Tak Wing Yiu

Developing Leading Indicators to Monitor the Safety Conditions of Construction Projects

AbstractThis paper presents a conceptual framework for developing leading safety indicators for the construction industry. The framework clarifies the nature of the indicators in terms of definition, purpose, and attributes. A pragmatic method for systematically identifying a set of leading indicators for construction projects is proposed. The method consists of four steps: conceptualization, operationalization, indicator generation, validation, and revision, and emphasizes two functions of leading indicators: informative and decision aiding. First, leading indicators must be able to provide information about the state of construction safety. Second, they must be able to help decision makers take remedial actions. These two functions should promote double-loop learning, reflecting any existing safety model and facilitating the construction of a new one through ongoing validation. A hypothetical example is provided to illustrate the entire development process. The conceptual framework, together with the de...

How Do Personality Traits Affect Construction Dispute Negotiation? Study of Big Five Personality Model

This paper provides some leads as to how personality traits affect negotiating behaviors and negotiation outcomes in a construction dispute negotiation. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The Big Five Personality Model was used to measure the personality traits of construction negotiators. Factors of negotiating behaviors and negotiation outcomes were developed. By interrelating these three elements, moderated multiple regression (MMR) was used to examine how personality traits affect the relationships between negotiating behaviors and negotiation outcomes. The results suggest that 16 MMR models are of significant moderating effects on these relationships. Among them, the top five MMR models with relatively strong moderating effects are identified. These models reveal that the personality traits of extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness can significantly moderate the relationships of negotiating behaviors and negotiation outcomes. In addition, their moderating effects are plotted to examine their natures. Effective zones of extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness are identified to show precisely how these personality traits can effectively facilitate positive negotiation outcomes. These results provide construction organizations with indicators to which type of personality traits can help improve negotiation outcomes and optimize the overall performance of construction dispute negotiations.

Integrated Methodology to Design and Manage Work-in-Process Buffers in Repetitive Building Projects

An integrated methodology to design and manage buffers in repetitive building projects using work-in-process at conceptual level is proposed. The buffer design framework employs the Multiobjective Analytic Model and Simulation-Optimisation techniques, applied at strategic and tactical scheduling levels. The buffer management framework uses a statistical model to predict work progress, the Reliable Commitment Model, applied at operational scheduling level. The integrated methodology provides a new buffering approach for scheduling repetitive building projects, which considers: (1) a general production framework covering all the production levels from top to bottom; (2) a general modelling structure suitable to any type of repetitive building project; and (3) a sound theoretical and practical framework describing different production scenarios. The benefits of using this methodology are illustrated through a hypothetical project application.

Application of Equity Sensitivity Theory to Problem-Solving Approaches in Construction Dispute Negotiation

This study applies equity sensitivity theory to investigate how the sensitivity of negotiators to perceived equity or inequity varies with their perception of the adoption of problem-solving approaches (PSAs) in negotiation in the construction industry. Drawing upon this theory, we identify three classes of negotiators: benevolents (known as “givers”), equity sensitives, and entitleds (known as “takers”). Our results suggest that most of the negotiators in our sample are entitleds. The study also provides statistical evidence that the perception of the adoption of PSAs appears to be associated with the degree of equity sensitivity of negotiators. For instance, benevolents demonstrate a significantly stronger preference for the adoption of PSAs and are thus able to obtain a higher level of negotiation satisfaction compared to the other types of negotiators. These findings are particularly relevant to the corporate managers of construction organizations, who may want to consider the inherent equity sensitiv...

Application of Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory to Examining the Choice of Tactics in Construction Dispute Negotiation

The appropriate use of tactics can have a significant effect on dispute negotiation. This study aimed to investigate the confidence of negotiators in their own ability to successfully use tactics to achieve desired outcomes—a concept defined as negotiation-efficacy that underpins Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. A questionnaire survey was used to measure the frequency of and confidence with which negotiators used negotiating tactics and the achievement of negotiation outcomes. With the collected data, confidence indices were created to reflect the strength of negotiation-efficacy for each negotiating tactic. Relationships of negotiation-efficacy and the achievement of negotiation outcomes were then examined by multiple regression analyses. The findings show that the strength of negotiation-efficacy is significantly related to the achievement of certain negotiation outcomes. In general, for negotiators who have negotiation-efficacy in executing distributive (integrative) tactics, negative (positive) negotia...

In Search of Sustainability: Constructability Application and Contract Management in Malaysian Industrialized Building Systems

AbstractModularization and industrialization have been regarded as parts of an answer to a sustainable development solution. As part of the overall industry goal of moving toward sustainability, which has been emphasized in the construction industry master plan of Malaysia, prefabrication and industrialized building systems (IBS) are promoted; however the move toward IBS construction requires tools to make it more feasible. In addition, there are many cases of incomplete or failed IBS construction projects due to lack of technical expertise and knowledge. Constructability is a concept with the goal of incorporating knowledge into the construction procedure, which can make the IBS construction endeavor less problematic, more feasible, and easier to promote within the Malaysian construction industry. On the other hand, constructability being all about collaboration communication and appropriate exchange of knowledge can provide a preemptive conflict management approach by improving the flow of correct, suff...

Moderating Effect of Equity Sensitivity on Behavior-Outcome Relationships in Construction Dispute Negotiation

This study builds on Adam’s equity theory by examining the moderating effects of equity sensitivity (i.e., a person’s perception of what is equitable or inequitable) on behavior-outcome relationships among negotiators in construction dispute negotiation. First, an equity sensitivity construct is developed. This construct reveals that most construction negotiators are entitleds, also known as “takers,” at the negotiation table. Moderated multiple regression (MMR) is used to test the moderating effects of equity sensitivity. The MMR models affirm that the nature of behavior-outcome relationships varies, depending on the perception of equity. An entitled construction negotiator is found to be a versatile moderator who fosters satisfactory negotiation outcomes. The models show that negotiators are able to predict inequitable responses and to take measures to forestall or deal with different inequitable situations. This study indicates the merit of further study of equity theory in the context of construction ...

Assessing contractual relationship quality: Study of judgment trends among construction industry participants

AbstractBecause of the need for collaboration and risk sharing, the construction industry is increasingly striving towards relational methods in procurement and contracting. Therefore, it is vital to understand how contracting parties evaluate their relationships with other parties. The concept of relationship quality has been applied as a measure for relational approaches. It utilizes attributes such as trust, performance satisfaction, commitment, and teamwork to demonstrate the appropriateness of a relationship for a particular purpose. Accordingly, configuring how relationship quality with the other contracting party is perceived can help educate the industry in steering towards better long-term relationships to fit strategic requirements. The current study focuses on identifying and classifying different judgment models towards relationship quality. A questionnaire survey has been used to explore how various industry groups evaluate their relationship quality with other contracting parties. Conjoint a...

Relationship-Quality Judgment Model for Construction Project Procurement: A Conjoint Measurement

AbstractRelationship quality as a measure of working relationships in construction has been associated with four general attributes of trust, commitment, teamwork, and performance satisfaction. These attributes have been previously explored and identified within New Zealand construction sector. However, much ambiguity remains as to what are the values or preference of parties involved in construction project procurement and how the attributes are traded-off in real decision making processes. Basically how do the industry practitioners judge their relationship quality based on the four mentioned attributes. Data is collected from New Zealand industry practitioners through a conjoint full profile questionnaire technique. Via conjoint and cluster analysis a judgment model for relationship quality is extracted. The overall aggregate conjoint analysis suggests that performance satisfaction is the most important attribute in judging relationship quality in construction activities. The other three attributes als...

A System Dynamics View of Safety Management in Small Construction Companies

Due to unique characteristics of small construction companies, safety management is comprised of complex problems. This paper aims to better understand the complexity and dynamics of safety management in small construction companies. A system dynamics (SD) model was built in order to capture the causal interdependencies between factors at different system levels (regulation, organization, technical and individual) and their effects on safety outcomes. Various tests were conducted to build confidence in the model`s usefulness to understand safety problems facing small companies from a system dynamics view. A number of policies were analyzed by changing the value of parameters. The value of a system dynamics approach to safety management in small construction companies is its ability to address joint effects of multiple safety risk factors on safety performance with a systems thinking perspective. By taking into account feedback loops and non-linear relationships, such a system dynamics model provides insights into the complex causes of relatively poor safety performance of small construction companies and improvement strategies.