Factors of communication management for successful project delivery in the Swaziland construction industry

Abstract: Purpose of this paper: The study aims to identify the communication-management factors that influence project success; and it proposes a conceptual improvement model to enhance communication-management practice for successful project delivery in the Swaziland construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The study derived information that relates to the objectives of the study from different books, journals, theses, and published conference papers. Therefore, a historical-research approach was adopted to review the literature. Twenty-five articles were reviewed, spanning the period of 1998 to 2015. Thematic analysis was used to extract the themes, which were tabulated in a matrix. Findings: Eight communication-management factors were identified that were observed to influence project success; and a hypothetical communication management improvement model has also been proposed. The variables were: Technology and systems, communication skills or competence, communication plans, teamwork and partnering, organizational structure, stakeholders’ frame of references, project briefing and the context of an environment ..

A theoretical review of risk identification : perspective of construction industry

Abstract: Managing risks in construction projects has been acknowledged as an essential management process in order to accomplish the project objectives in terms of time, cost, quality, safety and environmental sustainability. However, up to now most studies have concentrated on some aspects of construction risk management rather than using a systematic and comprehensive approach to identifying risks and analyse the probability of occurrence and impacts of these risks. Risk management consists of identifying risks, assessing risks either quantitatively or qualitatively, selecting the appropriate method for handling risks, and then monitoring and documenting risks. By identifying risks in an early stage of planning and assessing their comparative significance, project managers can identify techniques employed to reduce risks and allocate the best people to mitigate them. Thus, this research focuses on risk identification, as opposed to other processes of risk management. This research is mainly a literature review and was conducted through accredited academic and Professional journals, books, the internet, theses, and dissertations. The reviewed literature revealed that the entire risk management process is not only limited to solving problem in advance but also for the occurrence of any unexpected future problems. The study further shown that issues with possible threats envisaged in a project are not only a means to reduce losses within the project, but also a means to transfer risks into opportunities, which can lead to economic profitability, environmental and other advantages. This paper is of value to managers and decision makers involved in managing risks where it is intended to boost their knowledge regarding the importance of risk identification as a crucial stage of the process to managing risks

Relationship between nutrition and construction safety performance : experimental work

Abstract: It is known that nutrition is linked with worker health and safety (H&S) performance. However, this relationship has not been evaluated empirically. The present paper evaluates the relationship between nutrition and safety performance on construction sites. Empirical data were collected through a field questionnaire survey conducted on site construction workers in South Africa. Principal components analysis and Spearman’s correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that increased consumption of certain foods termed “alternatives” in the current study, including dairy products, eggs, nuts, fish and cereals, was associated with improved safety performance. No significant correlation was found between nutritional choice and negative performance measures. By providing evidence of which foods may be correlated with safety performance of construction workers on construction sites, the design of explicit nutrition interventions for construction workers, particularly including planning for these significant foods, will be allowed. The study will also result in nutrition being given more attention in H&S considerations on construction sites

Evaluating the use of risk-identification techniques in the South African construction industry

Abstract: Purpose of this paper: This paper seeks to investigate the current use of risk-identification techniques in the South African construction industry. Methodology: An extensive literature search was conducted to collect the secondary data; and these were supplemented by primary data via a questionnaire survey. These were then distributed to contractors, who were conveniently sampled in Gauteng (South Africa). The data were analysed by using the Mean-Item Score (MIS). Findings: A total of twelve risk-identification techniques were identified, of which checklist, flowchart and brainstorming were rated as the most used risk-identification techniques in construction projects in Gauteng. Research limitations: This research was conducted only with considered contractors in the Gauteng province. Further research could include an increased target population more representative of the South African construction industry. Practical implications: Practitioners and researchers are likely to find the study useful; as it discusses the risk-identification techniques used in construction; and in particular, it seeks to report empirically on the techniques mostly applied in identifying risks in construction projects. Valuable information about current risk-identification techniques are provided..

Developing a framework of food choice determinants among construction workers in South Africa

Abstract: A plethora of factors are known to influence an individual’s food choice and overall nutrition, which in turn, influences their health and safety performance. However, it appears that little research has been conducted in South Africa, on the factors which influence the food choices and intake of construction workers in particular. The paper develops a framework of food choice determinants from literature review and tests the framework using principal components analysis of empirical data from a field questionnaire survey. Results evinced that food choices among South African construction workers aredeterminable by seven factors as opposed to six theorized factors. The study provides evidence which defines the factors that influence construction workers’ food choice. The study will be useful to construction managers and stakeholders in planning for nutrition improvement in the construction industry. Improving nutrition will contribute to improvement in health and safety performance on construction sites

Quantitative and qualitative approach of validating and identifying health and safety performance improvement indicators : experience of using Delphi technique

The literature on health and safety is bound with different elements and indicators of measuring health and safety performance. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the success and challenges of using quantitative and qualitative approach of Delphi technique in validating and identifying health and safety (H&S) performance indicators that small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) can use to measure and monitor their H&S performance improvement at project level. Furthermore, discuss the identification of experts in the field of H&S, ways of improving consensus analysis and minimizing experts’ non-response. This study is based on practical experience of the researchers pertaining to the Delphi technique method which is a constructivist or interpretive approach to knowledge. The study started with an extensive literature review to identify core elements and leading indicators characterizing H&S culture to develop a Delphi questionnaire that was used in the first round of Delphi. A four round Delphi technique was conducted to attain consensus of the identified H&S indicators. The experts were identified from published articles of H&S, practitioners’ website of H&S and word of mouth. The use of email was used as a mode of communication. This study set to warn but also encourage the use of Delphi technique as a method to unearth information in areas where consensus has not been reached such as H&S performance measurement indicators for construction SMEs in South Africa

Perception of the effects of substance abuse among university students : a case of built environment and civil engineering students at a South African university in Gauteng Province

Background: Substance abuse among youths is a worldwide epidemic that impacts negatively on the health sector as well as the family and society. Early student life at the university is a time of tremendous high motivation to conform to the behaviours, values and attitudes that are valued by the student culture. However, students observe their peers’ behaviour and alter their own behaviour with their peers’ norms and expectations. Some of the perceived peer norms can however lead to substance abuse, which has led students’ not to complete their education. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine students’ perception on the effects of substance abuse on their physical, cognitive and affective development. Methods: The research philosophy adopted was positivism and the approach was deductive. Hence, a self-administered questionnaire containing items developed from literature review was administered to 199 built environment and civil engineering students at a South African university. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The reliability for internal consistency of the measured constructs i.e. physical, cognitive and affective was determined using Cronbach’s alpha test. Independent sample t-test was used to test the hypotheses on the perception of students who had experiment on drugs and those who have not experimented on drugs on the physical, cognitive and affective development of students. Results: Slightly over 40 percent of students in this university are not aware of the substance abuse policy in the university. There was no statistical significant difference on the perception of the effect of students who have experimented on drugs and those who have not experimented on drugs on their physical and affective development. However, there was a significant difference on the effect on cognitive development. Conclusions: The students at this university should be made aware of the substance abuse policy. Furthermore those who experimented on substances e.g. drugs indicated less perception on their effects on their cognitive development

New knowledge workers perspective in participating in mentoring programme in South African construction industry

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Proceedings of the International Conference on infrastructure development and investment strategies for Africa : DII-2015 : 16-18 September 2015, Livingstone, Zambia

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Evaluating project management techniques in SMEs' delivering infrastructure : a research project

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