The impact of quality assurance in construction in relation to ISO standards : a case study research in the construction industry in Malta

Abstract

Malta has recently experienced a significant boom in construction over the past few years. Although this is regarded as a growth factor of the local economy, the industry is often criticized for the use of poor workmanship, low productivity and failure to meet high quality standards. As projects are getting bigger and more complex, the need for a standardized certified quality system implemented across the board in Malta has become critical. This research study aims to examine the use and adoption of ISO standards globally as many construction companies worldwide set this system as a standard in their quality management system. The document ISO 9001:2015 outlines a set of requirements for a certified quality management system. Locally the integration of ISO Standards within contractors is still very limited. The research objective is aimed at identifying local gaps present in contractors implementing ISO standards within their companies locally. Using a qualitative approach towards research data collection, a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with key stakeholders through purposive sampling, within the construction industry, was used. A thematic approach to carry out data analysis was conducted using the NVIVO14 software data management tool and several critical factors hindering the implementation process were identified. As a result of this study, a set of strategies and suggestions to address the challenges in this sector are presented to guide industry leaders and policymakers to integrate the implementation of ISO Standards more effectively as part of a quality assurance management plan. In conclusion, the implementation of standards in Malta's construction sector offers a significant opportunity to improve the sector's efficacy and quality systems, thereby establishing a more robust foundation for the processing of Malta's building systems.