Nicholas Chileshe

Adopting global virtual engineering teams in AEC projects : a qualitative meta-analysis of innovation diffusion studies

Purpose – This study aims to present an integrated conceptual model in order to highlight the major aspects of diffusion of innovations in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) context. To this end, a critical review of literature is conducted, accompanied by synthesising the findings of previous studies. The driving force behind this study is stemmed from the fragmentation of literature on innovation diffusion, and paucity of research on diffusion of Global Virtual Engineering Teams (GVETs) as the platform for many technological innovations in relevant literature. Thus, the present study is intended to facilitate filling the gap in GVETs literature. That is, the proposed model will offer a foundation for academia for grounding studies on any innovation including GVETs in the literature on innovation diffusion in the AEC context. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the qualitative meta-analysis approach encompassing a critical review of the relevant literature. To this end, ...

An evaluation of risk factors impacting construction projects in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the likelihood of occurrence and degree of impact of the risk factors on construction projects within the Ghanaian construction industry.Design/methodology/approach – A survey of randomly selected samples yielded responses from 34 contractors, 46 consultants, and 23 clients or owners (private and public) within the Ghanaian construction industry. Literature review is used to identify 25 relevant risk variables which were grouped into ten composite factors and then incorporated into the design of the survey instrument. Survey response data were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA), and subsequently the exposure rating levels were determined, which enabled the categorisation of the probability‐impact scores in low, medium and high levels.Findings – Results of this study indicate a disparity of the ranking of the degree of occurrence and impact among the groups. There was a statistical difference at the p<0.05 level...

Enhancing the effectiveness of risk management practices in Sri Lankan road construction projects: A Delphi approach

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) Identifying the risks that are critical for risk management of road construction projects in Sri Lanka on a life cycle basis and (2) defining the shares of the parties involved in projects in terms of handling the identified risks. A Delphi study was conducted among 33 Sri Lankan experts (consultants, project managers, contractors) in three rounds. The findings showed that the construction and design phases are prone to many major risks. Moreover, ‘delays in payment by the client’ was the most critical risk factor in the construction stage. Furthermore, it was established that some major risks could occur in more than one phase of the project life cycle, stressing the necessity of handling these risk factors as a prerequisite for project success. The discussions presented in this study would enhance the effectiveness of implementing risk management practices in Sri Lankan road construction projects. From a broader vantage point, it will also serve the risk management body of knowledge in the construction industry.

Enhancing collaboration in BIM-based construction networks through organisational discontinuity theory: a case study of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital

ABSTRACT This paper discusses a case study of Australia’s most technologically advanced health facility to address an identified gap in the body of the knowledge. That is, no comprehensive study has hitherto attempted to draw upon virtual team working theories to enhance collaboration in BIM-based construction networks (BbCNs). In response to this, the present study seeks to raise awareness of organisational discontinuity theory (ODT) as a recent theory for virtual teams, which enables BbCNs to embrace collaboration. To this end, the major challenges encountered and corresponding solutions adopted on a mega-project have been closely monitored and investigated. The study contributes to the field through the conceptualisation of typical barriers to collaboration in BbCNs from the perspective of ODT. Additionally, the discussions presented outline practical implications by demonstrating how the identified issues of collaboration in BbCNs could be effectively dealt with.

Critical success factors for implementation of risk assessment and management practices within the Tanzanian construction industry

Purpose – Despite the extensive research on critical success factors (CSFs), there is a paucity of studies that examine CSFs for the deployment of risk assessment and management processes in developing countries, particularly, Africa. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perception of construction professionals on CSFs appertaining to the deployment of risk assessment and management practices (RAMP) in Tanzania with the aim of filling the knowledge gap. Design/methodology/approach – The primary data were collected from 67 construction professionals working with clients (private and public), consultants, and contractor organisations (foreign and local) within the Tanzanian construction. Response data was subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics with one-way analysis of variance to examine the differences in the perception of the identified CSFs. Findings – The descriptive and empirical analysis demonstrated a disparity of the ranking of the ten CSFs among the groups; however, the diff...

Barriers to implementing reverse logistics in South Australian construction organisations

Purpose – This paper aims to present a survey of the perceptions of the barriers to implementing reverse logistics (RL) practices in South Australian (SA) construction organisations. Despite the extensive research on forward logistics and RL, there is a paucity of studies that examine the barriers to implementing RL particularly within the Australian construction industry. This study builds on the ongoing research being undertaken by the authors, entitled “Designing for reverse logistics (DfRL) within the building life cycle: practices, drivers and barriers”, which is examining the best practices and drivers that could be used as a “road map” for developing appropriate solutions for the successful implementation of RL. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by utilising a triangulated data collection approach, a literature review and 49 questionnaires. The review of the literature identified 16 barriers to implementing RL. The quantitative survey data were subjected to descriptive and inferenti...

Labour productivity in Iranian construction projects: Perceptions of chief executive officers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to highlight the main factors and items affecting the productivity of construction projects, based on the perceptions of CEOs in construction companies in Iran. Second, the study compares the elicited CEOs’ perceptions against the findings of studies based on the views of such as project managers, middle managers and employees in other levels. Design/methodology/approach – The study drew upon literature on construction work to develop a conceptual model. Further, a total of 60 CEOs from road construction companies were surveyed using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to generate the data. The collated data were categorised and ranked according to the CEOs perceived level of importance using the relative importance index. Findings – The findings highlight the main factors and items affecting labour productivity in construction projects in Iran as perceived by CEOs, which are mainly of human resources management nature and could be attribu...

The effect of age on the job satisfaction of construction workers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived age differences in job satisfaction of construction workers in South Africa, and how these differences affect job overall satisfaction of young and old workers on construction sites in South Africa.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study involved construction workers at operational levels comprising younger (age 40 years) in the Western Cape province. A total of 300 questionnaires were sent to potential respondents chosen from construction workers within the Western Cape province. A total of 65 useable questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 22 per cent.Findings – Results of this paper indicate that job satisfaction differential does not exist between younger and older construction workers in South Africa. Overall the findings suggest that although both younger and older workers rank the relationship with workmates as being poor, age does not have an influence on the effects of the aspects...

Lean and agile integration within offsite construction using discrete event simulation: A systematic literature review

Purpose The purpose of this study is to systematically analyse and synthesise the existing research published on offsite manufacturing/construction. The study aims to highlight and associate the core elements for adopting the offsite concept in different construction contexts. This ultimately facilitates the enhancement of the offsite uptake. Design/methodology/approach The research study was carried out through a systematic literature review (SLR). The SLR was conducted to identify and understand the existing themes in the offsite research landscape, evaluate contributions and compile knowledge, thereby identifying potential directions of future research. The grand electronic databases were explored to gather literature on the offsite concept, lean and agile principles and simulation. A total of 62 related articles published between 1992 and 2015 have been included in this study. The relevant literature was systematically analysed and synthesised to present the emerging offsite themes. Findings The descriptive and thematic analyses presented in this paper have identified related offsite research studies that have contributed to setting a firm foundation of the offsite concept in different construction contexts. Each of the 62 articles was examined for achieving the aim and objectives of this study, the method of data collection and coverage of offsite themes. The results of the analyses revealed that the articles mostly provide information on the offsite concept and its definitions (53 per cent) and offsite barriers and/or drivers (27 per cent). However, limited attention has been paid to the integration of lean and agile principles (13 per cent) and simulation (7 per cent) within the offsite concept, which are therefore more open to research within the offsite concept. Research limitations/implications The literature review highlights the main themes and components of the offsite construction concept. This forms a solid basis and motivation for researchers and practitioners to build on to enhance the uptake of the offsite concept in different contexts. This study also presents a research roadmap within the offsite concept, along with a recommendation for further research to be conducted using the research framework proposed in this study. The framework could lead to validation of using simulation to integrate lean and agile principles within the offsite concept. Originality/value This paper presents a systematic review of the literature related to offsite construction in different contexts. The emerging components, that is, offsite definitions, drivers and/or barriers, lean and agile principles and simulation have been highlighted and discussed thematically. A research framework that enables pursuit of the integration of lean and agile principles offsite through the lens of simulation has been proposed. The framework is expected to open up new opportunities on the effectiveness of offsite development in different contexts.

Benefits and barriers of construction health and safety management (HSM)

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of practitioners working within the UK design organisations on the perceived benefits of health and safety management (HSM). It further explores whether these perceptions could be influenced by the external factors such as the length of service in employment, organisation size, and the professional disciplines and educational backgrounds of the respondents. The study proposes the HSM index, an indicator reflecting the level of benefits from HSM approaches within the construction sector.Design/methodology/approach – Using a data triangulation approach involving quantitative and qualitative methods and a KAP (knowledge, attitudes and perceptions) approach, a total of 110 questionnaires were distributed to the practitioners drawn from the small and medium sized design organisations within the UK, of which only 30 were deemed usable, giving a response rate of 27.3 per cent.Findings – The ranking analysis suggest that “safer workplace”, “enh...