Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud, Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, Yahya Mohd Yatim and Yakubu Aminu Dodo
This study proposes a self-regulatory framework to enhance safety performance at the construction stage among building developers.
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a self-regulatory framework to enhance safety performance at the construction stage among building developers.
Design/methodology/approach
Extant literature identified 137 potential factors that influence the construction safety performances of building developers. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with 11 panels of experts and professionals. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to analyse the response feedback described in a similar paper. In this study, the survey tool used was set up with 40 variables grouped into eight latent variables in the framework, which were agreed and certified as “extremely important” by the panel. Based on random sampling, data were collected from 229 valid respondents. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using Smart PLS software was then used to analyse the respondent's feedback.
Findings
The results show that safety administration and processes, effective communication of safety behaviour, significantly influenced safety performance on a construction site with β values of 0.330 and 0.431 along with t values of 3.005 and 2.547 at p < 0.1, respectively. These factors, among others, provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of safety practices.
Research limitations/implications
The study may not have covered all possible factors that influence the construction safety performance of building developers. Also, the generalizability and transferability of the research outcome to the construction industry wide use is also limited when reference is made to the characteristics of the research respondents and/or participants. In addition, validation of the framework by five professionals is rather small.
Practical implications
Theoretically, the framework through the identified factors provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety through voluntary adherence to self-regulatory standard where there are no enforceable laws and regulations to promote safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of the health and safety practices of the construction industry.
Originality/value
Many research efforts have developed frameworks and models for construction safety. However, the particularity of these frameworks to countries other than Nigeria requires similar research to be conducted to enhance the safety performance of building developers.
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Clement Oluwole Folorunso and Mohd Hamdan Ahmad
Paint that is used as exterior finish is subject to the stresses of the climate. The factors of climate such as sun and rain are major source of quick deterioration of paint. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Paint that is used as exterior finish is subject to the stresses of the climate. The factors of climate such as sun and rain are major source of quick deterioration of paint. The existence of saline air and endogenic salt in substrates in any environment will increase the rate of failure and frequency of repainting of building exterior wall. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the difference in the frequency of repainting of exterior surface of buildings in areas at close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the hinterland.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted a survey method that involved the administration of structured questionnaire on 384 respondents to elicit data for analysis. SPSS 15.0 software was used to analyse the data. The study area is divided into two zones.
Findings
Paint of the same quality from the same manufacturer is found to perform differently. All defects that are caused by salt attack occur earlier in Zone B than Zone A. The frequency of repainting (maintenance) in Zone A is two years due to direct contact with the Atlantic Ocean and Zone B is four years because of the distance from the ocean.
Practical implications
This study enlightens the stakeholders in the building industry in the preparation of maintenance schedule for buildings in salty environment. It will also assist the architects in decision making during specifications of exterior finishes in such environments. The maintenance challenges of paint that is applied as exterior finish in salty environment is made clear.
Originality/value
It is a novel search into understanding the maintenance frequency of paint that is applied as exterior finish of buildings in areas with direct and indirect contact to salt attack.
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Asal Kamani‐Fard, Mohd Hamdan Ahmad and Dilshan Remaz Ossen
The purpose of this paper is to study the efforts of the 2003 Bam earthquake survivors and their strategy for coping with home loss. Regarding the key role of the sense of place…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the efforts of the 2003 Bam earthquake survivors and their strategy for coping with home loss. Regarding the key role of the sense of place within the recovery process following the disaster, this paper considers the characteristics of lost settings located in a desert area while searching for the factors that made an impact on householders' perception of newly built houses.
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of the field survey, a group of 186 households were selected by the probability sampling method. Accordingly, the random selection of residents was organized within the three defined zones of the city that had experienced different degrees of building damages. Data were collected using a face‐to‐face communication approach with the target group of owners of self‐built houses.
Findings
The findings indicate that households tend to arrange the new settings on the basis of their perceptions of home place as well as the experience of loss during the quake. It also confirms that owners' participation in housing reconstruction process within setting arrangement has a significant positive impact on their attitude toward newly built homes.
Originality/value
Due to the widespread incidence of natural disasters and in the light of the key role of home place in the existence of human beings and their recovery process, the opportunity for local participation in new housing is highlighted as a means to overcome the challenges faced.
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Clement Oluwole Folorunso and Mohd Hamdan Ahmad
Tropical buildings are subjected to many militating elements of climate, prominent amongst which are sunlight and rainfall. However, the geographic area in which the study was…
Abstract
Purpose
Tropical buildings are subjected to many militating elements of climate, prominent amongst which are sunlight and rainfall. However, the geographic area in which the study was conducted has an additional influence from the Atlantic Ocean, which is just a few meters away from the buildings. The sea breeze is laden with high salt content that has adverse effects upon and reactions with the materials used for building finishes. In most cases, the outer skin/external surface of a building does not have any protection, due to its function as the protective layer. However, the influence of prevailing saline air in the present case differs from one part of the study location to another due to distance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The study considered two areas of the city, referred to as zones A and B, using a survey approach to obtain data for empirical analysis. Various correlations were evaluated and regression analysis was carried out on the survey findings. The mean behaviour of each zone was determined using the F-value of the results to qualify the performance of paint in service at each location. Data obtained during the study were evaluated using SPSS version 15.0 software. Data were also obtained from architects practicing in Lagos using a structured interview.
Findings
The results demonstrated that degradation of paint set in faster and repainting was required earlier in Zone A than was the case in Zone B, due to more aggressive impact of the saline air. The established research findings that stipulate five to seven years for maintenance of paint were found not to hold good in areas subjected to saline air.
Practical implications
The research was geared towards establishing the appropriate use of paint in saline-laden environments as compared to its use in other parts of a tropical region. Specifiers/architects, developers and property owners may understand better the implications of their choice. Manufacturers should endeavour to develop paint that will retard the deleterious effects of saline air.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to investigate analytically the impact of saline air on the maintenance requirements of painted structures in the tropical regions.
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Clement Oluwole Folorunso and Mohd Hamdan Ahmad
Painting of buildings predates civilization. The primary purpose was to add beauty or aesthetics to the built environment. It was also to showcase the level of civilization, taste…
Abstract
Purpose
Painting of buildings predates civilization. The primary purpose was to add beauty or aesthetics to the built environment. It was also to showcase the level of civilization, taste and fashion drive of the people. However, modern findings have proved that paint (when applied as a finishing coat on buildings) can elongate the service life of such buildings due to some characteristic properties it contains and modern additives that are included at production stage. This paper aims to examine some of the properties inherent in paint through which resistance to failure and better performance is enhanced, aesthetics is maintained and maintenance is reduced. It also examines whether these qualities subsist in all environments. Particular attention is given to its resistance to the impact of saline air when used around the Atlantic Ocean.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted a qualitative and quantitative approach with empirical analysis in examining the performance of paint used in salt laden environment.
Findings
It shows that paint used in an environment where saline air and salt is prevalent begins to deteriorate after two years and requires repainting as against the established norm of five to seven years (5‐7) in areas that are not exposed to saline air. The impact of saline air is significant at p<0.01.
Practical Implication
Maximum life span of current paint products in the area is determined to provide adequate information for the preparation of maintenance schedule for painted exterior. Paint with higher resistance to salt attack is required to enhance the longevity of painted exterior in areas at close proximity to sources of salt. Specifying current available paint for exterior finish will be uneconomical and non‐compatible with the principle of sustainability.
Originality/value
The authors made a fresh attempt at investigating the life's span of paint used as exterior finish in salt laden area around the Atlantic Ocean due to the peculiarity of the stresses of the tropical region on external finishes. It also compared the result with existing researches. Differences in paint performance are established.
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Nila Keumala, Mohammed Amer Younus, Yong Kuan, Asrul Sani Bin Abdul Razak, Muhammad Azzam Ismail and Karam M. Al-Obaidi
The increasing global concerns about the environmental degradation and climate changes oblige architecture students to apply sustainable design approaches in their studio…
Abstract
The increasing global concerns about the environmental degradation and climate changes oblige architecture students to apply sustainable design approaches in their studio projects. Therefore, renewable energy raises the expectation of providing sustainable solutions for their architectural design proposals. This paper aims to investigate the learning of students in knowledge, awareness and applicability on sustainability during their first three years of the part 1 architecture programme. Surveys were conducted on 500 students from eight architecture schools from the local universities, two architecture schools from the polytechnic colleges and three architectural schools from the overseas universities. These survey results from 335 respondents confirmed that the learning on sustainability through self (51.6%), peer (48.6%) and design studio lecturers (37.0%). These results confirmed also that most respondents did rely on pre-design assessments to develop sustainable design strategies in their final architectural design proposals. These results concluded that the perception of architecture students on learning sustainability is based mainly on other sources. These findings provide knowledge for educationists and practitioners towards the planning of architecture curriculum and the implementation of pedagogical approach in sustainability. This paper determines the most important source of learning on sustainability knowledge for students in the pedagogy at university level.
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Shamsuddin Ahamad, Hamdan Amerali Al-jaifi and Md Imtiaz Mostafiz
The development of family-based microenterprises has attracted the attention of regulators, microfinance institutions and other stakeholders in either developing or least…
Abstract
Purpose
The development of family-based microenterprises has attracted the attention of regulators, microfinance institutions and other stakeholders in either developing or least developed countries. In the finance literature, several studies have examined the determinants of the family-based microenterprises development; however, there are several venues that need to be examined. The study aims to explain the economic profit of microenterprises from resource-based theory and human capital perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on critical review and theoretical grounding, this study proposes a conceptual framework, which bridges intangible resources with economic growth of microenterprises.
Findings
After reviewing previous studies and based on the underpinning theoretical framework, the study finds that human capital is one of the variables that has received a little attention and yet to be examined as a moderating role. Based on the human capital theorist, individual's competencies help enterprises to perform better in business, as enterprises that possess competencies and capabilities are more likely to have higher levels of growth and profitability.
Practical implications
This finding provides useful implications for the stakeholders and policymakers and contributes in the future literature.
Originality/value
Based on critical review and theoretical grounding, this study proposes a conceptual framework, which bridges intangible resources with economic growth of microenterprises.
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Amal Mohammed Al-Masawa, Rasidah Mohd-Rashid, Hamdan Amer Al-Jaifi and Shaker Dahan Al-Duais
This study aims to investigate the link between audit committee characteristics and the liquidity of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Malaysia, which is an emerging economy in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the link between audit committee characteristics and the liquidity of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Malaysia, which is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia. Another purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the revised Malaysian code of corporate governance (MCCG) on the link between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.
Design/methodology/approach
The final sample consists of 304 Malaysian IPOs listed in 2002–2017. This study uses ordinary least squares regression method to analyse the data. To confirm this study’s findings, a hierarchical or four-stage regression analysis is used to compare the t-values of the main and moderate regression models.
Findings
The findings show that audit committee characteristics (size and director independence) have a positive and significant relationship with IPO liquidity. Also, the revised MCCG positively moderates the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.
Research limitations/implications
This study’s findings indicate that companies with higher audit committee independence have a more effective monitoring mechanism that mitigates information asymmetry, thus reducing adverse selection issues during share trading.
Practical implications
Policymakers could use the results of this study in developing policies for IPO liquidity improvements. Additionally, the findings are useful for traders and investors in their investment decision-making. For companies, the findings highlight the crucial role of the audit committee as part of the control system that monitors corporate governance.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this work is a pioneering study in the context of a developing country, specifically Malaysia that investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on IPO liquidity. Previously, the link between corporate governance and IPO liquidity had not been investigated in Malaysia. This study also contributes to the IPO literature by providing empirical evidence regarding the moderating effect of the revised MCCG on the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.
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Mohammed Borhandden Musah, Hairuddin Mohd Ali, Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi al-Hudawi, Lokman Mohd Tahir, Khadijah Binti Daud, Hamdan Bin Said and Naail Mohammed Kamil
This study aims to investigate whether organisational climate (OC) predicts academic staff performance at Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). The study equally aims at…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether organisational climate (OC) predicts academic staff performance at Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). The study equally aims at validating the psychometric properties of OC and workforce performance (WFP) constructs.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey questionnaires were administered to 800 academic staff of eight selected HEIs. Principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, full-fledged structural equation modelling and multiple regression analysis were performed to explore the underlying factors and test the factorial validity of the constructs.
Findings
The analysis yielded a five-factor index for the OC construct, whereas the WFP construct comprised two factors. The findings reveal a strong predictive causal effect between OC and WFP. These results suggest that establishing a positive OC enhances academic staff performance. Furthermore, the hypothesised model adds new knowledge to the literature of OC, from the Malaysian context, which could be used to predict WFP at the tertiary level.
Practical implications
The study concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings for HEIs.
Originality/value
This paper makes a significant contribution to the understanding of how OC could be used as an effective instrument in improving academic staff performance in the context of Malaysian HEIs.