Building stability in times of crisis: Analysing the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry in New Zealand
Author: Ellie Graham
Supervisors: Lesley Gill Lamith Caldera
30 June 2023
Graham, E. L. (2023). Building stability in times of crisis: Analysing the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry in New Zealand. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Management). Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.6130
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has had extreme impacts on various industries globally, and the construction industry in New Zealand was not exempt to Covid-19s impacts. These impacts were felt in multiple ways, which in turn lead to delays to projects, significant rises to materials and labour costs and the inability to resource some materials. In response to this, this study set out to carry out an extensive examination into the impact of the pandemic on the construction industry in New Zealand. This was done employing a mixed research method using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Using a mixed-method approach facilitated the collection, analysis and reporting of relevant findings, providing a thorough insight into the pandemics impact on the industry.
This study researched into the large number of impacts and challenges that the industry encountered as a result of the pandemic. It uncovered impacts and weak points within the industry comprising of mental health issues, financial issues and labour shortages. These factors were researched and actionable recommendations were able to be provided based on findings.
Furthermore, this research hopes to stand as a guide for industry stakeholders and construction managers, backed up with knowledge drawn from a thorough examination of existing literature, surveys and interviews with industry professionals, and finally drawn all together with data analysis of financial reports of multiple construction companies.
Finally, this research doesn’t only document the impacts on the construction industry brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provides recommendations for resilience and recovery, derived from evidence and data found in results from surveys, interviews and data analysis. This research aimed to build stability in times of crisis for the construction industry in New Zealand.
Keywords
construction, costs, Covid-19
Licence
A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
