A Discussion of Obser-View as a Method of Generating Data in the Construction Industry

This study demonstrates the paradigmatic position of obser-view and argues for the incorporation of reflectivity in obser-view to foster rigorous data generation. Aimed at introducing obser-view to the construction industry as a method of generating data, this study critically examines obser-view, exploring its application to construction research. Obser-view is an emerging data collection technique developed by Kragelund in 2006, where a non-scripted interview immediately post-observation is conducted. This helps to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Although researchers adopt various strategies to ensure rigor in qualitative research, there are still concerns in relation to validity, reliability, bias and objectivity in qualitative research. However, developing strategies that will help in gaining a deeper understanding of the phenomenon in study and tackling the aforementioned challenges will help in ensuring transparency in qualitative research. A review of literature is presented, the limitations and benefits of obser-view are also presente

Improving the mental health and wellbeing of building and civil engineering workers : barriers to flexible working

Despite the growing research on mental health and wellbeing (MHW) in construction, very little research (if not none) has examined the barriers to strategies such as flexible working arrangements that improve MHW in the construction industry. This research aims to fill this gap in knowledge. The research adopted a systematic literature review where relevant literature was critically reviewed and discussed. The main findings include the high level of diversity in the industry, which makes it challenging to have a flexible working system that meets the work-life balance of construction workers and improve their mental health. Large contracting firms are more likely to adopt formal flexible work arrangements because they have more resources than smaller companies, but micro contracting forms are most likely to adopt the informal flexible work arrangements. Further barriers are the nature of the roles of the practitioners, for example, construction professionals are more likely to be allowed to adopt flexible work system than the tradespersons; Collaborative project delivery arrangement supports flexible work arrangement more than the traditional method. National policies or legislation in some countries such as UK and Vietnam do not adequately support work-life balance strategies such as flexible working; for instance, the regulation in the UK is open to misinterpretation and creates room for employees’ exploitation by employers. Evidence shows that this is the first study to examine the barriers to MHW in the construction industry through a flexible working arrangement. There is a need for a shift in workplace culture to support such strategies and the need for tighter legislation and guidance

Barriers to social support in the mental health and wellbeing of construction workers in emerging and developing economies : a systematic review

The purpose of this research is to examine the barriers to social support in mental health and wellbeing in emerging and developing economies’ (EDEs) construction industry. Social support plays a pivotal role in the mental health and wellbeing (MHW) of the people including construction professionals and improves work efficiency, productivity and business performance. However, the barriers to providing it has received little attention. Using systematic literature review where Scopus and ScienceDirect were searched complemented with the citation approach, relevant literature was critically reviewed, analysed and discussed. The barriers to social support occur at four levels namely individual, community including family, organisational and national. While there is a lack of social support for MHW, lack of awareness of what MHW encompasses remains one of the key barriers to support from communities. This tends to be exacerbated by the lack of adequate MHW awareness programmes in EDEs. Social support in MHW is also hindered by the lack of adequate legislation and regulatory framework, which in some cases may be discriminatory. This discrimination against some workers is also reported at community and organisational levels. A key theme that emerged is the lack of enabling platform for social inclusion and relationship of which without these, there cannot be social support in MHW. The study contributes to the body of literature in MHW in EDEs, especially in relation to social support in MHW of construction workers which is underexamined. In improving MHW in EDEs there is a need for improved awareness at the grassroots level with a focus on re-engineering cultural, national and organisational beliefs toward it. The revision of the national policy and legislation will support mental and wellbeing in many EDEs

Developing a Safety Climate Assessment Tool for Omani Construction Industry

One of the methods which could improve the safety performance of construction organizations is the safety climate approach which is helpful to know the existing maturity level of the safety climate and to develop plans to achieve the required level of maturity. Most of the existing safety climate tools were developed considering different industries in developed countries while construction was based only on few tools. Construction projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries are at a peak. This article, therefore, attempts to develop a safety climate assessment tool for the Omani construction industry. A mixed research method consisting of systematic review (N = 32), structured questionnaire (N = 102) and email interview (N = 19) was adopted in this research. An assessment tool that has seven factors and 62 simple questions that the participants have to answer on a Likert scale of 1 to 5 is finally developed

A review of the costs of accidents in GCC construction

Construction industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries is at peak as the region is in the stage of developing its major infrastructures. The development projects in the GCC have made the region as a major jobs hub for both local and international workforce but at the same time these projects have also resulted into several issues including poor safety performance. This article attempts to estimate the costs of workplace accident in construction using qualitative research approach and considering different parameters. The data from three countries Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia was used to estimate the cost of accident in GCC region. The parameters used in these estimates include the i) values of the current projects in the selected countries, ii) average cost of accident in United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) and iii) compensation cost. The average cost of an accident in USA, UK, Australia (ASU) and South Africa (SA) was used for comparison of the costs of accidents in Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The total costs of an accident in Oman are estimated at US$415,620 with an economic burden of US$ 205.73 Million/year on Omani economy. In Saudi Arabia, the costs of an accident are estimated at US$91,940, while the economic burden of the Saudi economy is estimated at US$ 261.11 Million/year. The findings of this research will be useful to understand the cost implication of accidents in construction, and thus will be helpful to motivate the construction organizations to invest in safety related issues and avoid accidents. One of the main limitations of this research is that the direct costs are calculated from the indirect costs of accidents due to the lack of available data. Further research is needed to estimate the direct costs of accident in the region

The Developmental Trajectory of a Decade of Research on Mental Health and Wellbeing amongst Graduate Students: A Bibliometric Analysis

The journey of graduate students through academia can be a difficult road plagued with several roadblocks due to several intersectional factors. These difficulties often impact the students’ mental health with severe consequences on their well-being and personal and academic achievements. There is a critical need for researchers to conduct studies in response to the positive mental well-being for this group of trainees, considering their peculiar role in the scholarly environment. This study aimed to explore the scientific research on the health and well-being of graduate students; typify the scientific landscape and development trajectory, cooperation networks, and fundamental research areas; and identify areas of needed research in this field. A bibliometric analysis of articles indexed in Scopus and published in the past decade (2012 to 2021) was undertaken. The results revealed that the research on graduate students’ mental health and well-being has increased over the years, significantly in the past two years, probably owing to the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns around remote learning. The highest number of publications was from the United Kingdom (U.K.) and United States (U.S.), while the organizational affiliations were mainly from universities. The most prominent source type of publications was journal articles. The result also shows a weak collaboration across countries and organizations. The study identifies other areas of useful research, collaboration, intervention strategies, and policy review

Critical Barriers to Prevention through Design in Construction in Nigeria: A Qualitative Inquiry

Purpose: Given the complexities in improving safety in the construction industry globally, which is exacerbated by the complex safety environment in developing countries (DCs), prevention through design (PtD) has been established to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) where applied. However, it has received very little attention in DCs and the extant literature with limitations. Using Nigeria as a case study, the current study advances the understanding of PtD in DCs by investigating the critical barriers to PtD and other potential OSH responsibilities of designers in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews and e-interviews of architects, builders and civil engineers in Nigeria were analysed using the six-phase thematic analysis. To improve the trustworthiness of the research, triangulation, peer-debriefing, refining the interview protocol and thick detailed description were done. Findings: The study's findings question the extant general knowledge and understanding of PtD among clients and designers and its technical aspect among designers where it is skewed to structural safety and omitted in universities' curricula. This explains the inconclusive findings of existing studies on why there is a high level of awareness of PtD but a low level of implementation. There is little client support for PtD, and designers have limited influence on clients in terms of it. The fear of liability from PtD is exacerbated by the limited legal system and lack of adequate legislation in the country. The demotivating attitudes of clients and contractors towards designers in terms of PtD are also reported, just as there are project delivery barriers such as traditional procurement not supporting PtD as design and build procurement does. Social implications: For the sustainable growth in the practice of PtD, the increased and improved quality of education and awareness of PtD is needed but this must focus on instilling a robust understanding of it among designers based on the local context. This educational requirement can be supported by statute. Originality/value: Through qualitative data, the findings explain and offer insight into the inconclusive findings in the extant studies on PtD in Nigeria. Also, it contributes to improving health and safety by advancing the understanding of the critical barriers to PtD and other potential OSH responsibilities of designers in D Nigeria's construction using qualitative data

Client Characteristics related Critical Success Factors for Public-Private Partnerships in South Africa

The implementation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects in South Africa has grown steadily since the late 1990s. However, these partnerships do not realise their potential with a decline in PPP transactions over the past decade. The drivers of success for PPP projects have become a subject of investigation to understand the downward trend. This study evaluates the different critical success factors pertinent to client characteristics that influence PPP projects in South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research inquiry that employs a grounded theory (G.T.) approach involving semi-structured interviews with nine professionals involved in PPP projects selected using a snowball sampling technique. Interviews were conducted on video conferencing and through phone calls. Seven responses were considered relevant to the research, and two were considered irrelevant and were disregarded. An in-depth analysis of the data gathered was conducted through a selective coding process using NVivo. The analysis revealed the research’s emergent themes: client experience and in-house technical capabilities; client risk attitude; client willingness to be involved and trust in the private sector, available financial markets, and political support and stability. By applying the framework established, the chances of success and decline in the use of PPP projects can be considerably improved in South Africa through greater engagement between the public and private sectors in infrastructure investment and delivery. The study’s main limitation is the smallness of the sample size and the use of the snowball sampling technique in which the initial respondents are likely to refer to other respondents who share similar points of view and beliefs. To counter this limitation, the researchers ensured that the convenient sample of initial subjects comprised professionals from different backgrounds

Design for occupational safety and health of workers in construction in developing countries: A study of architects in Nigeria

Purpose. Design for safety (DfS) of workers is amongst the prominent ways of tackling poor occupational safety and health performance in construction. However, in developing countries there is extremely limited research on DfS. This study thus makes an important contribution to the subject of DfS in developing countries by specifically examining the awareness and practice of DfS amongst architects within the construction sector of Nigeria. Materials and methods. A survey of architects, yielding 161 valid responses, was conducted. Results. While there is high awareness of the concept of DfS, the actual practice is low. Additionally, although there is high interest in DfS training, the engagement in DfS training is low. Significantly, awareness of DfS, training and education related to DfS, and membership of a design professional body have very limited bearing on the practice of DfS by architects. Conclusions. The findings are thus symptomatic of the prevalence of influential DfS implementation barriers within the construction sector. Industry stakeholders should seek to raise the profile of DfS practice within the sector. Furthermore, similar empirical studies in the construction sector of other developing countries would be useful in shedding light on the status of DfS in these countries