A. Le, N. Domingo, Casimir MacGregor, R. Potangaroa
{"title":"Conceptualising a Framework for Construction Sector Capacity","authors":"A. Le, N. Domingo, Casimir MacGregor, R. Potangaroa","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i4.8180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i4.8180","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding construction sector capacity allows stakeholders to assess the ability to deliver construction projects critically. However, the capacity concept in the construction sector is dynamic, and interrelationships of capacity at different levels have not been explored thoroughly. Accordingly, this paper reviewed studies on capacity at different levels: sector, organisational, and individual to (1) identify attributes of capacity at each level; (2) map relationships of the capacities in the construction sector; and (3) develop a conceptual framework of project capacity in the construction sector and propose future research directions. This study used an integrative literature review approach to synthesise literature from various domains to describe different levels of the construction sector’s capacity. The findings of the literature review conceptualised a construction sector capacity framework at four levels: sector, organisational, individual, and project. The detailed descriptions of the relevant attributes at each level advance our understanding of capacity within the construction sector and are fundamental to developing capacity assessment tools for the construction sector. The relationships formed in the proposed framework help explain how the capacity at each level affects the system. Findings also serve to identify areas for future research, including investigating interrelationships of attributes in the capacity framework.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87288316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Infrastructure Financing for Climate Change Adaptation in Australia: Practitioners’ Perspectives","authors":"A. Gajanayake, U. Iyer-Raniga","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i4.8184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i4.8184","url":null,"abstract":"With increased climate-related risks and natural disasters, impacts on infrastructure assets are intensifying. As the need for adaptation actions increase, how finance is used to enable adaptation plays a vital role in the resilience of infrastructure. This research aims to understand how infrastructure adaptation measures are carried out, focusing on how financing is used to aid such efforts. Exploratory interviews with infrastructure and finance practitioners from a broad range of organisations were conducted to understand the dynamics of how infrastructure adaptation occurs. The findings reveal that infrastructure agencies conduct adaptation activities to maintain the serviceability of assets under climate change risks, with most climate financing targeting mitigation rather than adaptation. Most actions are taken at individual asset or agency level with little collaboration across agencies and sectors. The results illustrate a need for a more holistic, systems-level approach to adaptation across the infrastructure sector in Australia.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"294 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79554864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asadullah Khan, M. Ali Khan, S. Sorooshian, Mehfooz Ullah, Faisal Rana
{"title":"The Mediating Role of Benefit Management for Sustaining the Performance of Infrastructure Projects","authors":"Asadullah Khan, M. Ali Khan, S. Sorooshian, Mehfooz Ullah, Faisal Rana","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8157","url":null,"abstract":"Benefit management is a valuable approach, promoted and supported by strategic management for maximizing organizational benefits. It has also been recognized as a means of improving project performance, though more research is needed to understand how it works. This research adds to the contemporary literature on public sector project management by studying the links between project governance, benefit management, and project performance from a developing country perspective. This study provides insights for project professionals who are working in government organizations for optimizing the benefits of investment. The study provides a reference to formulate strategies for managing and governing the performance of government-funded projects in developing countries like Pakistan. The research uses a positivist approach and quantitative design. The quantitative technique is employed to address all the aspects of the study. The structural equation modeling revealed that benefit management acted as a mediating factor in the relationship between project governance dimensions and public sector project performance. This study highlights the importance of incorporating a comprehensive benefit management approach to streamline the benefit management process by aligning projects with the organizational strategy for sustaining project performance. These findings stress the need for a comprehensive benefit management approach in improving the project performance of government-sponsored projects. The study attempts to improve the understanding of project professionals about the role and significance of benefit management, which will be helpful to get organizational support for the employees who are striving to improve the project performance in Pakistan.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76260281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elijah Frimpong Boadu, R. Sunindijo, C. Wang, Samuel Frimpong
{"title":"Health and Safety Integration into the Procurement Stages of Public Construction Projects in Developing Countries: A Case of Ghana","authors":"Elijah Frimpong Boadu, R. Sunindijo, C. Wang, Samuel Frimpong","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8136","url":null,"abstract":"The potential to promote health and safety (H&S) through public procurement has resulted in increased expectation for public sector clients to integrate H&S matters into their procurement decisions and practices. Developing countries are however far behind in this endeavour. Using qualitative research, therefore, this study explored how public clients integrate H&S into the procurement of public works. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 contractors and public sector clients who have vast experience in the procurement of public works. The data was analysed using both inductive and deductive thematic analyses. The findings show that the extent of H&S integration into the procurement process depended on the funding source(s) for public projects. H&S matters are generally overlooked in the various procurement stages for public projects funded by the government, while in those funded by international development agencies, H&S matters are prioritized, and therefore, given considerable attention. The research contributes to construction H&S improvement research in developing countries by giving insight into the extent of H&S integration into public procurement. It also contributes to the understanding of the influence of funding sources on the extent to which H&S matters are integrated into public procurement in developing countries.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"54 6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80046046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taofeeq D. MOSHOOD, Funmilayo Ebun Rotimi, James O.B. Rotimi
{"title":"An Integrated Paradigm for Managing Efficient Knowledge Transfer: Towards a More Comprehensive Philosophy of Transferring Knowledge in the Construction Industry","authors":"Taofeeq D. MOSHOOD, Funmilayo Ebun Rotimi, James O.B. Rotimi","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8050","url":null,"abstract":"The efficient knowledge transfer among project group members can help those individuals do their jobs more successfully. However, there are challenges with effective and efficient knowledge transfer within the construction industry. Past research has assumed that all information can be articulated and codified, thus focusing on the transfer that generates the supply of knowledge. There seems not to be a comprehensive strategy for dealing with reverse, intra-firm information transfer that considers several elements and the interconnections between them. The current study developed a conceptual framework that comprehensively overviews knowledge transmission variables. A total of 128 papers from Scopus and Web of Science and publisher databases like Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar were evaluated between 1990 and 2021. The data were evaluated using ATLAS.ti 9 software tool. The study contributed significantly to the impression of knowledge transfer by the construction industry. It also suggests that organisations should inspire and increase the involvement and evaluation of knowledge dissemination. In addition, a set of factors for efficient information transfer was identified and described in detail. Effective communication strategies should include establishing regular and efficient communication, creating a community of practice with common goals, creating a sense of urgency and connection to the challenge, and continuously transferring information amongst organisation members.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78140418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Production Capability Creation (PCC) for Collaborative Construction Projects – A Qualitative Study From Finland","authors":"Petteri Annunen, H. Haapasalo","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8146","url":null,"abstract":"The construction industry has been suffering from modest productivity development in recent decades. To address the recognized problems, collaborative delivery methods are replacing traditional project delivery models, especially in large and complex projects.The aim of this research is to describe the production capability creation (PCC) process as a solution for planning the production phase. The PCC process should be implemented parallel to the design phase and owned by the production. A qualitative and inductive approach, based primarily on case company interviews, is applied to identify the twelve most important challenges for preplanning in the design phase from a group of different types of stakeholders in construction projects. Based on these challenges, the main areas of PCC are structured, solving the depicted production challenges, enabling a wasteless and cost-efficient production phase to avoid unnecessary delays and problems. Parallel implementation of PCC and design processes of the building naturally also improve the result of the design itself. With PCC, contractors can recognize the need for improvement in their processes but, more importantly, can directly contribute to the design of the building. Described PCC process solves major challenges emerging from the case company interviews. Earlier literature on capability creation is scarce, and for the construction industry it is even more narrow. The PCC process presented in this research enables significant improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, and the elimination of waste in the construction industry.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91027155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Mustaffa, C. M. Mat Isa, Damilola Ekundayo, Verona Ramas Joseph
{"title":"Barriers and Strategies for Improving Carbon Emissions Management Approaches in Malaysian Construction","authors":"N. Mustaffa, C. M. Mat Isa, Damilola Ekundayo, Verona Ramas Joseph","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.7909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.7909","url":null,"abstract":"A recent study has focused on environmental challenges due to the construction industry’s elevated energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A more effective low-carbon development implementation relies on proper emissions management throughout the construction industry. The purpose of this research is to investigate current industry practises in managing emissions in construction projects and the driving factors that influence the efficacy of emissions in construction operations. This study relied on information gathering from eighty-three respondents and thirteen expert interviews with stakeholders engaged in construction projects. Emissions management and monitoring are still underdeveloped, despite growing awareness and commitment to developing low-carbon growth. This study’s findings also highlighted that the primary constraints to the industry’s adaptation of emissions-reduction strategies exist at the institutional, organisational, and individual levels. This article proposed that government support, capacity building, and the development of emissions monitoring techniques and technologies are vital to minimizing emissions. This study contributed to the existing information on the current understanding and practices of the construction sector in Malaysia in adopting emissions management, the key obstacles, and recommendations for proper implementation. By addressing concerns regarding promoting low-carbon enhancement and adoptionin Malaysia, the findings of this research could assist stakeholders in the construction industry.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89900743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Farah Salwati Binti Ibrahim, M. Esa, Ernawati Mustafa Kamal
{"title":"Strategies to Minimise the Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry: A Case Study of Construction Site Clusters in Malaysia","authors":"Farah Salwati Binti Ibrahim, M. Esa, Ernawati Mustafa Kamal","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i3.8064","url":null,"abstract":"Malaysia has seen the third wave of infection since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with approximately 103 construction sites involving over 14,667 workers reported from April 2020 to February 2021. This has led to limited progress in construction projects or a complete halt, resulting in late project delivery. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the spread of COVID-19 and the strategies taken by the affected construction sites to mitigate the spread of the outbreak. The researchers adopted a case study approach with a multiple-case design and discusses the use of an in-depth interviewing method to collect rich data on the studied phenomenon. Data were collected from three construction sites. The sites were mixed development projects in nature and provided in-depth, rigorous, and robust information. Based on the results, two categories of factors influencing the spread of COVID-19 were established. These are primary and secondary factors, such as workers’ mobilisation, uncontrolled movement of workers, and the limited practice of social distancing. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the strategies adopted to control the effects of the pandemic were a combination of government enforcement and initiatives taken by construction companies. This paper concludes that an early identification of the causes of the spread will enable appropriate implementation strategies to control the outbreak. This study is an attempt to present the experiences of one developing country as an example of a means of dealing with unexpected pandemics or other intractable diseases that can affect project delivery.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78372099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Risks of Implementing Sustainable Construction Practices in the Nigerian Building Industry","authors":"P. Okoye, K. Okolie, I. Odesola","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i1.7420","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i1.7420","url":null,"abstract":"This study assessed the risks level associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices through a questionnaire survey distributed to 256 building professionals in Nigeria. It identified 47 risk factors with different likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts. A quantitative risk analysis result based on mean value method and risk prioritisation number showed that the three top-ranked risk factors with highest likelihood of occurrence were unavailability of sustainable materials and equipment, more complex and unfamiliar construction techniques and processes, and high initial sustainable construction costs; whereas the three top-ranked risk factors with highest magnitude of impacts were high initial sustainable construction costs, poor and inefficient communication among project participants, and high cost of sustainable materials and equipment. The criticality index result identified 23 critical risk factors which mostly related to knowledge and awareness, cost, regulatory framework, building materials and socioeconomic issues. However, the Wilcoxon Signed-rank test result indicated that there is significant difference (z = -3.207, p<0.001) between the likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts of the risks factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices in Nigeria of which the effect was moderate (r = 0.468). Furthermore, the study revealed that there is no significance difference in the risk level of the risk factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices based on the respondents’ roles (p>0.05). The study, therefore, recommended for training of construction practitioners in the multi-risk management approaches and increasing awareness through education on sustainable construction concept for building industry stakeholders. It further recommended for developing of new sustainable and affordable building materials through research institutes like Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) with appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks for successful sustainable building projects.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84881052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Student Learning Experiences in Higher Education: Investigating a Quantity Surveying Programme in Malaysia","authors":"J. B. Yap, Queennie Lip Tin Hew, M. Skitmore","doi":"10.5130/ajceb.v22i1.7835","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb.v22i1.7835","url":null,"abstract":"Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in fostering quality education. This paper examines the attributes that influence student learning experiences in a quantity surveying (QS) programme in a Malaysian private HEI and uncovers the underlying factors involved. The significance of these attributes as recognised by the students, obtained through a questionnaire survey, are subsequently presented. The findings reveal that the five most important attributes are closely related to the lecturer, namely the lecturer’s preparedness, responsiveness, interpersonal and communication skills, clarity and academic experiences. An exploratory factor analysis identifies the five major underlying factors to be the quality of academic learning to relate to professionalism and competency of lecturers, quality of academic services and support facilities, interpersonal connections and external considerations, curriculum structure and physical environment and facilities. Understanding these factors could help HEIs to devise effective strategies to enhance the quality of service and programme in higher education, which can result in a greater impact on the effectiveness of contemporary QS education and the reputation of the HEI as well as fostering student satisfaction and loyalty.","PeriodicalId":51729,"journal":{"name":"Construction Economics and Building","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75113680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}