20 research outputs found
The impact of project management process quality on construction project performance : a structural equation model
Abstract unavailable please refer to PD
Sustainability awareness and practices in the Zambian construction industry
The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the global green-house gas emission. It is, therefore, critical that construction industry professionals should be aware of and practise sustainable construction. However, there is a paucity of studies on the awareness of sustainability and their practices in developing countries, with some results seemingly contradicting. This article explored the awareness and practices of sustainability in the Zambian construction industry. Data was collected from construction industry professionals through a questionnaire survey and a total of 112 responses were received. The relative importance index (RII) and a series of linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The participantsâ perception of sustainability was primarily enviro-centric as opposed to the economic or social context. However, social and economic sustainability practices ranked highest, while environmental sustainability practices ranked in the bottom five of the 16 practices. While the participants perceived the environmental context as more critical in their understanding of sustainability, their practice reflected a focus on the social and economic sustainability context. The findings imply that merely increasing the level of knowledge and awareness of environmental sustainability may not lead to gross improvements in environmental sustainability practices. Therefore, studies that recommended increasing knowledge and awareness, in order to increase the implementation of environmentally sustainable construction, may have neglected the effect of the other barriers to sustainable construction which may be more critical. Studies with multivariate analyses such as structural equation modelling are needed to establish the contributory effect of the various barriers to environmental sustainability practices and so establish the extent to which knowledge and awareness alone, and other factors, can improve environmental sustainability practices. 
Sustainability awareness and practices in the Zambian construction industry
The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the global green-house gas emission. It is, therefore, critical that construction industry professionals should be aware of and practise sustainable construction. However, there is a paucity of studies on the awareness of sustainability and their practices in developing countries, with some results seemingly contradicting. This article explored the awareness and practices of sustainability in the Zambian construction industry. Data was collected from construction industry professionals through a questionnaire survey and a total of 112 responses were received. The relative importance index (RII) and a series of linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The participantsâ perception of sustainability was primarily enviro-centric as opposed to the economic or social context. However, social and economic sustainability practices ranked highest, while environmental sustainability practices ranked in the bottom five of the 16 practices. While the participants perceived the environmental context as more critical in their understanding of sustainability, their practice reflected a focus on the social and economic sustainability context. The findings imply that merely increasing the level of knowledge and awareness of environmental sustainability may not lead to gross improvements in environmental sustainability practices. Therefore, studies that recommended increasing knowledge and awareness, in order to increase the implementation of environmentally sustainable construction, may have neglected the effect of the other barriers to sustainable construction which may be more critical. Studies with multivariate analyses such as structural equation modelling are needed to establish the contributory effect of the various barriers to environmental sustainability practices and so establish the extent to which knowledge and awareness alone, and other factors, can improve environmental sustainability practices.  
Preparedness for a low-carbon future â knowledge level of built environment students
Purpose â The UK Government has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, being the first
major nation to do so. While laudable, it raises the question, âare future built environment professionals
(BEPs) equipped for this?â Although studies related to studentsâ perspectives exist, they broadly focus on
sustainability-related pedagogical aspects, with limited studies conducted in the built environment (BE). This
study makes the case that it is timely to investigate this from an emerging perspective using the term âlow-carbon
futureâ (LCF), given that it is germane to achieving net-zero emissions and is at the forefront of
academic and practice discourse. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the knowledge level of UK BE
studentsâ in higher education institutions (HEIs) specific to the term LCF.
Design/methodology/approach â This is a systematic scoping study review of published papers
related to sustainability in BE curricula in the UK HEI context.
Findings â The findings reveal that LCF remains at a nascent stage, with no study specifically addressing
it. It indicates a knowledge gap that could impact the grounding students require to address current and
future sustainability challenges.
Research limitations/implications â The review focused on a specific term, which, while relevant, is
very niche. A review of other emerging terms, considering LCF as a theme, and/or empirical data from diverse
stakeholders in UK HEIs could enrich the results.
Practical implications â This study provides significant insight into the status of sustainability
inclusion in the BE curriculum. It would serve as a reference for stakeholders involved in equipping future
BEPs with the requisite knowledge and skills to deal with sustainability challenges that will be consequential
beyond the UK context. It would also inform future research.
Social implications â Sustainability-informed and equipped BEPs will be influential in shaping their
immediate surroundings and how people engage with them, which will contribute to developing a more
equitable and sustainable society.
Originality/value â Beyond contributing to the discourse on sustainability literacy in UK HEI from an
emerging concept perspective, this study would be useful as possibly the first of its kind. Therefore, it fills the
theoretical gap and proffers recommendations that would be beneficial for curriculum development
Determinants of an effective digital transformation in construction organisations: a qualitative investigation
Purpose
Digital uptake amongst construction organisations is described as slow and ineffective, undermining a fundamental transformation and limiting construction firms from exploiting the digital benefits. In this space, meaningful research that utilises a qualitative approach in pursuit for employees' insights towards digital transformation is lacking. Such limited focus from previous efforts presents an opportunity to illuminate the determinants of an effective digital transformation that are, arguably, responsible for the status quo of low digital uptake in the construction sector. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned idea.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a qualitative approach to address the literature's digital discreetness in construction. The qualitative approach captures employees' perspectives through its unbounded characteristic of encouraging illustration and discussion.
Findings
This paper captures 35 digital transformation determinants under three clusters, namely, organisation related, i.e. hierarchy, size and management, people related, i.e. team orientation, training and knowledge and leadership related, i.e. awareness, attitude, approach and leaders' characteristics. Findings suggest a new set of arguments in relation to understudied factors and their influence on the digital uptake in construction organisations.
Originality/value
This paper offers empirical indication of the determinants believed to influence an effective digital transformation in construction organisations. Such conceptualisation is crucial and is depicted as perceived by construction employees and practitioners, which is a less biased approach than that of comparable studies that argue the viewpoints of industry leaders in isolation of other members of the hierarchy
Exploring constraining factors for use of private sector finance in delivery of public sector infrastructure in Tanzania: A qualitative study
While governments remain accountable for the delivery of infrastructure services, given the paucity of public resources, studies have recommended the use of private sector finance (PSF) as an alternative approach to delivering sustainable infrastructure both in developed and developing economies. Despite the recommendation, there has been very little use of PSF in delivering public projects, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study explores the constraining factors for the use of PSF in the delivery of public infrastructure in Tanzania and proposes recommendations. A total of 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with different stakeholders delivering public infrastructure services. Interviewees were purposefully selected. Data were analyzed through conceptual content analysis. The findings reveal that the top five constraining factors were inadequate knowledge and skills, lack of policy to support or suffice PSF, bureaucracy or delays of approvals, lack of proper models for PSF, and lack of skilled people or existence of a big national skill gap. Thus, the identified constraints provided useful insights and were used as a road map for suggesting appropriate solutions to enhance the use of PSF. Furthermore, this is the first study to empirically explore the constraining factors for PSF in delivering infrastructure projects in the Tanzanian context
Exploring constraining factors for use of private sector finance in delivery of public sector infrastructure in Tanzania: A qualitative study
While governments remain accountable for the delivery of infrastructure services, given the paucity of public resources, studies have recommended the use of private sector finance (PSF) as an alternative approach to delivering sustainable infrastructure both in developed and developing economies. Despite the recommendation, there has been very little use of PSF in delivering public projects, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study explores the constraining factors for the use of PSF in the delivery of public infrastructure in Tanzania and proposes recommendations. A total of 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with different stakeholders delivering public infrastructure services. Interviewees were purposefully selected. Data were analyzed through conceptual content analysis. The findings reveal that the top five constraining factors were inadequate knowledge and skills, lack of policy to support or suffice PSF, bureaucracy or delays of approvals, lack of proper models for PSF, and lack of skilled people or existence of a big national skill gap. Thus, the identified constraints provided useful insights and were used as a road map for suggesting appropriate solutions to enhance the use of PSF. Furthermore, this is the first study to empirically explore the constraining factors for PSF in delivering infrastructure projects in the Tanzanian context
Digital leadership enactment in the construction industry: barriers undermining effective transformation
Purpose
In the past decade, transforming key processes and activities towards a more digital nature has been the focus of most industries due to the associated advantages. Despite that, organisations in the construction sector are lagging the list of early adopters. The slow rate of a fundamental digital transformation is linked to the challenges facing an effective leadership. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to shed light on the barriers to digital leadership enactment in the construction industry. Limited research has empirically analysed and discussed these barriers to explain the low transformation rate in the existing body of knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper empirically investigates the perspectives of construction industry professionals acquiring various roles in the industry. Overall, the study comprises the views of 38 participants, adopting a qualitative methodological approach to explore relative barriers and explain the slow digital transformation rate.
Findings
Findings are grouped into five themes: leadership characteristics, management and organisational issues, resource constraints, technological issues, and risk perceptions. The findings are helpful to business leaders, researchers, trainers, and educators to develop measures to encourage leaders in the industry to be at the forefront of digital transformation in their organisations.
Originality/value
Literature, however, is discreet in reflecting the challenges and barriers facing todayâs leadership in facilitating digital transformation among construction stakeholders. This paper provides insights into the variables that may be undermining wider digital adoption across the construction sectorâs organisations
Investigating the implementation of immersive technologies within on-site construction safety processes
Purpose (limit 100 words) The benefits of integrating immersive technologies (ImTs) within a construction safety context are acknowledged within the literature, however its practical application on construction sites remains low. Whilst research into the integration of ImTs within the construction industry is underway, most have viewed this from a broader adoption context or within educational settings, and not specifically from a practical on-site safety perspective. Therefore the purpose of this study is to address the contributing factors to its integration within on-site safety processes, using the experiences of active construction professionals. Design/methodology/approach (limit 100 words) This study adopts a qualitative approach. Data was collected through online focus groups involving UK based construction professionals with experience in using ImTs, recruited using selective sampling. Data sets were subsequently analysed using inductive thematic analysis and are presented within key themes. Findings (limit 100 words) The results showed that amongst the experienced construction professionals, the use of ImTs specifically for on-site safety applications (including inductions/training/workshops) was rare on projects. The findings identified various contributing factors related to the integration of ImTs, including the potential improvements in on-site safety practices such as enhanced communication of hazards, safety planning, engagement during training and more accurate risk assessment. Critical challenges, concerns and frustrations included a lack of engagement from senior level management, inadequate leadership, limited investment, a need for digital expertise, fear of complacency and the acceptance of ImTs within existing safety processes from the wider project team. Originality/value (limit 100 words) This study provides a fresh perspective to this field by using practical accounts from active and experienced on-site construction professionals. This study supports the integration of ImTs within the construction industry, presenting key contributing factors influencing its integration within on-site safety processes. These factors can be considered by industry adopters, and includes the rationale, challenges and potential on-site benefits of ImTs