George Agyekum-Mensah

4Es and 4 Poles model of sustainability: redefining sustainability in the built environment

Purpose – The paper is conceptual in nature and explores the role and function of project management in the achievement of sustainability in the built environment by developing a 4Es (Economic, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Ethics) and 4 Poles (Economic, Social, Environmental and Technology) model of sustainability. The study also identifies that the existing debates on sustainability seem to marginalise project managements positive contributions to sustainable construction, as well as the importance of technology in the sustainability agenda.Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of a literature review on the concept of sustainability, the contribution of the built environment to the sustainability problem, and an intellectual discussion of a proposed model for achieving sustainable development in the built environment. The body of this paper is divided into three sections: part one reviews “what is sustainability”, part two discusses the current state of sustainability including the importanc...

The professionals' perspective on the causes of project delay in the construction industry

Purpose Construction project delays are described as a universal problem, which has led to many empirical studies. However, most of these studies were based on the rankings by respondents, and they were rarely verified. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore professional perspectives on the causes of delay in the construction industry, where there has been little explicit consideration on this subject in recent decades. Design/methodology/approach A critical literature review and a qualitative approach was considered for a deeper and fresh understanding of the causes of delays, rather than recycling the existing themes and the risk of a statistically biased approach. A total of 41 interviews were undertaken which included the London Olympic 2012 project team. Findings In all, 32 themes were identified, which were categorised into 15 categories of causes of delay in the construction projects. Almost two-thirds of the main themes are not ranked top 15 causes of delay. These include knowledge and competence shortage, poor commercial decisions, unnecessary health and safety restrictions, poor risk management and poor space and logistics management. Research limitations/implications Due to the qualitative nature of the study, the findings might not be considered as representative. Practical implications The findings provide consideration of the causes of delay in the construction industry as seen by practitioners, which should provide guidance to enhance performance. Originality/value The study contributes to the better understanding of the causes of delays by using qualitative research strategy which is limited in the construction management literature. This study is an empirical investigation into the causes of delay in the twenty-first century and it represents an important edition to the body of knowledge within the subject area.

4Es and 4 Poles model of sustainability

Purpose – The paper is conceptual in nature and explores the role and function of project management in the achievement of sustainability in the built environment by developing a 4Es (Economic, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Ethics) and 4 Poles (Economic, Social, Environmental and Technology) model of sustainability. The study also identifies that the existing debates on sustainability seem to marginalise project managements positive contributions to sustainable construction, as well as the importance of technology in the sustainability agenda.Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of a literature review on the concept of sustainability, the contribution of the built environment to the sustainability problem, and an intellectual discussion of a proposed model for achieving sustainable development in the built environment. The body of this paper is divided into three sections: part one reviews “what is sustainability”, part two discusses the current state of sustainability including the importanc...

Productivity losses in smoking breaks on construction sites: a case study

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the extent of productivity losses in smoking breaks on construction sites.Design/methodology/approach – The smoking behaviours of workers in a small/medium‐sized construction company were examined for a period of four months. Construction workers were targeted due to their higher prevalence in smoking. The exact time losses through smoking breaks were measured and calculated. The productivity losses were then evaluated and compared with the estimates of productivity losses and wage penalties found in the literature.Findings – It is found that a smoker on average smokes 5.6 cigarettes, which takes a total of 73 minutes, representing 15.2 per cent of productivity loss in an eight‐hour shift. This productivity loss is much higher than productivity losses through increased sick leaves or the wage penalties for smokers found in the literature.Research limitations/implications – Variations of smoking behaviours throughout the year have not been considered. The study has focu...

Effective Management of Engineering Projectsusing 4Es Model

Time, Cost and Quality (TCQ) has become the de facto of managing projects, including engineering projects and it is also used as performance assessment model. However, many researchers have stressed the limitations of using this model (TCQ). In this response, this study develops a conceptual model ‘4Es’ (Effective, Economic, Efficient, Ethics) for effective managing engineering projects and for performance assessment. A qualitative approach was adopted for this research. Multiple case studies were utilised and the method used was interviews, documentary evidence and observations. This was followed with an analysis, intellectual discussion and the development of the 4Es model as the essential tool for managing projects and for performance assessment. It is established that the aim of every client is to have ‘value for money’ (VfM). However, achieving VfM is not necessarily managing TCQ separately. It is concluded that, the 4Es model takes into consideration TCQ, Environmental impact and Resources by balancing these factors to generate optimal value. In addition, it is a performance assessment model.

4Es and 4Poles model of sustainability: Redefining sustainability in the built environment

Purpose – The paper is conceptual in nature and explores the role and function of project management in the achievement of sustainability in the built environment by developing a 4Es (Economic, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Ethics) and 4 Poles (Economic, Social, Environmental and Technology) model of sustainability. The study also identifies that the existing debates on sustainability seem to marginalise project managements positive contributions to sustainable construction, as well as the importance of technology in the sustainability agenda.Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of a literature review on the concept of sustainability, the contribution of the built environment to the sustainability problem, and an intellectual discussion of a proposed model for achieving sustainable development in the built environment. The body of this paper is divided into three sections: part one reviews “what is sustainability”, part two discusses the current state of sustainability including the importanc...