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1 – 8 of 8Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke
The quest for improved facilities management (FM) delivery is receiving immense focus through the incorporation of innovative technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS)…
Abstract
Purpose
The quest for improved facilities management (FM) delivery is receiving immense focus through the incorporation of innovative technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS). The system’s high computational capabilities can aid in the abatement of some of the challenges plaguing FM functions. However, the requisite ingredients for the uptake of the system for FM have still not gained scholarly attention. Because performance measurement is a vital index in determining the outcome of FM methods, this study aims to investigate the influence of performance measurement indicators that are influential to the uptake of CPS for delivering FM functions.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative technique was adopted using the Delphi technique. The panel of experts for the study was selected through a well-defined process based on stipulated criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two rounds before consensus was attained on the identified performance measurement indicators, whereas methods of data analysis were measures of central tendency, inter-quartile deviation and Mann–Whitney U test.
Findings
Results from this study showed that 11 of the performance indicators were of very high significance in the determination of the uptake of CPS for FM functions, whereas 5 of the indicators were proven to be of high significance. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference in the opinions of the experts based on their affiliation with academic institutions and professional practice.
Practical implications
The findings of this study contribute practically by aiding policymakers, facility managers and relevant stakeholders with the vital knowledge of delivery mandates for efficient FM services that can spur the uptake of digital technologies such as CPS.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it unveils a roadmap of the expected performance output and its accompanying evaluation that would drive the adoption of a promising technology such as CPS in the delivery of FM tasks.
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Sushilawati Ismail, Carol K.H. Hon, Philip Crowther, Martin Skitmore and Fiona Lamari
Malaysia’s industrialised building system (IBS) has been increasingly adopted for sustainable development by the country’s construction industry. However, although it has been…
Abstract
Purpose
Malaysia’s industrialised building system (IBS) has been increasingly adopted for sustainable development by the country’s construction industry. However, although it has been used for commercial building projects, its application to sustainable infrastructure development has been limited to date. This study aims to examine the drivers and challenges involved.
Design/methodology/approach
A preliminary conceptual framework was initially developed based on a systematic literature review. Semi-structured interviews involving 20 participants were undertaken to gain insightful thoughts from the construction practitioners to discover the perception towards IBS application in the construction industry, the applicability of IBS, particularly in infrastructure projects, the strategies of IBS delivery and the sustainable potential of its application. A two-round Delphi study was conducted with 15 experienced and knowledgeable panellists to further identify, verify and prioritise factors developed from the literature review and interview findings. Then, the results were synthesised and triangulated to demonstrate a holistic insight.
Findings
The results show the main drivers to be better productivity, quality, environmental, safety and health, constructability design and cost, policy and requirements, with the main challenges being project planning and cost-related issues, inexperience and industry capacity.
Originality/value
The study’s main contribution is in systematically determining the practical implications involved in applying the IBS to sustainable infrastructure developments in Malaysia and other similar developing countries.
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Bismark Amfo, Adinan Bahahudeen Shafiwu and Mohammed Tanko
The authors investigated cocoa farmers' access to subsidized fertilizer in Ghana and implications on productivity.
Abstract
Purpose
The authors investigated cocoa farmers' access to subsidized fertilizer in Ghana and implications on productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were sourced from 435 cocoa farmers. Cragg hurdle and two-step Tobit model with continuous endogenous regressors/covariates were applied for the drivers of cocoa farmers' participation in fertilizer subsidy programme and productivity. Propensity score matching (PSM), inverse-probability weights (IPW) and augmented inverse-probability weights (AIPW) were applied for productivity impact assessment of fertilizer subsidy.
Findings
All the farmers were aware of fertilizer subsidy for cocoa production in Ghana. Farmers became aware of fertilizer subsidy through extension officers, media and other farmers. Half of cocoa farmers benefitted from fertilizer subsidy. Averagely, cocoa farmers purchased 292 kg of subsidized fertilizer. Many socio-economic, farm-level characteristics and institutional factors determine cocoa farmers' participation in fertilizer subsidy programme, quantity of subsidized fertilizer obtained and productivity. Beneficiaries of fertilizer subsidy recorded higher cocoa productivity than non-beneficiaries. Hence, fertilizer subsidy for cocoa production in Ghana leads to a gain in productivity.
Practical implications
There should be more investments in fertilizer subsidy so that all cocoa farmers benefit and obtain the required quantities.
Originality/value
The authors provide new evidence on cocoa productivity gain or loss emanating from fertilizer subsidy by combining different impact assessment techniques for deeper analysis: PSM, IPW and AIPW.
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Ama Darkwah Osei Assibey Antwi, Aba Essanowa Afful, Joshua Ayarkwa, Ambrose Dodoo, Safowaa Osei-Tutu and Anthony Kwame Danso
This study aims to review the status quo, current state of research, research hot themes and research gaps in sustainable facilities management (SFM) in the built environment (BE…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to review the status quo, current state of research, research hot themes and research gaps in sustainable facilities management (SFM) in the built environment (BE) through an extant literature review.
Design/methodology/approach
To map and analyze knowledge paths in the context of SFM research, a sequential explanatory mixed-method review involving bibliometric and content analysis was used to help identify current research trends, research hot themes and knowledge gaps. The Scopus search engine was used to find 169 relevant articles. For a better understanding of the literature accumulated, a bibliometric analysis was carried out by using VOSviewer to reveal current research themes, the status quo and current state of research as well as research gaps.
Findings
Through the literature review and content analysis, the current research themes on SFM revealed from the study include green building technologies, assessment methods of SFM, smart buildings and building information modeling. The research hot themes in SFM include smart buildings and green building technologies, green buildings (GB), architectural and building designs in the university sector, assessment methods in buildings and decision-making and the adoption of asset and facility management in the university sector. Indoor air pollution, intelligent buildings, climate change, maintenance, environmental management, facilities, historic preservation, environmental performance, energy management, etc. are the research gaps identified from the study, and these serve as potential areas for future research studies under SFM. It was recognized that facilities managers are increasingly involved with sustainability policies within their organizations and are developing sustainability agendas to keep up with the changing nature of the facilities management (FM) profession.
Practical implications
The findings of this study hold relevance to the FM practice, as the integration of SFM by facilities managers can lead to waste reduction, decreased operating expenses and reduced energy consumption. In addition, occupants of sustainable buildings experience improved conditions that contribute to better health and productivity, thus boosting their overall well-being. Consistent with the themes of smart buildings and green technologies, revealed to be the hot themes in the SFM research scope, properties with sustainable features can command higher rental rates and property values, appealing to a broader range of stakeholders. SFM practices in universities can aid in saving money from reduced facility operational costs and improve the image of institutions while creating better indoor environments for students and staff. The analyses of countries involved in research can open doors for the establishment of research groups and the development of collaboration between universities in different countries researching similar topics of interest.
Originality/value
The geographical scope of this study is not limited and, therefore, encourages broad applicability of the findings to the global sustainable BE.
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Kaiyang Wang, Fangyu Guo, Cheng Zhang and Dirk Schaefer
The purpose of this study is to systematically identify, assess, and categorize the barriers to digital transformation (DT) in the engineering and construction sectors, and thus…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to systematically identify, assess, and categorize the barriers to digital transformation (DT) in the engineering and construction sectors, and thus to better understand the impact and how these sectors might be overcome.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a sequential mixed qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis approach. DT barriers were first identified from relevant literature and verified by an expert panel. Then, a questionnaire survey assessing the impacts of the identified DT barriers was distributed to construction professionals in China, and 192 valid responses were retrieved. Further, the data obtained were analyzed using ranking analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
Based on the ranking analysis, the top three barriers are “lack of industry-specific standards and laws,” “lack of clear vision, strategy and direction for DT,” and “lack of support from top management for DT.” EFA enabled the grouping of the 26 barriers into 3 categories: (1) lack of laws and regulations (LLR), (2) lack of support and leadership (LSL), and (3) lack of resources and professionals (LRP). The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that LLR, LSL, and LRP were found to have significant negative impacts on DT.
Originality/value
These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on DT in the construction industry and help construction firms and government bodies improve the understanding of these barriers to DT and put forward relevant policies and incentives, thus seizing the DT benefits as a way to enhance construction project management.
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Mala Ali Modu, Maimunah Sapri and Zafirah Ab Muin
Social housing offers occupants comfort, safety and protection against extreme weather conditions. However, social housing occupants in various regions of Nigeria face various…
Abstract
Purpose
Social housing offers occupants comfort, safety and protection against extreme weather conditions. However, social housing occupants in various regions of Nigeria face various challenges. This paper aims to use a quantitative approach to examine the factors that contribute to the challenges faced by occupants in social housing within a semi-arid climate of Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory cross-sectional survey was used to administer 1,032 copies of structured questionnaires to occupants of social housing in Maiduguri, one of the largest urban centers of the semi-arid climate in Nigeria. A total of 955 responses were retrieved, giving a response rate of 92.5%. The statistical model used in analyzing data was relative importance indices and factor analysis.
Findings
The results show that poor quality of FM services provided, poor maintenance of building components, damage to materials and valuables in the Harmattan period and housekeeping problems due to dust deposition in doors, while the poor response to occupants’ complaints/reports is the least among the occupants’ challenges in order of importance. Moreover, the results of the factor analysis further established that inadequate FM services and poor environmental conditions are the two factors contributing to the occupants’ challenges in social housing within the semi-arid climate of Nigeria.
Originality/value
This paper seeks to examine the factors contributing to social housing occupants’ challenges in the semi-arid climate of Nigeria. The paper should inform policymakers, academics and professionals.
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Hamid Reza Saeidnia, Elaheh Hosseini, Shadi Abdoli and Marcel Ausloos
The study aims to analyze the synergy of artificial intelligence (AI), with scientometrics, webometrics and bibliometrics to unlock and to emphasize the potential of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to analyze the synergy of artificial intelligence (AI), with scientometrics, webometrics and bibliometrics to unlock and to emphasize the potential of the applications and benefits of AI algorithms in these fields.
Design/methodology/approach
By conducting a systematic literature review, our aim is to explore the potential of AI in revolutionizing the methods used to measure and analyze scholarly communication, identify emerging research trends and evaluate the impact of scientific publications. To achieve this, we implemented a comprehensive search strategy across reputable databases such as ProQuest, IEEE Explore, EBSCO, Web of Science and Scopus. Our search encompassed articles published from January 1, 2000, to September 2022, resulting in a thorough review of 61 relevant articles.
Findings
(1) Regarding scientometrics, the application of AI yields various distinct advantages, such as conducting analyses of publications, citations, research impact prediction, collaboration, research trend analysis and knowledge mapping, in a more objective and reliable framework. (2) In terms of webometrics, AI algorithms are able to enhance web crawling and data collection, web link analysis, web content analysis, social media analysis, web impact analysis and recommender systems. (3) Moreover, automation of data collection, analysis of citations, disambiguation of authors, analysis of co-authorship networks, assessment of research impact, text mining and recommender systems are considered as the potential of AI integration in the field of bibliometrics.
Originality/value
This study covers the particularly new benefits and potential of AI-enhanced scientometrics, webometrics and bibliometrics to highlight the significant prospects of the synergy of this integration through AI.
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Atul Kumar Singh and V.R. Prasath Kumar
Blockchain is a developing technology that affects numerous industries, including facility management (FM). Many barriers are associated with adopting blockchain-enabled building…
Abstract
Purpose
Blockchain is a developing technology that affects numerous industries, including facility management (FM). Many barriers are associated with adopting blockchain-enabled building information modeling (BEBIM) in FM. This research aims to identify and prioritize the barriers to adopting BEBIM in FM.
Design/methodology/approach
To address the knowledge gap, this study employs a two-phase methodology for evaluating the barriers to adopting BEBIM in FM. The first phase involves a comprehensive literature review identifying 14 barriers to BEBIM adoption. Using a Delphi approach, the identified barriers were categorized into 6 groups and finalized by 11 experts, adding 3 more barriers to the list. The best-worst method (BWM) determines the priority weights of identified barriers and sub-barriers in the second phase.
Findings
This study reveals that adopting BEBIM for FM in India faces significant hurdles. The most critical barriers are “limited collaboration” and “communication among stakeholders,” “legal constraints in certain jurisdictions” and “challenges in establishing trust and governance models.” To mitigate these barriers, stakeholders should foster collaboration and communication, develop efficient blockchain technology (BT) and establish a trust and governance model.
Practical implications
This work underscores the importance of formulating effective strategies to overcome the identified barriers and emphasizes implications that can assist policymakers and industry stakeholders in achieving successful BEBIM adoption for improved FM practice.
Originality/value
The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, construction industry stakeholders and facility managers interested in leveraging this technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of FM practice in India.
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