Abstract:

Students’ post-intervention perceptions of an event provide insight relative to their understanding and appreciation of the intervention, as well as the impact thereof. Experience and anecdotal evidence indicate that first-year students experience challenges in terms of adapting to the construction management course environment in a South African university where the study was conducted.

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of a one-day orientation six-activity team building event directed at enhancing first-year students’ ability to manage themselves, work as a team, interface with each other, strategise, plan, evolve tactics, and take action that would lead to their team winning the ‘amazing race’ style event. A thirteen-question questionnaire was used to determine the students’ perceptions. Twelve questions were close-ended, and one was open-ended. All close-ended questions were Likert scale type questions. Eleven students attended the event and completed the self-administered questionnaire survey.

Findings include that the team building activities contributed to enhancing participants’ ability to communicate with first-year colleagues; built confidence in their abilities including that of completing a task, and enhanced participants’ alternative thought processes, ability to be creative, strategise, evolve tactics, take action, and plan. The students benefited from, enjoyed the team building activities and believed it contributed to improving their time management skills.

Based upon the findings, conclusions are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event had the desired impact in terms of the development of the first-year students’ abilities.

Recommendations are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event should be staged on an annual basis, and a study on the impact of the intervention on student performance should be undertaken following the completion of a full academic year and again post-graduation.

Keywords:

Construction Management, Event, Orientation, Students, Team-building.