Competency-based measures for designing out construction waste: task and contextual attributes
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 18 July 2016
Abstract
Purpose
Competency-based measure is increasingly evident as an effective approach to tailoring training and development for organisational change and development. With design stage widely reckoned as being decisive for construction waste minimisation, the purpose of this paper is to identify designers’ competencies for designing out waste.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to paucity of research into competency for construction waste mitigation, this study corroborates verbal protocol analyses (VPA) with phenomenological research.
Findings
Combining findings from the two methodological approaches, competencies for designing out waste are grouped into five categories, three of which are largely task related and two being contextual competencies. The study suggests that design task proficiency, low waste design skills and construction-related knowledge are indispensable task competencies, while behavioural competence and inter-professional collaborative abilities are requisite contextual competencies for designing out waste. In concurrence with task-contextual theory of job performance, personality variables and cognitive abilities are found to influence one another. This suggests that both task and contextual competencies are not only important, they are less mutually exclusive with respect to designing out waste.
Practical implications
This study implies that apart from commitment and dedication of designers to waste minimisation, design and firm practices are expected to be adapted to the industry’s standard.
Originality/value
Basis for training needs of design professionals as well as redeployment criterion are further elaborated in the paper. By enhancing competencies identified in this study, construction waste would not only be significantly designed out, adequate cost saving could be made as a result of waste reduction.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Innovate UK and Balfour Beatty PLC for providing the financial support for the research through grant (Application) Nos 22883-158278 and File No. 101346.
Citation
Ajayi, S.O., Oyedele, L.O., Kadiri, K.O., Akinade, O.O., Bilal, M., Owolabi, H.A. and Alaka, H.A. (2016), "Competency-based measures for designing out construction waste: task and contextual attributes", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 23 No. 4, pp. 464-490. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-06-2015-0095
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited