Examining the Causative Characteristics of Artisans Shortage in Ghana’s Construction Industry

This paper unravelled the causative factors contributing to artisan shortages and their effect on construction project delivery in Ghana. The study adopted a quantitative research approach with a non-probability sampling method due to the fragmented nature of construction sites, comprising 250 respondents. Data collected was analyzed using mean and variance with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). In order of importance, health and safety, training and capacity, social welfare, and technological factors were the most influential factors contributing to the shortage of Artisans. Deficiency in the supply and availability of artisans, mainly results in an increase in construction cost due to reworks, waste generation, poor quality of construction, project delays, increased construction errors due to inexperience, and increased workload. These effects may adversely affect the general construction project performance. The five main causative factors and thirty-eight sub-factors of artisan shortage were identified as; General Causative Factors, Health and Safety, Training and Educational, Technological and Social welfare. Nine effects of artisan shortage were identified. The lack of artisans in Ghana Construction has severe implications for the construction business and the economy. Swift attention is imperative to redeem the industry and economy. A sustainable scheme should be developed and adopted to retain and attract skilled artisans in the construction industry in Ghana. There must also be an improvement of the working conditions of Construction workers to make the construction labour market attractive. Identifying causative characteristics and their effects is fundamental for developing a sustainable scheme to improve artisan welfare.