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21 – 30 of over 45000
Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Julius Akotia and Alex Opoku

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. Practitioners’ level of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. Practitioners’ level of involvement is a major factor that has and continues to determine the delivery of sustainability outcomes of regeneration projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopted a qualitative study that obtained data from 21 key practitioners through semi-structured interviews in exploring practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. The semi-structured interviews are conducted with seven practitioners, each from the three construction organisations selected through a purposive sampling approach for the study.

Findings

The findings identify varied levels of involvement of the key practitioners at the three delivery stages – early, construction and post-construction of the projects. The findings further reveal that clients’ representatives, commercial managers and architects are the most frequently involved practitioners during the early stages of the projects. The findings also indicate that practitioners who have sustainability assigned to their roles and their responsibilities, such as sustainability managers, are the least involved in all the three delivery stages of the projects.

Research limitations/implications

The study involves interview with 21 practitioners from three organisations delivering sustainable regeneration projects; hence, this could limit the generalisation of the research findings. However, the findings of this study could serve as a useful source of information for the further study in this area.

Practical implications

The paper is of the view that the level of key practitioners’ involvement in the delivery of the projects will have an impact on their knowledge and will determine how sustainability benefits are promoted and delivered from the projects.

Originality/value

Although some studies have been carried out on practitioners’ engagement in the delivery of “normal” construction projects, none has focussed on practitioners’ levels of involvement in sustainable regeneration projects. Hence, this study has brought to the fore how the key practitioners tasked with the responsibilities of delivering sustainability benefits of regeneration projects have been involved (at various levels of the project life cycle) in the delivery of these projects.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2009

Ofer Zwikael

The purpose of this paper is to improve construction project planning capabilities. As project management is a core capability in the construction industry, high‐quality project

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve construction project planning capabilities. As project management is a core capability in the construction industry, high‐quality project planning processes are necessary for project success.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper involves data collected from 555 project managers across four industries spanning three different countries. The project planning capabilities of construction project managers are compared with other industrial sectors. In addition, critical project planning processes for the construction industry are identified.

Findings

It is found that, relative to other industrial sectors, organisations belonging to the construction sector obtain a high quality of project planning and the highest success rate. In comparison with other sectors, schedule, quality, and procurement planning are most frequently executed in construction projects. Finally, the impact of the different planning processes on project is success are investigated. The processes that have the greatest impact on project success in the construction sector are “activity definition” and “project plan development.” However, construction project managers do not always invest enough effort in these critical planning processes.

Practical implications

Construction project managers wishing to improve project performance at the planning phase of a project should concentrate more on the accurate identification of all project activities. They should focus on the development of a high‐quality project plan that can be approved by key stakeholders.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the most critical planning processes in construction projects. This represents new information for the construction management body of knowledge.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2005

Peter E.D. Love and David J. Edwards

In this paper the predictive capabilities of the full job strain model (JSM) for construction project managers is examined. The principal aim of the work is to determine whether…

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Abstract

Purpose

In this paper the predictive capabilities of the full job strain model (JSM) for construction project managers is examined. The principal aim of the work is to determine whether employees' psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction can be reliably predicted.

Design/methodology/approach

The full JSM is tested by investigating perceived work demands, job control and social support. The predictive capability of the full JSM (which encompasses job demands, job control and social support) is applied to a sample of construction project managers from the UK.

Findings

The analysis of the results indicates that the JSM can significantly predict employees' psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction among the construction project managers sampled. A key finding was that social support had significant (p<0.0001) main effects on psychological wellbeing. Contrary to previous research, however, non‐work‐related support was found to be more significant than work support in alleviating psychological strain.

Research limitations/implications

A model that incorporates a wider range of variables should be developed to account for the variance in strain between different roles that construction project managers adopt within an organisation and projects so they can be useful for job design.

Originality/value

For the specific sample, the JSM captured the key characteristics that contributed to the job strain that they experienced. With the exception of non‐work‐related social support, the results support previous studies that examined the predictive capacity of the JSM.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2013

Martin Jaeger and Desmond Adair

One of the consequences of globalisation is the proliferation of interactions between professionals of organisations from different cultural backgrounds. This is certainly true

2110

Abstract

Purpose

One of the consequences of globalisation is the proliferation of interactions between professionals of organisations from different cultural backgrounds. This is certainly true for construction project managers working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and the aim here is to provide foundation evidence regarding first, the existence of a distinct organisational culture and, second, the perceived culture type.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected through questionnaire-based interviews with 96 construction project managers in the GCC countries was analysed by applying the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI, Cameron and Quinn, 2006) and empirical statistics.

Findings

The OCAI was found to be a useful tool to determine a profession's culture, and, confirming what has so far been anecdotal evidence, the findings indicate that both the group and hierarchy cultures are dominant culture types among construction project managers in the GCC countries.

Practical implications

The confirmation of the dominant culture types gives increased confidence to practitioners to develop effective cultural diversity management regarding professional interactions with construction project managers in the GCC countries.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the body of knowledge by proving that construction project managers in the GCC countries perceive a dominant blend of group and hierarchy cultures.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 20 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2013

Nur Liyana Othman and Mastura Jaafar

– The aim of the current research is to assess the personal competency level of women project managers in the Malaysian construction industry.

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the current research is to assess the personal competency level of women project managers in the Malaysian construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used stratified random sampling design on the listed Grade 7 contractor companies in Peninsular Malaysia. The questionnaire survey approach was used to collect data on 15 women project managers in Peninsular Malaysia.

Findings

The results revealed that experience is the first criterion being used in selecting women project managers, whereas the three main personal competencies they exemplify are honesty and integrity, alertness and quickness, and decision-making ability.

Practical implications

The result can be used as a guidance to measure the level of personal competency of women project managers.

Originality/value

The current study provides insight into the competency exemplified by women project managers in Malaysia.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2004

Andrew R.J. Dainty, Ani B. Raiden and Richard H. Neale

The past 20 years have seen a period of fundamental change for many construction businesses as they have restructured, downsized, de‐layered, merged and de‐merged to survive…

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Abstract

The past 20 years have seen a period of fundamental change for many construction businesses as they have restructured, downsized, de‐layered, merged and de‐merged to survive turbulent markets and rapidly changing demand cycles. Such change places significant new pressures, challenges and constraints on the employer/employee relationship. This paper argues that these changes are likely to have reconstituted employee expectations of the less formal aspects of the employment relationship, known collectively as the psychological contract. Explores this inductive research which examines the psychological contract of 30 construction project managers.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2009

Shamas‐ur‐Rehman Toor and Stephen Ogunlana

A large portion of the extant literature on leadership focuses only on the positive traits of leaders. However, the so‐called “dark side of leadership”, or negative personal…

12913

Abstract

Purpose

A large portion of the extant literature on leadership focuses only on the positive traits of leaders. However, the so‐called “dark side of leadership”, or negative personal traits of leaders, has received relatively less attention. Also, in practice, leadership is mostly evaluated in terms of the positive traits and strengths of leaders, even though certain organizational factors and followers' characteristics significantly contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders. This paper aims to examine the negative personal attributes and organizational factors – termed “organizational neutralizers” – that impede the leadership effectiveness of project managers on construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objectives, questionnaire surveys and interviews are conducted on a large construction project in Thailand. In total, 78 questionnaires and 35 interviews are conducted with project managers, deputy project managers, and other senior managers working for various stakeholders involved in the construction of the Second Bangkok International Airport (SBIA).

Findings

Findings reveal that wrongful use of power, poor communication, and low experience are the leading negative personal factors which make project leaders appear incompetent and ineffective in the workplace. Also, organizational factors that hinder the leadership performance of project managers include: lack of resources, lack of planning and control, lack of synergy between performance and goals, and lack of higher management support.

Practical implications

Practical implications are discussed for the selection and development of project managers and project staff, personnel performance management, and improvements in organizational culture, strategy, and approach towards project management.

Original/value

The research findings presented here show that certain negative attributes of leaders and organizational factors can impede leadership effectiveness and performance. A number of possible directions are proposed in which future research can be directed to explore what hinders project managers from performing their leadership roles more effectively in construction projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2021

Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde and Henry A. Odeyinka

Studies on stakeholder management (SM) in developing countries have largely focused on public projects. However, projects of private organisations also need much improvement. The…

Abstract

Purpose

Studies on stakeholder management (SM) in developing countries have largely focused on public projects. However, projects of private organisations also need much improvement. The purpose of the study was to examine the extent of SM practices in building projects procured by private corporate organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

Purposive sampling technique was used to select project managers (PMs) and client representatives (CRs) who have been involved in projects procured by private corporate organisations between 2008 and 2017 in Southwestern Nigeria. The PMs are comprised of executive and non-executive PMs as well as contract administrators. Both the PMs and CRs were requested to provide information on one building project in which they were involved within the period under consideration. The data collected were analysed using mean score (MS) analysis, t-test, and analysis of variance.

Findings

The results showed that structured SM processes were followed in only 30.65% of building projects procured by private corporate organisations in the study area. Results further showed on a five-point scale 5-max scale that SM practice was highest with an MS of 3.92 on projects where executive PMs were appointed and lowest (MS = 2.85) on projects where PMs were appointed as contract administrators. Furthermore, it was found that respondents placed the highest premium (MS = 3.73) on stakeholder identification while they placed the lowest premium (MS = 3.45) on developing implementation strategies and stakeholder classification.

Practical implications

The study examines the status quo regarding SM practice in the study area in order to devise a means of refinement.

Originality/value

The study is an attempt to evaluate the premium placed on different components of SM practices by differing categories of project managers.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 11 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 February 2008

Wasan Teerajetgul and Chotchai Chareonngam

Tacit knowledge, which is developed through experience, is used by Thai construction managers to perform their tasks and deliver project performance. The purpose of this paper is

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Abstract

Purpose

Tacit knowledge, which is developed through experience, is used by Thai construction managers to perform their tasks and deliver project performance. The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the utilization of tacit knowledge in executing construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is qualitative in nature and carried out through a case study approach. Empirical evidence was collected from three construction companies, each handling projects of a diverse nature of project characteristics and knowledge management styles.

Findings

The main findings particularly arise from the following four factors that were observed from on‐site observations of work practice and interviews: flexible and adaptable thinking due to dynamic products and processes in the construction project; problem‐solving and heuristics that facilitate a novelistic, re‐combination of knowledge; knowledge networks amongst individuals that support and transfer non‐codified knowledge; and management conditions conducive to knowledge creation. These four factors are inherently embedded in Thai construction management practices for creativity and competitiveness.

Originality/value

The study is an examination of the contributions actually made by each aspect of a knowledge‐management oriented project, and identification of the lessons learned therein and new improved practices. These are thereafter captured and incorporated into the next learning cycle in order to facilitate a steady evolution for best practices.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 March 2023

Lei Ju, Yun Peng Ji, Chunlin Wu, Xin Ning and Yang He

The high-pressure nature of the construction industry, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered abusive supervision (i.e. workplace bullying and incivility behaviour) that has…

Abstract

Purpose

The high-pressure nature of the construction industry, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered abusive supervision (i.e. workplace bullying and incivility behaviour) that has diminished workers' well-being. However, despite the growing prevalence in practice and increasing concern in academia, abusive supervision remains largely unexplored by construction management scholars. This study aims to fill the gap in the current literature by analysing the effects of abusive supervision on construction workers' well-being, the mediating role of guanxi closeness and the moderating role of trust in the manager.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was completed by 258 Chinese construction workers. The data underwent mediation and moderation analyses using PROCESS macro 3.5 for SPSS.

Findings

The results revealed that managers' abusive supervision reduced construction workers' well-being at work and in life. Guanxi closeness between manager and workers mediated the relationship between managers' abusive supervision and construction workers' well-being. Additionally, trust in managers moderated the mediating effect of guanxi closeness. This study further revealed that the emotional connection between construction managers and workers, such as expressive guanxi closeness and affective-based trust, is important in handling the impact of abusive supervision on the workers.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide support for recent calls to address negative manager behaviours such as abusive supervision in construction management. They aid the development of a more comprehensive internal mechanism that considers the influence of guanxi closeness on the outcomes of abusive supervision by managers at construction sites. Additionally, interventions that develop trust in managers may be particularly effective in alleviating the tension of abusive supervision. More attention should be paid to managers' emotional connections in daily construction project management.

Originality/value

Rather than concentrate on positive leadership, this study shifts the focus to negative leadership in construction project management by identifying abusive supervision as a negative primary antecedent of workers' well-being. While prior research has highlighted how negative manager behaviours affect workers' well-being from the conservation of resources theory (COR) perspective, this study is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to adopt a social exchange theory perspective by introducing guanxi closeness as a mediator. It contributes to a greater understanding of how trust in the manager alleviates the negative effect of the person's abusive supervision on construction workers.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

21 – 30 of over 45000