Modelling Organisational Factors Influencing Sustainable Development Implementation Performance in Higher Education Institutions: An Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) Approach

open access articleGlobally, higher education institutions (HEIs) have continued to record varied sustainable development (SD) implementation performances. This variance has been attributed to the presence of certain organisational factors. Whereas previous studies have successfully identified the factors influencing the SD implementation performance in HEIs, few studies have attempted to explore the relationship between these factors and the influence of such a relationship on the management of SD implementation in HEIs. This is the objective of this study. Understandably, an understanding of such relationships will facilitate the development of appropriate frameworks for managing SD implementation in HEIs. Relying on a case study of a South African University of Technology (SAUoT), this study elicits data through a focus group discussion session. An interpretative structural modelling (ISM) focus group protocol indicating extant pair-wise relationships between identified organisational factor categories was extensively discussed. The emergent data was recorded, transcribed verbatim and subsequently analysed. The findings suggest that communication was critical to the prevalence of other factors, hence indicating its centrality to the effective management of SD implementation in HEIs. These findings will guide implementing agents in HEIs towards developing appropriate strategies for communicating SD implementation strategies

Stakeholders’ perception of critical success factors for sustainable facilities management practice in universities in sub-Saharan Africa

The development of an optimal sustainable facilities management (SFM) strategy for university-built assets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is desired. However, this requires an in-depth understanding of the perspectives of different stakeholders on the probable success factors. The elicitation of such perspective is considered imperative, as it allows Facilities Managers to engage with effective SFM planning in a manner that caters to the interest of these stakeholder groups. This study seeks to identify and, subsequently, assess these success factors, according to stakeholders’ perspectives. A sequential mixed method research design is utilised wherein 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted initially, followed by a question-naire survey conducted with 113 respondents, in the second stage. Interviewees were purposively selected from a university of technology (UoT) in South Africa, whilst respondents were drawn from universities within SSA. Data from the first stage was analysed, using qualitative content analysis, and subsequently applied towards questionnaire development. The questionnaires appraised stakeholder perceptions of the criticality of success factors identified during the interviews. The Mean Item Score (MIS) was used to rank the responses. Results from the analysis indicate that ‘presence of a well-articulated FM plan for a specified interval’ and ‘adherence to the tenets of the SD agenda (supply chain)’ were selected as most critical of the success factors identified. It is expected that the study’s findings will contribute to the development of a viable SFM strategy in SSA universities

Mainstreaming Social Sustainability into Infrastructure Delivery Systems: Are There Any Benefits? A Stakeholders’ Perspective

Conference Proceeding

BARRIERS TO THE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT OF BUILT UNIVERSITY ASSETS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Published Conference ProceedingsThe commitment of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to Sustainable Development (SD) seems to be yielding limited positive results. This is evident in the procurement of infrastructure within HEIs situated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Besides being part of a wider study into Sustainable Procurement (SP) of infrastructure in SSA HEIs, this study reports on facilities directors’ perceptions of sustainable procurement in HEIs within SSA. A phenomenological research design was utilised. Forty-Three HEIs across two different countries in SSA- Nigeria and South Africa were selected based on purposive and convenience sampling. Facilities directors in these HEIs were interviewed through face-to-face and telephone interview sessions. Documents concerning the procurement of infrastructure were also reviewed. Emergent data from these sources were thematically analysed. Preliminary findings indicate that Business As Usual (BAU) mode of procurement has remained the norm in most of the HEIs in spite of their profess commitment to SD. Some barriers identified include: the seeming obsession of HEIs, acting as clients, with low front-end cost of project delivery; poor awareness of what SP entails; absence of skills required to champion the cause of SP within such HEIs, and non-specification of SD based requirements in the contracts documents. It is expected that this study would contribute to deepening existing knowledge concerning implementation of SD in HEIs in SSA

Promoting sustainable development implementation in higher education Universities in South Africa

Published ArticleThis study aims to review the zeal exhibited by universities in South Africa towards aligning institutional mandates of teaching, learning, research and community engagement to the sustainable development (SD) agenda. The implementation of the SD agenda across higher education institutions (HEIs) continues to draw attention from the wider society. This is because HEIs are increasingly being looked up to for leadership in this regard. However, although several studies are quick to identify various factors which have driven the adoption of sustainable practices in HEIs, the paucity of studies seeking to identify the drivers for SD implementation remains glaring. This is particularly so in developing countries like South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – To confirm the exploratory data from desktop study on public university engagement with sustainability in South Africa, a single case study was conducted in the Central University of Technology (CUT). The single case study design adopted semi-structured interviews and document reviews as data collection techniques. Purposive snowballing sampling technique was strictly adhered to in the selection of interviewees. Interviewees were selected on the basis of their roles in the implementation of the CUT’s sustainability agenda. Findings – Data emanating from these interviews were analysed thematically using qualitative content analysis. Although a plethora of drivers were identified, there appeared to be a consensus between most of the interviewees that the quest for cost reduction remained the most significant driver for the viable implementation of the sustainability agenda at CUT. Research limitations/implications – It is expected that findings from this study would provide a platform for the development of effective implementation strategies in South African HEIs. Also, the findings contribute to filing the extant gap observed concerning implementation and drivers for engendering SD implementation in HEIs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Practical implications – By highlighting the drivers for SD implementation, this study contributes to the development of a more receptive social ontology among various stakeholders in an HEI towards the agenda, particularly within the SSA context where there is low level of awareness and buy-in by these stakeholders. Originality/value – This study makes an original contribution to the research base of SD in HEIs and implementation

INTEGRATING SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: BENEFITS AND BARRIERS

ArticleThe concept of social sustainability often appears to be neglected in the construction industry’s quest to optimally mainstream sustainability. The paucity of studies on this concept, especially in the developing country context, is indicative of this neglect. Reasons adduced for this neglect include the inability of stakeholders to identify benefits associated with social sustainability and the opportunities available for its integration during project procurement and delivery. This observation makes this study, imperative. This phenomenological study set out to identify benefits associated with the integration of social sustainability into delivery of infrastructure projects from a client’s perspective. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a purposively selected sample of infrastructure clients. Subsequently, the data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that social sustainability integration in projects had the potential to bring about significant benefits, such as increased respect for people, sufficient buy-in by community, hence enabling successful project performance. Also, it was discovered that opportunities for such integration was available throughout the project delivery life-cycle. However, a low level of awareness pertaining to social sustainability in the South African construction industry was observed. It is expected that the study’s findings will contribute to engendering improved levels of awareness among infrastructure clients on the utility of such integration in their projects, especially within the South African construction industry context

Conversion of industrial wastes into marginal construction materials

The circular economy concept (CE) makes a salient contribution towards resource efficiency through product-life extension, redistribution/reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling as well as re-engineering of organizational processes. The construction industry is renowned for its influence on the attainment of society’s sustainable development (SD) aspirations. As such, there is a need for the industry to embrace CE principles. Yet, the uptake of these principles has not been widely reported in the context of developing economies where greenfield construction activities are burgeoning. This observation gives rise to this study. This article reports on the findings of an investigation into the utility of industrial wastes in the production of marginal construction material. To achieve this objective, a thorough geotechnical evaluation of a selection of readily available industrial wastes such as dolomitic waste (DW), silica fume (SF), and river sand (RS) deployed in different ratios according to the mass percentage of the fly ash (FA) waste to produce FA bricks was conducted. Findings suggest that the utilization of these industrial wastes in the production of FA bricks did not only portray some outstanding characteristics but also showed potential to make salient contributions to society’s sustainable aspirations

The role of contracting strategies in social value implementation

Published ArticleThere has been an increasing demand for social value (SV) implementation to assume a cardinal position in the infrastructure delivery efforts of infrastructure client organisations (ICOs). However, whereas successful implementation has been recorded in some projects, monumental failures have also been recorded in others. This variance in implementation performance is a cause for concern. The mode of governance applied in an infrastructure delivery endeavour has been identified as capable of influencing the implementation of SV. This observation makes imperative an investigation into the role of contracting strategies – an integral part of governance modes – adopted by ICOs on SV implementation performance. This is the aim of this study. Using a case study approach, three infrastructure projects which used different contracting strategies were selected from two different countries, the UK and Nigeria. Semistructured interviews were conducted with ICO representatives on these projects and subsequently analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings confirmed that the kind of contract adopted by ICOs influenced their ability to drive the successful implementation of desirable SV objectives through their supply chain. It is therefore recommended that ICOs ensure that the selected contracting strategies are capable of ensuring successful implementation of the desired objectives

TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFLUENCE OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON ORGANISATIONAL VIABILITY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Published ArticleViability connotes a system’s ability to become ultra-stable through effective self-regulation of its internal processes and information processing among its subsystems. Applying this to an infrastructure delivery system (IDS) context, this study proposes that an IDS can successfully deliver on client requirements only if they attain and maintain viability. Research into the influence of National Culture (NC) on an IDS’s viability appears to be lacking; hence this study. Adopting a multi-case study, qualitative research design, this study explores three IDSs involved in the delivery of infrastructure projects in two different NC contexts; Nigeria and the United Kingdom. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted across the cases to provide for an in-depth understanding of existing interactions between participants in these delivery systems: client/project sponsor; main contractor and sub-contractors and to understand the influence of the prevailing national culture on such interactions, if any. Findings indicate that NC in project delivery environments influence the ability of IDSs to attain viability, especially as it pertains to the sustenance of Team Quality Attributes (TWQ) within the system. Based on these findings, it is expected that in modelling IDSs for viability, adequate consideration should be given to the prevailing NC by project managers and planners

Towards a Social Ontology on Sustainable Development in CUT: Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions

Published Book ChapterSuccessful implementation of Sustainable Development (SD) in Higher Education cannot be achieved through distinct knowledge and operational silos. Rather, the storyboard of success shows the importance of stakeholder contributions. However, achieving a consensus among stakeholders has proven to be a herculean task when power relations are uncertain. Such lack of consensus accentuates a need for the evolution of an SD based social ontology within a University system. As a first step towards achieving such ontology, it is imperative that the perceptions of these stakeholders are gauged and understood. This is the central objective of this study. In this study, the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) is used as an exemplar to explore the existence of diverse stakeholder perceptions and the impact of such on the attainment of expected implementation outcomes. This study obtains data through semistructured interviews from identified stakeholders within the CUT. Observations from the data confirmed the prevalence of diverse perceptions on the definition of sustainability and the components of SD as well as its expected outcomes. The findings from this study would assist in the evolution of an SD based social ontology within the University by harnessing the identified perceptions of the various stakeholders