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The purpose of this paper is to quantify leaky building stigma associated with monolithic claddings, explore how this stigma has likely been amplified by media coverage, estimate the number of affected properties and quantify the collective house price impact on homeowners of monolithic‐clad dwellings in the Auckland region.

Residential sales transaction data organised in two subgroups (single‐family houses and multi‐unit dwellings) from 1997 through 2006 are analysed using a series of annual hedonic pricing models to empirically test for the presence of stigma. This is coupled with a descriptive analysis of leaky building media coverage to understand how this coverage may be influencing the stigma.

The empirical results show that a leaky building stigma exists and is discounting prices of the Auckland Region's monolithic‐clad single family houses by 5 per cent and multi‐unit dwellings by 10 per cent. Approximately 37,500 monolithic‐clad dwellings have been built in the region since 1992 and their homeowners have suffered an estimated $1 billion reduction in property values due to leaky building stigma.

Although leaky building stigma primarily relates to monolithic claddings, this stigma reflects elevated weathertightness risks associated with several Mediterranean‐style architectural features.

The study's findings can be directly applied to residential valuation practice and can assist the New Zealand government more accurately assess the full economic cost of the nation's leaky building problem.

This research provides an initial empirical study on stigma associated with leaky building syndrome. The findings offer direction to further research on other domestic and international housing markets that are experiencing similar stigma phenomenon.

This paper aims to investigate the stigma effect on property valuation/sale price for remediated residential leaky buildings constructed in New Zealand during the 1990s and 2000s. In particular, the authors want to know whether meeting the regulatory standards for remediation work will totally eliminate the negative stigma effect on remediated properties.

Property transaction data for remediated leaky homes are often limited and not well recorded. Thus, it is very difficult or even impossible to identify those remediated properties in a standard property transaction data set. Moreover, a vast amount of information regarding the nature of property defects, remediation process and method is very difficult to obtain. In this study, members of the Property Institute of New Zealand (PINZ) and the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand were invited to participate in an online website survey. The results were then analysed using the principal component analysis, ordinary least squares and multinomial logit regressions.

This study indicates that for monolithic-clad dwellings, the price discount due to leaky building stigma is significant. Depending on the severity of the leaking problems, this is about 11 per cent on average for general market stigma and an additional 5-10 per cent for post-remediation stigma. The results highlight that meeting the regulatory standards for remediation work cannot totally eliminate the negative stigma effect on remediated properties. The findings are in line with the lemon theory introduced by Akerlof (1970) and robust to individual characteristics of the survey respondent.

General market stigma has been widely researched and documented in the literature. In contrast, there is a lack of research as to whether remediation will eliminate stigma, particularly in the presence of general market stigma. The authors are the first to show that post-remediation stigma can cause value loss in addition to general market stigma based on the lemon theory proposed by Akerlof (1970).

The purpose of this paper is to assess the legal liability of local authorities in New Zealand for the issue of building consents and inspection, in respect of domestic homes where the property proves to be faulty. A local authority may be liable for economic loss. The duty of care extends to the owners of multi‐unit dwellings, but not commercial buildings. A ten year longstop for claims from council approvals applies. Problems with leaky homes have given rise to a substantial number of claims. A government response has been to provide a mediation service, and to assume liability for a percentage of repair costs.

The history of liability of local authorities for negligence in respect of building approvals is assessed, through examination of the statute law and the common law principles.

The findings of liability of local authorities in New Zealand is compared to the legal position in the UK. Conclusions are drawn as to legal and practical outcomes.

Changes under the law have occurred within the last year and the study is original in assessing the legal position and future outcomes. The liability for leaky homes is a major issue in the country.

This paper seeks to verify and validate a building defect classification system that has been previously developed and presented in Structural Survey. In doing so, the paper also seeks to address the following question: “Can Government regulatory control improve the quality of house construction?”

Archicentre House Inspection Reports were used.

The houses built under the HCGA (1988‐1996) from a previous study recorded an average of 2.29 defects per house. The 100‐house sample constructed under the DBCTA (1996 onwards) recorded 536 defects, equating to an average of 5.36 defects per house. This finding suggests that the quality of housing has dropped since the two Acts of Parliament were enacted. There also appears to be a significant increase in the number of consumers requesting inspections by industry professionals while construction is still in progress and before handover is achieved. This, coupled with the substantial increase in the number of defects per house, would suggest that the new Act has not had the desired impact.

The research is the first of its kind to examine the effectiveness of Government regulatory control of quality of housing that is constructed. Using the defect classification system, governments can examine the effectiveness of their domestic building policies.

The results which that study seeks to report are the first part of a larger research programme funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science & Technology (FRST) aimed at gaining a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions in relation to bio‐based products.

Utilising three chemically modified wood products, data were collected from focus groups and questionnaires and centred primarily on perceptions surrounding the acceptability of building materials that have been bio‐modified. Irrespective of the type of chemical modification, family health and durability were the most important factors identified.

The study finds that product cost rated lower in the 16 factors evaluated, and energy used in production was of little concern. When comparing the three products to one another, two distinct groups with quite differing purchasing philosophies were identified and these perspectives significantly influenced perceptions of product acceptability and willingness to purchase. Utilising a paired comparison technique, an investigation of trade‐offs indicated preference for performance over cost and product familiarity. Similarly, low chemical emissions were also preferred over cost considerations. Among the findings, there was scepticism regarding trust in manufacturers to adequately safeguard health and safety and to have a minimum impact on the environment. Low levels of trust were expressed in regard to manufacturers' concern for future generations.

The paper develops an investigative framework which could be applied to the evaluation of products arising from bio‐material technology innovation and recommendations for future research directions.

Air pollution indoors is fast becoming a major concern of those involved in the design and maintenance of modern buildings. But poor air quality is just one of several factors held responsible for causing symptoms of ‘sick building syndrome’, defined by the World Health Organization as irritation of the nose, throat and eyes, together with headaches and feelings of lethargy. Such symptoms can significantly lower the productivity and morale of a building's occupants. It is quite possible that indoor air pollution will become one of the major environmental issues of the next decade.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has implemented a policy to expand its influence around the world. Quantity or construction surveyors had an established presence and history of working overseas, offering their services particularly in the Middle‐ and Far‐East. Property surveyors found the transition to working in European Union (EU) countries relatively straightforward and numerous UK property consultancies have European, Asian, North American and Oceanic offices. Furthermore UK‐based firms establishing partnerships with overseas real estate firms expanded significantly over the past decade. Building surveying (BS) is a different case. Small numbers work in commonwealth countries but it is limited and in many countries professional and academic qualifications are not recognised. This paper aims to consider the extent of the barriers and opportunities facing RICS chartered building surveyors (CBS) in Oceania (taken as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji) and whether the gap is closing.

A desktop study reviewed the political, economic and sociological issues that affect the employment opportunities and professional services CBS offer throughout the world. Six opportunities and ten barriers were put to the RICS Oceania Building Surveying Faculty to ascertain their perceptions of these barriers and opportunities. No previous study had identified barriers and opportunities in Oceania for the BS and this research adopted a census survey of RICS practitioners currently employed in the region and the results form the most comprehensive picture of the current position.

Many respondents felt that stronger links and/or mergers with the different Oceania professional property and surveying bodies would open a large field of opportunities to the CBS. Some provided comments on future business opportunities, for example “leaky buildings”, “dilapidations/‘make good’ work”, and seemed to be in general agreement that, as businesses came to know the benefits of protecting themselves from rogue tenants (and landlords) by using the services of a CBS, then opportunities would continue to rise. The principal barrier is communicating those skills and the value they add.

The limitations that affected this research were time constraints and communicating with surveyors in Oceania, to whom the authors were not permitted direct access. The research methodology methods were, with hindsight, not ideal for the type and range of data that the researchers sought.

The research will be of use to building surveyors and providers of building‐surveying education in Oceania.

Although the UK construction sector has enjoyed a significant rise in the number of women joining the industry, there is undoubtedly more room for improvement. Numerous schemes have been initiated by government and other professional bodies to encourage more women to undertake a career in construction. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the organisational complexities of problems faced by women working in professional roles in construction. It thus initiates a dialogue on the lack of workplace flexibility and discriminatory practices that prevent many more women from joining.

A phenomenological philosophy is adopted. The research critically explores the views of women working in professional roles in six large construction firms in England.

It was widely acknowledged that the industry had improved significantly, however there are still concerns yet to be addressed. It was identified that women face new challenges when they attain senior roles. Furthermore, it is believed that the current glass ceiling theory and leaky pipeline theory are not adequate to study these issues.

Sample size and narrow focus on large construction firms are the limitations of the paper.

Through academic and industry dissemination, the findings from this research encourage both men and women working in the construction industry to adopt inclusive practices that will help widen the pool of knowledge and expertise.

This paper sheds light on a problem that is assumed to be eradicated once women progress to senior management roles.

This research presents an in-depth critical perspective of challenges faced by women construction professionals occupying decision-making positions.

Several forces at work in most organizations can kill promising technologies before they ever become transformed into marketable products. Here's how to recognize the syndromes and combat them if they have already taken hold in your company.

We evaluate the use of metaphors in academic literature on women in academia. Utilizing the work of Husu (2001) and the concept of intersectionality, we explore the ways in which notions of structure and/or agency are reflected in metaphors and the consequences of this.

The research comprised an analysis of 113 articles on women in academia and a subanalysis of 17 articles on women in Political Science published in academic journals between 2004 and 2013.

In the case of metaphors about academic institutions, the most popular metaphors are the glass ceiling, the leaky pipeline, and the old boys’ network, and, in the case of metaphors about women academics, strangers/outsiders and mothers/housekeepers.

Usage of metaphors in the literature analyzed suggests that the literature often now works with a more nuanced conception of the structure/agency problematic than at the time Husu was writing: instead of focusing on either structures or agents in isolation, the literature has begun to look more critically at the interplay between them, although this may not be replicated at a disciplinary level.

We highlight the potential benefits of interdependent metaphors which are able to reflect more fully the structurally situated nature of (female) agency. These metaphors, while recognizing the (multiple and intersecting) structural constraints that women may face both within and outwith the academy, are able to capture more fully the different forms female power and agency can take. Consequently, they contribute both to the politicization of problems that female academics may face and to the stimulation of collective responses for a fairer and better academy.