in a decline with the weakening of the rand and the QS profession needs higher
profits and growth for organizational success, however this cannot be achieved
singlehandedly. The key decision that companies need to make is the adoption of the correct
leadership approach which subordinates believe in. This would inspire subordinates to align
their personal objectives with that of the organization. This study is aimed at examining
leadership and more specifically the two different leadership approaches in quantity
surveying: transformational approach compared to a laissez-faire approach. It follows a brief
look at the various leadership approaches and then an in-depth examination of the two
approaches based on the quantity surveying profession. The research design was quantitative
in nature and used Google Forms surveys which was distributed by email to 300 QS
professionals in KwaZulu-Natal, with the aid of the South African Council for the Quantity
Surveying Profession (SACQSP). The response rate was 65% which was deemed fair to
proceed with analysis of the data. A key finding was that the transformational leadership
approach strengths in terms of project stages outweighed the laissez-faire approach and that
there is a need for QS leaders to adopt this approach moving forward.
Keywords: Leadership, transformational, laissez-faire, quantity surveyor.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.