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This research examined how Australian construction projects perform in the area of client-led innovation. The purpose of this paper is to test the influence of a set of enablers in promoting the innovative performance of construction projects and examine how Australian construction projects perform in relation to innovation.

A questionnaire was developed and distributed to over 300 construction industry practitioners to obtain perceptions of industry practitioners regarding client-led enablers to promoting innovation at the project level, with 131 valid responses received. The data from the survey were subjected to statistical analyses including mean comparisons, using the Mann–Whitney U-test and Kruskal Wallis Test.

This research identified a number of enablers that clients can employ in construction projects to enhance innovative performance. It also revealed that the innovative performance of construction projects in Australia appears to be above average, although the perceived level is not too high. The main finding of the research is that Australian clients could achieve higher outcomes from construction projects by promoting innovativeness in their projects, especially by promoting innovativeness in their own organizations and providing incentives/rewards and other support for innovative activities in projects.

Past research focusing on client-led enablers at the project level is limited. This research identified a number of enablers that clients can employ to achieve greater benefits from their projects through innovation.

Regarding the contribution of Australian small-size housing in the enhancement of total energy consumption of the country and the roles of the occupants’ preferences in successful implementation of action plans, the purpose of this study is to identify the Australian occupants’ collaborative image of housing energy efficiency. The two main objectives are, therefore, to address the main energy-related housing physical factors that have the potential in representing the housing image of Australian occupants and to explain the causal factors that make the physical factors critical to their energy efficiency perception.

This study has been developed through a qualitative approach. Given that the images encompass a wide range of information expressing human perceptions, an online photo-based qualitative survey was developed based on previous research works. The survey includes respondents’ demographic profiles and the evaluation of images, asking for their perception of overall housing energy efficiency, the impacts of building envelope physical attributes on the energy efficiency of the houses and the reasons behind the selection of different attributes.

This study has developed a set of attribute-based factors, explaining occupants’ collective perception of energy efficient small-size housing of Brisbane in the area of exterior aspects of the buildings. Specifically, the collaborative image of small-size housing of Brisbane is about the thermal performance of the buildings provided through passive climatic principles by using more efficient envelope features, e.g. material, colour, transparency, texture, openings, balconies and shadowing devices, while ignoring the impacts of architectural composition principles along neighbourhood quality. The key attributes in assessing the small-housing energy efficiency are ventilation, thermal performance and shadowing. The housing images in old traditional architectural style with rural face, built by stone, brick and concrete in high dense vegetation were evaluated to be more energy efficient than those with modern architecture, built by large glass panel and metal cladding with light or no vegetation.

The main limitation of the paper is related to the nature of an image-based survey, which leads to ignoring some aspects of real spaces such as odour, temperature and noise.

This research has the potential for developing a practical methodology for assessing housing-resident fit using computer-based methodology and neural networks.

This research has the potential for developing a methodology, assisting the end users in meeting their desires and motivations by helping them in assessing how a housing unit fits with their expectations and preferences.

This research provides a reliable conceptual platform for dealing with the complexity of occupants’ housing perceptions. This is achieved by establishing a collective conceptual picture of these environmental perceptions, namely, housing image, which is a platform for transferring abstract data related to human perception into measurable and quantitative scales.

This study aims to develop a photo-based methodology to identify occupants' collaborative image of the energy-efficient small-size housing.

Employing qualitative and quantitative approaches, 24 photos were randomly selected from different urban areas of Brisbane (Australia) city for an online survey. A total of 36 participants evaluated the photos 159 times.

Conducted content analysis resulted in the identification of 5 attribute-based factors, generated from 16 semantic categories and 74 attributes. Using a non-parametric Chi-square test, the factors were categorised in two levels, i.e. (1) envelope elements (primary and secondary) and passive climatic principles; and (2) architectural composition principles and neighbourhood quality.

The discussion on the results via the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) suggests that regarding the external aspects, the people's image of energy-efficient housing could be influenced by their perceived control over changeable and adjustable attributes.

The photo-based methodology developed by this paper has the potential to quantify occupants' collaborative image of small-size housing energy efficiency, which would be essential in assisting them to adjust their dwelling units regarding the congruity of the energy efficiency attributes with their preferences.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a set of risk-related factors influencing the earned value management (EVM) concept as an assessment technique in evaluating the progress of modern sustainable infrastructure construction projects.

A qualitative research approach has been adopted for identifying risk-related factors influencing EVM concept from a literature review and through interviewing industry personnel, followed by an inductive process to form sets of key factors and their measuring items.

EVM is a common method for assessing project performance. A weakness of this approach is that EVM assessment in its current form does not measure the impact of a number of project performance factors that result from the complexity of modern infrastructure construction projects, and thus does not accurately assess their impact in this performance. This paper discusses and explains a range of potential risk factors to evaluating project performance such as sustainability, stakeholder requirements, communication, procurement strategy, weather, experience of staff, site condition, design issues, financial risk, subcontractor, government requirements and material. In addition, their measuring items were identified.

This research assists projects managers to improve the evaluation process of infrastructure construction performance by incorporating a range of factors likely to impact on that performance and which are not included in current EVM calculations.

This research addresses the need to include in the EVM calculation a range of risk factors affecting the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia and therefore makes this calculation a more reliable tool for assessing project performance.

This study aims to investigate and model the complex dynamics of innovation enablers in construction projects aiming to develop a framework identifying actions for clients to promote innovation.

Through a comprehensive literature review, a conceptual model was previously derived to explain the client-driven enablers in promoting innovation. This was tested using the data from 131 Australian construction projects. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data using factor analysis and correlation analysis to test the model, which was validated using the case study approach. The testing and validating aspects are explained in this paper.

The constructs of the recommended model are idea harnessing, relationship enhancement, incentivization and project team fitness.

The difficulty of analyzing the complex dynamics happening within projects in relation to innovation has been a barrier to progress research in this area. The introduction of this model would pave the way for researchers to explore this area with ease.

As revealed in the detailed literature review undertaken, this is the first time that a comprehensive study has been conducted to identify client-led innovation enablers for construction projects. The results would benefit industry practitioners to achieve enhanced project outcomes in construction projects through innovation.

The study examines the project success factors for leadership behavioural practices and communication impacting project success, providing empirical evidence to address the challenges in the digitalized environment in the Australian construction sector.

A quantitative approach was employed to collect survey data from 109 project managers and followers (project engineers, supervisors, team members, and senior managers) with diverse project management experience in the construction sector. An exploratory factors analysis/multivariate regression/relative importance index/t-test was used to identify the key project success factors and validate the study's results.

Data analysis identified four key project success factors: (1) Relationship Management, (2) Leading by Example, (3) Self-Management, and (4) Effective Communication, along with seventeen “behavioural practices attributes” impacting project success positively and significantly and emphasizing inclusiveness, relationship building, self-feedback objectivity, sharing information, collaboratively resolving disputes, and controlling emotions that significantly impact project success.

The study's results will address the industry's challenges in the complex digitalized environment and specific issues experienced in the construction industry: delays and inefficiencies, supply chain management, communication barriers with multicultural workforce and safety protocols implementation, regulatory and safety compliance, infrastructure demands, skills shortages, sustainability, and new technology adoption to achieve project success.

The quantification of research findings, employing an innovative approach, underscores the distinctive nature of this study. The key success factors will help formulate innovative practices using stakeholder analysis, communication plans, conflict resolution strategies, promoting collaboration, safety leadership, providing cultural awareness, and enhancing the decision-making process to face challenges in the construction sector.

A great deal of effort is devoted in planning exercises to balance the amount of new shopping floor space which can be permitted in one centre rather than another. David Thorpe suggests that the margin of error involved, because of the difficulties associated with forecasting total potential, may well be considerably greater than the “fine balancing” that occurs. This paper was originally presented at a PTRC Seminar in July 1975 at the University of Warwick.

The third RMDP seminar on Shop Location Analysis was held at the end of June; it focussed as much on the business of finding the right site as on site evaluation. The most eagerly‐awaited presentation came from a representative of Marks & Spencer; as our writer says, “it is their revitalised attitude to merchandise which is directly responsible for their need to increase sales space.” M&S revealed that they need an extra 3 million sq ft of sales space for new and existing products. Other presentations came from Jeremy Smither of Hillier Parker and Dr David Thorpe of the John Lewis Partnership.

For many retailers, research is something they undertake because they have a vague feeling they ought to do so, rather than because they anticipate any concrete benefits. It is the kind of attitude which prompted large retail organisations, years ago when the magic of electronic data processing first appeared on the horizon, to order expensive computers and then use them for paying wages. In this paper Dr Thorpe outlines the ‘external’ areas from which retailers might be expected to benefit from research, such as site selection and logistics of supply, and then of the ‘internal’ areas — merchandising and labour management. This is a summarised version of a paper read at the GDI conference at Zurich.

It is now 15 years since the Journal of European Industrial Training published its first monograph on repertory grid technique (Volume 4 Number 2, 1980). Since that time many changes have occurred in both the use and the application of grids. Aims to bring the reader up to date with developments which have taken place in the application and analysis of repertory grid technique. Unlike the initial monograph, places greater emphasis on practicalities of completing a grid and the different types of analysis possible than on the applications of the grid. After encouragement from Roger Bennett, among others, this revised and expanded monograph capitalizes on the collaboration of the original author, Mark Easterby‐Smith, with Richard Thorpe and David Holman. Their combined experience of the theory and use of repertory grid technique updates the original monograph.