Riza Yosia Sunindijo

Political skill for developing construction safety climate

AbstractPolitical skill, which consists of social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent sincerity dimensions, is considered as one of the most important skills in general management. However, its importance in construction management, particularly construction safety management, is still not as well known. The aim of this research is to understand the role of political skill in implementing safety management tasks and developing construction safety climate. Quantitative research methodology was adopted to test the theoretical model developed in this research. Data were collected via a web-based online survey and the analysis was done using structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The results of the analysis support the research hypotheses which proposed that project personnel’s political skill positively influences the implementation of safety management tasks and promotes the development of construction safety climate. Apparent sincerity and social astuteness are the pol...

Client Safety Roles in Small and Medium Construction Projects in Australia

AbstractAlthough research has been done to investigate construction safety and its importance, most has focused on construction organizations and workplace safety. There is still a need to investigate this issue by looking at stakeholders higher in the supply chain, particularly the ones who have the economic power to facilitate safety implementation. As such, this research has investigated the roles of construction clients on influencing safety performance. Data were collected using questionnaire surveys from employees working in small and medium construction projects in Australia. The findings of the research have not only confirmed the importance of clients in implementing safety, but also determined specific client roles that influence the development of safety climate in construction projects. It is recommended that clients should focus on the following six safety roles: participate in site-based safety program; review and analyze safety data; appoint safety team; select safe contractors; specify how...

Conceptualizing Safety Management in Construction Projects

AbstractIn construction projects, the management team needs to conceptualize the management of safety in order to foster a strong safety culture. The aim of this research is to investigate what constitutes project management personnel’s conceptual skill and how this skill can be developed and applied in the context of construction safety. To achieve this aim, a conceptual skill questionnaire was developed, validated, and used to collect data in which 273 sets of valid responses were received. Factor analysis of the collected data found two components of conceptual skill important to construction safety: visioning, and scoping and integration. Based on this, a theoretical model was derived and analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) method to demonstrate the influence of conceptual skill on construction safety. The results showed that conceptual skill helps project management personnel implement safety management tasks, which in turn promotes an onsite safety climate. Thereafter, interviews wer...

CHPT construct: essential skills for construction project managers

Construction project managers have important roles and responsibility. This research examines 16 previous studies on project manager skills to propose a set of skills that is applicable in the construction industry. It is argued that four skills, namely conceptual, human, political, and technical skill (CHPT construct) are essential for construction project managers to perform their job. This research discusses components that form each skill construct and why they are essential for construction project managers. The key contribution of this research is the inclusion of political skill as one of essential skills for construction project managers. Furthermore, this research should help construction project managers to be aware of essential skills that they need to possess to improve their performance. Finally, a theoretical framework is developed to demonstrate the complexity of project managers tasks and the CHPT construct. The framework provides a sound foundation for future studies that focus on project manager skills.

How project manager’s skills may influence the development of safety climate in construction projects

The construction industry has a significant impact on global economy. However, it is also responsible for a significant amount of fatal injuries, thus, undertaking research on safety is crucial to improve the situation. This paper argues that construction project managers play an important role for developing safety climate in their projects. Based on previous literature, this paper conceptualises that essential skills for construction project managers, which comprise of conceptual, human, political, and technical skill, can be used to develop safety climate in construction projects. These skills influence how construction project managers perform their safety management tasks, which is essential to provide safety leadership. This safety leadership promotes the development of positive safety climate which can lead to safety improvement in construction. Future studies on this topic should focus on collecting empirical data to validate the proposed argument.

Modelling service quality in the construction industry

Service quality is seen as an important factor that affects client satisfaction and behavioural intention, which are considered as important contributors of business success. This research investigated the relationships between the three constructs in the context of small and medium construction projects in Thailand. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the theoretical model and to establish relationships among the research variables. The results show that there are four dimensions of service quality: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and tangibility, in which the first three dimensions are more important than the last in influencing service quality. Furthermore, client satisfaction is a mediator of the causal relationship between service quality and behavioural intention. Contractors should focus on maintaining and identifying factors that affect client satisfaction, particularly after projects are completed, to encourage client behavioural intentions.

Using Social Interaction Theory to Promote Successful Relational Contracting between Clients and Contractors in Construction

AbstractThe construction industry, with its adversarial culture, could use relational contracting (RC) to improve project outcomes by nurturing healthy social interactions among its key players, particularly clients and contractors. The aim of this research is to investigate the application of social interaction theory in RC in construction. A literature review was used to identify factors from social interaction theory that affects RC performance. These factors were verified by experts and practitioners to determine their relevance. Questionnaires were then distributed to measure the level of implementation of the verified factors in the Pakistani construction industry. In total, 204 data were collected and analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that in order to have successful RC, clients and contractors must identify motivational factors, develop a collaborative culture, and establish structured interactions. The research has found 6 dimensions and 36 fact...

Emotional Intelligence for Managing Conflicts in the Sociocultural Norms of the Thai Construction Industry

AbstractAlthough research has been done to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and conflict-resolution styles, such research has not been done in the construction industry particularly by considering the influence of sociocultural norms. Data were collected using questionnaire surveys from project managers and engineers (PMEs) in Thailand. The results show that PMEs with high emotional intelligence frequently use the accommodating conflict-resolution style because of the collectivist nature of Thai culture which tends to uphold harmony among people. However, emotionally intelligent PMEs are also flexible. They are not always accommodating, but also comfortable in using the collaborating conflict-resolution style to find win-win solutions and satisfy all parties involved, contrary to their sociocultural norms. The implication of the finding is that construction organizations should consider incorporating emotional intelligence into their exiting human resource–development programs.

Work Stress Is a Threat to Gender Diversity in the Construction Industry

AbstractThe construction industry is missing out on numerous performance gains derived from gender diversity. Its reputation for excessive work stress, resulting in poor psychological health, is am...

Teaching First-year Construction Management Students: Lessons Learned from Student Satisfaction Surveys

ABSTRACT The first semester at the university can be challenging for first-year students. Therefore, motivating these students could become a major task for lecturers. This research examines a first-year undergraduate construction management course over a 6-year period (2010–2015) to identify factors that affect student satisfaction. Thematic analysis of student surveys was used to identify these factors. The results found five fundamental factors: lectures, assessment, teaching methods, communication, and lecturer characteristics. Lectures should be structured, have interesting contents, and practical. Assessment tasks should have clear criteria, be linked to lecture contents, and diverse. Teaching methods should be diverse and be supported by organized lecture notes. Lectures should also communicate clearly, respond to enquiries in a timely manner, and give valuable feedback on student performance. Lastly, lecturers should be perceived as being knowledgeable, enthusiastic, approachable, helpful, and considerate. In the midst of contemporary teaching and learning methods, these factors are not new. However, lecturers should realize that students are unlikely to be satisfied when these fundamental factors are not incorporated into their teaching.