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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between top management commitment and energy management in small and medium manufacturing firms in a developing country context.

This study was executed through a survey of 66 manufacturing firms in Kampala, Uganda. The data collected were analysed using SPSS v.26.

The results show that top management commitment influences energy management. A further probe of its three dimensions of top management participation, top management support and top management beliefs reveals that all of them positively and significantly predict energy management in manufacturing firms.

The current study results were obtained from manufacturing small and medium firms in Kampala, Uganda. Therefore, caution should be taken prior to generalization. Furthermore, this study only focuses on top management participation, top management support and top management beliefs as the dimensions of top management commitment. This study thus provides the foundation for future studies to test other dimensions of top management commitment, particularly in other sectors.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the contribution of top management commitment dimensions top management participation, top management support and top management beliefs to energy management in a developing country context. Although all dimensions are significant, top management beliefs contribute more to energy management.

Construction delay always causes massive damage to the advancing construction industries, which is no different in the case of Bangladeshi construction industries. This paper aims to investigate the major delay factors causing construction delays in public-funded, mixed and private-funded construction projects of Bangladesh. Also, it offers preventive suggestions from expert stakeholders to reduce the recurrence of delays.

At first, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify the thirty-seven major delay factors categorized under seven groups. A questionnaire was then developed for survey at ongoing construction projects at a different division of Bangladesh. Next, data from 110 respondents were collected, and the delay factors were ranked based on the Relative Importance Index (RII); lastly, probable solutions were suggested for top-ranked delay factors based on opinions from expert stakeholders in the construction sector of Bangladesh.

The overall RII ranking of the 37 delay factors showed “Construction mistakes and defective work,” “Contract modifications by the client” and “Adverse weather condition” as the top three factors causing the delay. For public-funded projects, “Construction mistakes and defective work” and “Slow decision making by a consultant” are the top delay factors. For mixed projects, “Slow decision making of the client” and “Construction mistakes and defective work ranked top, and for private-funded projects, “Financial problems and payment delay of the client” and “Adverse weather condition” ranked top. These nuances of ranking in individual project types ascertain that the causes of delay vary in terms of project features.

The outcome of this project will help identify the significant delay factors based on their severity of effectiveness associated with public-funded, mixed and private-funded projects in Bangladesh. The suggestions regarding preventing these delay factors obtained through the opinions of expert stakeholders can help reduce the effect of these delays in the context of Bangladesh and in countries where the similarity in construction environment prevails.

Previously, studies on construction delays in Bangladesh focused mainly on identifying the delays using qualitative analysis techniques. This study is based on a unique methodology of integrating quantitative research on delay factor identification and qualitative research on preventive measures following the opinions gathered from expert stakeholders in the construction sector.

Project information is widely and thoroughly exchanged within construction projects. However, the risk management process exhibits deficiencies in coordination and visibility, particularly in developing countries. Practitioners in developing countries often engage in Project Risk Management (PRiM) using practices that inadvertently hinder project success, frequently resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Therefore, this research explores practices within Project Integration Management (PIM) and Project Communication Management (PCmM) that could enhance PRiM and improve managerial proficiency to achieve project success in developing countries.

The PIM, PCmM and PRiM processes were explored from the literature; the data was gathered initially by close-ended interviews conducted with a panel of twelve experts followed by a well-structured questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed via AMOS to analyze the data and construct a model representing the intricate relationships between the processes. Additionally, the validity and reliability of the method were inspected.

The data analysis confirmed that PIM and PCmM were correlated according to contractors and consultants in the Jordanian construction industry. Furthermore, both have a positive influence on the PRiM. In addition, a 13-step process was developed to apply extra processes and practices to ensure better implementation of the PRiM in developing countries.

The literature highlights that integration and communication management influence project performance. However, there is a lack of research utilizing practices from these knowledge areas to achieve better project risk management implementation. This research highlights two of the most underrated knowledge areas in project management. Therefore, a framework was devised, comprising processes that practitioners should take into account during the planning phase leading to efficient PRiM to enhance their managerial proficiency.

This study aims to review the current trends in early contractor involvement (ECI) in construction project development. The review consist of the following objectives: (1) identifying the benefits of ECI on construction project development; (2) identifying the challenges of ECI in construction project development; and (3) identifying the strategies of ECI in construction project development.

This study systematically reviews the literature on the application of ECI in construction project development. A total of 133 related articles were identified and analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method.

This review identified “improved team work/collaboration working relationship” as the top benefits of ECI in construction project development. “Cultural barrier” was identified as the top challenge of ECI in construction project development, while “contributing value engineering” and “buildability evaluation input”, were the top two strategies of ECI in construction project development.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically review prior literature on ECI. As a result, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the art and fills the literature gap. Researchers and industry professionals can use the study findings to increase the rate and benefits of implementing ECI in construction projects.

This study aims to investigate the interrelationship between critical design criteria (CDC) that affect health, well-being and productivity (i.e. WELL) for residential buildings in developing countries, using Malaysia as a case study. To achieve the aim, the objectives are to identify CDC that affect WELL collectively; determine CDC that affect health, well-being, and productivity simultaneously; and analyze the interrelationship between the CDC.

Data from the semi-structured interviews and a systematic review of the existing literature were gathered for survey development. Next, survey data was collected from 114 professionals living in multistory buildings. Finally, normalized mean analysis, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), agreement analysis and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analyze the collected data.

Out of the 51 potential design criteria, 16 are critically affecting WELL collectively. Furthermore, six are critically affecting WELL collectively as well as health, well-being and productivity simultaneously: property price, water flow and supply, water treatment, pest management, management services and waste management. Finally, “water treatment” is highly correlated to “water management” and “water flow and supply.” In addition, “waste management” and “management services,” as well as “fire safety” and “emergency evacuation plans,” are highly correlated.

This study's originality includes investigating the CDC of residential buildings for the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, in a developing country. As a result, this study uncovers holistic design criteria for policymakers to establish holistic building assessment tools for residential buildings.

Considering the construction industry’s vital role in economic development and social consequences, this study seeks to pinpoint critical barriers hindering Turkey’s sustainable construction (SC). Although several studies highlighted the barriers to SC worldwide, none identified the critical factors. By identifying and understanding these barriers, the research aims to comprehensively understand practices and formulate strategic recommendations to promote sustainable construction.

A systematic approach is adopted to achieve the research objectives. The study involves identifying potential barriers to SC with a systematic literature review. A questionnaire was organized and distributed via e-mail to architects, civil engineers, and contractors. The criticality of identified barriers was determined with normalized mean value analysis, and critical barrier factors (CBFs) to SC were isolated with exploratory factor analysis. Finally, the effect size of these factors was quantified through structural equation modeling.

This study identified 32 critical barriers hindering the SC in the Turkish construction industry among 49 barriers. Furthermore, this study revealed six CBFs to SC that are “inadequate supervision and control of SC,” “fear of transition to sustainable construction and disruptions in adoption,” “lack of educational opportunities,” “return on investment and financial bias,” “awareness and knowledge gap about SC,” and “lack of demand from stakeholders.” Among them, “awareness and knowledge gap about SC,” “fear of transition to SC,” “lack of educational opportunities,” “lack of demand from stakeholders,” and “inadequate supervision and control of SC” were determined as the very highly crucial CBFs hindering SC.

Although some studies have identified the barriers to SC qualitatively and quantitatively, studies have yet to provide insights into the critical barrier factors hindering SC. Therefore, this study comprehensively and quantitatively determines the relevant CBFs to SC using exploratory factor analysis and utilizes confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to present a structural model of how critical factors affect the SC.

This study aims to investigate the determinants of anti-corruption disclosures by construction firms in Asia-Pacific countries.

The sample comprises construction companies from seven Asia-Pacific countries from 2015 to 2019. The authors hand-collected data on anti-corruption disclosures by using content analysis.

This study provides empirical evidence that government ownership, country-level accounting competence and high-quality auditors increase companies’ anti-corruption disclosures. Meanwhile, this study finds that uncertainty avoidance does not affect companies’ anti-corruption disclosures.

This study has a number of implications. First, government and professional accountant organizations need to improve accountants’ knowledge and competence through education, training and continuous professional development. Second, public accounting firms need to ensure the quality of their auditors, particularly in the technical competence in financial and nonfinancial reporting. Finally, universities must improve and update their curriculum regarding nonfinancial reporting issues.

This study is among the first to examine anti-corruption disclosure practices in the most corrupted settings, i.e. the construction industry in Asia-Pacific countries. It uses the isomorphism perspective to explain the influence of government ownership, country-level accounting competence and high-quality auditors on anti-corruption disclosure transparency. The number of prior studies investigating this association is very limited. Moreover, disclosures of anti-corruption information are complex and sensitive; thus, coercive, normative and mimetic pressures are required to achieve higher transparency and sustainability.

While existing research has explored the association between supervisor support and turnover intention among construction workers, there is a notable gap in the literature concerning the potential mediating role of work engagement in elucidating this relationship, warranting further investigation. The paper, hence, aims to examine the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between supervisor support and turnover intention among construction workers.

Based on the quantitative research method, the hypothesis was tested. The data were collected from 144 construction professionals using a structured questionnaire. Observed variables were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, and the mediating role relationship was validated using hierarchical regression.

The outcome of this study shows a significant positive impact of work engagement and supervisor support on employee turnover intention. The study further showed that work engagement plays a mediating role in the connection between supervisory support and the intention to turnover and improve project and business performance. Turnover intention, on the other hand, negatively affects project and organizational performance.

By enhancing employee work engagement and perceptions of supervisor support, the findings of this study may aid construction organizations in making better judgments regarding the likelihood of employee turnover. The effectiveness of the project and the organization will likely be greatly impacted.

The results of this study provide supporting evidence and advance efforts at reducing employee turnover intention through work engagement and supervisor support in improving project and organizational performance.

Construction is a risky industry. Therefore, organizations are seeking ways towards improving their safety performance. Among these, the integration of technology into health and safety leads to enhanced safety performance. Considering the benefits observed in using technology in safety, this study aims to explore digital technologies' use and potential benefits in construction health and safety.

An extensive bibliometrics analysis was conducted to reveal which technologies are at the forefront of others and how these technologies are used in safety operations. The study used two different databases, Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus, to scan the literature in a systemic way.

The systemic analysis of several studies showed that the digital technologies use in construction are still a niche theme and need more assessment. The study provided that sensors and wireless technology are of utmost importance in terms of construction safety. Moreover, the study revealed that artificial intelligence, machine learning, building information modeling (BIM), sensors and wireless technologies are trending technologies compared to unmanned aerial vehicles, serious games and the Internet of things. On the other hand, the study provided that the technologies are even more effective with integrated use like in the case of BIM and sensors or unmanned aerial vehicles. It was observed that the use of these technologies varies with respect to studies conducted in different countries. The study further revealed that the studies conducted on this topic are mostly published in some selected journals and international collaboration efforts in terms of researching the topic have been observed.

This study provides an extensive analysis of WoS and Scopus databases and an in-depth review of the use of digital technologies in construction safety. The review consists of the most recent studies showing the benefits of using such technologies and showing the usage on a systemic level from which both scientists and practitioners can benefit to devise new strategies in technology usage.

The phenomenon of delayed payment to contractors, particularly in the construction industry, is a vital one and has implications for the health of economies of both developing and developed countries. However, the knowledge of this phenomenon seems patchy and scattered. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on the subject matter with directions for future research.

A systematic literature review coupled with a scientometric analysis was used to identify the main strands of delayed payment to contractor research as a basis for qualitative analysis and directions for future investigations.

Current trends of delayed payment to contractor research are categorised into five broad themes, namely: causes, effects, mitigation measures, ethical and law and regulatory issues. On the basis of these themes, directions for future research are proffered.

To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comprehensive and an integrated knowledge on delayed payment to contractor research with pointers for further investigation and policy directions.