Moderating effects of government support on the relationship between organizational innovativeness, culture and sustainable construction among Malaysian contractors

Drawing upon organizational readiness for change and resource-based view theories, this study examined the role of government support in moderating the effects of organizational innovativeness and organizational culture on sustainable construction among Malaysian large contractors (the G7 contractors). A total of 172 contractors from the eleven states in peninsula Malaysia participated in the survey. The data collected were initially screened using SPSS (version 21), while Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) algorithm and bootstrap techniques were employed to test the hypothesized paths in this study. Specifically, the results indicated that the extent of sustainable construction among Malaysian large contractors is high (mean score: 3.95). The empirical evidence also supported the hypothesized direct effects of organizational innovativeness and organizational culture on sustainable construction. However, government support was found to be negatively but significantly related to sustainable construction. There also was a stronger positive relationship between organizational innovativeness and sustainable construction, to such an extent that this relationship becomes stronger (i.e. more positive) for contractors that are being aided by the government than it is for those that are disadvantaged in that regard. Similarly, the result regarding the moderating effect of government support on the relationship between organizational culture and sustainable construction was supported. Generally, these findings supported the view that government support has a strong contingent effect on the influence of contractors’ innovativeness and culture on sustainability adoption in construction project execution. Therefore, to enhance sustainable construction adoption, more efforts are suggested to be applied to developing and utilising organizational innovativeness and organizational cultural dimensions, while more government support is also encouraged. Some limitations of the study are indicated, suggesting opportunities for future research

Contractors’ Environmental Sustainability: The Roles of Innovativeness and Market Orientation

This paper aims to conceptualise the influence of certain organisational innovativeness factors and market orientation on environmental sustainability adoption by Malaysian large contractors. The framework developed in this study intends to establish the link between product innovativeness, process innovativeness, and market orientation (as predictors) and environmental sustainability (the criterion variable) using organisational readiness for change theory to underpin these relationships. Although, it is expected that the findings of this study can be used to develop strategies that could improve environmental sustainability adoption among these contractors, this study did not consider other factors that could also explain the environmental sustainability adoption. It is expected that this studys findings could assist in developing strategies to increase the rate of environmental sustainability adoption among the contractors. Again, it could also be useful for policy makers and other construction industry players

e-Procurement in Malaysian construction industry: benefits and challenges in implementation

In this paper, the benefits and challenges embedded in Electronic procurement (e-procurement or ePerolehan) are highlighted. Specifically, the benefits of introducing e-procurement for tendering and online registration of businesses and companies in Malaysia was emphasized.The study highlighted E-procurement advantages such as cost reduction, improved efficiency in government business with the aid of internet-based information and communication technology.The study concluded with recommendations to policy makers to pay more attention to the availability of infrastructure such as information technology for a better E-procurement implementation

Preliminary study on antecedents of sustainable construction among contracting companies operating in Malaysia

There has been an increasing demand on the construction industry to incorporate sustainability practices and principles in their operations and construction products, considering the industry’s contribution to environmental degradation.It is therefore crucial for the construction industry to adopt sustainable construction, thereby reducing the negative impacts of construction activities on the environment.While there are several sustainable construction studies in Malaysia, a study that integrates innovativeness, culture, government support and sustainable construction in a single framework has not been given a considerable attention.The objectives of this study are to develop a framework that incorporates the antecedents of sustainable construction; and to assess the validity and reliability of the research instrument.Data were obtained from thirty respondents using a sixty-one item instrument. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS software to assess the instrument’s reliability.The results of the Cronbach’s Alpha test reveal a strong internal reliability of the study’s constructs and the overall instrument.This paper complements the existing body of knowledge on sustainable construction

Impact of Oil and Gas Internal Risk Factors on Project Success: Moderating role of Government Support

Organisational internal risk factors, which include management, material, finance, and design risk factors, affect oil and gas construction projects' success in emerging nations, in which Malaysia is no exception. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of these internal risk factors and government support on oil and gas projects among sixty-one (61) employees of oil and gas firms using a questionnaire survey. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques. The results revealed that all the exogenous variables (design risk, management risk, financial risk and material risk factors and government support) significantly impact project success. According to the findings, all exogenous variables (design risk, management risk, financial risk, material risk factors, and government support) have substantial effects on project success. The study developed an all-inclusive framework that can assist stakeholders in the industry in mitigating internal risk factors in ensuring the success of projects. Policy implications and future study paths are considered

Validating the Effects of Organizational Internal Factors and Technology Orientation on Environmental Sustainability Performance of Malaysian Construction Firms

The essence of emphasizing the importance of environmental sustainability among construction firms is to lessen the effects of construction activities or projects on the environment and make the construction activities more sustainably economically and friendly to the environment. This significant deliberation has stimulated various research interests by construction firms, owing to the damaging effects of construction activities such as various forms of environmental pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss on a global scale. Using the Partial Least Squares- Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, this study validates the environmental sustainability performance (ESP) as a construct from the perspectives of 186 construction firms within Peninsular Malaysia. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted where data was gathered from G7 construction firms through a well-structured questionnaire. Findings from this study revealed that organizational internal factors (Managerial attitudes, social responsibility, and company culture), and technology orientation have significant effects on the environmental sustainability performance (ESP) of Malaysian construction firms

Assessing the extent of effective construction risk management in Nigerian construction companies

In this paper, the extent of effective construction risk management among Abuja Federal capital territory and Lagos state Nigeria construction companies was assessed.Then, a survey was conducted among 331 local, national and multinational construction companies within Abuja Federal capital territory and Lagos in Nigeria, using proportionate stratified random sampling, out of which 238 questionnaire were collected for data analysis.Methodologically, this research is perhaps the first to assess the extent of effective construction risk management in Abuja Federal capital territory and Lagos state Nigeria. Using the five point Likert scale categories of risk management from previous studies, statistical analysis affirmed that the overall extent of effective construction risk management among these two states is at medium level

Examining technology readiness constructs: A validation study

This study validates technology readiness (TR) constructs in the context of public sector higher education institutions (HEIs) of Sultanate of Oman.Using a structured self ministered questionnaire, the data was duly collected from three hundred and thirty four educationists ranking from assistant lecturers to full professors.While employing PLS-SEM technique, the data was analyzed using Smart-PLS 2.0 M3 software. Results of this study revealed that all the dimensions of technology readiness namely; optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity were highly relevant.It also established an adequate level of internal consistency reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity for each of the constructs of the technology readiness. Based on the results, it is suggested that the TR instrument could be useful for measuring all the constructs of technology readiness to study consumers’ tendency to adopt innovations or to accept the latest technologies

Innovativeness and sustainability: Difference and antecedent relationship

The relationship that exist, and a clear understanding of the difference between innovativeness and sustainability is imperative for researchers, policymakers and managers of large, medium and small contracting firms within the construction industry.This is especially so because innovation ideals heralding sustainable outcomes is of increasing interest in many societies, among businesses, academic circles and policy makers who, according to Liddle and El-Kafafi (2010), are becoming more and more sensitive to global trends and changing attitudes. A dearth of rigorous distinction and understanding between these two constructs may, however, distort findings resulting from innovation and sustainability studies.Thus, it is important that researchers as well as others with stakes in innovation/sustainability studies recognize the distinction between them and how they are related. According to Kamaruddeen, Yusof, and Said (2010), innovation research becomes proliferated in the early 1960s.And by the 70s, its primary focus was on conceptualization and theory building. Albeit descriptive in nature, researchers were able to analyze associations that exist between various contextual factors and organizational features. Subsequently, interests became shifted to widening the basis and theoretical underpinnings with a view to developing more innovative institutions and organisations.Khilji, Mroczkowski & Bernstein (2006) equally acknowledged that early models and theories of innovation emphasized technology in product development, while ignoring the interplay of supply and demand (the market forces), environment and sundry sustainability considerations.This paper, first and foremost recognizes that firms requires innovation as a driver to gain success and competitive advantage, and for ultimate survival in the hyper-turbulent competitive market environment (Auh and Menguc, 2005; Hultink, Griffin, Robben & Hart 1998; Vorhies & Morgan, 2005; Crespell, Knowles & Hansen, 2006) and that it is capable of influencing not only organisational productivity and profitability, but also a vital procedure in sustainability adoption in organizations (Chan & Liu, 2012).Thus, the paper provides explanations of the concepts of innovativeness and sustainability within construction organization from the extant literature. It then presents a brief argument about the antecedent relationship between the constructs. The difference between these constructs is then presented.Definitions offered in this paper are construction industry-specifics.They may; however be applicable to related industries

Malaysian construction firms' social sustainability via organizational innovativeness and government support: the mediating role of market culture

The increasing demand by construction stakeholders for ecologically viable construction is pushing the construction firms to adopt social sustainability practices while executing construction projects.While there are several studies establishing how external factors and organizational innovativeness have been influencing social sustainability performance of construction firms, social sustainability performance of Malaysian construction firms is still relatively low.This study therefore proposed that market orientation culture is a significant mediator through which government support can favourably influence firm's social sustainability performance.Empirical support for the argument was derived from the data collected from 172 large construction firms in the Malaysian construction industry.The results suggest that construction firms require managerial initiatives to comply with government regulations and leverage it to facilitate market orientation cultures so as to improve their social sustainability performance