Ernawati Mustafa Kamal

Understanding absorptive capacity in Malaysian small and medium sized (SME) construction companies

Purpose – The construction industry is a very important part of the Malaysian economy. The governments aim is to make the industry more productive, efficient and safe. Small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are at the core of the Malaysian construction industry and account for about 90 per cent of companies undertaking construction work. One of the main challenges faced by the Malaysian construction industry is the ability to absorb new knowledge and technology and to implement it in the construction phase. The purpose of this paper is to consider absorptive capacity in Malaysian construction SMEs in rural areas.Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted in three stages: first, understanding the Malaysian construction industry; second, a literature review on the issues related to absorptive capacity and discussions with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB); and third, multiple case studies in five construction SMEs operating in a rural area to validate the factors influencin...

Are Innovations Being Created or Adopted in the Construction Industry? Exploring Innovation in the Construction Industry

The recent debate on innovation within an organizational setting has shifted focus toward discussing whether innovation is being adopted or being created. This shift is due to the failure of many innovation efforts and the fact that for each innovation creation or innovation adoption, different skills, resources, and cultures are needed to encourage each innovation. The objective of this article is to explore the type of innovation implemented by the construction participants. A conceptual model of innovation creation and innovation adoption was developed using four criteria: by justification of new ideas, by purposes, by activities involved, and by nature. Face-to-face questionnaires were conducted with developers, consulting firms, and contractors in Penang, Malaysia. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Factor analysis was used to classify the innovation creation and innovation adoption. The results show that the construction participants in Malaysia are categorized as an innovation adopter. This result provides better understanding about the type of innovation implemented by the construction participants, in particular the contractors and the consulting firms. The results could also be used as a foundation for conducting future research to identify appropriate skills, knowledge, culture, and resources for such innovations.

Innovation Creation, Innovation Adoption, and Firm Characteristics in the Construction Industry

Purpose – This study aims to assess the construction firm’s innovation orientation and to investigate its relationship with firm characteristics.Design/methodology/approach – A structured survey was conducted among 105 firms in the Malaysian construction industry. The results of the factor analysis revealed two underlying dimensions of innovation, namely, innovation creation and innovation adoption. For the cluster analysis, the firms were segmented into four subgroups according to four dimensions, namely, non-innovative, innovation-creator, imitator and innovative firms.Findings – Firm’s business scale and age significantly affected the innovation orientation of construction firms.Originality/value – This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by adding a new firm characteristic, business scale, as a potential predictor of firms’ innovativeness. This study is the first to explore the effect of firm characteristics on the innovation orientation of firms.

External factors influencing the readiness for implementing public-private partnerships among public and private organizations in Yemen

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the external factors that influence the implementation of the new concept of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Yemen. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to Yemeni organizations. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, with appropriate tests of reliability, consistency, correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings – The findings indicate that implementation of PPPs are affected through the government policies, market readiness and environmental uncertainty. The empirical evidence also suggests that government policies are the main predictor to PPPs implementation in Yemen. The proposed conceptual framework can be useful in developing PPPs implementation. Originality/value – This study contributes to the existing literature on PPPs by providing empirical evidence to identify the external factors that influence the readiness to implement PPPs. Furthermore, the study adds value through its co...

Organizational culture of the architectural firm: a case in a developing country

The construction industry has been reported to experience problems in efforts to be innovative due to its complex nature. One of the factors that contributes to the problem is culture. Despite their perceived innovations, architectural firms have a limited understanding of their organizational culture in relation to innovation. This paper examines the organizational culture within the architectural firm in Malaysia, in response to the wider need for more organizational studies in the construction industry, especially in developing countries in Asia. A postal survey was employed and 151 architectural firms responded. The exploratory factor analysis revealed four cultural dimensions, namely (1) innovation-supportive behaviours, (2) freedom, (3) collectivism/teamwork and (4) individualism. The findings indicate that innovation-supportive behaviours and collectivism/teamwork were dominant in these architectural firms. The findings also revealed a lack of freedom and individualism within the architectural firms of Malaysia. Therefore future strategy should focus on encouraging more freedom and individualism within architectural firms as a way of fostering innovation, particularly in the context of developing countries.

Innovation orientation in architectural firms

Purpose Innovation is defined as the creation and adoption of changes that are new to an organisation or industry. The high probability of failure and the lack of innovation in the construction industry have highlighted the importance of innovation (both creation and adoption) as a business orientation. Although they are related to the construction industry, architectural firms receive little attention from an innovation perspective despite being perceived as important drivers of innovation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the distinctive characteristics of various innovation orientations and determine the state of innovation among architectural firms. Design/methodology/approach A postal survey was sent to 1,004 registered architectural firms in Malaysia. The data were processed using descriptive analysis. A factor analysis was conducted to categorise innovation creation and adoption, and a paired samples t-test was performed to examine the innovation orientations of architectural firms. Findings Innovation creation and innovation adoption are two distinct orientations with different characteristics. Architectural firms in Malaysia are oriented towards innovation creation, which intersects with innovation adoption. Research limitations/implications This study used a questionnaire survey that generated only statistical results. Future research should conduct interviews or focus group discussions to obtain comprehensive findings. Practical implications The innovation concept is expanded in terms of its orientations. Originality/value This study illustrates significant differences between innovation creation and innovation adoption in the architectural firms of a developing country, i.e. Malaysia.

The Green Manufacturer’s Compliance With Green Criteria Throughout the Life Cycle of Building Material

The construction industry has significant impacts on the environment. Abound the efforts to induce a greater green implementation in the construction project, it has been argued that the usage of green building materials in construction projects can help to minimize the production of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. This article’s objective is to identify the degree of compliance with the green building materials criteria by wood and cement manufacturers. The green building materials criteria were conceptualized as part of the sustainability movement in which the term green is used to refer to a clean environment and unpolluted atmosphere. To verify the compliance of the manufacturers through the green building materials criteria, a questionnaire survey supported by an interview was conducted. The results show that most Malaysian green manufacturers complied with the green criteria, which converged all three principles including environmental impact, resource management, and recycling implementation. This article provides a basis upon which existing and new manufacturers can produce green building materials thoroughly in accordance with the listed criteria. Clearly, the manufacturers’ compliance with the green building materials criteria has several impacts on the development of the construction industry such that a green building material production process will stimulate a balanced ecosystem and prevent an environmental catastrophe.

Characteristics of innovation orientations in construction companies

Purpose An organisation’s performance tends to be associated with its innovativeness. However, innovation remains challenging in the construction industry, partially due to the complex nature of this industry. Nevertheless, innovation orientations (i.e. creation and adoption) shed new light on innovation in the construction industry. These orientations are similar but not entirely identical. Although most studies do not discuss these orientations in any detail, this study aims to classify the characteristics of the innovation orientations and determines the state of innovation among construction companies in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was mailed to 1,230 construction companies in Malaysia. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the respondents’ profiles, and factor analysis was used to classify the innovation orientation characteristics. A paired samples t-test was used to determine the state of innovation among the construction companies. Findings Innovation creation reflects a pioneer’s efforts and involves being a market explorer that tolerates risk and is research and development (R&D)-oriented, whereas innovation adoption involves being a creative imitator, a market follower and a safe player. Construction companies in Malaysia are innovation adoption–oriented. Research limitations/implications This study uses quantitative methods only; therefore, the findings are statistically oriented. The small sample size makes generalisation challenging, so this study reflects only the built environment of the developing country of Malaysia. Originality/value This study classifies the characteristics of innovation creation and innovation adoption with respect to the innovation orientation of construction companies in Malaysia.