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As the use of social networking and social media technologies (SNT) has become pandemic amongst young people (Tess, 2013; Falahah and Rosmala, 2012) there has been an increasing drive amongst educators and researchers to explore the ways in which SNT may be utilised within the classroom (Junco, 2012). Whilst there is therefore an increasing amount of literature available in relation to the use of SNT within the classroom it does not appear that there has been sufficient research considering the manner in which SNT results in the development of a complex, invisible and organic social network amongst students. When these networks exist outside of the classroom they may allow informal learning and peer support to occur. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these issues. Additionally this paper seeks to determine if the use of Facebook by students may provide an indication of the likelihood of student success on their course.

This paper utilises an empirical approach to explore the nature of these invisible networks and the degree to which the use of SNT by students outside of the classroom may provide support for student learning in relation to informal learning and social interaction. This study explores the use of Facebook through the use of a case study of one cohort of 90 creative arts students who undertook a one-year Foundation in Art and Design course within a specialist arts college in the UK. This research utilises the technique of social network analysis (SNA) in order to visualise the type of interactions that occur within the online network and the strength of these interactions (Dawson, 2008).

Results demonstrate that within this case study the creative arts student group created a complex and interrelated network of connections through Facebook with some students clearly placed at the centre of the network and others on the periphery. It is also demonstrated that those students who are more central within the network are more likely to remain on the course and achieve their qualification.

This paper demonstrates that SNA provides a useful and insightful way in which to visualise what would otherwise be an invisible network of connections made by students outside of the classroom. Furthermore this paper will provide an insight for teachers and researchers into the benefits of the use of SNT within education, which will have practical implications for the future use of SNT in teaching and learning.

Rapid urbanization and the shortcomings of traditional construction methods motivate construction professionals to explore faster and more sustainable approaches such as off-site construction (OSC). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers influencing OSC adoption and to explore the key drivers of its widespread adoption in Egypt.

A comprehensive global literature review was performed initially to develop an up-to-date list of OSC adoption drivers, which was confirmed in the Egyptian context through a pilot study. Then, social network analysis (SNA) was utilized to determine the most influential drivers as well as shortlist them to construct the final questionnaire survey. A total of 57 stakeholders in the Egyptian construction industry responded. Lastly, the relative importance index (RII) was calculated to rank the drivers, revealing the key drivers.

The results revealed that higher productivity, improving project quality control, shortening construction time, improving product quality and improving supervision and inspection are the top five drivers. On the contrary, government policies and regulations is the least significant driver.

This research contributes to the body of knowledge by introducing a comprehensive, up-to-date list of drivers, which helps the stakeholders gain a better understanding of the driving enablers of adopting OSC generally and helps Egyptian stakeholders make more informed decisions about its implementation specifically.

The construction industry is facing massive challenges due to the huge construction development, and stakeholder management (SM) practices, especially on megaprojects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate critical success factors (CSFs) encountered by key construction stakeholders to enhance SM practices on mega construction projects (MCPs).

A questionnaire survey is carried out among the most important construction companies in Qatar. Three steps are used to finalize and evaluate the questionnaire before proceeding with the full survey, validity, pretesting and pilot study. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Science software.

This paper identifies the key factors contributing to improving SM performance in MCPs; none of these is uncommon, but here they come together in a more integrative way.

The limitations related to this research are briefly outlined as follows: the research was carried out in the State of Qatar. So, the findings are limited to the Qatari construction industry. The construction industry in Qatar is different from other countries where public projects have the priority to develop the infrastructure of the country prior to the world cup competition. The scope of this research is limited to MCPs. The impact of low awareness and knowledge of SM is not considered. However, the study is still reasonable and fortunately suitable to evaluate SM in MCPs.

Identifying these factors is expected to assist project participants in MCPs in improving projects’ performance and completing construction within the predefined time and cost.

This study makes a significant contribution through identifying the CSFs that lead to develop efficient SM in MCPs. Moreover, the research findings are important for project stakeholders, organizations, contractors, engineers and local authorities who implement SM in MCPs. Moreover, it will enhance the application of SM practices in construction megaprojects and allow project key stakeholders to place emphasis on tackling the crucial challenges identified in this research.

The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry encounter substantial risks and challenges in its evolution towards sustainable development. International businesses, multinational AEC organisations, technical professionals, project and portfolio management organisations face global connectivity challenges between business units, especially during the outbreak of novel coronavirus pandemic, to manage construction megaprojects (CMPs). That raises the need to manage global connectivity as a main strategic goal of global organisations. This paper aims to investigate barriers to integrating lean construction (LC) practices and integrated project delivery (IPD) on CMPs towards the global integrated delivery (GID) transformative initiatives and develop future of work (FOW) global initiatives in contemporary multinational AEC organisations.

A two-stage quantitative and qualitative research approach is adopted. The qualitative research methodology consists of a literature review to appraise barriers to integrating LeanIPD&GID on CMPs. Barriers are arranged into six-factor clusters (FCs), with a conceptualisation of LeanIPD&GID, GID strategy placements and FOW global initiatives with multiple validations. This analysis also involved semi-structured interviews and focus group techniques. Stage two consisted of an empirical questionnaire survey that shaped the foundation of analysis and findings of 230 respondents from 23 countries with extensive cosmopolitan experience in the construction of megaprojects. The survey examined a set of 28 barriers to integrating LeanIPD&GID on CMPs resulting from a detailed analysis of extant literature after validation. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were exploited for data analysis, percentage scoring analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and eigenvalues were used to elaborate on clustered factors.

The research conceptualised LeanIPD&GID principles and proposed GID strategy placements for LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives and FOW global initiatives. It concluded that the most significant barriers to integration of LeanIPD&GID on CMPs are “lack of mandatory building information modelling (BIM) and LC industry standards and regulations by governments”, “lack of involvement and support of governments”, “high costs of BIM software licenses”, “resistance of industry to change from traditional working practices” and “high initial investment in staff training costs of BIM”. PCA revealed the most significant FCs are “education and knowledge-related barriers”, “project objectives-related barriers” and “attitude-related barriers”. Awareness of BIM in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is higher than LC and LC awareness is higher than IPD knowledge. Whilst BIM adoption in the MENA region is higher than LC; the second is still taking its first steps, whilst IPD has little implementation. LeanBIM is slightly integrated, whilst LeanIPD integration is almost not present.

The research findings, conclusion and recommendation and proposed GID strategy placements for LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives to integrating LeanIPD&GID on CMPs. This will allow project key stakeholders to place emphasis on tackling LeanIPD&GID barriers identified in this research and commence GID strategies. The study has provided effective practical strategies for enhancing the integration of LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives on CMPs.

This study aims at introducing a method based on the failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) to aid in selecting the most suitable formwork system with the minimum overall cost.

The research includes a review of the literature around formwork selection and analysis of data collected from the building construction industry to understand material failure modes. An FMECA-based model that estimates the total cost of a formwork system is developed by conducting a two-phased semi-structured interview and regression and statistical analyses. The model comprises material, manpower and failure mode costs. A case study of fifteen buildings is analysed using data collected from construction projects in the UAE to validate the model.

Results obtained indicate an average accuracy of 89% in predicting the total formwork cost using the proposed method. Moreover, results show that the costs incurred by failure modes account for 11% of the total cost on average.

The analysis is limited to direct costs and costs associated with risks; other costs and risk factors are excluded. The proposed framework serves as a guide to construction project managers to enhance decision-making by addressing the indirect cost of failure modes.

The research proposes a novel formwork system selection method that improves upon the subjective conventional selection process by incorporating the risks and uncertainties associated with the failure modes of formwork systems into the decision-making process.

The purpose of this paper is to address how cultures could affect the way different people use the internet. The study showed that there is a great potential for e‐commerce in Egypt in particular and Arab world in general. However, there are many challenges, where people are used to paying cash for what they buy, the credit or debit card as an instrument for buying things is not readily acceptable by public Egyptians.

This is an exploratory study based on analysing secondary data and observation. The reason for choosing this approach in this stage of research is the lack of research that deals with this particular issue in the chosen case study.

The results showed that e‐commerce has some merit in targeting global customers, if it considers cultural differences when adopting and applying global marketing strategy. Although there are many governmental initiatives to adopt ICT on all levels in Egypt, the reality still far behind and there is still a lot need to be done from both government and private sector to gain the benefits required. Research limitations/implications–Limitations include the use of secondary data and observation as the research method in this study. Empirical data and sampling will be required for further research. A comprehensive cross culture study among Arab countries and how a framework of culture could affect the online shopping behavior will be required for further research. Managerial implications are discussed with respect to formulating suitable marketing strategy to fit with the cultural differences of the Middle Eastern courtiers especially the language, values and religion.

Provides insights for future researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the opportunities the rollout of 4G services across the UK will offer to the higher education (HE) sector. Potential benefits are considered within existing literature to include factors such as an ability to study in an any-time, any place manner, improved access to education, particularly in remote and rural areas and the transformation of teaching and learning.

This research utilises a case study approach, analysing the views of teaching staff who have taken part in a trial of 4G as part of a funded project from JANET, part of a UK government funded company (JISC) whose primary aim is to provide and develop network infrastructure to meet the needs of education and research communities.

Findings demonstrate that benefits of using 4G mobile technologies relate to key areas such as the general effectiveness of 4G services, any-time, any place access, transformation of teaching and learning and personal and organisational effectiveness.

Overall this paper concludes that staff can envisage significant benefits to the HE sector of the adoption of 4G technologies within the UK although these will be limited until the network is fully evolved.

The research provides a unique opportunity to explore the potential of 4G at the commencement of the rollout across the UK providing an opportunity to explore the value of 4G for HE before contracts are agreed or purchase of hardware has been undertaken.

Education institutions persist by transforming leadership skills to manage their knowledge resources efficiently as well as enhance the lecturer’s teaching and learning innovation capabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether knowledge management plays a role of mediator between transformational leadership and teaching and learning innovation in teacher education.

A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the primary data from 359 teacher educators across Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all the samples, and the collected data was analysed using structural equation modelling approach.

The data analysis indicated that knowledge management did not play the role of a mediator in this study because the direct effect of transformational leadership on teaching and learning innovation was stronger than the indirect effect of transformational leadership through knowledge management.

From the aspect of implications on the practice, it was suggested that all lecturers and head of departments attend clinical training and workshops on knowledge management to further understand the knowledge management processes that could enhance the quality of teaching in teacher education institutes.

This study is perhaps the first study to investigate the role of knowledge management as a mediator between transformational leadership and teaching and learning innovation in teacher education.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of psychological needs in the association between individualism and internet addiction.

A mixed-method design was used by comprising of 602 college students’ (70.3 percent women) responses obtained through the Individualism-Collectivism Survey, New Needs Assessment Questionnaire, and Internet Addiction Scale. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to investigate the theoretical relationships among the constructs. Constant comparative method was employed to analyze qualitative data that resulted from the transcription of semi-structured interviews with 12 field experts.

Quantitative results showed that individualism has a significant effect on internet addiction through affiliation, dominance, achievement, and autonomy (i.e. psychological needs). As students’ needs for dominance, achievement, and autonomy increased their internet addiction levels decreased. However, increase in the need of affiliation led to increase in the likelihood of internet addiction. Qualitative findings suggested alternative ways to satisfy psychological needs in socially more proper ways.

Psychological needs and internet addiction have long been investigated both independently and in relation to each other. However, the investigation of espoused culture (i.e. individualism) in relation to psychological needs and internet addiction is relatively recent. A review of the recent literature showed that an investigation of the mediating role of psychological needs in the effect of individualism on internet addiction is highly original. Moreover, initial quantitative results and follow-up qualitative findings help the authors understand psychological needs underlying internet addiction and suggest socially more appropriate means to satisfy these needs. Findings have theoretical values for researchers as well as practical values for those who work with students.

Given the growing interest in modern construction techniques and the emergence of innovative technologies, construction site layout planning research has progressively been investigating approaches to adopt innovative concepts and incorporate renewed approaches to improve widespread efficiency. This research develops a decision-making tool that optimizes construction site layout plans. The developed model targets two main objectives: minimizing material transportation costs and maximizing safety by optimally placing facilities on construction sites.

A novel approach is devised based on the integration of Building Information Modeling and Generative Design (BIM-GD). This engine is used to optimize the multi-objective site layout problems to identify layout alternatives in the early project stages. Parametric modeling uses Dynamo to construct the model and explore constraints initially. Finally, the GD environment is utilized to create different design alternatives, and then the decision-making procedure selects the most appropriate design alternative. Additionally, a case study is applied to validate the effectiveness of the developed model.

The results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed GD tool and its potential for more complex applications. The GD engine examined optimal layout plans, balancing different objectives and adhering to appointed geometric constraints. A case study was conducted to assess the model's effectiveness and showcase its suitability. Construction Site Layout Planning (CSLP) is an essential step in design that can influence considerable aspects, such as material transportation expenses and different safety standards on the site. Employing visual programming for parametric modeling within Dynamo-Revit creates an expedient and user-friendly platform for planning engineers who may require more programming expertise to create and program algorithmic models visually. Utilizing GD in CSLP has proven to be a powerful tool with consequential prospects for improving applications and executing more models.

The findings from this framework are intended to help construction practitioners select the most appropriate site layout during early project stages while incorporating different safety criteria inside construction sites to alleviate actual safety risks.

A new approach is proposed that utilizes an integrated BIM-GD engine to optimize multi-objective site layout problems. This approach targets two main objectives: minimizing material transportation costs and maximizing safety by optimally placing facilities in construction sites.