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Construction management research (CMR) surveys frequently use questionnaires that employ “Likert-type” items, Likert-items, and Likert scales to capture respondents ' self-reported attitudes. This Editorial builds substantially on earlier observations by Holt regarding the significance of appropriate questionnaire response scale design and, use of the relative importance index (RII) method to analyse those data such scales yield. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Several RII models are examined by their application to a data set. Objectives include to contrast their practicality in use, compare outputs, highlight limitations of some models and discuss methods of RII data analysis, interrogation and interpretation.

Principal messages are: all components of response scales should be carefully designed; alternative RII models can produce similar results of analysis; “simple percentage” RII models may not yield “real” percentages; the minimum rating scale integer should accurately reflect its descriptor; only rating scales offering a “0” response, or an “adjusted percentage” RII model can achieve unity; and RII outputs should be interpreted cautiously.

Uncertain application of the RII has been observed within CMR literature, so implications of the Editorial will be of direct relevance to this research community (and beyond).

Aside from that cited above, no additional literature has been identified that specifically links RII usage to CMR.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the main causes of delays in the projects are from the client (relative importance index (RII)=0.716), labor and equipment (RII=0.701) and contractor (RII=0.698). Hence determining the contractual responsibility of delay is the most likely source of dispute in construction projects and many techniques have been used in the courts to demonstrate the criticalities of a delay event on the project schedule. Therefore, authors try to investigate all process-based techniques of delay claims and evaluated and conformed them with principles by Society of Construction Law (SCL) protocol and Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI) in order to choose the best techniques based on the specific circumstances of each project.

This section is divided into two distinct parts: refers to the methods used to assess the perceptions of clients, consultants, and contractors on the relative importance of causes of delay in construction industry; and refers to advantages and disadvantages of various techniques used to analyze delays and their conform with SCL protocol. A questionnaire was developed to assess the perceptions of clients, consultants, and contractors on the relative importance of causes of delay in Iranian construction industry. The respondents were asked to indicate their response category on 78 well-recognized construction delay factors identified by authors.

In total, 78 causes of delay were identified through research. The identified causes are combined into seven groups. The field survey included 58 contractors, 55 consultants, and 62 client. Data collected were analyzed by RII and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The authors identified main causes of delay and ten most important causes, according to Table AII, from the perspective of three major groups of participants (clients, consultants and contractors). The ranking of categories of causes of delay, according to Table I, were: client-related causes (RII=0.716); labor and equipment category causes (RII=0.701); contractor-related causes (RII=0.698); material-related causes (RII=0.690); design-related causes (RII=0.666); external causes (RII=0.662); and consultant-related causes (RII=0.662). But according to the discussions and given that determining the contractual responsibility of delay is the most likely source of dispute in construction industry and many techniques have been used in the courts to demonstrate the criticalities of a delay event on the project schedule.

All process-based techniques of delay analysis have been present in this paper and categorized in 11 groups. In order to understand the advantages and disadvantages of them by clients, contractor and consultant, a thorough review conducted to reveal the nature of techniques. In the next step, given that selecting the most appropriate technique based on constraints and specific conditions of each project is one of the most important steps to carry out a successful delay analysis. The authors conformed, all process-based techniques of delay analysis, by SCL protocol and AACEI principles. Finally, the result of this match was brought in order to choose the best technique based on the specific circumstances of each project.

The purpose of the research discussed in this paper is to ascertain the perception, from the project manager's viewpoint, of factors affecting construction productivity in the State of Queensland, Australia.

The research was conducted by a structured questionnaire that was sent to 89 randomly selected construction project managers in Queensland, Australia. This questionnaire requested background information about the respondents and then sought a score, using a 0-4 Likert scale, from each of them with respect to the importance of 47 factors identified from the literature that were considered likely to affect construction productivity. The factors were stratified into primary factors and secondary factors contributing to three of the primary factors. There were 36 responses. These factors were rated by the respondents and then ranked using a relative importance index approach.

The research evaluated the relative importance of the primary factors with respect to their effect on construction productivity. The 15 highest ranking factors are discussed. Three factors – rework, poor supervisor competency, and incomplete drawings – were ranked as having a strong effect on construction productivity. There was also an analysis of the secondary factors in relation to three of the primary factors.

The research focused on the State of Queensland in Australia. It had a response rate of 40 per cent. It provides insight into the factors affecting productivity on construction projects in Australia. Further research to investigate the identified factors in depth, using targeted interviews of expert project management professionals, is currently being undertaken.

The construction industry can use the findings in this paper as a basis for improving the productivity of construction projects.

This research is original research, which has highlighted a number of key areas of which construction productivity can be improved.

This paper examines rent determinants and their relationship with commercial office property rents.

The method adopted in this study differs from that of previous studies on this topic. Firstly, based on the survey of the viewpoints of experts, Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis was used to identify rent determinants and to rank and ensure their relevance and validity in the Sri Lankan context. Secondly, sampling of data related to 115 office properties collected from property tenants and landlords located within the central built-up area of Colombo City was conducted using a multi-methods approach to carry out an objective hedonic analysis of office rents.

This research utilizes RII and hedonic models to provide insights into determinants and relationships. Both analyses confirm that the three top drivers of commercial office rent are distance from the major town center, availability of parking space and the condition of the property. In addition to these three factors, hedonic models reveal that the age of the property and the availability of a conference hall also play a relevant role in explaining office rents. Given the disparities in the findings of the two methods, further examination was able to confirm that factors such as distance from the major town center, parking availability, age of the property, presence of a conference hall, building condition, floor size, business type and type of building are likely to influence commercial office rent. These findings reflect elements such as the quality, newness and better facilities of different office properties.

This systematic study and analysis of office rent for the guidance of real estate investors can support sound investment decisions, potentially leading to more financially sound property development, reduced public debt levels and improved public-private financing. Further, the research findings offer valuable insights to real estate investors, developers and planners regarding location decisions for office development quality enhancements in future office developments.

This research provides fresh insights into the local scale office market, an area where limited evidence currently exists. Further, the methodology adopted provides evidence that hedonic analysis, supported by a multi-method approach, can mitigate the subjective judgments made by professionals.

In Ghana, the duration of construction projects from inception to completion is becoming a great concern, recently, especially among clients and beneficiaries, because of the rising interest rates, inflation, development plan targets, among other factors. Hence the need to understand the causes of delays and cost overrun in the construction sector has become more important than ever. This study therefore aims to identify the major factors underlying time and cost overruns in projects related to the education sector in Ghana to proffer practical solutions in addressing them.

The study conducted a survey among clients’ consultants and representatives of the contractors working on about 60 government school projects. A relative importance index was used to determine the relative effects of the factors causing construction time and cost overruns.

The key factors causing construction time overrun were: financial problems, unrealistic contract durations imposed by clients, poorly defined project scope, client-initiated variations, under-estimation of project cost by consultants, poor inspection/supervision of projects by consultants. Other factors were underestimation of project complexity by contractors, poor site management, inappropriate construction methods used by contractors and delays in the issuance of permits by government agencies. Factors affecting cost overruns were financial difficulty by client, delays in payments of completed works, variations in designs, lack of communications plans, poor feasibility and project analysis, poor financial management on site and material price fluctuations.

The research was limited to only the educational sector projects.

Practically, this study highlights for the construction sector the critical factors causing project time and cost overruns in Ghana. Identification of these factors provides the basis for pragmatic solutions to enhance the chances of project success.

The identification and solutions to project time and cost overruns, especially for educational sector projects, contribute toward making public goods more affordable and accessible to most citizens, particularly in developing countries.

This study contributes to the debate on factors causing project time and cost overruns in the construction sector especially from a developing country’s perspective.

Land value is a measure of the specific features of a property, excluding buildings and other developments. Land value varies depending on the economic, geographic and political aspects of a particular location. The primary purpose of the paper is to identify the general and location-specific attributes impacting property prices in urban Kerala.

The objective of the current study was achieved through a three-cycle Delphi survey and relative importance index (RII) approach. The experts who aided in the survey had a mutual interest in the subject but came from different backgrounds like property valuation, real estate, urban and environmental planning. The initial group of variables identified from the literature was expanded and scrutinized in the first cycle of the Delphi survey. The variables were grouped into five major categories and 13 subcategories based on the literature and expert opinion. In the subsequent stages, the short-listed variables were rated on a seven-point Likert scale until a consensus was attained. The top-ranked variables were identified through the RII method as the critical factors influencing land value in urban Kerala.

The results indicate that road accessibility and proximity to nuisance sources are the most crucial parameters. The outcome of the study will provide a better understanding of the dynamics of land value and the influencing factors in urban areas.

Previous studies do not give much consideration for the location-specific variability on the influencing parameters. Property management research has not considered the usage of expert opinion and RII for variable selection.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the factors that affect the bid/no bid decision according to their relative importance from the perspective of the contracting parties operating in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

The objectives of this research were investigated through a postal questionnaire, which covered a randomly selected sample of 63 contractors, 29 clients and 13 consultants operating in the construction industry in the Gaza strip. The questionnaire was structured based on related literature, the pilot study and actual factors affecting bidders' decisions to bid or not that arise from special conditions in the Gaza Strip. A total of 78 factors that affect the bid/no bid decision were identified. These factors were then ranked according to their relative importance to contracting parties operating in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

The results illustrate that the financial capability of the contractors, the financial capability of the clients, the financial values of the project, the due date of the payments, the availability of construction raw materials in local markets, and the stability of the construction industry were the most critical factors affecting the bid/no bid decision, as agreed by all respondents.

The paper provides supportive practical solutions for contractors, clients and consultants to enhance and improve bidding decisions. It is recommended that clients and consultants consider the financial capabilities, technical capabilities and staff competencies of the contractors during the awarding stage, and not simply focus on the lowest bid.

Since the construction industry in the State of Kuwait is further governed by a competitive environment, which is driven by the lowest cost mentality, the aim of this study is to identify and rank the relative importance of factors perceived to influence bid mark‐up size decisions among local general contractors bidding on construction projects.

The effects of 40 identified factors, which were shortlisted based on previous relevant investigations and the input of local industry experts, were surveyed by a statistically representative sample of contractors. Using the “relative importance index” technique, the influence ranks of the factors explored were established.

The results reveal the following as the primary factors affecting general contractors' bid mark‐up size decisions: employer type and identity; project size; clarity of technical specifications; previous experience with employer; number and identity of competitors; previous experience in similar projects; design complexity level; current work load; design quality level; and tendering duration.

Although the outputs contribute to the overall body of knowledge related to bidding in the construction industry, it is further recommended to determine the relationship between the factors explored, especially those perceived as most significant, and their tangible effects on contractors' mark‐up decisions.

The outcomes: demonstrate the importance of the “constructability” concept to construction costs; and assert that the conception of exerting pressure on designers to cut down design durations and fees, and further shortening tenders' durations to speed up the projects' development process, is “false economy”.

The findings fill a gap in knowledge of the factors affecting contractors' bid mark‐up decisions, which can be used to provide academics, employers, industry practitioners, and policy makers, direction for focusing, acting upon and controlling the primary factors perceived to impact the competitiveness level of the State's construction industry.

The quality of construction projects is mainly dependent on the process quality during the construction phase than product quality. The key factors that influence the process quality of building projects in Pakistan during the construction phase of building life cycle are evaluated from literature. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

The factors were ranked using the traditional relative importance index (RII) and the second synthetic grey relational analysis method. The findings indicate that during the construction phase the selection of an appropriate contractor is the most important factor. The existence of feedback system and quality of shop drawings received from subcontractors are also very significant factors, according to the grey relational model.

Measures for the improvement of process quality in Pakistan are suggested. The results from both methods are not entirely comparable; however, if one considers uncertainty in data, then the second synthetic GRA-based ranking should be preferred over RII in decision making.

The study is pioneer in the evaluation of key factors influencing process quality during building construction projects in Pakistan using a set of traditional and novel methods. The results of this study are significant in improving the process quality during different phases of construction.

Project delay is becoming a problem in the Sultanate of Oman as evidenced by many delayed projects across the country. The purpose of this study is to examine causes and effects of delays in megaprojects in the Sultanate of Oman with recommendations to mitigate same.

A systematic review of literature identifies through main stakeholders the numerous causes, impacts and methods of mitigating delay from previous studies. A questionnaire survey on Oman was carried out to sample opinions from the practitioners; 53 questionnaires were received and analysed using the relative importance index (RII) method.

The five most frequent causes of delay in the Sultanate of Oman, in rank order, are: selection of the lowest bid, instead of best bid for the client (RII: 0.698); the financial condition of the main contractor (RII: 0.664); delay in decision-making by the client (RII: 0.656); and poor construction planning by the main contractor (RII: 0.649). Also, the findings indicate that extra cost (RII: 0.754) and project time overrun (RII: 0.724) are the most significant effects of the delay in the Oman megaprojects. The use of experienced contractors and consultant (RII 0.675), efficient construction planning by the main contractor and effective site management and supervision (RII: 0.667) are essential mitigation methods of construction delay in Oman megaprojects.

The study recommends three-part novel solutions to mitigate delay in the Oman construction industry.