Andrew Agapiou

Perceptions of gender roles and attitudes toward work among male and female operatives in the Scottish construction industry

The predominant image of construction is that of a male-dominated industry requiring brute strength and a good tolerance for outdoor conditions, inclement weather and bad language. Reconciling this image with womens participation in the construction industry is problematic. However, there are early signs of a cultural shift in the industry. This paper presents an empirical review of womes roles within the industry and the ways in which people make sense of their working experience when traditional gender roles are challenged. Based on qualitative research, the study found that men in the industry regarded as the gatekeepers are now finding ways to respond to and make sense of a changing workplace, and the realities that women are now actively encouraged to participate, legally protected against discrimination and more highly represented in non-traditional areas of the construction industry. Women are also findings ways as apprentices and tradespeople to position themselves within this new environment. They identify ways of working that are more likely to ensure a smooth experience for themselves. While the stimulus for the changing face of the workplace is the notion of gender equality, the responses are not gender neutral. All players are trying to negotiate ways to integrate each other into a new environment in a manner which allows them to comfortably reconcile issues of gender.

The changing role of builders merchants in the construction supply chain

Builders merchants are an integral part of the construction industry, yet rarely are they consulted when discussions take place on the future of the construction industry. Throughout history, builders merchants have played a dominant role in the construction industry, initially as an intermediary between the artisan and the buyer, and more recently as a source of working capital for contracting firms. The merchanting industry currently is undergoing considerable change. The depressed construction market and the failure of the housing repair and maintenance sector to recover in the first half of the 1990s as activity in the private non-housing repair and maintenance sector has increased, has raised competition between merchants. The major building merchants are becoming larger by acquisition and merger, the smaller merchants are seeking niche areas, and the medium-size firms are under serious threat from acquisition by the larger merchanting firms. The trend towards consolidation in the sector, driven by the need to reduce costs, has meant that the large merchanting firms now control around 60% of the building materials market sales. Factoring is a growing trend, particularly with smaller companies sourcing goods from the cheapest source. The larger merchants have to respond by sourcing goods from the lowest cost base, irrespective of whether they buy from overseas markets. This paper analyses the UK builders merchants sector and evaluates the important role played in the supply chain.

The role of logistics in the materials flow control process

Frequently, the supply of building materials to the construction site is fraught with difficulties which can have a significant effect on productivity. Major productivity gains are possible, particularly if the building process is planned from a logistics perspective. The concept of logistics was developed initially within the manufacturing industry, and now constitutes an important management tool to ensure an overall strategic perspective on the flow of materials in the production process. This paper contends that logistics are relevant also to the construction industry, and describes the development of a logistics model to manage the flow of materials from suppliers to installation on-site and its application to a Danish house building project. The case study evidence suggests that the primary focus of the logistics concept in construction is to improve coordination and communication between project participants during the design and construction phases, particularly in the materials flow control process. The logistics concept requires accurate scheduling of materials to programmed delivery dates keyed to actual site layout and storage arrangements. The logistics approach also involves a new role for materials suppliers, including early involvement in the design phase and overall responsibility for the flow of information relating to materials.

Planning future construction skill requirements: understanding labour resource issues

Construction is a labour-intensive industry, which places heavy reliance upon the skills of its workforce. These skills need updating continually as many of the trades involved in the industry become increasingly specialized. During the 1980s, there was a rapid rise in construction activity within the UK, followed by a sudden but short-lived boom accompanied by skill shortages. The construction industry is now experiencing a deeper and longer lasting recession than originally predicted, resulting in valuable employees in all sections of the industry being lost - a high proportion of whom will not return to the construction industry. The construction industry is predicted to grow in the period after the recession by an average of 3% per annum until the year 2001. With this growth the industry is expected to experience considerable skill shortages in both traditional and new skill areas. Construction is in a period of rapid cultural change accompanied by the introduction of new technologies and new ways of ...

The role of the facility manager in new procurement routes

The private finance initiative (PFI) is a means of using private finance and skills to deliver capital investment projects traditionally provided by the public sector. Traditionally, public sector bodies have been responsible for the procurement, operation and regulation of capital assets. In PFI, the private sector has the primary role in the operation of constructed facilities, whereas the public sector has a larger role in regulation. There are two parties to a PFI contract: the public sector body or authority, and the private consortium responsible for the delivery of the facility or project. Part of the contract specifies that the private consortium takes on a considerable degree of risk associated with that facility. This paper reassesses the role of the facilities manager as the party responsible for the co‐ordination of planning, design and management of facilities within the PFI regime. The development of strategic long‐term partnerships between client organisations and FM service providers requires the fundamental reassessment of appropriate risk management strategies informed by an integrated information management system that ensures the timely capture and exchange of life cycle data throughout the key stages of the PFI contract.

A review of recent developments in construction operative training in the UK

Future skill requirements and training initiatives designed to meet them, are highly topical issues in the construction industry. The pace of change affecting the structure of training generally has created considerable confusion among employers in the construction industry. In the mind of the average employer there is still uncertainty about the nature and value of competence-based qualifications (NVQs) which are still at a relatively early stage of implementation. Training provision has been decimated by the effects of the recession. The range of options for training routes has become more complex due to continuing government initiatives and frequent changes in funding policy. This paper traces the prevailing trends in the provision of craft training in the UK construction industry, highlighting the fragmentation of funding arrangements and its effects on the structure of training. First, recent developments in government policy for youth training in the UK in general are reviewed. Second, formalized training procedures and the roles of the different training organizations in the construction industry are discussed. This forms an important backdrop for understanding issues affecting the introduction of new vocational qualifications. Finally, the aims, objectives and key characteristics of these qualifications are presented. Factors that have constrained the implementation and delivery of the new qualifications are identified also.

Forecasting the supply of construction skills in the UK

An aggregate supply model is presented for craft trainee entrants to the UK construction sector using annual data for the period 1976–1990. The theoretical framework used to formulate the equation was based on the human capital approach to analysing labour supply, as applied to new entrants to the engineering sector. In particular, the paper tests the hypothesis that the proportion of school-leavers choosing to train as construction operatives depends on the real craft wage and the long-term prospects of the construction industry. Co-integration was used to produce a long-run relationship between intakes, real wages, output and other variables. The supply equation was then reduced to a more parsimonious representation. The final restricted form of the model was tested against various diagnostic statistical criteria. The real craft wage and output were found to be the main factors determining the choice between training as a construction craft operative and any other job. In addition, demographic trends an...

Scottish construction lawyers and mediation: an investigation into attitudes and experiences

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to paint a picture of the current utility of mediation in the Scottish construction sector; determine the willingness of Scottish construction lawyers to shift away from traditional dispute resolution approaches towards mediation; and ascertain the drivers towards the adoption of mediatory techniques and the barriers to change.Design/methodology/approach – Drawn from a questionnaire survey, this paper seeks to add to the dispute resolution literature by identifying the attitudes of construction lawyers on the use and effectiveness of mediation to resolve construction disputes in Scotland.Findings – The findings suggest that there is a core of Scottish construction lawyers in Scotland that recognize the promise of mediation as a useful dispute resolution tool. Respondents generally profess knowledge of the process and some measure of positive practical experience and espouse positive views on mediation. Their response to mediation then does not appear to be one of ...

The Use and Evaluation of a Simulation Game to Teach Professional Practice Skills to Undergraduate Architecture Students

Abstract Architects are currently grappling to exploit new forms of communication made possible with developments in internet communication. At the same time, the construction industry is in a state of flux as novel project management systems are being introduced. Students need to understand the first principles of project management within the context of our changing environment. One of the best ways for students to learn about the legalities of the construction process is through role play and simulation, but there is a Catch 22. Unless students have a basic understanding of project management, the contractual process can be confusing and intimidating. Even fifth and sixth year architecture student are reluctant to ask practitioners questions, for fear of appearing ignorant. This paper describes the use of a web-based simulation game to deliver the Management, Practice and Law syllabus to Architecture Students. The web-based game allows students to critically observe the transformation of designs into buildings through the exploration of the contract management process. A questionnaire survey was used to assess the efficacy of the simulation game as a learning tool, and in particular the effectiveness of the web-based simulation in facilitating the development of professional practice skills in undergraduate Architecture students. The initial results of the assessment indicate that the simulation game is both a useful and complementary adjunct to traditional teaching and learning methods, as observed through the evaluation of outcomes, and helpful in developing generic professional practice skills of undergraduate students. Further game development will require more formal evaluation over a series of uses.

The impact of eastward enlargement on construction labour markets in European Union member states

This chapter concerns the impact of labour migration on the construction industry in the enlarged European Union (EU). It reviews the varying patterns of employment for construction labour in Europe and considers how these different employment conditions influence the labour process. The movement of construction labour within Europe is considered and the chapter argues that diverse economic and geographical conditions will influence the quantity of migrant labour in different European countries. Labour migration was small in the pre- 2004 EU and is likely to remain small in terms of the numbers currently involved in the EU construction industries; nevertheless, it is expected to grow in the near future. Finally, the benefits and risks of labour migration are considered from the perspective of the migrant worker and indigenous construction employees in respect of wage levels and productivity.