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This study aims to investigate the influence of external factors identified by the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) framework on corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance in Vietnamese construction firms.

The snowball sampling method was employed to gather 182 validated responses. Employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the research analyzed how these factors correlate with CSR practices under institutional theory.

Results indicated that social, economic, environmental, legal and technological factors positively impacted CSR performance. Among these, social factors had the most significant effect, followed sequentially by economic, environmental, legal and technological influences. Intriguingly, political factors demonstrated no significant association with CSR performance.

The strong impact of social factors confirms that societal norms and cultural values are critical in shaping corporate behavior in Vietnam. Firms can leverage this insight by intensifying their community engagement and social investment. Additionally, the negligible role of political factors in shaping CSR suggests that firms might not need to focus heavily on political engagement in Vietnam. However, firms should remain aware of legal changes as legal factors influence CSR outcomes.

Despite CSR’s growing importance, there remains a notable research gap regarding how external macro-environmental factors influence CSR performance, particularly within the construction industry. The findings emphasize the importance of aligning business strategies with socioeconomic and environmental aspects.

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the social responsibility performance of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) megaprojects. Specifically, it examines the role of isomorphic pressures and the joint influence of perceived benefits and top management support on megaproject social responsibility performance (MSRP).

Drawing from institutional theory, social exchange theory, and top management literature, this study established a conceptual model featuring eleven hypotheses. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was administered to collect data from 238 actively engaged participants in BRI megaprojects. Structural Equation Modelling was utilised to analyse the data.

The empirical findings indicate that mimetic and coercive pressures positively influence MSRP. Perceived benefits and top management support significantly enhance MSRP. Moreover, perceived benefits and top management support partially mediate the effects of coercive and mimetic pressures. However, when it comes to normative pressures, their impact on MSRP is solely channelled through the support of top management.

This study is one of the early endeavours to explore the factors influencing the social responsibility performance of BRI megaprojects. It sheds light on the interplay between external pressures and internal factors in shaping social responsibility efforts in these projects. These findings are of particular significance for BRI actors and stakeholders, offering guidance for enhancing social responsibility strategies within the context of BRI megaprojects.

Megaproject knowledge innovation (MKI) is perceived as a critical strategy for engineering value co-creation and industrial chain upgrading. Ascertaining the impact mechanism of MKI is a crucial initial step towards improving management practices. Within the framework of complex systems in megaprojects, factors exhibit intricate interdependencies. However, the current domain of knowledge has either overlooked or oversimplified this relationship and therefore cannot propose pragmatic and efficacious strategies for enhancing MKI. To close this gap, this study develops a Bayesian network (BN) model aiming to investigate the interdependencies among MKI-related factors and their impact on MKI.

First, this study implements literature review, expert interview and field investigation to identify the influencing factor nodes for the network model development. Second, a Bayesian network was constructed by integrating the expert knowledge with Dempster-Shafer theory. Next, a MKI measurement model was established using 253 training samples. Finally, the factor significance and optimal MKI improvement strategies are identified from the sensitivity analysis and probabilistic reasoning within the BNs.

The results indicate that (1) the BN model exhibits significant reliability and holds promotion and application value in formulating MKI management strategies; (2) knowledge sharing, shared vision and leadership are the key influencing factors of MKI; and (3) simultaneously improving institutional pressure, leadership and knowledge sharing is the most optimal strategy to enhance MKI.

This study innovatively introduced the BN method into the domain of MKI management, providing an appropriate approach for modelling complex relationships among factors and investigate nonlinear influences. The developed model raises megaproject stakeholders’ awareness about factors influencing MKI and presents quantified strategies that increase the likelihood of maximising MKI levels. Its ease of generalisability positions it as a promising decision support tool, facilitating the implementation of sustainable MKI practices.

Based on integrating social exchange theory and input-mediator-output-input model, the current study proposes a model to explore the relationship between benevolent leadership and creative work behavior of Vietnamese university staffs.

A printed questionnaire was developed and directly distributed to 503 Vietnamese university staffs from 1st to 27th October in 2023 using the quota sampling method. After removing 61 missing data and outlier cases, a total of 442 valuable cases were used for further investigation. SPSS 22 and SMARTPLS version 3.2.2 was employed for data analysis.

Our study found the positive relationship between benevolent leadership and creative work behavior through the mediation of innovative climate and fear of failure. The findings also indicated that benevolent leadership fosters an innovative climate and reduces subordinates’ fear of failure, then increases subordinates’ creative work behavior.

The present study explored mechanisms of benevolent leadership effect on creative work behavior of university staff. From that, contributing several practical implications for university leaders and educators in fostering university staff’s creative work behavior. This research contributed to the knowledge domain of leadership and creative work behavior of employees in higher education.

Lean manufacturing (LM) is essential for businesses to remain competitive in today’s global economy and to meet the needs of consumers from three separate perspectives: price, dependability and production schedules. A fundamental goal of this research is to how lean management in manufacturing organization may improve product value for the customer, address customer concerns, minimize costs and boost the firm’s profitability.

The extensive literature analysis identified a number of LM enablers and manufacturing industry factors that might favorably affect the organizations operational performance. Initially, 16 enablers of LM and 16 factors operational performance were identified, which were later reduced to 8 factors each. After that, Grey-DEMATEL technique was applied to investigate the relationships between the factors by categorizing elements into two groups (cause and effect) and ranking them within each category.

The results show that F4 (Work Force Development) and F7 (Six Sigma) were the key enablers of LM. Similarly, F12 (Maintain Better inventory control/optimize inventory level) and F14 (Reduce conversion cost) are the key effect factors of operational performance. It eliminates inefficiencies in the production process and internal storage requirements while retaining a high level of dependability and flexibility in response to customer demands.

LM has unquestionably been a popular method for improving the production efficiency of industrial sectors for the last two decades. Despite the fact that LM has helped several firms reduce waste and thereby improve a range of efficiency metrics, many businesses are still struggling to effectively transform into lean firms. While previous studies have explored LM’s significance and its influence on different aspects of organizational metrics in various industries, this research pioneers in probing into the nuanced relationship between LM enablers and OP in a critical and procedure-intensive industry.

Despite firms’ growing investments, process improvement (PI) programs often fail to deliver the expected benefits. In this paper, we argue that the widespread adoption in PI research of a paradigm founded in positivism plays a primary role in deriving these conclusions and limits the development of PI theory and practice.

We examine the main characteristics of the dominant paradigm in PI research and then propose an alternative perspective drawing on research in management innovation and complexity. Findings from two empirical case studies in a pharmaceutical and an automotive firm are reported to support our theoretical argument.

The proposed perspective highlights the interaction between various PI approaches – such as lean, Six Sigma and total quality management (TQM) – and the context-dependence and experiential aspects of PI. We argue that this perspective can better account for where, by whom and how PI approaches are shaped and used and, ultimately, can more effectively advance both theory and practice.

This study suggests that PI approaches should be considered as adaptable rather than static, in combination rather than as single entities and as continuously interpreted and translated by organizational actors rather than homogeneously diffused across companies and business units. In this paper, we discuss the substantial conceptual, methodological and practical implications of adopting this perspective.

Construction workers’ safety behavior has been proven to be crucial in preventing occupational injuries and improving workplace safety, and organizational safety support provides essential resources to promote such behavior. However, the specific mechanisms of how organizational safety support affects safety behavior have not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between workers’ perceived organizational safety support (perceived supervisor/coworker safety support) and safety behavior (safety task/contextual behavior), while considering the mediating effects of safety motivation, emotional exhaustion, and the moderating effect of psychosocial safety climate.

Based on the quantitative research method, the hypothesis was tested. The data were collected from 500 construction workers using a structured questionnaire. Observed variables were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, and the path coefficient of fitted model was then analyzed including the associated mediating and moderating effects.

The study found that (1) safety support from both supervisors and coworkers directly forecasted both types of safety behavior, (2) safety motivation was primarily predicted by perceived supervisor safety support, and perceived coworker safety support better predicted emotional exhaustion. Safety motivation mediated the relationship between perceived supervisor safety support and safety contextual behavior, and emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between both types of safety support and both types of safety behavior, (3) psychosocial safety climate moderated the pathway relationships mediated by safety motivation and emotional exhaustion, respectively.

The samples of this study were mostly immersed in eastern culture and the construction industry, and the cultural and industry diversity of the samples deserves further consideration to enhance the universality of the results. The cross-sectional approach may have some impact on the accuracy of the results. In addition, other potential mediating variables deserve to be explored in future studies.

This study provides a new basis for extending current theoretical frameworks of organizational safety support and safety behavior by using a moderated mediation model. Some practical insights on construction safety management have also been proposed based on the research findings. It is recommended that practitioners should further raise awareness of the critical role of supervisor-worker and worker-coworker relationships, as high levels of safety support from the supervisor/worker respectively effectively encourage safety motivation, alleviate emotional exhaustion, and thus improve workers’ safety performance. Meanwhile, the psychosocial health conditions of workers should also receive further attention.

Mega construction projects (MCPs), characterized by their vast scale, numerous stakeholders and complex management, often face significant uncertainties and challenges. While existing research has explored the complexity of MCPs, it predominantly focuses on qualitative analysis and lacks systematic quantitative measurement methods. Therefore, this study aims to construct a complexity measurement model for MCPs using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and grey relational analysis.

This study first constructs a complexity measurement framework through a systematic literature review, covering six dimensions of technical complexity, organizational complexity, goal complexity, environmental complexity, cultural complexity and information complexity and comprising 30 influencing factors. Secondly, a fuzzy evaluation matrix for complexity is constructed using a generalized bell-shaped membership function to effectively handle the fuzziness and uncertainty in the assessment. Subsequently, grey relational analysis is used to calculate the relational degree of each complexity factor, identifying their weights in the overall complexity. Finally, the weighted comprehensive evaluation results of project complexity are derived by combining the fuzzy evaluation results with the grey relational degrees.

To validate the model’s effectiveness, the 2020 Xi’an Silk Road International Conference Center construction project is used as a case study. The results indicate that the overall complexity level of the project is moderate, with goal complexity being the highest, followed by organizational complexity, environmental complexity, technical complexity, cultural complexity and informational complexity. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the model can accurately reflect the variations across different dimensions of MCP complexity and can be effectively applied in real-world projects.

This study systematically integrates research on MCPs complexity, establishing a multidimensional complexity measurement framework that addresses the limitations of previous studies focusing on partial dimensions. Moreover, the proposed quantitative measurement model combines fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and grey relational analysis, enhancing the accuracy and objectivity of complexity measurement while minimizing subjective bias. Lastly, the model has broad applicability and can be used in MCPs across different countries and regions, providing a scientific and effective basis for identifying and managing MCP complexity.

The concept of Construction 5.0 has emerged as the next frontier in construction practices and is characterized by the integration of advanced technologies with human-centered approaches, sustainable practices and resilience considerations to build smart and future-ready buildings. However, there is currently a gap in research that provides a comprehensive perspective on the opportunities and challenges of facilitating Construction 5.0. This study aims to explore the opportunities and challenges in facilitating Construction 5.0 and its potential to implement smart, sustainable and resilient buildings.

The structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used to evaluate the research model and investigate the opportunities and challenges related to Construction 5.0 in its implementation for smart, sustainable and resilient buildings.

The results show that adopting human-centric technology, sustaining resilience and maintaining sustainability in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry seizes the opportunities to overcome the challenges for facilitating Construction 5.0 in the implementation of smart, sustainable and resilient buildings.

The AEC industry facilitating Construction 5.0 has the potential to redefine the future of construction, creating a built environment that is not only intelligent, sustainable and resilient but also deeply connected with the well-being and values of the communities it serves.

The research illuminates the path forward for a holistic understanding of Construction 5.0, envisioning a future where smart, sustainable and resilient buildings stand as testaments to the harmonious collaboration between humans and technology.

Stakeholders in complex capital projects are characterized by complicated interactions, adversarial short-term relationships and cooperative demand for deliverables. Unhealthy interfaces between stakeholders often lead to significant interface conflicts, which gradually become apparent in the construction stage. However, stakeholder interface health (SIH) has not been well understood and measured in the construction industry by either scholars or practitioners. It is essential to identify unhealthy interface relationships between stakeholders by comprehensively assessing SIH for enhancing project performance.

The study provided a comprehensive framework to assess SIH. The assessment was based on Wuli-Shili-Renli theory. Moreover, the CRITIC and Grey-TOPSIS methodologies were applied to precisely evaluate the SIH level. Besides, graph-based interface networks were developed to visualize SIH. At last, the framework was applied to a mass rapid transit project in China to test the validity of the study.

The result showed that stakeholder interfaces with strict contract constraints are healthier. On the other hand, IM behaviors make up for the soft coordination mechanism without contract constraints to a certain extent. The results of the case study were consistent with the actual project practices. The proposed framework provided a useful IM tool for assessing and visualizing SIH.

The limitation of this study is that only the mass rapid transit project was selected for empirical analysis to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. It is recommended that the proposed framework be applied to other types of complex capital projects to further discussions in IM.

Theoretically, this study introduces a comprehensive framework to measure the health of stakeholder interfaces in complex capital projects, which helps to provide a theoretical basis and methodological support for stakeholder interface management.

Practically, applying SIH assessment to existing interface management procedures can help the project manager identify interface conflicts between stakeholders in time and eventually contribute to the improvement of PM performance. At the same time, the interface management team tracks the responsibilities of unhealthy interface stakeholders and requires them to take measures to improve the SIH level. Stakeholder interfaces with lower health scores should be given more attention. The proposed framework can serve as a novel IM approach to identify weaknesses in IM and take targeted management measures to alleviate unhealthy stakeholder interface relationships.

The study provides an innovative method for scientifically and accurately assessing SIH. This research can help scholars and practitioners in the project management field facilitate the diagnosis of unhealthy interface relationships and provide decision support for the project management theoretical foundation.