Assessing the Role of Organizational Features in Maintenance Management of Buildings in Higher Education Institutions

This paper presents the results of a study conducted on the importance of organizational features in the maintenance management (MM) of HEI buildings in South Africa. The study was undertaken with the aim of improving the MM of buildings used by HEIs in South Africa. The study adopted a post-positivism philosophical perspective which informed the use of a quantitative research approach using a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted amongst the users of academic buildings and the head of maintenance departments in six HEIs in Gauteng, South Africa. Data gathered were analysed using mean item score, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and confirmatory factor analysis. The study’s result shows that for HEIs to maintain their buildings effectively, they should prioritise asset management capability, maintenance action plans, and adequate resources. This study offers a theoretical contribution to the existing discourse on the maintenance of educational buildings by exploring the organizational features – an aspect that has gained little attention in HEIs building maintenance studies.