Benson T.H. Lim

Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Organizational Flexibility in the Construction Business

Flexibility has been touted as an important requirement for firms to survive and prosper in turbulent and volatile economic environments. The aim of this research is to investigate the relevance of organizational flexibility management to construction firms, because firms that are more flexible are more likely to survive and prosper than less flexible firms. More specifically, the objectives are to define a model that will allow contractors to understand the complex factors that contribute to organizational flexibility; ascertain whether organizational flexibility should be treated as a uni- or multidimensional construct; and identify the key determinants that drive organizational flexibility. A two-pronged research method with exploratory interviews and an industrywide survey was adopted. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with construction industry experts. The data collection instrument for the survey was a structured questionnaire specifically designed for this study. By using structural...

Mathematical Models for Predicting Organizational Flexibility of Construction Firms in Singapore

The ability to predict and develop organizational flexibility is important for firms to survive and prosper in volatile business environments. The aim of this study is to investigate the constituents of and the constructs for predicting organizational flexibility. The specific objectives are to ascertain the relative importance of different constituents of flexibility and to construct and validate mathematical models to predict organizational flexibility of Singaporean construction firms. The research was conducted by a questionnaire survey and data were collected by face-to-face interviews with 41 construction industry experts. Three mathematical models were developed and validated by using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The validation data consisted of ratings provided by four subject matter experts whose data were not used in the model development. The results show that the mathematical model for predicting strategic flexibility is able to predict to a good level of accuracy. The mod...

Linking corporate social responsibility and organizational performance in the construction industry

Abstract In the construction industry, the subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important as communities, employees and socially conscious clients expect firms to demonstrate they are good corporate citizens. However, while CSR research in construction has accelerated in recent years, it remains fragmented and unconceptualized and there is little understanding of the relationship between CSR and organizational performance, the types of CSR strategies employed and the strategic motivations behind them. To address this deficiency in current CSR knowledge and drawing upon contemporary CSR theory, a survey of 104 professionals from across the construction supply chain in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken. The results show that CSR initiatives in the construction sector are integrative, isolated, narrowly focussed (mainly on environmental activities), immature, compliance-based and operational rather than strategic. The link between CSR and economic performance increasingly espoused (and assumed) in much of the CSR literature does not appear to be accepted in practice with the main benefits being seen as relational in building corporate loyalty, brand and engagement with both internal and external stakeholders. By empirically showing that CSR in construction takes place within an integrative conceptual framework, our findings highlight the potential value of theoretical concepts such as stakeholder salience in moving this field of research forward. These approaches recognize the power that stakeholders (both internal and external) have over a business and the need to manage those relationships carefully in order to secure a licence to operate.

Inter-organizational unfairness in the construction industry

There are numerous examples of unfair inter-organizational business practices in the construction industry. Conflict and confrontation, corruption, bid-shopping, insecurity of payment and supply chain exploitation are just some examples which have been documented over several decades in many countries. There have been numerous initiatives to make the construction industry a fairer business environment, but these have been largely developed in a conceptual vacuum. Consequently, few advances have been made in making the industry a fairer place to do business. To address the lack of theory in this area and provide a conceptual foundation for future improvement, theories of organizational justice were used as the basis for a survey of 135 consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers from across the Australian construction supply chain. The findings reveal that mainstream theories of justice may need refinement and reorganization to be applied to a construction industry context. Furthermore, in contrast to much previous research, the results indicate that levels of interpersonal, social and informational justice are high within the Australian construction industry. However, they also show that more can be done to improve levels of procedural and distributive justice, particularly in relation to subcontractors and suppliers in the construction supply chain. Many of these findings are transferable to other countries which are culturally, contractually and organizationally similar to the Australian construction industry.

An Empirical Study in Subcontractor Selection and Long-Term Alliance Relationship between Main-Contractor and Subcontractor

Abstract This paper aims to identify the main contractors’ current practice in subcontractor selection and their perception towards the long-term alliance relationship with their subcontractors. Fifteen interviews were conducted with executives of eight main contracting firms in Australia. The research found that the subcontractors were chosen mainly through selective or open tendering using the criteria of “past performance, technical capability, reputation, financial stability, experience on similar work and lowest price”. With regard to long-term relationship, the research found the main motivation is “to achieve organisational competitive advantages”, and the key successful elements include “trusting behaviour, honesty, open communication and top management commitment”, while the proactive strategies to achieve the long-term relationship include “organise regular meetings, provide incentive financial scheme, maintain constant contacts, provide project programming ownership and provide structured and detail documentation”. It is concluded that, with the aim of enhancing organisational competitive advantage, while selective and open tendering are the main means for subcontractor selection, the main contractors understand the importance and key successful elements of long-term relationship with their subcontractors and they have adopted some strategies to develop and maintain the long-term relationships.

Intra-organisational injustice in the construction industry

Purpose – Increasing workforce casualisation, under representation of women and other minority groups, racial discrimination, corruption and poor safety are just some of the documented examples of intra-organisational injustice in the industry. Typically these issues are problematised separately using different theoretical frameworks, yet at the most fundamental behavioural level they have a common cause which lies in the “unjust” treatment of one person by another. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the conceptual understanding of these hitherto separated but conceptually linked problems. Design/methodology/approach – A survey 135 consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers from across the Australian construction supply chain. Findings – Surprisingly despite widespread academic concerns about injustice in the construction industry, there are not significant concerns within the industry community. Contrary to much research about the poor culture of the construction industry, the results ...

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 ...

Mapping corporate social responsibility strategies in the construction and engineering industry

Abstract Interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is growing in response to societal and regulatory demands that construction businesses contribute positively to the environments and communities in which they build. While, CSR research in the construction and engineering industry is progressing there has been little research into whether and how firms in this industry operationalize CSR, how they incorporate CSR into their business vision, leadership and mission and strategies and what forms these strategies take. In addressing these gaps in knowledge, a survey of 104 firms from across the construction and engineering industry and its supply chain in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken. The results indicate that CSR in construction and engineering firms is largely informal, unsophisticated, compliance driven and in its early stages of development. There is little strategic focus in CSR initiatives and the potential social capital derived from better strategic relationships with communities appears to be largely wasted. Conceptually, it is concluded that there is a need to adapt current models of CSR practice, developed in a permanent business context, to reflect the transitional, nomadic and project-based nature of construction. Current models of CSR are inadequate at explaining how firms operating in the construction industry need to practically adjust and adapt their CSR strategies to fit with the constantly changing political, social, cultural, environmental and economic profiles of local communities and the requirements of clients and local governments.

Contractors’ human resource development practices and their effects on employee soft skills

Human resource development (HRD) strategies are important to enable firms to recruit, retain and develop their employees. The aim of this study is to investigate the HRD of flexible construction firms in Singapore. The research was based on a questionnaire survey and data were collected via face-to-face interviews with 45 construction industry experts. Thirteen significant HRD practices were identified. The results show that the practices can be characterized along intra-organizational relationship management, competence development, performance management and stress management. A structural equation model was developed to explain the relationships between HRD strategies, employees’ soft skills and their resistance to change. It is found that firms’ competence development strategy has a significant positive impact on employees’ soft skills, and that employees who possess superior soft skills are less likely to resist change. It is recommended that contractors adopt some of these significant HRD practices so as to cultivate a motivated flexible workforce.

How effective is mandatory building energy disclosure program in Australia

Mandatory green building regulations are often considered as the most effective tool to promote better energy efficiency and environmental protection. Nevertheless, its effectiveness compared to the voluntary counterpart has not been fully explored yet. In addressing this gap, this study aims to examine the environmental performance of green building stocks affected by the Australian mandatory building energy disclosure program. To this, this study analysed energy savings and carbon reduction efficiencies using the normalisation approach. The result shows that mandatory energy disclosure program did contribute to the reduction in energy usage and carbon emissions from the affected building stocks. More specifically, affected green building stocks showed a good efficiency especially in carbon reductions. The research results inform policymakers the possible improvement required for the mandatory disclosure program to increase the effectiveness towards dealing with the contemporary environmental issues aroused from the building sector, especially in energy savings perspective.