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1 – 10 of over 4000
Article
Publication date: 17 September 2019

Alireza Jalali, Nur Izzati Hidzir, Mastura Jaafar and Norziani Dahalan

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between three key factors that cause workplace bullying among subcontractor managers toward intention to quit the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between three key factors that cause workplace bullying among subcontractor managers toward intention to quit the undertaken project within the context of Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized the simple sampling method to select its study sample, while the questionnaire survey approach was implemented amidst 500 G6 and G7 contractor managers across Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 210 completed questionnaires were returned. Partial least square-structural equation modeling was administered to analyze the data via SmartPls 3.0 software.

Findings

This study discovered three significant factors (main contractor leadership, construction culture, work organization and job design) that displayed positive effect on workplace bullying among subcontractor managers toward intention to quit. The study outcomes can serve as a direction for policy makers to reduce bullying within the construction project environment.

Practical implications

This study serves as an instruction for main contractors to reinvent their style of management in overcoming bullying in construction projects. This paper guides that collaborative relationship among various parties in construction projects, including the representatives of main contractors and subcontractor managers, may assist in addressing the hostile environment of construction project, in order to create a constructive relationship between them that leads to overall project success.

Originality/value

Recognition of the three key factors that lead to workplace bullying among subcontractor managers in the construction industry, which are bound to enhance intention to quit based on the data set with strong statistical results, has made the research original.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2016

Rafaella Broft, Sulafa M Badi and Stephen Pryke

Several studies have underlined the potential of supply chain management (SCM) in meeting the formidable challenges associated with fragmentation, adversarial relationships and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Several studies have underlined the potential of supply chain management (SCM) in meeting the formidable challenges associated with fragmentation, adversarial relationships and insufficient customer focus in the delivery of construction projects. However, properly documented examples of successfully implemented SCM initiatives, particularly at the lower tiers of the supply chain, are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to extend the existing debates by adopting an alternative approach focusing specifically on the internal SCM organisation of both main contractor and subcontractor organisations, and their direct inter-relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study sets out to explore the enablers and barriers to the implementation of SCM at the lower tiers of the construction supply chain, particularly the problematic collaboration between main contractors and subcontractors. SC maturity levels are formulated according to relevant SCM concepts and based on Holti et al.’s (2000) seven principles of SCM organisation, and transformed into a conceptual model. An explorative study is conducted based on interviews from eight large main contractor and subcontractor organisations in the Dutch construction industry.

Findings

Discouragingly, across the organisations, more barriers than enablers to SCM are identified. Organisations are found to be particularly struggling to compete through superior value, manage costs collaboratively, and develop continuous improvement within their supply chains. The findings also underline the low SC maturity of main contractors and their inability to play the essential role of supply chain managers.

Practical implications

The study underlines the need for a greater degree of main contractor leadership and improved internal organisation of both types of firms in order to achieve greater collaboration at the lower tiers of the construction supply chain.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the subject of SCM in construction in two respects. First, the findings should prove valuable to both policy-makers and industry practitioners interested in the delivery of performance improvement in construction. Second, the developed SC maturity model can form the conceptual basis for the development of an applicable improvement framework towards successful SCM implementation.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 February 2022

Reyhaneh S. Shojaei, Kwadwo Oti-Sarpong and Gemma Burgess

Widespread efforts to promote the use of building information modelling (BIM) as part of the construction industry transformation agenda in many advanced countries are yet to…

1507

Abstract

Purpose

Widespread efforts to promote the use of building information modelling (BIM) as part of the construction industry transformation agenda in many advanced countries are yet to reach the wished-for effects. While there are various studies on the factors influencing BIM adoption, empirical evidence detailing how construction companies can successfully adopt BIM in their organisations remains scarce. This paper identifies and describes how enabling factors are implemented by large UK contractor firms to transform their organisations using BIM for projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative exploratory approach is employed in this paper. Data are gathered through 42 semi-structured interviews with professionals in strategic and management roles in construction companies in the UK, followed by case studies of five leading main contractor companies selected to provide examples of how they implemented the identified enablers.

Findings

This research identifies and describes six key enabling factors that influence successful BIM adoption and implementation, namely, committed leadership and management; a digital transformation strategy with realistic objectives; building a capable supplier network; building trust-based relationships with clients; upskilling employees; and establishing a robust structure for effective collaboration and communication.

Practical implications

Nine practical recommendations are provided to guide construction firms in taking steps to adopt and use BIM in their organisations and for their projects.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence detailing how key enablers are implemented towards successful BIM adoption and use by large UK contractors.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2018

Isaac Sakyi Damoah and Desmond Kwadjo Kumi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that cause government construction projects failure in a developing economy.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that cause government construction projects failure in a developing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the sequential data collection approach through an in-depth semi-structured interview (16 participants) and questionnaire survey (230 participants) to solicit their perceptions from project management practitioners (PMP), contractors and client (government officials) about the factors that lead to Ghanaian Government construction projects. The relative importance index was used to determine the relative importance of the factors identified. This was followed by Spearman rank correlation coefficient and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance to measure the degree of agreement among the participants on their perceptions.

Findings

In total, 34 factors were identified as the main factors that lead into Ghanaian Government construction projects failure. The top ten most important factors that cause Ghanaian Government construction projects failure are: political interferences, delays in payment, partisan politics, bureaucracy, corruption, poor supervision, lack of commitment by project leaders, poor planning, starting more projects than the government can fund and change in government. The failure factors were grouped into four main themes and found that the most important failure factors are leadership. This is followed by management and administrative practices, resources and external forces, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to only the public sector, and therefore the findings may not be applicable in the private sector.

Practical implications

Policy makers and construction PMP would be able to use the findings as a guide during the implementation of government projects in order to reduce and/or avoid government construction projects failure.

Originality/value

Construction projects failure in developing countries is high. Accordingly, the extant literature has been devoted to identifying the factors that lead to failure; however, they have mainly been discussed from a generic point of view or individual case studies. Researches that focus exclusively on government construction projects in developing countries are rare despite the dynamics in which these projects are implemented. This research extends the construction project management literature by focussing on government construction projects in a developing economy, where there are weak public institutional systems coupled with partisanship politics and bad cultural orientation towards government sector work inherited from a colonial rule.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2016

Shamil George Naoum

Productivity is a worldwide problem and efforts have been made over the last three decades or so to explore ways to increase the rate of productivity on construction sites. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

Productivity is a worldwide problem and efforts have been made over the last three decades or so to explore ways to increase the rate of productivity on construction sites. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the state of the art in productivity research and to present the findings of a survey into the factors that can impair productivity on site.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review is structured under five general headings: pre-construction activities; activities during construction; managerial and leadership issues; motivational factors; and organizational factors. In total, 46 determinants were extracted from the above headings and were assessed by 36 main contractors.

Findings

The literature review revealed that while there has been an advancement in developing techniques and tools to improving productivity on site, more need to be done to invest in technology and innovation. The interview survey indicated that factors associated with pre-construction activities, namely, the “experience of the selected site and project managers,” “design errors,” “buildability of the design,” “project planning,” “communication,” “ leadership style” and “procurement method” as the most critical factors influencing site productivity. Other highly ranked factors are “mismanagement of material” and “the work environment.”

Research limitations/implications

The survey is based on main contractors and thus not generalized to cover other sectors of the building team such as designers and engineers.

Practical implications

Outcome of this research can be used to provide professionals and contractors guidance for focussing, acting upon and controlling the most significant factors perceived to influence the construction labor productivity (CLP) on site.

Originality/value

First, reviewed the state of the art and trends in construction productivity research. Second, primary survey with industry experts to rank the relative importance of factors that can influence CLP on site.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 65 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2013

Yat Hung Chiang, Jing Li, Tracy N.Y. Choi and King Fai Man

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a few leading Hong Kong construction firms are also efficient contractors. Theoretically, market leaders can exploit the virtue…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a few leading Hong Kong construction firms are also efficient contractors. Theoretically, market leaders can exploit the virtue of economy of scale, learning curve and cost leadership to consolidate their competitiveness. However, if market share is key success factor for firms to become and stay competitive, smaller contractors will be further marginalized if the construction market continues to shrink as Hong Kong's economy approaches maturity. Hence the research question is: Have a few leading contractors been taking advantage of their market size to be efficient in Hong Kong?

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the Data Envelopment Analysis Assurance Region (DEA_AR) model, the efficiency scores of 17 major Hong Kong contractors are compiled over the last ten years. DEA is a non‐parametric approach to examine the relative efficiency among different firms, in terms of output/input ratios. Unlike traditional I‐O analysis which relies on a static table of coefficients, DEA does not require any priori and usually subjective weights for inputs or outputs.

Findings

The results identify efficient contractors, among which the three leading ones (China State Construction, Shui On Construction and Yau Lee Holdings) have captured the majority of housing construction contract values. Nevertheless, only China State Construction has ranked consistently as most efficient over time. The efficiency scores of Shui On Construction have decreased successively from 2002 to 2009, and it has been the least efficient contractor from 2006 to 2009. Yau Lee Holdings has a V‐curve of efficiency scores.

Originality/value

This study represents the first attempt to adopt a DEA_AR model to evaluate construction contractors' efficiency, which reduces the number of zeroes and the variation in weights for estimation and enhances the adequacy for individual contractor's efficiency scores, compared to other types of DEA models such as the CCR model and the BCC model.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1987

Ernest A. Stallworthy and Om P. Kharbanda

In the continuing endeavour to work towards ever better management, the project manager has a crucial role to play. This monograph assesses the requirements of project management…

1818

Abstract

In the continuing endeavour to work towards ever better management, the project manager has a crucial role to play. This monograph assesses the requirements of project management in terms of training and experience, demonstrates what sort of person the project manager should be, and also the role that should be played by the project team. In order to illustrate the manner in which the essential qualities in both the project manager and his team are displayed in action a number of completed projects worldwide are reviewed. Both successful projects and disastrous projects are used to demonstrate the way in which the problems encountered in real life can be met and overcome. In conclusion both the prospects and the problems that the future may hold for the project manager are assessed.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 7 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 February 2023

Alice Stewardson, David J. Edwards, Eric Asamoah, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Joseph H.K. Lai and Hatem El-Gohary

The UK government has elaborated the effect of late payment on the economy, with its impact on the construction sector being particularly pronounced. This paper aims to evaluate…

Abstract

Purpose

The UK government has elaborated the effect of late payment on the economy, with its impact on the construction sector being particularly pronounced. This paper aims to evaluate the late payment epidemic that persists within the construction industry, specifically analysing the effectiveness of government-led voluntary payment initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed philosophical lens is adopted that incorporates both pragmatism and post-positivism to examine the late payment phenomena. Couched within deductive reasoning and a case study strategy, a questionnaire survey was conducted to elicit responses from one-hundred construction professionals. Elucidating upon respondents’ perceptions of the UK’s late payment epidemic, a comparative analysis was undertaken of upstream (main contractor) and downstream (subcontractors/suppliers) contractors through Cronbach’s alpha, descriptive statistics, independence chi-square test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U test.

Findings

Emergent findings reveal that in practice, the monitoring and enforcement of government-led voluntary payment initiatives has been unprosperous with numerous contractors being forced to adopt indefensibly poor and punitive payment practices. Survey responses and extant literature substantiate and underscore the industry’s need to strengthen voluntary government-led payment initiatives. To create a responsible payment culture, any future code created should be mandatory and enforceable as a self-regulating approach has failed dismally. The work concludes with practical additional measures that could be introduced to create a responsible payment culture and promote ethical trading within the UK construction industry.

Originality/value

This paper constitutes a novel vignette of, and reflection upon, contemporary practice in this area of construction finance and serves to emphasise that very little has changes in the sector despite numerous UK government led reports and interventions.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction , vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 January 2019

Oluwaseyi Alabi Awodele, Douglas Omoregie Aghimien, Olutayo Gabriel Akinkunmi and Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa

Due to its cost savings nature and ability to ensure constant jobs for contractors, this study aims to assess the capability of the labour-only procurement system to serve as a…

Abstract

Purpose

Due to its cost savings nature and ability to ensure constant jobs for contractors, this study aims to assess the capability of the labour-only procurement system to serve as a surviving strategy for construction contractors in a challenging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a mixed-methods design. An interview and questionnaire were used to harness information from 98 construction participants who have been involved in labour-only procured projects. These respondents were identified through snowballing. Frequency, percentage, mean item score, Mann–Whitney u-test and content analysis were used in analysing the data gathered.

Findings

Result revealed that participants are willing to execute more projects through this system because it gives considerable cost savings for clients and provides reduction in contractor’s risk and allows them to maintain healthy cash flow. The main factors influencing its usage are the client’s decision to procure materials, need for job at hand for contractors and the need for referrals from clients for subsequent jobs.

Practical implications

Findings of this study will assist contractors to understand the potential of this procurement system as a surviving option in a harsh economy. Small and medium contractors can make use of this available opportunity of having projects at hand at reduced risk to ensure continuous cash flow to keep their organisations afloat.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study to the body of knowledge lies in its provision of a reasonable insight on the inherent nature of a procurement system as a surviving strategy for contractors unlike the usual assessment of the generic survival strategies adopted in other studies.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2008

K.C. Lam, D. Wang and M.C.K. Lam

This paper aims to explore to what extent the total quality management (TQM) is practised by Hong Kong large‐sized public listed building contractors (PLC) and non‐listed building…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore to what extent the total quality management (TQM) is practised by Hong Kong large‐sized public listed building contractors (PLC) and non‐listed building contractors (NLC), and what management areas need more attention in order to achieve the TQM spirit of continuous improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports the investigation results of the six TQM practices (X1‐X6) by Hong Kong large‐sized building contractors via a self‐assessment questionnaire survey, which is modified from the contents of the self‐assessment questionnaire designed by the Baldrige National Quality Program. Descriptive statistics, one‐way ANOVA, multivariate tests and correlation matrix were employed to analyze the results.

Findings

The survey results show that there is a significant difference in the six TQM practices between the PLC and the NLC through one‐way ANOVA. PLC out‐performed NLC in strategic planning (X2), particularly the practice of development and deployment of strategy. Moreover, strong correlations existed between the TQM practices of X1 (leadership) and X2, X2, and X5 (human resource focus), and X6 (process management) and X5. Therefore, PLC should pay more attention to the management areas of X1, X2, X5, and X6. Furthermore, NLC should enhance and balance their TQM practices as suggested by the tests of between‐subjects effects.

Practical implications

Hong Kong building contractors should pay more attention to the strategic planning, human resources management and process management in order to attain the goal of continuous improvement and thus the business excellence of TQM.

Originality/value

The study shows that there is a significant difference in practising the six TQM (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award) criteria between PLC and NLC in strategic planning (X2).

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

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