New Working Practices: A Scientometric Review

Study on New Working Practices (NWPs), which is the subject of this review paper, has created a large body of literature. Studies in this research area are progressing quickly, and it is important to stay abreast of new trends and essential factors in the growth of mutual awareness. This study evaluates the global scientific output of New Working Practices (NWPs) research and explores their hotspots and frontiers from 1980 to 2018 (pre-COVID-19), using bibliometric methods. 850 relevant articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and analysed. Scientometric method and Citespace VI were used to analyse the bibliometric data. Reference citation and cocitation networks were plotted, while keywords were used to analyse the research hotspots and trends. There is a significant increase in the number of annual publications with time. The United Kingdom (UK) ranked highest in the countries with most publications, and the leading author is Friedhelm Nachreiner based on publication counts. The most cited author/organisation is the UK Department of Health. Performance, work, and flexible working are the research hotspots, while flexible working arrangement represents the prominent research domain. The study offers valuable references for researchers, industry practitioners and policymakers

Assessment of the Safety Maturity Level if Construction Companies in Nigeria – EFQM Approach

Safety management culture/practices varies from country to country as well as company to company. Despite several efforts towards effective health and safety system in the construction industry in Nigeria, accident occurrences are still on the increase on construction sites. This study assesses the current maturity level of construction companies in Lagos State, Nigeria by introducing a form of self-assessment model to enable companies assess their performance with a view to offering suggestions on areas needing improvement. With the aid of structured questionnaire, the views of industry players were sought and analysed, chiefly with the use of factor analysis to group the attributes under the five factors of EFQM model. The results revealed that the construction companies in Lagos are currently at improver level according to the EFQM maturity scale. The study also revealed that people enabler factor contributes most to safety while leadership enabler is the least contributor. It was recommended that construction companies in Lagos should generally invest more on leadership and processes and resources enablers. Construction companies should evaluate their growth using self-assessment models and take stock of happenings and current level of activities and achievement for performance review and improvement

Analysis Of Non-excusable Delay Factors Influencing Contractors' Performance In Lagos State, Nigeria

Delays are one of the biggest problems faced by construction firms. The objectives of this study are to identify non-excusable delay factors, their effects on project completion and means of minimising these delays. A questionnaire survey was conducted to solicit the causes, effects and methods of minimising delays with two groups of respondents: consultants and contractors. Data were collected and analysed using a weighted mean method. A total of 57 major factors that cause non-excusable delays were identified from the reviewed literature and were further classified into eight major groups. The findings of this study revealed 20 key factors that cause non-excusable delays. The resultant effects of nonexcusable delays are time overrun, cost overrun and disputes, among others. Ensuring adequate financial sources, engaging competent project managers and making all necessary resources available are some of the most important means of minimising nonexcusable delays. Since non-excusable delays are specific to contractors, this study concludes that contractors should review their activities so that construction work will not be delayed

Factors Influencing Success Rate of Contractors in Competitive Bidding for Construction Works in South-East, Nigeria

The focal point of this study was to assess the perspectives of construction professionals on factors influencing tender prices of construction works and the contribution of the factors to the success rate of contractors. Using literature review and questionnaire survey, 15 factors were identified in respect to contractors' tender price and success rate in Nigeria. The findings of this study based on the results of statistical analyses (mean score and chi-square) reveal that all the construction professionals (architects, builders, engineers and quantity surveyors) are of the opinion that material availability, labour productivity and level of profit are the most significant factors that highly influence tender price of construction works and consequently affect the success rate of contractors in competitive bidding. Project definition and construction plan have least influence on contractors' tender price. Also, it was found that government policy does not have significant effect on contractors' success rate in competitive bidding in Nigeria. It is hoped that the information presented in this paper will be of interest to all parties concerned, including Nigerian construction companies and foreign companies planning to enter the Nigerian construction market. In addition, while the research focused on a particular country, Nigeria, the study can be replicated in other countries particularly developing countries and the results can be compared

Interpretive structural model of trust factors in construction virtual project teams

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management on 17/01/2022. The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-09-2021-0179Purpose Organisational dependence on virtual project teams (VPTs) is growing dramatically due to the substantial benefits they offer, such as efficiently achieving objectives and improving organisational performance. One of the major issues that influence the effectiveness of VPTs is trust building. The study aims to determine the key factors of trust in VPTs and design a model by identifying the interrelationships among the trust factors. Design/methodology/approach Focus group discussion was employed to gather data on factors affecting trust in VPTs and their interrelationships. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was used to establish the relationship among the factors. MICMAC analysis was conducted to identify the driving power and the dependence power towards effective VPTs in the construction sector. Findings The finding revealed that ‘characteristics of team members’ (such as ability, integrity, benevolence, competence, reliability and professionalism) is the most significant factor for building trust in virtual team members. Some factors were further identified as having high driving power, while others were defined as having high dependence variables. Practical implications The findings will assist construction managers and practitioners dealing with VPTs identify the factors influencing trust among team members. Taking cognisance of the factors that influence 34 trust will enable them to design more effective virtual team arrangements. Originality/value As the first research of its kind using ISM technique, the study offers insights into interrelationships between trust factors in the construction VPTs. It provides guides for construction managers on the effective management of trustworthy VPTs

A scientometric analysis of global scientific literature on learning resources in higher education

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15438There is a significant increase in the literature on learning resources in Higher Education (HE) but very limited evidence of studies that have taken a global overview of the context, range, and emerging trends from the previous research. This study aims to conduct a Scientometric analysis of research articles to accommodate a global overview and research trends under the theme of learning resources in HE. 4489 scientific articles were obtained as the dataset from the Web Of Science database between 1970 and 2022. Network maps and critical data were obtained by conducting co-authorship analysis for authors, organisations and countries and co-occurrence analysis for keywords from the VOSviewer software. The study revealed that the USA had a significant research input, and Salamin, N. from the University of Lausanne was recognised as the most frequently published author. The University of Illinois, USA, has the highest contribution to research articles, and the most popular research hotspots and trends were e-learning, Education, Academic libraries, Learning resources, and Cloud computing. However, the most critical finding from the study is that there needs to be real collaboration within the research theme and suggests ways to improve collaborations to enhance learning resources in HE. This study may be the first to conduct a scientometric analysis of Learning Resources in Higher education. This study offers valuable insight to academics, academic institutions, researchers, policymakers and pedagogical statutory bodies to understand the current context of learning resources in HE and recognise further develop research, collaborations and policies by considering critical findings from the study.Published versio

Exploring factors affecting trust in construction virtual project teams

© 2021 The Authors. Published by OMICS. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/exploring-factors-affecting-trust-in-construction-virtual-project-teams.pdfMany organizations have embraced a new reality of virtual working, which poses new challenges for leaders. Virtual teaming has numerous advantages, but it also increases the danger of misalignment and lack of cooperation, which may have a negative impact on team trust and employee engagement if not done correctly. Team leaders and organizations must understand the strategies for establishing and maintaining trust in Virtual Project Teams (VPTs) to maintain team members performance after transitioning to decentralized workplaces. This study examines the process of building trust in VPTs by analyzing the factors that influence trust in virtual teams. Qualitative interviews with ten experienced professionals in the Middle East’s construction sectors were conducted to gain insights for the study. The study results revealed that factors influencing trust among VPTs in the Middle East construction sector show some unique attributes. The effects of prominent factors, including organizational culture, communication, diversity, leadership, and task-technology fit, and team member characteristics on trust-building in VPTs were identified. Understanding the interdependence between these factors and trust will help virtual team members remain focused on achieving effectiveness and efficiency in their work

Challenges negating virtual construction project team performance in the Middle East

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Built Environment Project and Asset Management on 25/01/2022. The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose Over the last couple of decades, many organisations are increasingly adopting virtual team concepts, and construction companies in the Middle East are no exception. Members of a virtual team are geographically scattered and represent diverse cultures. Thus, challenging issues emerge more frequently than in a traditional team. There are challenges associated with space and time as well as high client’s demand. Therefore, this study aims to identify and probe the causes of the challenges in virtual project teams in the construction industry of the Middle East. Design/methodology/approach A list of challenges was derived through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals who are involved in construction virtual project teams. Further, the factor analysis technique was used to analyse the survey responses. Findings Results show that the challenges in virtual team arrangement in the Middle East construction industry can be grouped into seven categories, namely: organisational culture, conflict within the team, characteristics of the team members, trust within the team members diversity of the team, communication and training, and cohesion in the team. Understanding of these factors will drive the needed platform to support effective virtual project teams in the Middle East. Originality/value This study raises the prospect that organisations may establish an environment for team members to achieve higher levels of virtual cooperation by concentrating on these potentially crucial factors. This, in turn, will encourage further innovation and performance within construction organisations

Establishing underpinning concepts for integrating Circular Economy and Offsite Construction: A Bibliometric review

PurposeCircular economy (CE) and Offsite Construction (OSC) are two innovations for improving the construction industry’s overall performance against a myriad of sustainability-driven agenda/initiatives. There is a real opportunity to conjoin OSC and CE to provide new insight and opportunities to deliver more evidence-based sustainable systems. This study analyses extant literature in CE and OSC (between 2000 and 2021) through a bibliometric review to tease out critical measures for their integration and transformation.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a science mapping quantitative literature review approach employing bibliometric and visualization techniques to systematically investigate data. The Web of Science database was used to collect data and the VOSviewer software to analyse the data collected to determine strengths, weights, clusters, and research trends in OSC and CE.FindingsImportant findings emerging from the study include extensive focus on Sustainability, waste, life cycle assessment and Building information modelling (BIM) which currently serve as strong interlinks to integrate OSC and CE. Circular business models, deconstruction, and supply chain management are emerging areas with strong links for integrating CE and OSC. These emerging areas influence organisational and operational decisions towards sustainable value creation hence requiring more future empirical investigations. Originality/valueThis study is novel research using bibliometric analysis to unpick underpinning conduits for integrating CE and OSC providing a blueprint for circular offsite construction future research and practice. It provides the needed awareness to develop viable strategies for integrating CE in OSC creating opportunities to transition to more sustainable systems in the construction sector

A scientometric analysis of global scientific literature on learning resources in higher education

There is a significant increase in the literature on learning resources in Higher Education (HE) but very limited evidence of studies that have taken a global overview of the context, range, and emerging trends from the previous research. This study aims to conduct a Scientometric analysis of research articles to accommodate a global overview and research trends under the theme of learning resources in HE. 4489 scientific articles were obtained as the dataset from the Web Of Science database between 1970 and 2022. Network maps and critical data were obtained by conducting co-authorship analysis for authors, organisations and countries and co-occurrence analysis for keywords from the VOSviewer software. The study revealed that the USA had a significant research input, and Salamin, N. from the University of Lausanne was recognised as the most frequently published author. The University of Illinois, USA, has the highest contribution to research articles, and the most popular research hotspots and trends were e-learning, Education, Academic libraries, Learning resources, and Cloud computing. However, the most critical finding from the study is that there needs to be real collaboration within the research theme and suggests ways to improve collaborations to enhance learning resources in HE. This study may be the first to conduct a scientometric analysis of Learning Resources in Higher education. This study offers valuable insight to academics, academic institutions, researchers, policymakers and pedagogical statutory bodies to understand the current context of learning resources in HE and recognise further develop research, collaborations and policies by considering critical findings from the study