An Examination of the Causes of Low Patronage of Academically Trained Construction Managers in Anambra State

The construction manager is a key player in the construction process, as his services involve the planning, coordination, and control of all aspects of a construction project. The majority of clients have been observed to engage non-academically trained construction site managers to handle their construction projects and this is of concern. This study examines the causes of low patronage of academically trained construction managers with a view to recommending measures that encourage high patronage of Academically Trained Construction Managers. The study examines objectives such as: identifying the services of the Academically Trained Construction Manager, evaluating the level of patronage of academically trained construction Managers, examining the causes of low patronage of academically trained construction managers, and recommending measures to encourage high patronage of Academically Trained Construction Managers. The study adopts descriptive survey design by distributing 94 questionnaires to relevant building site owners, construction managers, academically trained, technically trained construction managers, construction operatives and other stakeholders. The findings show that the absence of relevant government policies (4.48), lack of recognition and acceptance (4.29), lack of awareness and limited information on benefits of patronage (4.21) and corruption (4.19) are the major causes of low patronage of academically trained construction managers, while the high cost of high hiring academically trained construction managers (3.10) is the least influential on the causes of low patronage of academically trained construction managers. The study recommends that offering competitive salary and benefits, increasing awareness campaign, and providing opportunities for networking and development will create activities to expose to the public the presence and importance of patronizing academically trained construction managers.