Author(s): Enid Mneney, Chandeline Jordaan, Matseliso Mphutlane, Kenny Alade, Lindelani Matshidze, Abimbola Windapo
The construction industry is one of the major contributors to the country Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the South African industry has been faced with several challenges among them, the decrease in expenditure and investment from private and public clients. This caused a decrease on construction industry contribution to the South Africa’s GDP, while a notable increase in liquidation and insolvency of construction companies. With recent high levels of Construction Company failures, this study focusses on the shortfalls in the construction companies that lead to these failures. This research evaluates the entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and attitude that impact sustainable contractor development. A qualitative case study research approach was adopted, involving case studies of the CEO’s/leaders of three construction companies based in the Western Cape. Data was collected by means of personal interviews that reflected on the entrepreneurship attributes possessed by the CEO’S/leaders. For a broader analysis of the CEO’S/leaders, employees of the companies also completed self-administered research protocol questions. The research found that sustainable construction companies were managed by CEO/leaders that possess entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and attitude and that these entrepreneurial attributes possessed by the CEO’S/leaders impact the sustainable development of the construction companies. The study recommends that a larger sample size be used to test the preposition of the research and the study be done with a quantitative research approach. This research is limited to its population and cannot be generalized to the population of construction companies in South Africa.