Bee Lan Oo

Competitor analysis in construction bidding

Bidding strategies vary from contractor to contractor, each of which will have different degrees of sensitivity towards the factors affecting their bidding decisions. A competitor analysis using a linear mixed model is proposed for use by contractors as part of a more informed approach in identifying key competitors, and as a basis for formulating bidding strategies. The competitiveness between bids is examined according to: (i) project size, (ii) work sector; (iii) work nature; and (iv) number of bidders. The model was tested empirically by application to a bidding dataset obtained from a large Hong Kong contractor. Allowing for different degrees of sensitivity towards the four bidding variables across competing contractors (i.e. with the model parameters that varied across competing contractors), the results indicate that competitiveness in bidding of this contractor is generally greater than the majority of its competitors.

Stakeholders’ approaches to disaster risk reduction in built environment

Purpose – In disaster risk reduction (DRR), it is important to realise stakeholders’ approaches against disasters in the built environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore why stakeholders take proactive and/or reactive approaches in DRR. Design/methodology/approach – Using a review of existent literature, this work scrutinises disaster theories and their applications in the built environment to develop a theoretical framework for perceiving stakeholders’ proactive and/or reactive approaches in DRR. Findings – Stakeholders’ organisational attributes – power, legitimacy and urgency – and decision-making paradigms – value maximisation and intuitive reasoning – are fundamental factors affecting stakeholders’ approaches against disasters. Power and legitimacy of stakeholders result in a proactive approach if stakeholders consider value maximisation paradigm in their decision-making process. Powerful and legitimate stakeholders may take reactive approaches because of intuitive reasoning paradigm. Stake...

The effect of construction demand on contract auctions: an experiment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an experiment to test the effect of construction demand on the mark-up price level in construction contract auctions. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental approach was adopted for this study. In a controlled laboratory environment, a first-price sealed bid auction was simulated with varying number of projects available over ten rounds to simulate changing construction demand. Two experimental treatments were run in parallel, one exhibiting a “booming” demand over time, and the other group with a “recession” scenario. The experiment involved student (inexperienced) bidders with a construction project management background. Findings – The results show that inexperienced bidders do behave differently when subjected to varying levels of construction demand. Variations in the bid price level are affected by varying levels of construction demand and the general mark-up level for the bidders experiencing a booming scenario was higher on average compared ...

Game-based learning in construction management courses: a case of bidding game

Purpose – The game-based learning has been used very successfully in some areas of formal education. In construction management, there is an increased uptake of games in teaching and learning. Focusing on a bidding game, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate its ability in enhancing students’ learning. The specific objectives are to: examine the effectiveness of the game as a teaching mechanism; explore students’ learning experience, preference and motivation to participate in the game; and identify the relationship between game features and students’ learning experience and overall satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopted a survey research design. A questionnaire survey was conducted in two universities in Australia, involving 100 students in the gameplay. Findings – The results show that the overall student feedback is positive with the vast majority of the students enjoying the learning experience. Students from both institutions have indicated their preference for group-based ...

Development of an Index to Measure Stakeholder Approaches toward Disasters in the Built Environment

Abstract Disasters jeopardize society, performance of economy, built environment, and other socio-economic and physical determinants not only in developing countries but also in developed nations. For example, every year Australian communities are subjected to the damaging impacts of disasters associated with climate change and sea level rise. Far little literature on disaster stakeholder management is present and even that has not scrutinized the concept in terms of stakeholders proactive and/or reactive approaches toward disasters. In addition, there exists insufficient information and support for developing and application of measurement tools to assess stakeholders responses to disasters. Hence, the aim of this study is to develop an index to measure Australian stakeholders approaches - proactive and/or reactive - against disasters in transport infrastructure. The Stakeholder Disaster Response Index (SDRI) is a composite index that allows direct comparison of stakeholders’ approaches, and describes the relative contributions of socio-economic, built environment and stakeholders attributes to that overall response. Results indicate that Australian Councils have chosen more reactive approaches than proactive tasks; moreover, stakeholders attributes are significant factor contributing to the implementation of proactive and/or reactive approaches, even when controlling for contextual characteristics. The research concludes the anticipated benefits of SDRI for direct comparison of different stakeholders approaches against disasters in society and the built environment. Such a comparison could be useful for governments, emergency institutions, and disaster management organizations as they allocate scarce resources among various stakeholders. Insurance and reinsurance companies could employ it as they plan their portfolio diversification and establish premiums for disaster insurance policies. Finally, it paves the way for stakeholders to have comprehensive plans for resilient built environment by taking more proactive approaches in disaster risk management.

Information feedback and bidders’ competitiveness in construction bidding

Purpose – Contractors rely on effective pricing methods in order to translate potential business into reality for long-term survival of their firms. This involves effective utilization of bidding feedback information toward winning jobs with high profit potential. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally investigate student (inexperienced) bidders’ competitiveness under full and partial information feedback conditions when the number of competing bidders is large (n=12). Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopted an experimental research design. The design used between-subjects variation and involved information feedback as the treatment variable with 120 students who enrolled in a cost-estimating course participated in the experiment. Findings – The result shows that the variations in bids over time for both levels of information feedback are statistically significant. It is found that bidders with full bidding feedback information are more competitive than those with partial bidding feedback...

Female Student Enrolments in Construction Management Programs

This study examines the trends of female student enrolment to construction management (CM) undergraduate degree programs in New South Wales, Australia. Enrolment data from the past decade (2006–2015) were collected from three universities offering CM programs. A survey questionnaire was also conducted with current female students enrolled in CM program at one of the universities. The enrolment data shows that there is a steady increase of female student enrolments in CM programs across the three universities. The survey results show that high school counsellors, friends and peers were not significantly influential on the respondents’ decision to pursue a CM program. Parental influence was also noted, which is however not statistically significant. The survey respondents disagreed that: (i) working in the construction industry requires getting dirty; and (ii) there is no place for women in the male-dominated construction industry. Although with a perception of longer working hours in the industry that provides ample remuneration, they would like to see themselves in the industry for the next ten years. These findings have implications to CM educators in their recruitment and retention strategies towards sustainable increment of female students in CM programs.

Change management for sustainable competitive advantages: the roles of organisational culture and employees in the Chinese construction firms

AbstractAs economies continue to undulate, firms’ ability to adapt and respond flexibly to changes is the key for their survival and competitiveness. Conceptually, organisational culture and human resources are valuable and key sources of competitive advantage. However, unlike other physical assets, human resources have their own expectations, needs and idiosyncrasies that must be met and managed if they are to contribute to firms’ change management efforts. The aim of this research is to investigate employees’ perception of change management in architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms. More specifically, this research attempts to: (1) identify the key enablers of change management; (2) identify the key characteristics of effective change agents; and (3) examine the relationships between organisational culture, employee behaviours and commitment, and perceived organisational change management performance. An online questionnaire survey of 74 construction professionals was undertaken and it...