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The demand for power has surged in recent times and continues to increase yearly. In comparison to developed countries, the power industry’s risks, especially in piblic–private partnership (PPP) projects, are more complex and essential in developing countries. Appreciating the inter relationship among these risk factors is crucial. However, there exist no studies developing quantitative models to explain how various PPP power risk factors influence each other, especially in developing countries like Ghana. This study aims to investigate and model the relationship, the probability of occurrence and severity of impact of PPP power risk factors in Ghana.

Data were collected through ranking type questionnaire in a two-round Delphi survey with 48 respondents using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used for analysis of data.

A model was developed to investigate the influence the risk factors inherent in PPP power projects have on each other. Validity of the model was tested based on the data collected. PLS-SEM results indicated the various relationships and interdependencies the risk factors had on each other considering their probability and severity. Both significant and insignificant levels of relationships were found among the various risk factors.

The SEM that was developed to assess the relationships among the risk factors has great value for policy makers in the energy sector, industry practitioners, researchers and industry practitioners. Strategies can be mapped out to mitigate and effectively allocate the risks with the high interdependencies.

Regarding the quantitative impact of the interrelationship among risk factors in PPP power projects, the findings of this research are arguably the first to be presented for the construction sector and contribute to knowledge on PPP practice and further has implications toward achieving power sector risk mitigation.

The purpose of this paper was to first identify and then model the impact of critical success factors (CSFs) of public–private partnership (PPP) power projects.

Review of empirical literature came out with 20 CSFs which were ranked by experts and industry practitioners through a two-round Delphi questionnaire survey.

These CSFs were grouped into CSF groups (CSFGs) using component analysis, and they served as the input variables for fuzzy analysis. The six components were collaboration and transparency, guarantee and permits, socio-political support, expected profitability, technical feasibility and risk allocation (RA). Overall success index of PPP power projects in Ghana was 5.966 and showed there is high impact of CSFGs on project success. Fuzzy analysis also confirmed RA as the most significant CSFG.

The model developed can serve as a multi-dimension CSF framework that can be used as a success attainment tool for PPP power projects. For policy developers and stakeholders, the model serves as a pointer to issues which the government/public sector must focus on to attract huge investments from the private sector in the power sector.

In comparison to other countries, power generation in Sub-Sahara Africa is poor. Public–private partnership (PPP) model has become increasingly popular for addressing infrastructural challenges, especially in the power sector. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and classify the factors that influence public sector involvement in Ghanaian PPP power projects.

Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, questionnaires were used to gather responses from experts in the PPP power sector in a two round Delphi survey. Analytical tools adopted were descriptive statistics, mean score ranking, Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis.

The most significant factors that influence public sector involvement in PPP power projects were: achieving improved value for money; access to additional capital; increased certainty of projects; greater efficiency of project delivery services; and improved ability to deliver new infrastructure. From factor analysis, the four components were: value for money and efficiency; capital and skills; innovation and technology; and project delivery.

Government bodies in the power sector will benefit from the findings, as it would aid them develop policies that would strengthen regulatory structures as well as institutions.

Although the overall impacts of innovation and innovative practices have been emphasized in recent years, the effect on the growth of firms in Nigeria have not been proven. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of innovative practices on the growth of quantity surveying firms (QSFs) in Nigeria.

The study adopted the quantitative correlational research design in which a well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from QSFs in South-West, Nigeria. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis to investigate the effect of innovative practices on the growth of QSFs.

The study reveals that there is a significant increase in the growth indices used for assessing QSFs, while all the innovation variables were found to be reliable. Based on the result of multiple regression analysis, the relationships were identified as follows: quantity surveying (QS) software influenced the size growth of QSFs; QS software and services affected client growth and profit growth; and all innovation practices impacted asset growth of QSFs.

Although the use of software tools has been found to negatively affect the size of QSFs and other growth indices, there is need for them to embrace innovative software applications for more quality service delivery. In addition, QSFs should formulate strategic objectives that will guide them in taking informed decisions for diversification.

The outcome of this study provides information and direction for innovation practices required to bring about the growth of QSFs.

This paper aims to identify the unidimensionality and reliability of 84 factors that influence the performance of construction projects and develop a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model.

The study adopted a deductive research approach and started by identifying the positive factors that influence construction project performance. This was followed by the modification of the identified factors. After that, a questionnaire was developed out of the factors for data collection. Exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the factor structure of the positive factors, and this was verified using CFA afterwards. A model fit analysis was performed to determine the goodness of fit of the hypothesised model, followed by the development of the confirmatory model.

The study demonstrated substantial correlation in the data, sufficient unidimensionality and internal reliability. In addition, the estimated fit indices suggested that the postulated model adequately described the sample data.

The paper revealed that performance can be enhanced if stakeholders identify and leverage the positive factors influencing performance. The paper suggests that project stakeholders, particularly government, project owners, consultants and construction firms, can improve project performance by critically examining economic and financial systems (EFS), regulation and policy-making systems (RPS), effective management practices (EMP) and project implementation strategies (PIS).

The contribution of this paper to the present literature is identifying the positive factors and developing the confirmatory factor model. The model comprised 42 positive variables under four indicators: EMP, RPS, PIS and EFS.

This study aims to seek, on the basis of Hofstede's culture consequences, to explore the notion that regional characteristics may influence the prioritisation of certain types of public-private partnerships (PPP) contract governance skills over others. It further sets out to determine which skills are considered the most critical between the groups of respondents surveyed.

To bring this important and neglected perspective into the mainstream of PPP discussions, the study, being of an exploratory nature, relied on a survey of 340 respondents from around the globe. The respondents are a rich mix of public policy experts, economists, construction professionals, project finance experts, lawyers and academic researchers in PPP.s.

Analysis revealed that, regional characteristics was an important factor influencing skills prioritisation. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis with Monte Carlo principal component analysis (PCA) confirmation revealed that project management, contract design, negotiations, performance management and stakeholder management skills were very critical for successful contract management of PPP projects.

The findings indicate that the design and implementation of regulatory governance for infrastructure PPPs should be context-specific rather than the current one-size-fits all model. Training should be tailored to reflect regional specific characteristics.

Studies are increasingly pointing to the absence of critical PPP skills among institutions responsible for managing PPP contracts. This lack of capacity has resulted in poor oversight of private companies providing public services resulting in poor services, and financial recklessness, which threaten the sustainability of service provision.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the construction industry, it is still unclear from prior studies about adequately positioning the quality assurance (QA) for the post-pandemic era and future pandemics, especially cross-border construction logistics and supply chain (Cb-CLSC). Thus, this study aims to develop a managerial framework to position the QA of Cb-CLSC during pandemics and post-pandemics by taking lessons from how COVID-19 has impacted the existing QA systems and has been managed successfully.

This is achieved pragmatically through an embedded mixed-method design involving a literature review, survey and interview from experts within the Hong Kong SAR–Mainland China links, typically known as the world’s factory. The design is further integrated with the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach.

The study revealed 10 critical managerial practices (MPs) to position the QA to be adequate for the post-pandemic and during future pandemics, with the top three including “strict observance of government regulations (MP1)”, “planning ahead the period of quality assurance with the quarantine days in host countries (MP6)” and “modification of contract to cater for uncertainties (MP4)”. This attained a relatively good percentage agreement of 53% between the industry and academia. However, the top four MPs regarded as very effective include “implementing digital collaborative inspections with subcontractors and trades (MP8)”, “implementing a digital centralized document and issue management system (MP7)”, “strict observance to government regulations, including vaccination of workers, social distancing, use of prescribed nose masks, etc. (MP1)” and “planning ahead the period of quality assurance with the quarantine days in host countries (MP6)”. Two underlying components of the MPs were revealed as policy-process (PP)-related practices and people-technology-process (PTP)-related practices, and these can be modelled into a managerial framework capable of effectively positioning the QA to be adequate during pandemics through to the post-pandemic era.

The findings of this study depicted significant theoretical and practical contributions to the proactive management of QA activities during pandemics through to the post-pandemic era. It could empower organisations to pay attention to smartly and innovatively balancing people, processes, pandemic policy and technology to inform decisions to effectively position the QA for the post-pandemic era and survive the risks of future pandemics.

The study contributes to the body of knowledge in that it develops a managerial framework to position the QA of Cb-CLSC during pandemics and post-pandemics by taking lessons from how COVID-19 has impacted the existing QA systems and has been managed successfully. It is original research with invaluable primary data in the form of surveys and interviews from experts within the Hong Kong SAR–Mainland China links, typically known as the world’s factory.

Implementing blockchain in sustainable development goals (SDGs) and environmental, social and governance (ESG)-aligned infrastructure development involves intricate strategic factors. Despite technological advancements, a significant research gap persists, particularly in emerging economies. This study aims to address the challenges related to SDGs and ESG objectives during infrastructure delivery remain problematic, identifying and evaluating critical strategic factors for successful blockchain implementation.

This study employs a three-stage methodology. Initially, 13 strategic factors are identified through a literature review and validated by conducting semi-structured interviews with six experts. In the second stage, the data were collected from nine additional experts. In the final stage, the collected data undergoes analysis using interpretive structural modeling (ISM)–cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC), aiming to identify and evaluate the independent and dependent powers of strategic factors driving blockchain implementation in infrastructure development for SDGs and ESG objectives.

The study’s findings highlight three significant independent factors crucial for successfully integrating blockchain technology (BT) into infrastructure development for SDGs and ESG goals: data security (F4), identity management (F8) and supply chain management (F7). The study unravels these factors, hierarchical relationships and dependencies by applying the MICMAC and ISM techniques, emphasizing their interconnectedness.

This study highlights critical strategic factors for successful blockchain integration in SDG and ESG-aligned infrastructure development, offering insights for policymakers and practitioners while emphasizing the importance of training and infrastructure support in advancing sustainable practices.

The construction industry is an industry which has gained notoriety when it comes to both physical and mental health problems. Compared to other industries, the construction sector has a higher prevalence of many stressors and mental health concerns. This calls for mechanisms to cope with these concerns. One coping mechanism propounded to help cope and adapt in the face of pressures and challenges is “Mental Toughness (MT)”. While mental toughness has been widely studied in various fields, there is a paucity of comprehensive research examining its significance among construction professionals. Thus, the motivation of this study is to establish the mental toughness characteristics among construction professionals in Ghana.

The construction industry is an industry which has gained notoriety when it comes to both physical and mental health problems. Compared to other industries, the construction sector has a higher prevalence of mental health concerns. One coping mechanism propounded to help cope and adapt in the face of pressures and challenges is “Mental Toughness (MT)”. While mental toughness has been widely studied in various fields, there is a paucity of comprehensive research examining its significance among construction professionals. Thus, the motivation of this study is to establish the mental toughness characteristics among construction professionals.

the study's findings revealed 13-factor model characteristics of mental toughness with 43 variables for mentally tough performers in the construction environment. These 13-factor models include Pressure Management (PM), Motivation (M), Emotional Intelligence (EI), Interpersonal self-belief (SB), Tough Attitude (TA), Job-related self-belief (SBB), Ethical Values (EV), Commitment (C), Focus (F), Optimism (OP), Expertise and Competence (EC), Imagery Control (IC) and Resilient (R).

The outcome of this study has significant practical implications for various stakeholders. For construction professionals the identified factors provide valuable insights into the psychological attributes and behaviours that contribute to mental toughness among construction professionals. Understanding these characteristics can empower professionals to develop strategies for coping with stress, maintaining focus, and fostering resilience in challenging construction environments to achieve optimum performance levels consistently.

The originality of this study's findings stems from the fact that it is among the first to provide greater insight into mental toughness characteristics considered by professionals (quantity surveyors, construction managers, engineers, project managers, architects, estate managers) in the construction industry.

The construction industry faces public criticism for issues like wastefulness, inefficiency, slim profits, scheduling setbacks, budget overruns, quality concerns, trust deficits, transparency, coordination, communication and fraud. This paper aims to assess the nexus between barriers and drivers for adopting blockchain in construction and its impact on construction lifecycle.

A quantitative research approach was used to collect data using a well-structured questionnaire survey. The survey, which used snowball sampling, included 155 Nigerian construction experts that included architects, builders, quantity surveyors and engineers in the built environment. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which allowed for a thorough evaluation of the proposed relationships as well as industry-specific insights.

The study's findings validate the conceptual framework established. The results indicate that implementing blockchain across all stages of construction projects has the potential to improve the construction process by 88.2% through its drivers. However, there were no significant relationships found between the barriers to adopting blockchain and the potential application areas in the construction lifecycle.

This research was carried out in the South-western which is one of the six geo-political zones/regions in Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey method. The study did not investigate the interdependence of the identified categories of drivers and barriers, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics and interactions influencing blockchain adoption in construction. The study is expected to stimulate further exploration and generate new insights on how blockchain technology (BT) can influence various stages of the construction lifecycle.

The findings will be immensely beneficial to both professionals and practitioners in the Nigerian construction industry in learning about the potential of BT application in improving the construction lifecycle.

This paper developed and assessed a conceptual framework by investigating the interrelationships between the constructs. The findings have important implications for the construction industry, as they offer opportunities to improve the construction process and overall lifecycle. The findings are useful for researchers interested in the potential impact of BT on the construction lifecycle and its wider implications.