Bassam Baroudi

Adopting global virtual engineering teams in AEC projects : a qualitative meta-analysis of innovation diffusion studies

Purpose – This study aims to present an integrated conceptual model in order to highlight the major aspects of diffusion of innovations in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) context. To this end, a critical review of literature is conducted, accompanied by synthesising the findings of previous studies. The driving force behind this study is stemmed from the fragmentation of literature on innovation diffusion, and paucity of research on diffusion of Global Virtual Engineering Teams (GVETs) as the platform for many technological innovations in relevant literature. Thus, the present study is intended to facilitate filling the gap in GVETs literature. That is, the proposed model will offer a foundation for academia for grounding studies on any innovation including GVETs in the literature on innovation diffusion in the AEC context. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the qualitative meta-analysis approach encompassing a critical review of the relevant literature. To this end, ...

Stakeholder management in disaster restoration projects

Purpose – This paper aims to identify stakeholder issues on disaster restoration projects from a contractor perspective. Disaster occurrences normally warrant substantial restoration and reconstruction efforts. These projects involve the mitigation and repair of disaster-affected buildings and structures. Design/methodology/approach – This study is essentially exploratory in nature. It reviews relevant literature and then presents empirical research findings garnered from disaster restoration practitioners. A survey using the Likert rating scale method was used. The data were collected via an online questionnaire survey. Findings – The results confirm that disaster restoration projects contain significant stakeholder issues and challenges. Furthermore, these can differ from conventional construction and the work of “first responders” to disaster situations. Hence, disaster restoration projects are seen as having their own unique identity. Research limitations/implications – This paper has only set out to ...

Evaluating virtuality in teams: a conceptual model

Major parts of teams deployed in contemporary organisations to some extent possess the attributes of virtuality. In this context, at high levels of virtuality, team requirements become quite different from those of face-to-face teams. Thus, evaluating virtuality in teams is a key prerequisite for assessing its requirements and defining the applicable managerial policies. Nonetheless, the concept of virtuality in teams has remained elusive within the extant literature. To address this, this paper deploys a qualitative meta-analysis to synthesise the relevant findings drawing upon an exhaustive review of the literature. The study conceptualises the phenomenon of virtuality through proposing a conceptual framework for evaluating the level of virtuality in teams. This paper contributes to the field by offering further insight into the concept of virtuality and directs future investigations by providing the ground for validating the presented conceptual model.

A Practitioner Based Evaluation of Project Management Knowledge and Education: The Australian Case

Many scholars have criticized formal project management education as being based on various Bodies of Knowledge BOKs, lacking real-world application and representing a narrow view of the profession. Through a survey questionnaire, this research inquiry has examined the alignment of project management professional needs with the aspirations of project management education within Australian universities. The research findings show positive links between project management education, increased employability, better workplace performance and successful professional careers. However, the research has also identified poor alignment of current project management education in Australian universities with project management practice and recommends possible revision of project management education programs to meet the knowledge requirements expressed by project management professionals. The findings of this research contribute to the debate in respect of bringing project management education closer to project management practice.

Factors affecting construction productivity: a 30 year systematic review

A significant amount of work has been performed in the area of identification of factors affecting construction productivity. Previous studies have tried to determine the most important factors affecting construction productivity in different countries for a long time. As a result of continuous effort in this direction, researchers have identified a wide range of factors. While the subject area has matured, no general agreement could be made on the factors affecting construction productivity. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to undertake a comprehensive systematic review of mainstream studies on factors affecting construction productivity published in the last 30 years (1986–2016).,A total of 46 articles from different sources such as journals, conference proceedings, dissertation and PhD theses were identified and thoroughly reviewed.,Gaps in research and practices are discussed and directions for future research have been proposed. The literature review indicates that despite noticeable differences in the socio-economic conditions across both developed countries and developing countries, an overall reasonable consensus exists on few significant factors impeding productivity. These are, namely, non-availability of materials, inadequate supervision, skill shortage, lack of proper tools and equipment and incomplete drawing and specifications. Nevertheless, implications of technology, site amenities, process studies, project culture, and impacts of physiological and psychological factors were not adequately covered in existing literature. The study also found that traditional construction projects have remained the main focus of these studies while green construction projects have been generally overlooked.,The review does not include studies that report productivity at the organisational or industry level as well as total factor productivity. The scope of the review is limited to work on identification of factors affecting productivity at the activity level in construction projects.,The outcomes of this study would help researchers and practitioners by providing the findings of previous studies in a concise manner. It is also expected that presenting a deeper and wider perspective of the research work performed until now will direct a more focussed approach on productivity improvement efforts in the construction industry.,This review paper undertakes a comprehensive systematic review of studies on identification of factors affecting construction productivity published during the last three decades.

Factors affecting perceived level of virtuality in hybrid construction project teams (HCPTs): A qualitative study

Purpose Deploying hybrid construction project teams (HCPTs) in which the common pattern of interactions is a blend of face-to-face and virtual communications has been increasingly gaining momentum in the construction context. Evidence has demonstrated that effectiveness of HCPTs is affected by a perceived level of virtuality, i.e. the perception of distance and boundaries between members where teams shift towards working virtually as opposed to purely collocated teams. This study aims to provide an integrated model of the factors affecting perceived virtuality in HCPTs, to address the conspicuous absence of studies on virtuality in the construction context. Design/methodology/approach An a priori list of factors extracted from existing literature on virtuality was subjected to the scrutiny of 17 experts with experiences of working in HCPTs through semi-structured interviews. Nvivo 10 was deployed for analysing the interview transcripts. Findings The findings outline the factors affecting virtuality in HCPTs and map the patterns of their associations as an integrated model. This leads to discovering a number of novel factors, which exert moderating impacts upon perceived virtuality in HCPTs. Practical implications The findings assist managers and practitioners dealing with any form of HCPTs (including building information modelling-based networks and distributed design teams) in identifying the variables manipulating the effectiveness of their teams. This enables them of designing more effective team arrangements. Originality/value As the first empirical study on virtuality in the construction context, this paper contributes to the sphere by conceptualising and contextualising the concept of virtuality in the construction industry. The study presents a new typology for the factors affecting perceived virtuality by categorising them into predictors and moderators.

Prequalification: Using systems to problem dissolve

The requirement to prequalify prior to tendering for a project is often reported as burdensome. We need more ways to think constructively about this sort of project management problem. The pragmatists argue that constructive thinking includes encouraging stakeholders to shift from their default conception of a problematic situation. Ackoff (2006) suggested a way of doing this. He called it “problem dissolving.” This includes “zooming out” from the situation to conceive of the old problem situation as just one element in a metasystem. This article explains how and why problem dissolving might be used to reconceptualize prequalification. After explaining the approach, it tests the approach on industry experts. Projects are human activity systems, so it seemed reasonable to reflect on prequalification using the attributes of a project as a system: purpose, transformation, connectivity, and boundary. A reconceptualization of prequalification emerged where it was seen to have the potential to become a policy mechanism for improving the industry.

The status quo of innovations within the construction industry: a conceptual model

The construction industry remains in need of applicable theories on the lifecycle of innovations. Nevertheless, construction researchers have hitherto used different constructs and various variables to present the status quo of an innovation. Building on an exhaustive literature review and analyses, this paper contributes to the body of knowledge on construction theories by presenting theoretical frameworks that represent the lifecycle of innovations and identifies the influential constructs and typologies. The study also discusses the view that constructs representing the cross-sectional state of an innovation within the construction industry should be universal in scope and meet the requirements of potential future studies and decision makers. The study concludes by developing a conceptual model illustrating the primary constructs and variables that could present the status quo of an innovation within the construction context.

Perceived Productivity Effects of Mobile ICT in Construction Projects

The increased affordability of mobile devices, wider network coverage, and better mobile applications have changed the ways communication and information transfer take place in the construction industry in both developed and developing countries. While considerable research has been conducted on the extent of usage of mobile information and communication technologies (mobile ICT) and development of prototype applications in the context of construction projects, less attention has been paid on examining the perceptions of construction management (CM) professionals regarding implications of using mobile ICT. The present study identified different ways in which the use of mobile ICT translates into better productivity in construction projects. A questionnaire survey conducted across the Indian construction industry revealed that the use of mobile ICT improves construction productivity due to four factors: (1) improved communication and information flow, (2) better project execution, (3) improved access to data, and (4) proper defect management. While attributes related to communication and access to information received high rankings, the respondents perceived that the use of mobile ICT has low positive influence on attributes such as cost savings, speed of construction, sustainability, and construction errors.

The Negative Effects of Mobile ICT on Productivity in Indian Construction Projects

Due to increased affordability of mobile devices, better network coverage, and availability of a wide range of mobile applications, the use of mobile information and communication technologies (mobile ICT) has increased significantly in construction projects. While considerable research on both positive and negative implications of using mobile ICT has been conducted in different industries and social contexts, relatively few studies have examined the perception of construction management (CM) professionals. A questionnaire survey conducted across the Indian construction industry revealed that the use of mobile ICT could impede construction productivity due to factors such as: (1) pressure to remain accessible outside the work hours, (2) temptation to check it frequently, (3) adverse effects on work-life balance, (4) compulsion to work outside the normal work hours, (5) massive amount of information, (6) distraction, (7) less time to respond to changes, (8) loss of productive time due to personal internet usage, (9) adverse effects on health of the users, and (10) frequent drawing changes. Since potential applications of mobile ICT in construction projects present enormous opportunities for CM professionals, these issues need to be addressed through user awareness, training, and organizational policies.