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While the investment in construction projects has increased over the past few decades, low construction project productivity (CPP) appeared to be persistent, thereby reflecting an “investment-in-failure” paradox between the investment and CPP. Hence, this paper aims to develop a systematic and holistic CPP evaluation framework to explain the apparent paradox in the construction industry.

The paper first reviews the literature about the theories of system, production, principal–agent and project success evaluation to re-conceptualise the CPP and proposes a two-stage CPP evaluation framework. The framework is subsequently explored through a sequential qualitative mixed-methods design within the context of the Hong Kong construction industry by combining 32 semi-structured interviews with senior industry experts and exploratory case studies, with three real-life construction projects.

The paper identifies three system boundaries for CPP evaluation, that is, parameter, timeframe and stakeholder, and develops a two-stage CPP evaluation framework to indicate site efficiency and utilisation effectiveness, thereby accessing the productivity of both the construction and post-construction stages. The “investment-in-failure” paradox associated with current CPP evaluation approaches is primarily attributed to the narrowly defined CPP boundaries.

The qualitative exploration of the evaluation framework only focusses on the Hong Kong construction industry. Further case studies within other urban contexts could be used to improve the generalisability of the findings. Quantitative research is also necessary to advance theoretical development of the two-stage CPP evaluation.

The systemic CPP conceptualisation and the two-stage CPP evaluation framework support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders and enable them to formulate holistic strategies for long-term CPP enhancement.

The research demonstrates the needs to expand the system boundaries of CPP to reflect its systemic value and to shift the paradigm of CPP evaluation from being output-orientated and quantity-focussed to being outcome-orientated and value-focussed.

This study aims to examine the antecedents of knowledge-seeking intentions (SIs) and efforts within new product development (NPD) teams.

Data was collected from 331 employees affiliated with 29 NPD teams across 18 Chinese firms in five high-tech and knowledge-based industries via an online assessment and a survey. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to test the hypotheses using HLM and Mplus software.

The results of this study show that intrinsic task motivation (IM) and personal task experience (TE) positively relate to SIs, whereas leadership support (LS) and shared culture (SC) negatively relate to knowledge-seeking efforts (SEs). SIs partially mediate the relationship between IM and SEs, while they fully mediate the relationship between TE and SEs. Additionally, customer orientation (CO) positively moderates the relationship between SIs and SEs.

Data collection was completed online by relying on an existing version of the Abedi Creativity Test. The samples involve 18 companies in a High-Tech Development Zone in China, which indicates limited generalizability.

Effective NPD depends on successful marketing–R&D integration and knowledge exchange within the NPD team. Besides, organizations need to find ways to stimulate NPD team members’ IM and also through various ways to inspire more efforts from team members under the condition of supportive leadership and culture.

This study contributes to the knowledge management and marketing literature on NPD teamwork by examining knowledge-seeking phenomena from the perspective of the internal knowledge market and contributes to knowledge-seeking research by revealing the antecedents of SIs and SEs at both the individual and organizational level.

Modular integrated construction (MiC) is the most advanced off-site construction technology. However, the application of MiC for high-rise buildings is still limited and challenging. One critical issue is tower crane layout planning (TCLP) to guarantee safe and efficient multiple crane-lifts for module installation, which, however, has been insufficiently explored. For filling this knowledge gap, this paper aims to systematically explore the critical considerations on TCLP for high-rise MiC to support contractors in determining the optimal crane layout plan.

This study employed a multimethod strategy. First, previous studies on TCLP and critical features of MiC were reviewed to develop a conceptual model of TCLP considerations. Second, expert interviews with 15 construction planners were conducted to identify the critical TCLP considerations for high-rise MiC. Third, a multicase study with three high-rise MiC projects was undertaken to demonstrate and verify the identified considerations.

The paper characterises critical considerations on TCLP as performance criteria and influencing factors and identifies 7 critical performance criteria and 25 influencing factors for high-rise MiC. Specifically, the features of MiC (e.g. various modularised layout design, heavyweight and large size of modules) were found to significantly affect the crane layout performance (i.e. technical feasibility, safety and economic efficiency).

The paper is the first-of-its-kind study on crane layout planning for high-rise modular buildings, which contributes a two-stage multicriteria decision-making framework integrated with systematic TCLP considerations. The findings should help contractors determine safe and efficient tower crane layout plans for high-rise MiC projects.

The wide uptake of green building is hindered by factors such as limited market demand and high up-front cost despite substantial policy incentives. Successful business models (BMs) help facilitate the diffusion of sustainable innovation and have attracted increasing attention. However, little attention has been paid to examining the adoption of green building from the perspective of BM. This paper aims to identify the characteristics of BM that companies adopted to deliver green building projects and examine the evolution path of BM for green buildings.

A total of 744 interdisciplinary bibliographic records related to BM and green buildings from the Web of Science Core Collection database have been identified from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed through co-author analysis, co-word analysis and co-citation analysis.

BM research mainly focuses on five subjects, namely, environmental science, engineering, business, economics, science and technology. Keywords “strategy”, “capability”, “perspective” and “design” receive the highest centrality index, which suggests that the strategy design and corporate capability are indispensable elements when designing or innovating a company's BM. “BM canvas” and “resource based view” received the burst citations in the recent decade. Twelve research clusters are identified, including performance evaluation, waste management, energy efficiency, BM, project business, professional capital, leadership and product innovation. These topics highlight three evolution direction for green building projects, i.e. life cycle-oriented value proposition, collaborative value delivery and innovative cost and revenue structure.

The findings contribute to a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of BM for green buildings and illuminate the development trend of business strategies for sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complex interdependence of the factors in driving or hindering construction productivity at the industry, project and activity levels in a systemic manner.

A mixed-methods design, which combines a critical literature review, an interview-based survey with 32 industry experts and five focus group meetings participated in by 109 representatives of a wide range of industry stakeholder groups, was employed to identify the drivers for and constraints on construction productivity enhancement in Hong Kong and explore the interrelated insights into the drivers and constraints.

The study conceptualised and validated a systemic framework for examining construction industry productivity, and developed three causal loop diagrams (CLDs) for illustrating the dynamic structures that underpin the complex systems of the drivers and constraints.

Although the scope of the study was limited to Hong Kong, the results could be interpreted for critical learning in other urban contexts.

The systemic perspective of construction productivity and the CLDs of the drivers and constraints support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders in the formulation of holistic strategies for long-term construction industry productivity enhancement.

The study conceptualises construction productivity from a systemic perspective and provides empirically supported CLDs to facilitate future investigations into the complex system of construction productivity.

Despite carbon reduction commitments, many constraints hinder the delivery of low-carbon buildings (LCBs) in high-rise high-density cities. The collaborative commitment of relevant stakeholders is vital to effectively address and mitigate these constraints. Hence, this study aims to comprehensively explore the required stakeholder collaboration attributes to address and mitigate the “common” constraints of delivering LCBs by focussing on several high-rise high-density cities.

A list of 21 “significant and common” constraints was identified through a systematic literature review followed by a questionnaire survey covering five economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Qatar and the UAE). Nineteen influential stakeholders/stakeholder categories were identified through the literature, and their ability to influence the 21 constraints was mapped and identified through a two-round Delphi survey of 15 experienced professionals. The Delphi survey findings were analysed through social network analysis (SNA) methods to assess the stakeholder engagement and collaboration attributes.

The SNA results revealed the ability of stakeholders to influence the constraints, required collaborative stakeholder networks to address the constraints, significance of stakeholders according to the SNA centrality measures, core and periphery stakeholders and individual co-affiliation networks of core stakeholders.

While achieving the planned primary target of exploring stakeholder collaboration and their significance through SNA, this study also presents a useful sequential methodological approach for future researchers to conduct similar studies in different contexts. The findings also provide a foundation for accelerating the delivery of LCBs by strengthening stakeholder collaboration.

This paper aims to examine the potentials of using automated guided vehicle (AGV) technology in modular integrated construction (MiC) to realise logistics automation in module manufacturing and transport.

This paper adopts a scenario approach through three phases (i.e. scenario preparation, development and transfer), with six steps performed iteratively. The scenarios were systematically developed using a six-aspect socio-technical framework. Data were collected through a comprehensive literature review, site visits and interviews with relevant stakeholders and professionals. Implications regarding strength, weakness, opportunities and challenges and future research directions are provided.

The developed scenarios of “smart manufacturing” and “last-mile delivery” demonstrated how AGVs could be used to enhance efficiency and productivity in module manufacturing and transport. The synergies between AGVs and emerging information technologies should pave a good foundation for realising logistics automation in MiC. Future research should address: how to define the tasks of AGVs, how will the use of AGVs impact MiC practices, how to design AGV-integrated module manufacturing/transport systems and how to integrate people factors into the use of AGVs in MiC.

This paper reveals the socio-technical benefits and challenges of using AGVs in MiC.

This study extends the understanding of using logistics automation in MiC as emerging research directions, with the intention of directing scholars’ and practitioners’ interest into future exploration. It is the first attempt in its kind. Its findings could be extended to constitute a comprehensive development roadmap and prospects of automation in modular construction.

This paper explores the vocational training of construction workers in Guangdong Province of China and identifies its position in the global political-economic spectrum of skill formation.

The paper reviews construction vocational education and training (VET) of major political economies to develop a theoretical framework that guides an in-depth case study of Guangdong. Document analysis, field trip observations, meetings and semi-structured interviews were combined to explore the political-economic environment, political stakeholders and quality assurance mechanisms of industrial training in Guangdong's construction sector. The findings were compared with construction VET of other economies reported in the literature.

Construction training in Guangdong is deeply rooted in the local history and culture, under strong dominance of the state, while continually evolves to respond to the fluid market and therefore can be conceptualised as “market-in-state”. The political stakeholders are embedded within the state to ensure that skills policies are implemented in-line with industry policies. The differences between the training of Guangdong and its foreign counterparts are attributed to their divergent political-economic models.

As the case study was undertaken only with Guangdong, the generalisability of its findings can be improved through future research within a broader context of multiple provinces of China through both qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

Plausible foreign VET approaches are likely adaptable to the Chinese context only when conducive political-economic environment could be enabled. The findings are useful for developing countries to learn from the VET experience of industrialised economies. Construction workers' training in Guangdong can be improved by strengthening labour regulation at lower subcontracting levels and ensuring the presence of industrial associations and unions for collective training supervision.

The paper contributes to the field of construction engineering and management with a theoretical framework that guides empirical studies on the influence of the political-economic environment upon the ways political stakeholders develop and participate in construction VET. The exploration based on this framework revealed the position of the vocational training of construction workers in Guangdong in the global political-economic spectrum of skill formation.

Crowdsourcing communities enable companies to post challenges that are completed by solvers (workers); their success depends on engagement, requiring both creativity and effort. This study explores solver engagement in online crowdsourcing communities, advancing the theory of trait engagement by investigating the mediating roles of: (a) task-related self-efficacy in linking conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion, with solver engagement, and (b) task complexity in influencing the mediation.

215 valid responses were obtained from solvers engaged in the popular Chinese crowdsourcing community, Epwk.com, using an online questionnaire. PLS was then used to analyze the data.

Results show that self-efficacy mediates the relationships for conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion, with solver engagement. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that self-efficacy mediates the relationships for: (a) conscientiousness and extraversion, for only solvers with high task complexity; and (b) neuroticism, for only solvers with low task complexity.

The authors’ findings underscore the importance of accounting for solvers' situational contexts when examining the relationships between personality, self-efficacy and solver engagement in online crowdsourcing communities.