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1 – 10 of over 54000Okechukwu Nwadigo, Nicola Naismith Naismith, Ali Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein Ghaffarian Hoseini and John Tookey
A construction project is complex and requires dynamic modelling of a range of factors that deters time performance because of uncertainty and varying operating…
Abstract
Purpose
A construction project is complex and requires dynamic modelling of a range of factors that deters time performance because of uncertainty and varying operating conditions. In construction project systems, the system components are the interconnected stages, which are time-dependent. Within the project stages are the activities which are the subsystems of the system components, causing a challenge to the analysis of the complex system. The relationship of construction project time management (CTM) with the construction project time influencing factors (CTFs) and the adaptability of the time-varying system is a key part of project effectiveness. This study explores the relationship between CTM and CTF, including the potentials to add dynamical changes on every project stage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposed a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) model to examine the relationship between CTM and CTF. The model investigates the time performance of a construction project that enhances decision-making. First, the paper establishes a model of probabilistic reasoning and directed acrylic graph (DAG). Second, the study tests the dynamic impact (IM) of CTM-CTF on the project stages over a specific time, including the adaptability of time performance during disruptive CTF events. In demonstrating the effectiveness of the model, the authors selected one-organisation-single-location road-improvement project as the case study. Next, the confirmation of the model internal validity relied on conditional probabilities and the project knowledge experts' selected from the case company.
Findings
The study produced structural dependencies of CTM and CTF with probability observations at each stage. A predictive time performance analysis of the model at different scenarios evaluates the adaptability of CTM during CTF uncertain events. The case demonstration of the model application shows that CTFs have effects on CTM strategy, creating the observations to help time performance restorations after disruptions.
Research limitations/implications
Although the case company experts' panel confirms the internal validity of the results for managing time, the model used conditional probability table (CPT) and project state values from a project contract. A project-wide application then will require multi-case data and data-mining process for generating the CPTs.
Practical implications
The study developed a method for evaluating both quantitative and qualitative relationships between CTM and CTF, besides the knowledge to enhance CTM practice and research. In construction, the project team can use model observations to implement time performance restorations after a predictive or reactive disruption, which enhances decision-making.
Originality/value
The model used qualitative and qualitative data of a complex system to generate results, bounded by a range of probability distributions for CTM-CTF interconnections during time performance disruptions and restorations. The research explores the approach that can complement the mental CTM-CTF modeling of the project team. The CTM-CTF relationship model developed in this research is fundamental knowledge for future research, besides the valuable insight into CTF influence on CTM.
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Majid Parchami Jalal and Shahab Shoar
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for complex interconnected structure of various factors interacting with delay in order to identify the most important…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for complex interconnected structure of various factors interacting with delay in order to identify the most important factors influencing and influenced by delay based on their interrelations.
Design/methodology/approach
Reviewing literature and interviewing with local experts selected from the Iranian construction industry, top 58 delay factors were identified and categorized into six major groups. The interrelations among these factors were, then, modeled using the system dynamics (SD) approach. The resulting causal loop diagrams obtained from SD were used subsequently for identifying the most significant factors influencing and influenced by delay through the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The impact of factors on each other was finally determined based on the opinions of 63 experts selected from the Iranian community of consultants, contractors, and clients.
Findings
According to the analysis, eight out of the 58 factors were identified as the most influencing factors on delay, and nine factors were found to be the most influenced factors by delay in the field of delay analysis. The study also concluded that factors related to labors are the most important and influential factors. In addition, factors related to client were the most influencing factors and external-related factors were the least important ones. At the end, some recommendations to reduce variation of delay in the construction projects are presented as well.
Originality/value
Considering the interconnected structure of the factors, the paper identifies the most important factors interacting with time delay in construction projects.
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Hassan Adaviriku Ahmadu, Yahaya Makarfi Ibrahim, Ahmed Doko Ibrahim and Muhammed Abdullahi
– This paper aims to develop a multivariate model that will be applicable to the Nigeria construction industry.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a multivariate model that will be applicable to the Nigeria construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered questionnaire survey was used to source information on project scope factors and qualitative factors considered in the study. Principal component regression was used for data analysis and model development, using SPSS 16.0 for windows, while T-test was used for model testing and validation.
Findings
The study found that delay in progress payment by owner, lateness in revising and approving design document by owner, delay in delivering the site to the contractor by the owner, change order by owner during construction, complexity of project design, poor site management and supervision by contractors, and rain effect on construction activities are qualitative/non-project scope factors with good predictive abilities.
Research limitations/implications
Cost, gross floor area and number of floors were the only quantitative/project scope factors considered in the study. The developed models therefore do not account for any variation in duration which may arise from other project scope factors, such as location, procurement route and type of contract.
Originality/value
The qualitative factors which emerged as predictors in the derived models increased the accuracy of the models. The models developed therefore serve as useful construction time prediction tools for both consultancy firms and contractor organizations in the Nigerian construction industry.
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Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi, Ojo Abiola-Falemu and Olajide Timothy Ibironke
It is generally accepted that organisational culture is capable of influencing how project organisation performs. It can also impact on how people set individual goals and…
Abstract
Purpose
It is generally accepted that organisational culture is capable of influencing how project organisation performs. It can also impact on how people set individual goals and objectives, perform their roles, tasks and deploy resources to achieve set objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of organisational culture on the occurrence of rework in Nigerian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted mixed method research using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to elicit information. Though, the result of the questionnaire survey was presented in this paper. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify which variables measured attributes of the same underlying proportions, while descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to establish the influence of organisational culture on rework.
Findings
The study identifies 14 factors as causes of rework from the result of factor analysis. The outcome also indicates that leadership style, success criteria and management style are important organisational culture dimensions. Poor management practices and lack of teamwork are found to be largely responsible for poor project delivery due to rework occurrence.
Practical/implications
The research will be of significant benefit to both the academic and industry practitioners. The result of the research will provide academics with useful insights into the influence of organisational culture on project delivery by undertaking future research to inform better understanding. The research will also provide practitioners with good understanding of how culture within their organisations can influence the performance of their subordinates or employees. Further research is encouraged to investigate the influence of management and leadership style on project delivery in the context of Nigeria.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to investigate the influence of organisational culture on occurrence of rework empirically in the Nigerian construction industry. There is paucity of research focusing on this area as it affects project delivery.
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Shobhit Chaturvedi, Jitesh J. Thakkar and Ravi Shankar
As the construction industry undertakes complex and innovative projects, improving the labor productivity that helps accomplish the triple bottom line dimensions (time…
Abstract
Purpose
As the construction industry undertakes complex and innovative projects, improving the labor productivity that helps accomplish the triple bottom line dimensions (time, schedule and performance) assumes greater importance. It is of even greater importance in developing countries like India where most of building construction takes place on a manual basis. In response, the purpose of this paper is to develop an evaluation framework for assessing the labor productivity in the construction industry. The application of the framework is demonstrated for the case of the Indian construction industry and key insights are reported.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature review and expert survey has helped to identify 4 main dimensions and 14 different factors affecting labor productivity in the construction industry. An application of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory was deployed to investigate into the causality of labor productivity dimensions.
Findings
The research delivers a quantitative labor productivity assessment framework for evaluating causal relationships among the factors influencing labor productivity in the construction industry. The result obtained for a typical case of the Indian construction industry showed that the safety at construction site has a profound effect on labor-related factors.
Originality/value
The paper makes two contributions in the domain of labor productivity assessment in the construction industry. First, it proposes an evaluation framework to investigate into the causal relationships among the labor productivity factors. This proposed framework is robust and can be used to compare the performance of different construction projects using an integrated approach proposed by this research. Such exploratory analysis would assist benchmarking studies. Second, it undertakes an empirical investigation for the Indian construction industry to develop key managerial insights and extend policy-related recommendations.
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Ahmad Anuar Othman, Johan Victor Torrance and Munshi Ab. Hamid
The objectives of this paper are to determine the current level of construction time performance of public sector projects; and to identify variables related to project…
Abstract
Purpose
The objectives of this paper are to determine the current level of construction time performance of public sector projects; and to identify variables related to project characteristics and variables associated with excusable delay that have significant effects on the construction time performance of public sector civil engineering projects in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative approach. Original contract duration and actual contract duration of 244 projects were collected from project files to assess current level of CTP. Variables related to project characteristics and excusable delays were then regressed against time performance index using multiple regression analysis to identify variables that had significant relationships with construction time performance.
Findings
The construction time performance of the public projects in Malaysia was found to be affected more by variables related to excusable delays than project characteristic variables.
Research limitations/implications
This study is focused on public sector civil engineering projects limited to irrigation and drainage, road and sewerage projects where building was not included.
Practical implications
Excusable delays were found to be common causes of delay in significant numbers of public projects.
Originality/value
The variables that were found to be significant should be given attention by planners and designers in order to minimize the occurrence of delay in public projects.
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Zayyana Shehu, Intan R. Endut and Akintola Akintoye
The delivery of construction projects in Malaysia is plagued by time overruns, which turns what should have been successful projects into those incurring additional costs…
Abstract
Purpose
The delivery of construction projects in Malaysia is plagued by time overruns, which turns what should have been successful projects into those incurring additional costs, or money-losing ventures; as well as leading to various other unexpected negative effects and faute de mieux situations. The purpose of this research is to assess those factors leading to time overrun in Malaysian construction projects. The perceptions of public and private sectors, contractors, clients, and consultants are compared relative to a list of factors derived from the review of extant literature in project delay.
Design/methodology/approach
The research data were collected through an industry-wide questionnaire survey circulated across the Malaysian construction industry. The research develops a list of 84 time overrun factors. Responses were collected from 49 clients, 51 contractors, and 105 consultants, to explore and analyse the major factors that are responsible for causing time overrun based on sectors (public and private), organisations (clients, contractors and consultants) and professional roles.
Findings
Project delays beyond contract dates are predominantly caused by contractors and are usually associated with financial factors. “Cash flow problems faced by the contractors” was found the major factor, which contributed to project delays, whereas “storage on site” was seen as the least significant factor.
Practical implications
It is noteworthy that the findings in this research have a regional focus; it is, therefore, suggested that readers from other sections of the world exercise caution in applying the findings. As it is believed that every construction industry has its nature, culture and regulations, these factors can change as a result of such differences.
Originality/value
This research provides stakeholders with information on factors, which, if properly understood, can make project delays less likely.
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Wenxue Lu, YuanYuan Hua and SuJuan Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influencing factors of cost performance of design-bid-build (DBB) and design-build (DB) projects and comparing the differences…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influencing factors of cost performance of design-bid-build (DBB) and design-build (DB) projects and comparing the differences of influencing factors between these two delivery methods.
Design/methodology/approach
This research identified and refined 14 influencing factors through literature review and academic expert discussions. Questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data about the influencing factors and project cost performance. Then those factors were reduced to four components by factor analysis. Logistic regression analysis is used to investigate the relationship between four principal components and project cost performance.
Findings
The results indicate that the significant influencing factors of project cost performance of DBB projects and DB projects are different. For DBB projects, owner abilities, such as owner team ability, owner experience, and owner finance, are important influencing factors causing cost overruns, while for DB projects cost performance is more sensitive to the contractor abilities, namely, contractor team ability, contractor finance, contractor experience, etc.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the paper are mainly derived by quantitative research method based on the survey of 144 samples, so the results may need validation by qualitative studies. Further research could apply case study or interview to validate the findings in this research. In addition, project type and location are not considered as control variables due to the limited number of samples, future research could be conducted to investigate their relationship with project performance.
Practical implications
The findings of this research not only help practitioners have a better understanding of the factors influencing project cost performance, but also provide some guidelines for practitioners to pay attention to different factors to better control the cost performance within different delivery systems.
Originality/value
Owner ability and contractor ability are found to be of different importance in influencing cost performance of DBB and DB projects. This research extends previous research on cost management by considering different significant factors in influencing project cost performance within DBB and DB projects.
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International comparisons of contractor performance can provide robust benchmarks for contractors in different countries and help to identify ways towards performance…
Abstract
International comparisons of contractor performance can provide robust benchmarks for contractors in different countries and help to identify ways towards performance improvement. Based on a hypothetical construction project, overall contractor performance (OCP) in Japan, the UK and the USA is compared. Overall contractor performance is defined to embrace construction cost, construction time, construction quality and sustainable development, the philosophy being that the achievement of one aspect of performance should not be at the expense of another. Multiple regression analysis reveals that overall contractor performance is dependent on: their past performance on previous similar projects; their commitment towards lifetime employment; their perceived importance of time performance; their relationship with subcontractors; and the number of design variations during construction. To improve their overall performance, contractors are advised to focus on construction time, reduce delays, maintain a stable workforce and establish partnerships with their subcontractors. Clients should attempt to reduce design variations during construction.
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Adnan Enshassi, Jomah Al‐Najjar and Mohan Kumaraswamy
Delays and cost overruns are evidently frequent problems in the construction industries of many developed and developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to assess…
Abstract
Purpose
Delays and cost overruns are evidently frequent problems in the construction industries of many developed and developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to assess factors leading to time overruns (delays) and cost overruns in construction projects in the Gaza Strip. Since there appear to be additional special contributors to delays here, the relative perceptions of contractors, consultants and owners are compared, based on a listing of causal factors derived from previous studies elsewhere, together with other factors arising from special conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of a randomly selected samples yielded responses from 66 contractors, 27 consultants, and 31 owners. The survey included 110 delay factors/causes which were grouped into 12 major groups. The same survey also included 42 cost overrun factors. The level of importance of the delays and cost overrun factors were measured and ranked by their importance indexes, according to the perspectives of contractors, consultants, and owners.
Findings
There seems to be a general agreement between contractors, consultants and owners regarding causes of delays and cost overruns. The main four causes of time delays included strikes and border closures, material‐related factors, lack of materials in markets, and delays in materials delivery to the site. Additionally, the main three causes for cost overruns included price fluctuations of construction materials, contractor delays in material and equipment delivery, and inflation.
Originality/value
The outcome of this paper will assist owners, contractors, and consultants in understanding the reasons for delays and cost overruns, thus eliminating or minimizing these causes. This could be achieved by better management of the projects and by finding new methods for storing the critical materials from the beginning of the project. Furthermore, the local government is advised to initiate legislation to overcome problems arising from monopolies in the supply of construction materials.
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