MICHAEL P. O'REILLY and MICHAEL J. MAWDESLEY
Disputes frequently occur on engineering and construction projects. In this paper it is argued that these disputes need to be evaluated and managed, with proper attention being…
Abstract
Disputes frequently occur on engineering and construction projects. In this paper it is argued that these disputes need to be evaluated and managed, with proper attention being paid to planning of time and money. Since the way in which dispute management is approached will depend on the perceived self‐interest of the parties, it is imperative that disputants have a sensible measure of their self‐interest. ‘Traditional’ probabilistic risk assessment techniques are shown to be of assistance and can be used to compute appropriate dispute management strategies. By way of example, a Monte Carlo simulation of a dispute is performed and discussed.
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SAAD H. AL‐JIBOURI and MICHAEL J. MAWDESLEY
This paper describes the development and initial use of a management game to teach project planning and control. It covers all aspects of the game including its design, the choice…
Abstract
This paper describes the development and initial use of a management game to teach project planning and control. It covers all aspects of the game including its design, the choice of the project to be modelled, the user interface and how it makes use of the computer power available. The sections on the use of the game describe experience gained in its use as part of an undergraduate course and as a demonstration on a course run for industry. Both the design and the use of the game are critically assessed and suggestions for improvement are made. The game was produced as a result of international collaboration between British and Dutch academics with input, where appropriate from construction companies of both nations.
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Michael J. Mawdesley, William H. Askew and Saad H. Al‐Jibouri
This paper describes the integration of various models to provide a realistic decision support system for linear project site layout. Initially, the paper describes an…
Abstract
This paper describes the integration of various models to provide a realistic decision support system for linear project site layout. Initially, the paper describes an investigation to determine the actual methods currently used by project managers and planners. A review of both techniques adopted by the managers and the knowledge acquisition methods employed are included in the paper. Following this, this paper describes the work done to automate the existing systems. This resulted in a system which has been used in practice and has been shown to be a great help to managers. It is based on the traditional method of mass‐haul diagrams used to determine the earthworks activities. A separate simulation and artificial intelligence model of earthworks are described. This will be extended to model linear projects more realistically than does mass‐haul.
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Michael J. Mawdesley and Saad Al‐Jibouri
Improvement in productivity will not be achieved without bearing in mind that there is an enormous number of factors affecting productivity and that there is a necessity to locate…
Abstract
Purpose
Improvement in productivity will not be achieved without bearing in mind that there is an enormous number of factors affecting productivity and that there is a necessity to locate the most influential ones among them. Doing so will enable researchers as well as practitioners to pinpoint the areas where efforts are to be directed in order to reach the optimum productivity of the studied project. The work described in this paper is based on data collected from the construction industry in the UK. In collecting the information, there are three initial aims: to determine what factors affected productivity at site level, to determine how these factors interacted and to determine the significance of the factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The research method undertaken is to model productivity in construction using system dynamics. In particular, it concentrates on the use of system dynamics and project level productivity. The literature identifies 34 factors affecting productivity but based on a survey of professionals, five of these are recognised as important. They form the basis of a systems model whose development is described.
Findings
The results of testing the developed model have suggested that investments in planning and control have most benefits on project productivity and that investments in safety, motivation and reduction of disruptions are beneficial.
Originality/value
The use of system dynamics to model productivity represents untraditional and novel approach in research in construction. The developed model is valuable in that it can be used to evaluate management strategies and their effects on project productivity.
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The food standards of the Indiana State Board of Health, which appear on another page, show that it is quite possible to lay down official definitions of various articles of food;…
Abstract
The food standards of the Indiana State Board of Health, which appear on another page, show that it is quite possible to lay down official definitions of various articles of food; and a study of these regulations may be of assistance to those authorities who are striving to arrive at some form of order out of the chaos which at present exists in this country in matters relating to food standards. With reference to milk, it will be seen that not only is the question of composition dealt with, but strict directions are given that milk derived from a cow which can in any way be considered as diseased is regarded as impure, and must therefore, says the Board, be considered as adulterated. In regard to butter and margarine, limits are given for the total amount of fat—which must consist entirely of milk‐fat in the case of the former substance—water, and salt; and not only are all preservatives forbidden, but the colouring matters are restricted, only certain vegetable colouring matters and some few coal‐tar colours being permitted. All cheese containing less than 10 per cent, of fat derived from milk must be plainly labelled as “ skim‐milk cheese”; and if it contains fat other than milk‐fat, it must be described as “ filled cheese.” Some exception is taken to the use of preservatives in cheese, inasmuch as it appears that cheese may contain a preservative if the name of such preservative is duly notified upon the label ; and the rules for the colouring of cheese are the same as those which apply to butter and margarine. All articles of food containing preservatives are considered as adulterated unless the package bears a label, printed in plain type and quite visible to the purchaser, stating that a preservative is present, and also giving the name of the preservative which has been used. Articles of confectionery must not contain any ingredient deleterious to health, such as terra alba, barytes, talc, or other mineral substance, nor may they contain poisonous colours or flavours.
David Rumeser and Margaret Emsley
The purpose of this paper is to help project management (PM) game designers and educators in simulating complexity in PM games and in assessing the effect of simulated project…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to help project management (PM) game designers and educators in simulating complexity in PM games and in assessing the effect of simulated project complexity levels on students’ learning experience. To achieve this aim, the authors attempt to design and evaluate two computer-based project crashing games (PCGs) with different complexity levels, namely project crashing game (PCG) and program crashing game (PgCG).
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review is conducted to identify serious games design principles. These principles are then manifested in the design of PCG and PgCG. The latter is a more complex version of the first. Students’ reaction after playing both games are then analyzed quantitatively.
Findings
The authors discover that students’ learning experience is affected by how complex the simulated project is. The more complex the project is (i.e. as in the PgCG), the more realistic the game is perceived. Nevertheless, the authors also discover that the less complex game (PCG) offers significant value to students, particularly to teach basic PM principles to those with minimum or no practical experience. This game is perceived as better in increasing students’ learning confidence as its content is perceived as more relevant to their existing knowledge.
Originality/value
The authors adopt a project complexity perspective when designing and evaluating the games.
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Sarah George Lauwo, Olatunde Julius Otusanya and Owolabi Bakre
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing debate on governance, accountability, transparency and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing debate on governance, accountability, transparency and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector of a developing country context. It examines the reporting practices of the two largest transnational gold-mining companies in Tanzania in order to draw attention to the role played by local government regulations and advocacy and campaigning by nationally organised non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with respect to promoting corporate social reporting practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes a political economy perspective to consider the serious implications of the neo-liberal ideologies of the global capitalist economy, as manifested in Tanzania’s regulatory framework and in NGO activism, for the corporate disclosure, accountability and responsibility of transnational companies (TNCs). A qualitative field case study methodology is adopted to locate the largely unfamiliar issues of CSR in the Tanzanian mining sector within a more familiar literature on social accounting. Data for the case study were obtained from interviews and from analysis of documents such as annual reports, social responsibility reports, newspapers, NGO reports and other publicly available documents.
Findings
Analysis of interviews, press clips and NGO reports draws attention to social and environmental problems in the Tanzanian mining sector, which are arguably linked to the manifestation of the broader crisis of neo-liberal agendas. While these issues have serious impacts on local populations in the mining areas, they often remain invisible in mining companies’ social disclosures. Increasing evidence of social and environmental ills raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the regulatory frameworks, as well as the roles played by NGOs and other pressure groups in Tanzania.
Practical implications
By empowering local NGOs through educational, capacity building, technological and other support, NGOs’ advocacy, campaigning and networking with other civil society groups can play a pivotal role in encouraging corporations, especially TNCs, to adopt more socially and environmentally responsible business practices and to adhere to international and local standards, which in turn may help to improve the lives of many poor people living in developing countries in general, and Tanzania in particular.
Originality/value
This paper contributes insights from gold-mining activities in Tanzania to the existing literature on CSR in the mining sector. It also contributes to political economy theory by locating CSR reporting within the socio-political and regulatory context in which mining operations take place in Tanzania. It is argued that, for CSR reporting to be effective, robust regulations and enforcement and stronger political pressure must be put in place.
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Neil Scott, David Ponniah and Ben Saud
Reviews the general state of computer systems in the constructionindustry. Reports on a survey aimed at examining the attitudes ofpeople in the construction industry regarding…
Abstract
Reviews the general state of computer systems in the construction industry. Reports on a survey aimed at examining the attitudes of people in the construction industry regarding computer applications and reveals the importance of computers in areas such as engineering and management. Highlights the prospects of computer applications in the future and concludes that advances in technology are going to require a change in attitude between all parties in the industry.