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1 – 10 of over 8000
Article
Publication date: 16 August 2022

Jin Cai, Zhongfu Li, Yudan Dou, Yue Teng and Mengqi Yuan

Contractor selection is critical in green buildings (GBs) since the preferred contractor has the responsibility to achieve construction sustainability as well as relationship…

Abstract

Purpose

Contractor selection is critical in green buildings (GBs) since the preferred contractor has the responsibility to achieve construction sustainability as well as relationship sustainability. The developer satisfaction reflecting requirements can boost the cooperative relationship among stakeholders and act as an evaluation scale for the success of GB projects, which needs to be emphasized in the selection process but little involved in the existing research. This study explores improving GB contractor (GBC) selection by integrating developer satisfaction into selection procedures.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic framework of GBC selection including twenty-five criteria from literature review and experts survey is firstly constructed. Both tactical and strategic criteria are further classified into Kano categories (must-be, one-dimensional, and attractive categories) using the fuzzy Kano model (FKM), and weighted by the developer satisfaction index. The model proposed by this study combining FKM and TOPSIS divides the selection process into the filtration phase and selection phase by Kano categories. The proposed model is finally verified through performance comparison among multiple methods in a case.

Findings

Selection criteria are measured linearly and nonlinearly, showing criteria having nonlinear satisfaction change accounts for two-thirds of all. Criteria at tactical level tend to be must-be or one-dimensional categories for the developer, and most strategic criteria are classed as the attractive category, indicating that adding strategic criteria is necessary for long-term cooperation. The proposed model, using developer satisfaction to improve the selection process, ensures the selected GBC to be the most satisfactory with requirements of the developer and makes the performance of GBCs easily distinguishable.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge for promoting relationship sustainability by supplementing an integrated model with emphasis on developer satisfaction in GBC selection, so as to establish a good initial foundation due to the match between performances of GBCs and needs of developers. It not only helps maximize developer satisfaction in GBC selection by applying satisfaction to pre-construction management, but also instructs GBCs to prioritize performance improvements. The framework is also conducive for developers to classify selection criteria and select other participants (like green suppliers) from the satisfaction perspective in GBs.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Funmilayo Ebun Rotimi, John Edward Tookey and James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi

The cordiality of the relationship between home owners and house developers is significant in the house building sector. This plays a key role in meeting needs, expectations and…

Abstract

Purpose

The cordiality of the relationship between home owners and house developers is significant in the house building sector. This plays a key role in meeting needs, expectations and overall satisfaction. Home owners’ satisfactions are very often dependent on their encounters and experiences with the building organisations they deal with. The purpose of this paper is to explore home owners’ satisfaction to the quality of their new homes by investigating the relationships between them and their house developers when they take possession of their properties.

Design/methodology/approach

Two distinct lines of investigation were conducted, with the first utilising mail questionnaires administered to new home owners. The second involved interviews with house building developers. Both investigations cover five main regions in New Zealand. However, this study reports the mail questionnaire survey. The data analysis is based on 216 new home owners, and the results presented using descriptive and correlation analysis.

Findings

This research found that the higher the home owner’s satisfaction with the services provided by the developers, the better the relationship that could exist between them. In addition, the longer it takes for developers to rectify defects that are reported by home owners, the lesser the cordiality of their relationship with their developers. It is also evident from this study that home owners’ relationships with their house developers could be sensitive to the extent of defects in their homes. While it is apparent from this research that new home owners satisfaction level is high, some improvement opportunities exist, which the study highlights for continuous performance improvement. This will enable the residential construction sector to establish more aggressive and pro-active measures of monitoring to the satisfaction of home owners.

Practical implications

This research provides insight into significant factors that could influence the relationship between home owners and their house developers. The study provides information on changes required in the quality culture that could enable house developers do it once and do it right.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in the provision of a wealth of information on cordiality as a key determinant of home owners and house developers’ relationships. This will enable house developers to set realistic performance standards and focus efforts where they are most needed so that home owners derive satisfaction from the quality of service offered by them.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 October 2017

Rejikumar G. and Aswathy Asokan A.

Customer satisfaction in a service encounter mainly depends on quality of the service provided. However, technological advancements and higher internet usage rates led to an over…

Abstract

Purpose

Customer satisfaction in a service encounter mainly depends on quality of the service provided. However, technological advancements and higher internet usage rates led to an over dependence of customers to social media. A research to identify the role played by information in the formation of satisfaction in service encounters is warranted. Thus, this study aims to examine the importance given by customers to various types of information in evaluating a service encounter and attempts to conceptualize the hierarchical process of formation, retention and modification of customer satisfaction under perceived information importance.

Design/methodology/approach

Perceptions of 385 bank customers were collected on their information-seeking behavior (ISB), importance of information on satisfaction, satisfaction modification intentions (SMI) and loyalty using a structured questionnaire. A variance-based structural equation modeling helped to identify significant linkages among variables such as satisfaction developers, satisfaction retainers, satisfaction modifiers, ISB, SMI and information allied loyalty.

Findings

The study could identify three distinct dimensions such as developers, retainers and modifiers for satisfaction construct under perceived importance to information measured using various attributes relevant to a service setting. ISB of customer emerged as an antecedent that cause paradigm changes in satisfaction as well as loyalty feel. The study could also establish that SMI significantly moderates loyalty from satisfaction dimensions even though intensities are different.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretically, this study examined the manner in which information intervenes in the satisfaction–loyalty link, but many predispositions of the customer about service capabilities of the service provider might have critically influenced their modification intentions.

Practical implications

Providing customers with consistent and reliable information is critical to the development of stable satisfaction judgements. Understanding the true impact of information and its role in modifying satisfaction can help marketers to fine tune their strategies for effective relationship management. Now, to remain competitive, firms must constantly analyze the implications of emerging information and the importance customers assign to such information.

Originality/value

This paper helped marketers to identify new areas to focus their attention to ensure lasting customer loyalty.

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2016

Soroush Maghsoudi, Colin Duffield and David Wilson

This paper aims to develop a practical tool to evaluate the outcomes of innovative practices in the building and construction industry.

1094

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a practical tool to evaluate the outcomes of innovative practices in the building and construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A practical tool was proposed. It is an online tool programmed in a JavaScript environment. A previously developed and tested framework was the basis for this tool. Six case projects were used to test and validate the reliability of the tool. The outcomes of the building projects were categorized into six categories of economic, quality, social, environmental, satisfaction and soft and organizational impacts.

Findings

The most important finding of this research was that the evaluation of innovation in building and construction would be possible only if the subjective assessment is tolerated to include the non-monetary outcomes in the evaluation, as well as the monetary outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this research are limited to the domestic and medium density building projects; thus, the outcomes might be generalized with appropriate care. The developed tool would assist practitioners in the field of building and construction to realize the impacts of innovation introduced into their projects. The project owners and developers could be the main audience of this tool.

Practical implications

The main contribution of the current study into the literature is the consideration of tangible and intangible outcomes of innovation together. In other words, this tool not only evaluates monetary outcomes but also takes into account non-monetary outcomes. It has been stated in the literature that 80 per cent of firms choose “non-numeric” project selection models (Meredith and Mantel, 2006). To provide a full representation of the reality, this model considers both numeric and non-numeric measures by applying both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods. The project owners and developers could be the main audience of this tool. It is worth mentioning that this tool is the first attempt of its kind for building and construction projects, and it is applicable and fully practical.

Originality/value

This tool is the first attempt of its kind to evaluate practically the outcomes of innovation in the building and construction industry. The tool practicality and applicability in the real-world project is a privilege which gives more reliability and credibility to the proposed approach of innovation evaluation.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2022

Kanokwan Pimchan and Chonlatis Darawong

This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 338 elderly residents through a questionnaire survey and analysed by using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling procedures.

Findings

The results showed that the strongest predictor of resident satisfaction was design functionality, followed by social environment, safety and security and service quality. In addition, the strongest predictor of word of mouth was safety and security, followed by design functionality, proximity, service quality and social environment.

Research limitations/implications

The data were drawn at the level of the overall characteristics of elderly residents. People may be different in terms of their demographic characters such as gender, age, and user experience.

Practical implications

The study suggests that condominium developers and designers should pay attention to design functionality both physically and mentally such as suitable materials, lighting and common areas. Moreover, the developers should focus on the proximity of the nearest hospitals, safety and security measures, well-trained security personnel and social activity arrangement.

Originality/value

Elderly condominium markets are increasingly growing as a result of the ageing society in Thailand. However, very few empirical studies investigate condominium attributes that affect resident satisfaction and word of mouth provided by real estate developers. The paper aims to determine driving factors that enhance the better well-being of elderly residents.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2020

Murat Selim Selvi, Aykut Pajo, Ceyda Çakir and Emre Demir

Because of competition, residential property developers use a variety of promotional tools to gain recognition and increase their market share and the demand for housing, and to…

Abstract

Purpose

Because of competition, residential property developers use a variety of promotional tools to gain recognition and increase their market share and the demand for housing, and to manage their customer relations. This study aims to examine what real estate developers did to detect the need for types of housing, and pricing and promoting housing. It also sought clues about how they manage customer relations in residential sales.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with real estate developers. This study has heuristic characteristics based on qualitative data. Document reviews, descriptive analysis and discourse analysis were carried out on the interview data and other sources. As purposeful sampling is generally used in qualitative studies; intensity sampling, homogeneous sampling, criterion sampling and snowball sampling were used together in this study.

Findings

The study found that real estate developers were inadequate at advertising and promoting, allocated little budget for promotion and did not use technology sufficiently. The real estate developers gave discounts at rates that did not actually desire, had to create payment plans, and as a result, they lost customers because they could not manage customer relations well.

Research limitations/implications

Interviews were conducted with 15 real estate developers who have been selling residential properties for more than 10 years in Süleymanpasa and Çorlu districts of Tekirdag. Data obtained are mostly qualitative.

Originality/value

This study aimed to determine real estate developers’ ability to implement a variety of promotional strategies and manage customer relations. Results and conclusions can offer significant clues about real estate developers with similar characteristics. Its conclusions of this study can be compared to similar studies of real estate developers in many regions of Turkey.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 August 2013

Richard D. Cotton and Yan Shen

The purpose of this paper is to identify key developmental relationships for career‐spanning success and to examine relational models and support expectations associated with…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify key developmental relationships for career‐spanning success and to examine relational models and support expectations associated with these relationships. The paper creates propositions associating developer‐protégé schema congruence and incongruence to relevant outcome variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 employed qualitative coding of developers identified in 77 hall of famer induction speeches and Study 2 used a cross‐industry survey of 425 respondents to assess the relational model and support expectations associated with the seven most highly‐cited developer roles from Study 1.

Findings

Study 1 identified these highly‐cited developer roles as a CEO, manager, work teammate, friend, spouse, parent, and unmet hero/idol. Study 2 described the expected relational models associated with these roles and found significant differences in the relational model and support expectations associated across roles.

Research limitations/implications

While study 1 focused on a primarily male sample using retrospective data, it generalized and extended previous research on key developer roles for extraordinary career achievement. Based on the key findings from study 1, study 2 surveyed respondents regarding developer role expectations rather than expectations of particular developer‐protégé relationships.

Practical implications

These findings identify how and with whom protégés should consider initiating and fostering key developmental relationships to enhance their networks while broadening and deepening organizations' understanding of the importance of their members having a variety of organizational and non‐organizational developers.

Originality/value

These findings challenge the notion that developer‐protégé relationships fit a “one size fits all” reciprocal exchange motif as it is the first study to explore expectations associated with key developer relationships using relational models theory.

Details

Career Development International, vol. 18 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1997

Steve Sawyer, Joel Farber and Robert Spillers

One key to improving team‐based software development is to support the developers’ ability to work together. Sets out one site’s response to this challenge. Developers at this…

745

Abstract

One key to improving team‐based software development is to support the developers’ ability to work together. Sets out one site’s response to this challenge. Developers at this site have a facility, which we will call the “team room”, allowing team members to work together. This is a computer‐supported meeting room that arose from the voluntary, and reflective, efforts of software developers to make it easier for them to work together. The team room’s popularity shows up in its extensive use for meetings and its acceptance as an integral part of software development at this site. When people use the team room, they work on a shared screen, making it easier to work together. Because they can work together, meetings become a time of work, not a pause between work sessions. Explains how these positive work outcomes have had some unexpected effects. For example, developers at this site now rely on room use to help deal with intra‐group conflict, so that the team room has become a buffer to social interaction, serving as a conduit for action.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 December 2021

Kuo-Lun Hsiao and Chia-Chen Chen

Artificial intelligence (AI) customer service chatbots are a new application service, and little is known about this type of service. This study applies service quality, trust and…

3457

Abstract

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) customer service chatbots are a new application service, and little is known about this type of service. This study applies service quality, trust and satisfaction to predict users' continuance intention to use a food-ordering chatbot.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model and hypotheses are tested using online questionnaire responses to collect users' perceptions of such services. One hundred and eleven responses of actual users were received.

Findings

Empirical results show that anthropomorphism and service quality, such as problem-solving, are the antecedents of trust and satisfaction, while satisfaction has the most significant direct effect on the users' intention.

Originality/value

The results provide further useful insights for service providers and chatbot developers to improve services.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 40 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2010

Lee Hong Sharon Yam and W. Stanley McGreal

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely acknowledged by contemporary businesses in the last 20 years. The purpose of this paper is to study how CSR is…

3446

Abstract

Purpose

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely acknowledged by contemporary businesses in the last 20 years. The purpose of this paper is to study how CSR is perceived by house‐buyers in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach, by way of house‐buyer focus group, was used to uncover house‐buyers' criteria for housing development, levels of satisfaction, expectations of developers' social responsibilities, and factors influencing their purchase decisions.

Findings

Research findings showed that majority of house‐buyers in Johor Bahru expected a socially responsible developer to provide more CSR features such as more green spaces, recreational parks and facilities, security features, and good infrastructure. However, less wealthy buyers were more sensitive to house price and fulfilling their basic accommodation needs. Thus, developers need to be prudent in pricing products for different purchaser groups. Although all participants indicated their readiness to pay for CSR features, it is less clear as to how much premium house‐buyers would pay for such extras. Clearly, the pricing of CSR features emerges from this study as a key issue and how this varies by property type.

Originality/value

Most CSR research has been conducted in developed countries, very little has been documented about practices in developing world. These research findings will be beneficial for developers in developing more socially responsible products to cater for the house‐buyers' increasing expectations.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

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