Efthimia Pantzartzis, Andrew Price and Francis Edum Fotwe
Health and social care facilities are usually complex buildings that require continuous effort to provide resilient and sustainable responses to changes in demographics…
Abstract
Purpose
Health and social care facilities are usually complex buildings that require continuous effort to provide resilient and sustainable responses to changes in demographics, technologies, diseases and models of care. Despite resilience and sustainability concepts being frequently used by practitioners and researchers, ambiguities in their definitions often result in a lack of operational solutions to record, monitor and improve the resilience and sustainability of health and social care facilities. Although the importance and complexity of the issues are widely acknowledged, there is little strategic guidance as to how they should be achieved. The purpose of this paper is to assess the suitability of developing a roadmap for improving the resilience and sustainability of UK health and social care facilities, and to identify the layers and processes needed to construct such a roadmap.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted, starting with a literature review of different types of roadmaps and their suitability to support the desired improvement objectives. Layers and processes were thus developed using the key issues identified in three recent research streams, and the roadmap was structured.
Findings
The major findings have been captured within a three-layer, four-step process generic roadmap for improving the resilience and sustainability of health and social care facilities that can be used to monitor performance, plans future actions and implement response to change.
Practical implications
This paper targets decision makers, especially estate managers, but the proposed layers and processes can be modified for other stakeholders.
Originality/value
This paper suggests an original approach for the development of a roadmap for resilience and sustainability of health and social care facilities, and specifically of how to structure layers and processes, envisioning a more integrated development of service provision and infrastructure asset management.
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Florence Yean Yng Ling, Francis Tekyi Edum‐Fotwe and Moxham Thor Huat Ng
The purpose of this paper is to present an investigation of facilities management (FM) needs of warehouse tenants to inform future warehouse design.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an investigation of facilities management (FM) needs of warehouse tenants to inform future warehouse design.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines FM needs that must be designed into warehouse projects. It identifies tenants' FM requirements in warehouses; investigates the relationship between tenant satisfaction and performance of different facilities in warehouses; and recommends design and FM practices that warehouse owners should adopt to give tenants value for money. The research involves a quantitative study of tenant requirements for using warehouses. A questionnaire survey was conducted on tenants to find out their important requirements with a structured instrument. The sample was tenants of warehouses in Singapore.
Findings
The results reveal that users' main needs and priority in warehouse operation comprise: incorporating an operations office within warehouses; providing an air well along the loading/unloading bays; ensuring no interruption of electricity supply; providing air‐conditioning to the office; and providing good housekeeping.
Originality/value
The paper provides information that can be the foundation for developing a set of generic tenant FM requirements that could accelerate the design development of warehouses.
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Byung Gyoo Kang, Francis Edum-Fotwe, Andrew Price and Tony Thorpe
This paper aims to investigate two causality concepts, sphere of control (SOC) and agent–action–results (AAR), and their potential applications to construction business ethics…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate two causality concepts, sphere of control (SOC) and agent–action–results (AAR), and their potential applications to construction business ethics. SOC is used in ethics training, and AAR is applied to ethical decision-making (EDM).
Design/methodology/approach
A framework of ethics training and a framework of EDM for construction companies have been developed. Interviews were conducted with experienced construction engineers and PhD ethicians to test the validity of the EDM framework.
Findings
Literature review has been conducted in ethical issues, ethics training and EDM, leading to the developments of the frameworks. The framework of ethics training incorporates SOC to reflect the ethicality and personality traits. The framework of EDM is based on AAR, combined with a stakeholder approach and Kohlberg’s cognitive moral development theory, with a review from EDM models in business. Both frameworks include project-level component to reflect the unique feature of the construction industry. The framework of EDM showed a good practicality through the interviews on an ethical dilemma example.
Research limitations/implications
For the ethics training framework, a long-term observation or survey should be accompanied to evaluate the framework in detail, tracing the improvement of ethicalness of course participants.
Practical implications
The customized ethics training will be more efficient and effective, as it considers individual ethicality. The scoring system of the EDM framework is simple and practical. This is particularly relevant for construction ethics management, considering that most of construction practitioners are engineers, not philosophers or psychologists.
Originality/value
Applying causality concepts, SOC and AAR, to construction ethics is a novel approach in construction management. This research has made a good advancement in construction ethics management by providing the right directions to be explored in these new areas.
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Mesut Pala, Francis Edum-Fotwe, Kirti Ruikar, Nathan Doughty and Chris Peters
The purpose of this paper is to examine how contractor firms manage their relationships with extended supply chain tiers and investigate the range of ICT technologies used to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how contractor firms manage their relationships with extended supply chain tiers and investigate the range of ICT technologies used to facilitate such practices.
Design/methodology/approach
An on-line questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information about supply chain management operations, supplier relationship management and the ICT technologies used by contractor firms to manage their extended supply chain tiers.
Findings
The extended supply chain relationships of contractor firms are primarily composed of contractual, technical and financial entities, but findings suggest that the vision to consider extended supply chain firms when selecting suppliers are still myopic. Majority of ICT technologies are used between Tier 1 supply chain firms and there is an inconsistency in the number of technologies adopted with the extended supply chain tiers. Despite having a high involvement relationship with Tier 2 downstream firms, findings indicate a lack of use of ICT technologies to manage the organisational, personal and technological interactions with these firms.
Research limitations/implications
On the basis of different relationship types this study develops an initial framework for management of supply chains that are facilitated by relevant ICT technologies.
Originality/value
This paper provides insights into the management of extended supply chain firms by contractor firms from a relationship-centric perspective and develops an initial framework for relationship-centric supply chain management.
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Mundia Muya, Andrew D.F. Price and Francis T. Edum‐Fotwe
As the development agenda for sub‐Sahara Africa (SSA) gains momentum, it has become necessary to refocus attention on effective and sustainable human resource development…
Abstract
Purpose
As the development agenda for sub‐Sahara Africa (SSA) gains momentum, it has become necessary to refocus attention on effective and sustainable human resource development strategies for the construction sector in the region that include craft skills. Aims to provide insight into the availability and quality of construction craft skills in Zambia, and the SSA region in general.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Zambia as a country case study, results of a survey that was designed to assess the construction industry's perceptions of the quality and availability of construction craft skills in Zambia are presented. The surveyed contractors' support for the introduction of a sector‐specific training levy in Zambia was also investigated and is reported.
Findings
Findings point to both poor quality and shortage of construction craft skills in Zambia. Results suggest that construction sector‐specific training levy would be the most viable, sustainable and industry‐wide supported option for supplementing government funding in the training of construction craft skills in Zambia, and probably in the SSA region.
Research limitations/implications
The survey was exploratory in nature and depth, and SSA is a vast and diverse region. The results of the case study may not correctly reflect construction skills exigencies across the whole SSA region.
Originality/value
The results provide information and advice for both policy makers and contractors concerned with construction crafts skills issues in Zambia, and SSA in general.
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Joao Alencastro, Alba Fuertes and Pieter de Wilde
Despite the number of quality management procedures being currently applied, construction defects in the domestic sector are acknowledged to contribute to the energy performance…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the number of quality management procedures being currently applied, construction defects in the domestic sector are acknowledged to contribute to the energy performance gap of buildings. This paper investigates the limitations and challenges to the implementation of project quality plans (PQPs) and their impact on the achievement of expected thermal performance in the UK social housing projects.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach, guided by grounded theory, was used in this research. This methodology provided the structure for systematic data analysis iterations, enabling cross-case analysis. An analytic induction process was designed to seek the explanation of the targeted phenomenon and required data collection until no new ideas and concepts emerged from the research iterations. This study collected data from five social housing projects through interviews, site observations and project documentation.
Findings
Multiple limitations and challenges were identified in the implementation of PQP to deliver thermal efficient social housing. Generally, there is the need for more objective quality compliance procedures based on required evidence. When investigating the root of the challenges, it was concluded that the adoption of statutory approval as the main quality compliance procedure led to the dilution of the responsibility for prevention and appraisal of defects that compromised the effectiveness of PQP devised by housing associations (HA) and contractors.
Originality/value
This study identifies the shortcomings of PQP in addressing quality issues with potential to undermine the thermal performance of social housing projects. The findings could be used by HA, contractors and policymakers as steppingstones to improve the energy efficiency in the domestic sector.
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Functionality as a measure of project performance encompasses definitions across literature, relevance and essentiality in construction as the industry moves towards sustainable…
Abstract
Functionality as a measure of project performance encompasses definitions across literature, relevance and essentiality in construction as the industry moves towards sustainable construction. Functionality in this section shows details in social functionality, as well as functionalities expressed in assessing, implementing project performance within set out target and goal. Furthermore, for functionality to be truly experienced in construction, many factors have to be gotten right. One of such is decision making that tends towards standard expatiated in the contract agreed without compromising budget, performance, collaboration, health and safety, communication, profit, satisfaction, quality, project cost, profitability among others.
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As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been…
Abstract
Purpose
As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper aims to explore the use of standardised school design in addressing the problem of primary school places in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to the exploratory nature of this investigation, a pragmatic research philosophy is utilised and mixed-method data collection techniques are used. Quantitative data collection is in the form of a survey involving 306 construction professionals and stakeholders; this has been consolidated using qualitative data collection in the form of nine purposefully selected semi-structured interviews.
Findings
The research highlighted the influence that people and their perceptions have on the successful implementation of standardisation. The results show that a high level of misunderstanding exists around the concept of standardisation and its definition. Standardised design has shown to have a remarkable influence in reducing the cost and time required for delivering the construction of new schools.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the exploratory nature of this research, the results obtained have not been wholly conclusive but have instead provided a contribution to the area of standardisation in construction.
Originality/value
The research has uncovered that, to truly promote and drive standardisation in the delivery of schools, a joint approach is required with designers, contractors, clients and manufacturers, working in partnership to develop successful solutions. The paper will, therefore, help the key stakeholders delivering standardised schools in UK to fully understand the concept and turn the challenges into opportunities.
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Long D. Nguyen, Long Le-Hoai, Dai Q. Tran, Chau N. Dang and Chau V. Nguyen
Managing complex construction projects is a challenging task because it involves multiple factors and decision-making processes. A systematic evaluation of these complex factors…
Abstract
Managing complex construction projects is a challenging task because it involves multiple factors and decision-making processes. A systematic evaluation of these complex factors is imperative for achieving project success. As most of these factors are qualitative or intangible in nature, decision makers often rely on subjective judgements when comparing and evaluating them. The hybrid techniques that integrate fuzzy set theory and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) are able to deal with such problems. This chapter discusses various hybrid techniques of the fuzzy AHP and presents an application of these techniques to the evaluation of transportation project complexity, which is essential for prioritising resource allocation and assessing project performance. Project complexity can be quantified and visualised effectively with the application of the fuzzy AHP. This chapter enhances the understanding of construction project complexity and fuzzy hybrid computing in construction engineering and management. Future research should address the calibration of fuzzy membership functions in pairwise comparisons for each individual decision maker and develop computational tools for solving optimisation problems in the constrained fuzzy AHP. In the area of construction project complexity, future research should investigate how scarce resources are allocated to better manage complex projects and how appropriate resource allocation improves their performance.