Beliz Ozorhon

Facilitating innovation in construction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight for future innovation research activities and for the role of universities in working with industry to promote innovation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview and synthesis of the literature on innovation and the role of universities. This is supported by interviews, case studies, and surveys within academic and industrial communities.Findings – The paper identifies that innovation, whether at an international, national, regional, firm or project level of analysis, continues to be at the forefront of the mind of policy makers and practitioners alike. Nevertheless, our understanding of innovation is far from complete. More research is required to study innovation at these different levels of resolution and at different points in the project life cycle. In order for the research base to play its part in promoting construction innovation, an engagement mechanism is required that brings together academia and industry in a way...

Performance of International Joint Ventures in Construction

International joint ventures (IJVs) have become popular because of their importance as a strategic alternative in global competition. The measurement of the performance of IJVs has been an important research topic for a few decades, however there is no consensus on an appropriate definition and measurement of IJV performance. In this study, a model is proposed to assess IJV performance in construction. The validity of the proposed drivers and measures of performance is investigated and relationships between them are analyzed. The effects of interpartner fit/relations, structural IJV characteristics, host country factors, and project-related factors on IJV performance are examined through a questionnaire survey. IJV performance is defined by a four-dimensional construct that considers the performance of the project, the IJV partners, the IJV organization itself, and the perceptions of the IJV partners. The results point out the significance of the interpartner fit and the quality of partner relations for a successful IJV operation. The findings of the study also suggest that project-related factors have a moderate influence on IJV performance. In a properly designed IJV structure, partners with compatible skills, resources, and cultures are found to maintain good relations and are expected to achieve greater IJV success.

Analysis of Construction Innovation Process at Project Level

AbstractIn the construction sector, innovation is cocreated in a multiparty environment and shaped by the requirements of the project. Therefore, the analysis of innovation at the project level is essential. This research investigates the innovation process in construction projects. It proposes a framework to explore various components of innovation, including the drivers, inputs, enablers, barriers, innovative activities, benefits, and impacts. The framework is employed in four case studies concerning award winning projects in the UK. The primary source of product, process, and organizational innovations in these cases has been agendas driven by environmental sustainability. Collaborative working among team members and strong commitment proved to be the primary enablers of innovation; reluctance, inexperience, and cost were regarded as barriers to innovation. This study helps to develop a better understanding of the interorganizational nature of construction innovations, thereby improving innovation perf...

Integration and Leadership as Enablers of Innovation in Construction: Case Study

Adopting innovations in construction is challenging due to the fragmented and project-based nature of the industry. As construction innovation is a joint activity with a number of participants involved in the process, it is essential to consider the role of interorganizational factors in implementing successful innovations. The aim of this paper is to investigate the components of the innovation process by placing particular emphasis on the enablers of, as well as barriers to, innovation adoption. A case-study methodology was employed to gain insight on how innovation is achieved within a construction project setting. Modern methods of construction and lean construction were adopted in the examined case concerning an urban regeneration project. The findings of the case study suggest that resistance to change, inexperience, and unavailability of advanced products were the main barriers to innovation adoption. The project team benefited from several mechanisms to overcome these barriers, including integration of the project participants and effective leadership. The case study is expected to help participants of the construction industry reflect on their innovation processes and thereby enhance the rate of innovation adoption.

Using analytic network process to assess business failure risks of construction firms

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify the determinants of business failure in construction and to predict the failure likelihood of construction companies by assessing their current situation based on both company‐specific and external factors.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model is designed based on an extensive literature survey. The analytical network process together with the Delphi method is utilised to compute the importance weights of variables on business failure through interviews and discussions with experts. The applicability of the proposed model is tested on five companies to estimate their failure likelihood by using the findings derived from the analysis.Findings – The results suggest the importance of organisational and managerial factors, including the efficiency of the value chain at the corporate level, the appropriateness of organisational decisions, and the availability of intangible resources for the survival of construction companies.Research limitations/implications – T...

Organizational memory formation and its use in construction

As knowledge becomes a source of competitive advantage, knowledge-management activities have become critical for success. Construction firms can effectively use their organizational memory to enhance their decision-making abilities. A framework was constructed to model the organizational memory formation process in construction companies. Based on this model, an interview study was conducted to investigate both the organizational memory formation and the role of organizational memory in strategic decision-making within the construction industry. Eight Turkish contractors were assessed. The results suggest that construction companies make use of several knowledge sources and mechanisms to acquire knowledge. Although construction companies are successful at the collection and storage of knowledge, they are weak in the exploitation of organizational memory, especially at the strategic decision-making stage. In addition, they cannot increase their organizational learning competence due to some company- and industry-specific barriers.

Green Building Certification Process of Existing Buildings in Developing Countries: Cases from Turkey

AbstractSustainability has become a major concern for the construction industry. There has been a growing emphasis on green buildings in the last decade. Renovation is critical in terms of improving the energy efficiency of the building stock. In this paper, the green building certification process of existing buildings in developing countries is investigated. A qualitative case study methodology has been employed to gain a better understanding of the critical success factors of the greening and certification process. In this respect, six leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED)-certified projects in Turkey are examined. A framework is used to analyze the components of this process, including the drivers, resources, green implementations, barriers, enablers, benefits, and impacts. Unavailability of approved materials, poor design of the buildings, and difficulties with the documentation process have been major barriers. The barriers have been overcome through the commitment of the owners, top ...

Toward a Multidimensional Performance Measure for International Joint Ventures in Construction

Measuring the performance of joint ventures has been an important research topic for a few decades. No consensus on an appropriate definition and measurement of performance of international joint ventures (IJVs) has yet emerged, and the validity of the underlying measures is still questionable. In this study, the construct validity of measures that define IJV performance in construction is evaluated using data obtained through a questionnaire survey. A second-order performance construct is proposed, which is measured by means of project performance, partner performance, performance of IJV management, and perceived satisfaction with IJV. The validity of the performance measures is evaluated by means of tests that assess content validity, reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. The findings reveal that all proposed indicators are valid measures of IJV performance and that they correspond to different dimensions of performance. This research is expected to trigger further work on developing a multidimensional performance measure for IJVs in construction. In addition, the findings can help practitioners reflect on how they operate and measure the success of their IJVs.

Response of Construction Clients to Low-Carbon Building Regulations

AbstractBuilding regulations and governmental policies create pressure on the construction industry to minimize the environmental impacts that are caused by buildings. Achieving energy efficiency, and thereby low-carbon construction, is only possible by cooperation among the participants in the construction supply chain. Clients in particular have an important role in promoting environmental sustainability. In this paper, the carbon-reduction process is analyzed from a construction client’s perspective. A framework is developed to analyze the interrelated components of this process, including the drivers, initiatives, challenges, facilitators, solutions, and achievements. A qualitative case study methodology was employed to gain a better understanding of the project-based practices and corporate policies in achieving energy efficiency. The study presents the results of three award-winning construction projects from the U.K. in which innovations for improving environmental sustainability were based on the ...

Drivers of Innovation in Construction Projects

AbstractAnalysis of the innovation process should take into account the characteristics of the sector under investigation. In construction, there are multiple stakeholders and, therefore, innovation is codeveloped at the project level. However, innovation is driven by a high number of factors that could be distinguished at the industry, firm, and project levels. The major objective of this research is to investigate the role of different factors in driving innovation in construction projects. In this respect, a framework has been proposed, in which the main components of innovation are identified as the drivers, inputs, and outputs. The relationship between those components are analyzed using structural equation modeling based on data collected from 110 construction projects. The findings of the study suggest that the innovation decision is governed mainly by project-related factors that are followed by firm- and industry-related factors. Project complexity, innovation policy, and environmental sustainabi...