Ghanaian PhD candidate makes history with groundbreaking research publication

Fawan Issah Iddi, a PhD candidate at Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, has become the first Ghanaian in the university’s history to publish in the International Journal of Construction Management (IJCM), a prestigious Q1 journal renowned for its high impact in the field.

Sharing the milestone on Facebook, Fawan wrote:

I am pleased to share my little achievement as the first Ghanaian PhD candidate to publish in IJCM, a Q1 journal (high impact and top journal in construction management) in the history of Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. Big gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. S. P. Sreenivas Padala.

Examining Sustainability in Ghana’s Construction Sector

Fawan’s paper, titled “Examining Factors Affecting Sustainable Performance of Building Construction Projects in Ghana Using Structural Equation Modelling”, explores critical issues affecting sustainability in the construction industry.

The study highlights the increasing criticism of the construction sector for its harmful environmental effects and the limited adoption of sustainability concepts in Ghana’s building projects. Most projects in the country primarily focus on reducing environmental impacts, often neglecting social and economic sustainability.

Key Findings

The research, which adopts a life cycle perspective, evaluates the environmental, economic, and social impacts of building construction projects. To achieve this, the study:

Reviewed extensive literature to identify relevant indicators.

Conducted surveys using shared questionnaires, collecting 420 valid responses from experts.

Employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse relationships between the indicators.

The findings revealed that environmental impact is the most critical factor when considering sustainable performance in Ghana’s construction sector, followed by social and economic impacts. The operation phase of buildings showed the strongest influence on sustainability, while the demolition phase had the weakest, although all phases were found to have statistically significant relationships with sustainability.

Study Transparency

The paper asserts that there were no conflicts of interest among the authors. Additionally, the data supporting the study’s findings are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author, Fawan Issah Iddi.

A Historic Milestone

Fawan’s achievement not only marks a personal triumph but also sets a precedent for other Ghanaian researchers aspiring to make their mark in the global academic community. His work adds valuable insights to the discourse on sustainability in construction, particularly within the Ghanaian context.

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