The construction client satisfaction model: a PLS-SEM approach

The satisfaction of the client is of utmost importance in procuring future projects; however, anecdotally client satisfaction (CS) is not adequately considered in many developing countries. Factors associated with the influence of service quality (SQ) on construction client satisfaction and how it affects their behavioural intentions in Cambodia are investigated. A theoretical structural model was developed to investigate the influence of five SQ factors on CS and their links to the future behavioural intentions of the client. A partial least square approach of the structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse data collected from a questionnaire survey of 227 participants comprising the clients of small and medium size projects. The structural model adapts 22 attributes across five SQ factors, namely: reliability; responsiveness; assurance; empathy, and tangible factors. PLS-SEM outcomes confirmed that the future behavioural intentions of the client are influenced by their satisfaction over the service excellence provided by construction companies. Moreover, treating every client individually and demonstrating an approachable attitude towards their needs will increase their satisfaction with the experience they had with a contractor. Findings and recommendations of the study may be useful to construction companies who are seeking ways to improve CS in developing countries

BIM Adoption in the Cambodian Construction Industry: Key Drivers and Barriers

Critical issues surrounding the promotion and adoption of building information modeling (BIM) for construction projects are largely country-specific due to contextual socio-cultural, economic, and regulatory environments impacting construction operations and outcomes. There is little information on BIM adoption issues specific to the Cambodian construction industry (‘the industry’). This paper aims to narrow existing knowledge by investigating key drivers for, and barriers to the adoption of BIM in the industry. Using descriptive survey method, feedback was received from contractors and architects that were registered with their respective trade and professional associations in the industry. The multi-attribute method and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-based Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) test were used to analyze the empirical datasets. Results showed that out of the 13 significant drivers identified in the study, the most influential comprised the technology’s ability to remarkably enhance project visualization and schedule performance; this is followed by awareness that the technology is redefining how project information is created and shared among stakeholders and therefore the future of the industry that cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the most constraining barrier to the adoption of the technology, out of 19 significant barriers, related to strong industry resistance to change, especially reluctance to change from 2D drafting to 3D modeling; other highly rated barriers included the high initial cost of the software and the shortage of professionals with BIM skills. Implementation of the study findings could support greater uptake of the technology and the leveraging of its key benefits to improving project success and the growth of the Cambodian construction industry, as well as those of other developing economies that share similar socio-cultural, economic, and regulatory environments

Productivity as a determinant of labour wage in New Zealand’s construction sector

The empirical relationships between labour wages, unemployment rate and the labour productivity index in New Zealand’s construction sector (for the period of 1983–2017) were investigated. The Johansen cointegration test and vector error correction mechanism were used to determine the existence of long-run relationships between the variables and the adjustment process of the short-run disequilibrium into the long-run equilibrium. The results show that the labour productivity index positively affects the labour wage, while the effect of unemployment rate is negative in the long run. That is, the more productive the labour, the more the wages earned. Related statistical tests on the residuals proved that the model and its findings are reliable

Building information modelling strategies in sustainable housing construction projects in Malaysia

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a very significant role in the construction industry, especially in project management decision-making and data integration efforts during the preliminary planning and design stage. This is aligned with the National Construction Policy (NCP 2030) by the Ministry of Work Malaysia, highlighting that it is timely for the construction industry players to move towards sustainability. BIM must be implemented to ensure the smooth delivery of sustainable housing construction projects in Malaysia due to its critical role in assisting in construction cost optimisation, green building implementation, minimising environmental impact, and waste reduction. However, the BIM implementation rate in Malaysia is still minimal due to the challenges in its execution. Therefore, this paper is aimed to propose BIM’s critical strategies in the development of Malaysian sustainable housing construction projects as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A thorough systematic literature review and questionnaire survey of fifty (50) BIM players in housing construction projects in Malaysia shows that from sixteen (16) BIM strategies, three (3) items are identified as critically important strategies, whereas another five (5) items are identified as important strategies. The outcome of the study shall benefit the construction industry players who are involved in the sustainable housing construction project and mainly drives the PublicWork Department (PWD) BIM Strategic Plan 2021–2025, thus supporting the earlier mentioned NCP 2030 agenda by the Ministry ofWork Malaysia

Critical Success Factors of Safety Program Implementation in Construction Projects in Iraq

The construction sector is recognized as one of the most dangerous industries in the world. The situation is worsening in Iraq, as a result of a lack of attention to safety in the building industry and the poor implementation of safety programs. This research aims to identify the critical safety factors (CSFs) of safety program implementation in the Iraqi construction industry. The CSFs were first identified from a review of literature before being verified by construction practitioners, using semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire, based on the verified CSFs, was distributed to construction practitioners in Iraq. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to analyze the quantitative data, and the results show that the CSFs can be categorized into four constructs: worker involvement, safety prevention and control system, safety arrangement, and management commitment. Following that, partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was executed to establish the connection between safety program implementation and overall project success. The result confirms that safety program implementation has a significant, positive impact on project success. This article contributes to knowledge and practice by identifying the CSFs for implementing safety programs in the Iraqi construction industry. The successful implementation of a safety program not only improves safety performance, but also helps to meet other project goals

Barriers inhibiting the transition to sustainability within the Australian construction industry: An investigation of technical and social interactions

Research concedes that the building industry in Australia has fallen short of satisfying sustainability requirements. Currently, the responsibility for transitioning the building industry into one that is sustainable is laid largely at the feet of low-carbon governance instruments such as mandatory codes and sustainability rating tools. The behavior of groups, interactions of individual actors, relationship between actors' and group level behaviors that affect implementation of these instruments have, however, received only cursory attention. This study therefore seeks to move beyond the instruments debate and identify a broader range of factors inhibiting the transition to sustainability within the Australian building industry. It draws on focus group discussions held with 26 leading sustainability experts and practitioners from around the country. Whereas, earlier work on impediments to sustainability pre-identify potential causal factors, this study, with Sustainability Transition as the theoretical lens, allowing for new and as yet unidentified impediments to emerge. Indeed, while findings confirm a range of technical shortcomings hindering sustainability transition, the deeper barrier is shown to be the prevalence of a dysfunctional sustainability ecosystem where siloed vested interest groups exploit Australia's ineffective transition regimes for their own gain. The practical implication is that current efforts to refine rating tools and modify building practices – remedies identified in earlier research – will not be enough to effect meaningful transition, as long as end-users remain disenfranchised, confused and unpersuaded of the benefits of sustainable buildings

The construction industry of Turkmenistan and its role in the economy

Considering its contribution to the economic growth, development and economic activities, construction sector has a significant affect in the development of any nation. Because the construction sector is large and responsive, as well as it has a strong linkages with other industries, it is a key sector can affect economic development and, hence, it is important to know what is the role of the construction sector is in the economy. This paper sets out to see the importance and effect of the construction industry in the socio development of Turkmenistan by analyzing historic statistics, which are unfortunately limited. Significant factors, such as lack of skilled workforce, lack of privatization, bureaucracy, hard immigration regulations constraining to the construction industry in Turkmenistan was also mentioned, as well as improvement measures have been recommended

Pareto analysis of on-site productivity constraints and improvement techniques in New Zealand building industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Construction Management, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, College of Sciences, Massey University at Albany, New Zealand

The steady decline in labour productivity in the New Zealand construction sector is a result of internal and external factors, which constrain the achievement of set project objectives. The main objective of this thesis is to identify the key constraints to on-site construction labour productivity based on the views of project managers, contractors and subcontractors in the New Zealand building industry. Qualitative data collected through pilot interviews formed the basis for questionnaire surveys conducted among the target populations. Multi-attribute methods were used in the analysis of the empirical data while the Spearman’s rank correlation test was used for the tests of the research propositions/hypotheses. To test the robustness of the results of the questionnaire surveys, confirmatory interviews were conducted among members of target populations, who did not participate in the earlier surveys. Feedback from the pilot interviews revealed 56 onsite labour productivity constraint factors, which were grouped under eight broad categories: project finance, workforce, technology/process, project characteristics, project management, statutory compliance, unforeseen events, and other external forces. The first five broad categories comprise the internal constraints, while the last three were the external constraints. Results of the analysed questionnaire surveys showed that reworks, level of skill and experience of the workforce, adequacy of method of construction, buildability issues, supervision and coordination were the most significant internal constraint factors. Among the external constraints, the Resource Management Act, ground conditions, market conditions and level of competition in the industry were found to be the most influential sub-factors affecting construction productivity in the New Zealand building industry. Project management, workforce issues and project finance were the most significant broad categories having an impact on construction productivity. Recommendations for improving onsite labour productivity in the New Zealand construction industry were made which included use of quality management systems, early involvement of specialist trades, workforce skill improvement and motivation, and effective site layout

Pareto analysis of on-site productivity constraints and improvement techniques in construction industry

Productivity represents efficient and effective utilisation of scarce resources to achieve set objectives. Based on Pareto principle, this study aims to identify the nature of and improvement measures for the 20% of the factors causing 80% of the on-site productivity problems in the New Zealand construction industry. Qualitative data collected using pilot interviews formed the basis for questionnaire surveys of project managers, contractors and subcontractors in New Zealand. The quantitative data was analysed using the multi-attribute method and Pareto analysis. Results showed that the factors influencing on-site productivity comprise (in order of influence): project management/project team characteristics, project finance/cash flow, workforce characteristics, project design/characteristics, unforeseen events, technology/process, statutory compliance and wider external forces. Overall, it was found that the way a project is managed, financed and managed, coupled with the workforce and project characteristics, account for the bulk of the on-site productivity problems encountered during its implementation. The levels of impact and occurrence frequencies of the variables under the broad factor categories are reported; these are recommended as guide to optimal utilization of the available resources in addressing the constraints with a view to achieving significant on-site productivity improvement