Mei-yung Leung

An analytical hierarchy process based procurement selection method

Procurement selection continues to be topical, and several advanced studies have been reported. One of the key concerns of procurement selection is how to enhance objectivity. A selection method developed using multi-attribute utility technology (MAUT) and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is proposed. With the input of industrial experts, critical procurement selection criteria and procurement strategies commonly used in Hong Kong were identified. Against these criteria, utility factors corresponding to various procurement strategies were then assigned by the experts to create a utility factor table. To cater for individual project characteristics, the relative importance weightings of the selection criteria were assessed using the analytical hierarchy process. Final selection was then based on the highest utility value derived from the procurement strategies, taking into account the relative importance of the selection criteria. The use of the model is illustrated with actual data.

Preventing construction worker injury incidents through the management of personal stress and organizational stressors

Construction workers (CWs) are positioned at the lowest level of an organization and thus have limited control over their work. For this reason, they are often deprived of their due rewards and training or sometimes are even compelled to focus on production at the expense of their own safety. These organizational stressors not only cause the CWs stress but also impair their safety behaviors. The impairment of safety behaviors is the major cause of CW injury incidents. Hence, to prevent injury incidents and enhance safety behaviors of CWs, the current study aimed to identify the impact of various organizational stressors and stress on CW safety behaviors and injury incidents. To achieve this aim, we surveyed 395 CWs. Using factor analysis, we identified five organizational stressors (unfair reward and treatment, inappropriate safety equipment, provision of training, lack of goal setting, and poor physical environment), two types of stress (emotional and physical), and safety behaviors. The results of correlation and regression analyses revealed the following: (1) injury incidents were minimized by safety behaviors but escalated by a lack of goal setting, (2) safety behaviors were maximized by moderate levels of emotional stress (i.e., an inverted U-shape relationship between these two variables) and increased in line with physical stress and inappropriate safety equipment, (3) emotional stress was positively predicted by the provision of training and inappropriate safety equipment, and (4) physical stress was predicted only by inappropriate safety equipment. Based on these results, we suggest various recommendations to construction stakeholders on how to prevent CW injury incidents.

A longitudinal analysis on the relationship between construction output and GDP in Hong Kong

The relationship between construction output and economic growth has been well discussed by construction economists. Most of the previous studies found a positive correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and various measures of construction output. However, cross‐sectional analysis was commonly adopted but longitudinal analysis has been called upon. Furthermore, recent research argued that non‐linear relationship between GDP and construction output exists because of different stages of economic development in different countries. They explained the phenomenon by means of the change of the growth rates of construction output at different stages of economic development, but the argument has not yet been rigorously tested. With the availability of long time‐series of data of Hong Kong construction industry, this paper attempts to test longitudinally the relationship between the real growth rate of construction output and the real growth rate of GDP. It was found that the growth rate of GDP led that of construction output, and as the growth rate of GDP increased, the growth rate of construction output was marginally diminishing. It agrees with the proposition that construction industry is relatively inefficient in productivity improvement and the accumulation of capital investment results in a marginally diminishing growth of construction output.

Is there a relationship between construction conflicts and participants' satisfaction?

Purpose – Construction conflict should not be simply defined as a functional or dysfunctional element in the management process. The second generation conflict management investigates the effect of various conflict types and conflict resolution strategies to project outcomes in detail. The paper aims at investigating the complicated construction conflict management within the goal setting process in construction projects.Design/methodology/approach – In order to collect the generalized data from the construction professionals in the industry, a questionnaire survey was considered suitable for establishing the component elements of research variables. Samples were randomly selected from membership records of various professional institutions in Hong Kong with direct experience in the project management processes involving the client, project manager and other project team members, and they must have experience in a (perceived) successful project. A total of 75 questionnaires were fully completed and return...

Subjective and objective stress in construction cost estimation

Cost estimators play an important role in an organization, as they produce most predictions of probable final construction cost. Since both under‐ and overestimates can be costly, attention should be paid to the estimating tasks. People involved are therefore likely to experience a considerable amount of mental and emotional stress as a result of inaccurate estimation. The types of stress can be divided into objective stress (OS), subjective stress (SS) and emotional exhaustion (EE). The research described in this paper examined the relationships between OS, SS, EE and stressors based on a survey of construction cost estimation personnel. T‐tests, factor analyses, correlation analyses and regression analyses were applied to identify differences between the professional estimators and other personnel, and the types of stress endured. The results indicate that the stress levels of both the professional estimators and other personnel are similar, with OS being significantly higher than SS, which is in turn significantly higher than EE. For professional estimators, increased levels of OS were found to be mainly associated with lack of autonomy and unfair reward and treatment. Increased SS and EE, on the other hand, appeared to be a function of relationship conflict, work underload, lack of feedback, lack of autonomy and unfair reward and treatment.

Enhancement of classroom facilities of primary schools and its impact on learning behaviors of students

– The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilities and the impacts of this enhancement on the learning behaviors of students, – A pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation questionnaire was administered in 2003‐2004 to 750 primary students who had studied in both the old schoolhouses and the new Millennium Schoolhouses., – The results revealed that all of the FM components except teaching tools were improved in the millennium schools, while most of the learning behaviour (LB) components showed no changes. However, an interesting finding was that most of the improved FM components correlated to the enhanced LB of the students in the millennium schools., – There was only a three to four months period between the pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation in the study. To ensure the effectiveness of upgraded FM in millennium primary schools and to understand the long‐term impacts on the learning outcomes of students, a longitudinal post‐occupancy evaluation study in these three millennium schools is recommended., – It is suggested that a longitudinal POE study be conducted in these three millennium schools in order to understand the long‐term impact of facilities management in millennium primary schools, especially the impact on the academic performance of students., – Architects and facilities managers should further discuss with teachers about how to encourage students in classrooms to be self‐disciplined, redesign the layout, and reconsider the teaching tools that todays primary students need.

Impacts of stress on estimation performance in Hong Kong

Cost estimation not only requires precise technical and analytical input from estimators but also involves the use of subjective judgement. An investigation on the impact of stress on estimation performance was conducted involving 177 professional estimators in Hong Kong. Using correlation analysis, regression analysis and structural equation modelling, the relationships between stress and various aspects of estimation performance are examined and a causal structural model is developed. The results indicate that stress is a cause of negative estimation performance (resulting in weak interpersonal relationships, unfamiliarity with organization and ineffective process), while, simultaneously, it is beneficial to the professional estimation performance. Furthermore, there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between stress and the organizational relationship.

Investigating key components of the facilities management of residential care and attention homes

Purpose – The proportion of the population aged 65 and over is rapidly rising and is expected to reach 24.3 per cent by 2031, up from 12 per cent in 2006. As a result, the Hong Kong government is facing challenges in meeting the growing demand for residential care homes. To provide a clear picture for construction professionals engaged in the future design and operation of such homes, it is first necessary to understand the opinions of end‐users in existing facilities. The paper aims to identify key facilities management (FM) components in three particular areas of residential care homes.Design/methodology/approach – In order to collect data from end‐users, a questionnaire survey of 119 end‐users (both elderly residents and staff) based on post‐occupancy evaluation (POE) was used to evaluate the FM performance of the homes and establish the relationships between the comfort levels of FM components and the satisfaction of elderly residents.Findings – The findings in the questionnaire survey indicated that ...

Learning Approaches of Construction Engineering Students: A Comparative Study between Hong Kong and Mainland China

Abstract Hong Kong is a developed city that utilizes innovative technologies. However, students in Hong Kong, especially in recent years, have been criticized for not adopting a deep learning approach in their studies. In contrast, students in Mainland China are often commended for their diligence. In this generation, education is a critical step in the production of qualified graduates capable of serving society. In higher education, both the learning motives and learning strategies of students are essential components of the entire learning process, since the learning approaches of students at university influence their working attitudes in the industry. This study investigates the learning approaches of 2,364 construction engineering students across nine universities in China. The learning approaches of construction students are compared among three student groups (i.e., three first-class and three second-class universities on the mainland, and three universities in Hong Kong). The results indicate that construction students in Hong Kong and those on the mainland adopt different learning approaches and have different learning motives. The deep learning approach (deep motive and deep strategy) is the most popular learning approach used by construction students on the mainland, while Hong Kong students tend to use an achieving motive and surface strategy. This means that students on the mainland will spend a lot of time and effort on the construction subjects that they are interested in, while students in Hong Kong are eager for quick success without becoming deeply involved in their studies. A revision of construction programs (training in basic values and study techniques) and teaching techniques/approaches used in Hong Kong is recommended.

Investigating key components of the facility management of secondary schools in Hong Kong

Purpose – The Hong Kong SAR Government increased its expenditure on education by 13.2 per cent from 1998‐1999 to 2002‐2003 in order to improve education and upgrade school facilities, despite the fact that the economy was in bad shape. To investigate the current facility management (FM) of secondary schools in Hong Kong, a study of the needs of the end‐users (students and teachers) was conducted. The paper aims at identifying major FM components and investigating the relationships between the identified FM components and overall satisfaction with FM in three common locations within secondary schools (classrooms, IT laboratories and libraries).Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey of 1,472 local students was conducted to evaluate the FM performance of schools, as well as to establish the relationships between the levels of satisfaction with each FM component and overall satisfaction with FM. A number of formal interviews with local students, teachers and professional school designers were al...