Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering, Science, and Urban Sustainability (ICESUS 2025)

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Barriers to Effective Communication at Construction Sites in Ghana

Authors
Justice Agbevade1, *, Frederick Simpeh2, Nongiba Alkanam Kheni2
1Department of Building Technology, Accra Technical University, Accra, Ghana
2Department of Construction Technology and Management Education, Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana
*Corresponding author. Email: jagbevade@atu.edu.gh
Corresponding Author
Justice Agbevade
Available Online 31 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_11How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Barriers; Construction projects; Drivers; Effectiveness of communication
Abstract

Challenges often arise on construction project sites in connection with communication related to site activities. Despite the wide recognition of the importance of communication within the construction industry, organizational and personal factors invariably render site communication ineffective. This study examined barriers to effective communication at construction project sites in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Survey questionnaires were administered to 167 project team members across 16 construction sites undertaken by purposely selected D1K1 construction firms in the Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Areas. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The study identified poor listening skills (M = 4.2) and unclear communication objectives (M = 3.8) as the most significant barriers. Ambiguous communication channels (M = 3.8) and limited communication resources (M = 3.7) also emerged as substantial obstacles. However, poor leadership, unclear organizational structures, ineffective reporting systems, and interpersonal conflicts were not perceived as major barriers. It is recommended that construction project management outline clear communication channels, strategies, and objectives for project teams. This study underscores the need for improved communication management in Ghana’s construction sector.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering, Science, and Urban Sustainability (ICESUS 2025)
Series
Advances in Engineering Research
Publication Date
31 December 2025
ISBN
978-94-6463-970-4
ISSN
2352-5401
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_11How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Justice Agbevade
AU  - Frederick Simpeh
AU  - Nongiba Alkanam Kheni
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
TI  - Barriers to Effective Communication at Construction Sites in Ghana
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering, Science, and Urban Sustainability (ICESUS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 149
EP  - 160
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_11
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-970-4_11
ID  - Agbevade2025
ER  -