Modern Construction Economics

Gerard de Valence (ed), Routledge, London, 232 pp. Hardcover, ISBN978-0-415-39706-3, USD 115.00 GDP 70.0

e-Tendering readiness in construction: the posterior model

Purpose: To verified a conceptual model for e-Tendering readiness in any construction organisation prior to implementation. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the conceptual model called e-Tendering readiness model (e-TRM), this paper empirically examines the e-TRM’s interactions and causal relationships between e-Tendering constructs and e-Tendering readiness. Structural equation modelling is used to test the hypothesised positive inter-relationships. A questionnaire survey is conducted of construction organisations in Saudi Arabia to understand their current e-Tendering readiness and importance of e-Tendering variables. Findings: Supported by empirical evidence, the paper recognises that three out of nine constructs have a direct influence on e-Tendering readiness. One of the constructs is hypothesised for the first time and turns out to have the most effect when tested. Research limitations/implications: The empirical test for the e-TRM is restricted to Saudi Arabia which, though not atypical of most countries’ e-tendering around the world, needs to be further tested in other areas for additional verification. Practical implications: To update previous IT/IS models in construction by adding this tested model to the research literature on traditional and electronic tendering and the body of knowledge in the construction industry. Originality/value: The Service Providers construct is proposed and tested for the first time, which is necessary to support the successful e-Tendering implementation

Determinants of contractor satisfaction

Performance in the construction industry is increasingly scrutinized as a result of the delays, cost overruns and poor quality of the industry’s products and services. Increasingly, disputes, conflicts and mismatches of objectives among participants are contributory factors. Performance measurement approaches have been developed to overcome these problems. However, these approaches focus primarily on objective measures to the exclusion of subjective measures, particularly those concerning contractor satisfaction (Co-S). The contractor satisfaction model (CoSMo) developed here is intended to rectify the situation. Data derived from a questionnaire survey of 75 large contractors in Malaysia in respect of a key project are analysed to identify participant factors and their strength of relationship with Co-S dimensions. The results are presented in the form of eight regression equations. The outcome is a tool for use by project participants to provide a better understanding of how they, and the project, affect contractor satisfaction. The developed model sheds some light on a hitherto unknown aspect of construction management in providing an increased awareness of the importance of major Malaysian construction contractors’ needs in the execution of successful projects

Deception has no acute or residual effect on cycling time trial performance but negatively effects perceptual responses.

Feedback deception is used to explore the importance of expectations on pacing strategy and performance in self-paced exercise. The deception of feedback from a previous performance explores the importance of experience knowledge on exercise behaviour. This study aimed to explore the acute and residual effects of the deception of previous performance speed on perceptual responses and performance in cycling time trials.A parallel-group design.Twenty cyclists were assigned to a control or deception group and performed 16.1km time trials. Following a ride-alone baseline time trial (FBL), participants performed against a virtual avatar representing their FBL performance (PACER), then completed a subsequent ride-alone time trial (SUB). The avatar in the deception group, however, was unknowingly set 2% faster than their FBL.Both groups performed faster in PACER than FBL and SUB (p<0.05), but SUB was not significantly different to FBL. Affect was more negative and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were higher in PACER than FBL in the deception group (p<0.05).The presence of a visual pacer acutely facilitated time trial performance, but deceptive feedback had no additional effect on performance. The deception group, however, experienced more negative affect and higher RPE in PACER, whereas these responses were absent in the control group. The performance improvement was not sustained in SUB, suggesting no residual performance effects occurred

Distance-dependent association of affect with pacing strategy in cycling time trials.

The psychological construct of affect is proposed to significantly contribute to pacing decisions during exercise. Borg’s RPE scale, another important regulator of work rate, is criticized as an inadequate measure of the multiple perceptual responses experienced. This study aimed to examine power output distribution and associated changes in affect, self-efficacy, perceptual cues, HR, and respiratory gases during both 16.1- and 40-km self-paced cycling time trials (TT). Secondly, the differentiation between physical perceptions of exertion and sense of effort in self-paced exercise was investigated. Method: Fifteen trained male cyclists completed 16.1- and 40-km TT using a CompuTrainer cycle ergometer. Time, power output distribution, affect, self-efficacy, physical RPE (P-RPE), task effort and awareness (TEA), HR, and respiratory gases were measured throughout each TT. Linear mixed models explored associations of these variables with power output distribution and the relationship between P-RPE and TEA. Results: Similar pacing strategies were adopted in the 16.1- and 40-km TT (P = 0.31), and the main effects were found for affect (P = 0.001) and RER (P G 0.001). Interactions between affect (P = 0.037) and RER (P = 0.004), with condition, indicated closer associations with power output distribution in 16.1 km than that in 40 km TT. P-RPE was not significantly different from TEA (P = 0.053). Conclusion: A significant association between affect and power output distribution suggests that affective responses are task dependent even in self-paced exercise, and a greater association is demonstrated in higher intensity, 16.1 km TT. Furthermore, physical perceptions of exertion are not clearly differentiated from the sense of effort in self-paced exercise

Caledonian foreland basin sedimentation : A new depositional model for the Upper Silurian-Lower Devonian Lower Old Red Sandstone of the Midland Valley Basin, Scotland

Open Access via Wiley publishing agreement. We thank Stuart Archer, Brian Hampton and the anonymous reviewer for their thoughtful and constructive reviews of this manuscript, which has benefited greatly from their attention. We also thank the Associate Editors at Basin Research for their time, advice and suggestions during the submission process. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Astropy Problem

The Astropy Project (http://astropy.org) is, in its own words, "a community effort to develop a single core package for Astronomy in Python and foster interoperability between Python astronomy packages." For five years this project has been managed, written, and operated as a grassroots, self-organized, almost entirely volunteer effort while the software is used by the majority of the astronomical community. Despite this, the project has always been and remains to this day effectively unfunded. Further, contributors receive little or no formal recognition for creating and supporting what is now critical software. This paper explores the problem in detail, outlines possible solutions to correct this, and presents a few suggestions on how to address the sustainability of general purpose astronomical software