Kenneth D. Walsh, Anil Sawhney and Michelle A. Vachris
The purpose of this paper is to compare construction costs between nations, which is an important part of international economic statistics. Methods employed for these comparisons…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare construction costs between nations, which is an important part of international economic statistics. Methods employed for these comparisons to date have yielded questionable results. The paper presents a summary of the problem and the results of proof‐of‐concept testing for a new method.
Design/methodology/approach
Prices were estimated for a simple basket of two construction components using cost‐estimating guides for several nations. Both developed and developing nations were included. The prices were obtained for the components installed in the field, including labor, equipment, and materials. Purchasing power parities (PPPs) were calculated from the baskets.
Findings
The results indicate that the basket of construction components approach provides construction sector results much more in keeping with the overall consumption PPPs for the countries tested. This result suggests that the values obtained from this method provide a reasonable measure of construction price differentials. The method also requires substantially fewer resources than previous project‐based approaches.
Originality/value
Because the construction sector represents a significant fraction of global economic activity, it is important to incorporate this sector into the overall process accurately. The construction sector is difficult to compare, but ironically is often a large share of economic activity in developing countries, where comparison is most important. This paper presents a potential solution to a vexing problem in construction econometrics.
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Thaís da C., Colin Milberg and Kenneth D. Walsh
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the history of dissemination and use of lean concepts in construction and potential challenges for continued use, as application of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the history of dissemination and use of lean concepts in construction and potential challenges for continued use, as application of lean concepts transitions from a small group of first adopters to an industry‐wide community.
Design/methodology/approach
Using insights obtained from a meeting with industry practitioners, literature review, and published cases in which different approaches were used to disseminate lean production/construction, evidence is presented that supports these challenges.
Findings
The authors identify three challenges facing lean construction (LC) practitioners, researchers, and educators. One challenge is lean has many meanings (whether denoted or connoted) when applied to construction. Another challenge is to have academics constantly working with industry practitioners to keep working on the adaptation of concepts/systems and not only tools. The third challenge is that without a sustained effort to engage people in meaningful learning experiences, LC may be viewed as a fad in the construction industry.
Research limitations/implications
The discussion presents the authors’ interpretation of facts and existing literature reviewed to support the arguments made. Moreover, while the literature reviewed addresses sources from different parts of the world, the preponderance of the authors’ research activities and experience are limited to two countries, Brazil and the USA.
Practical implications
In the face of overwhelming interest in lean by the construction industry, research on effective methods for disseminating lean concepts is overdue.
Social implications
By partnering with industry practitioners who are already implementing LC or want to start the journey, academics have access to projects (labs in the real world) and can bring back to the classroom examples to educate future generations of professionals who can push for changes in the industry. This partnership also helps the validation of experiments regarding LC implementation, as data can be collected and analyzed in a scientific way, and can be documented for dissemination within the industry.
Originality/value
The paper discusses challenges related to the evolution of LC in the industry, with the aim of forming a basis for an informed discussion on how to promote sustained and informed learning in construction.
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The most significant event for the School has been the announcement of the creation of the National Centre for Management Research and Development. The Centre is due to open in…
Abstract
The most significant event for the School has been the announcement of the creation of the National Centre for Management Research and Development. The Centre is due to open in 1986 and will provide research facilities for up to 20 major projects designed to improve the competitiveness of Canadian business practices.
John R. Busenbark, Kenneth A. Frank, Spiro J. Maroulis, Ran Xu and Qinyun Lin
In this chapter, we explicate two related techniques that help quantify the sensitivity of a given causal inference to potential omitted variables and/or other sources of…
Abstract
In this chapter, we explicate two related techniques that help quantify the sensitivity of a given causal inference to potential omitted variables and/or other sources of unexplained heterogeneity. In particular, we describe the Impact Threshold of a Confounding Variable (ITCV) and the Robustness of Inference to Replacement (RIR). The ITCV describes the minimum correlation necessary between an omitted variable and the focal parameters of a study to have created a spurious or invalid statistical inference. The RIR is a technique that quantifies the percentage of observations with nonzero effects in a sample that would need to be replaced with zero effects in order to overturn a given causal inference at any desired threshold. The RIR also measures the percentage of a given parameter estimate that would need to be biased in order to overturn an inference. Each of these procedures is critical to help establish causal inference, perhaps especially for research urgently studying the COVID-19 pandemic when scholars are not afforded the luxury of extended time periods to determine precise magnitudes of relationships between variables. Over the course of this chapter, we define each technique, illustrate how they are applied in the context of seminal strategic management research, offer guidelines for interpreting corresponding results, and delineate further considerations.
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Adrien B. Bonache and Kenneth J. Smith
This chapter combines quantitative studies of the connections between stressors and performance in accounting settings and identifies the mediators and moderators of…
Abstract
This chapter combines quantitative studies of the connections between stressors and performance in accounting settings and identifies the mediators and moderators of stressors–performance relationships. Using meta-analyses and path analyses, this research compiles 72 studies to investigate the relationships of stressors with accountant and auditor performance. As hypothesized, bivariate meta-analyses results indicate that work-related stressors negatively affect performance, and burnout and stress are negatively related to performance, whereas motivation is positively related to performance. Moreover, a meta-analytical structural equation modeling indicates that role stressors have significant direct and indirect effects (through burnout and stress) on job performance. Accumulation of multiple samples through meta-analysis bolsters statistical power compared to single-sample studies and thus reveals the sign of residual direct effects of role stressors on job performance in accounting settings.
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Despite all the attempts developed so far to measure corporate social performance in the last decades, a standard metric for it is still missing. In this work, the author tries to…
Abstract
Despite all the attempts developed so far to measure corporate social performance in the last decades, a standard metric for it is still missing. In this work, the author tries to understand why is this the case. To do so, the author has reviewed 69 relevant metrics developed in the literature since the 1970s until today, covering approaches based on social, reputational, and environmental ratings, as well as several others constructed ad hoc by reputated scholars. The author analyzes each of them through a double optics, checking if they meet the minimum requirements to be considered standard and truly social. The research reveals that the main factor that prevents such a standard is the lack of truly social orientation of the existing metrics.
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WILLIAM H. DESVOUSGES, F. REED JOHNSON, RICHARD W. DUNFORD, K. NICOLE WILSON and KEVIN J. BOYLE
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains…
Abstract
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.
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Cassie L. Barnhardt and Carson W. Phillips
This chapter presents the major components in framing a developmental model of wise organizing in the field of higher education that proceeds along an increasingly more just and…
Abstract
This chapter presents the major components in framing a developmental model of wise organizing in the field of higher education that proceeds along an increasingly more just and responsible path. Our argument considers individual student development theories that lead one to greater competence for wise and socially responsible interactions and engagement in society, and aligns these individual processes with the organizational scholarship emphasizing how organizations enhance their capacities for wise and socially responsible conduct. After reviewing these arguments, we frame a set of research topics required for empirically identifying how universities can cultivate wisdom.