With many large-scale infrastructural and residential projects in Hong Kong, the construction industry is suffering from serious labour and skill shortages. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
With many large-scale infrastructural and residential projects in Hong Kong, the construction industry is suffering from serious labour and skill shortages. The purpose of this paper is to identify practicable strategies for resolving these problems, assess the effectiveness of these identified strategies and finally develop a conceptual labour supply model.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected qualitatively and quantitatively through discussion forums and questionnaire surveys. Comprising 30 expert members, two discussion forums were held to identify both practical response strategies and conceptual labour supply framework. Based on ten identified strategies, surveys were then conducted in the form of a web-based questionnaire. In total, 2,900 respondents were invited to take part and 438 questionnaires were completed. Grounded theory approach was adopted to develop a labour supply theory.
Findings
In total, three identified strategies which could deliver quick results to the industry were increasing worker wages, importing foreign workers and engaging employers to provide training. Other identified strategies were also effective over the medium and long terms.
Practical implications
Many of the identified solutions are enforceable. These are not only applicable to Hong Kong, but also transferable to other countries where voluntarily based measures under the free-market economy do not work in an effective manner.
Originality/value
Unlike previous studies largely relied on voluntarily based measures, most of the identified strategies in this study are enforceable to ensure its effectiveness. In addition, based on the grounded theory approach, this study has developed a conceptual model for analysing labour supply issues in both local and overseas situations, thus contributing to the new knowledge in this area.
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– This study aims to identify a set of external organisational environments that have different degrees of impact on property development firms in Hong Kong.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify a set of external organisational environments that have different degrees of impact on property development firms in Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
Organisational environments were operationalised into 40 independent variables. Data were collected using Web-based questionnaires. Further, 150 senior executives working in property development firms rated the identified variables and successfully completed the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis was used to simplify the correlations among variables by identifying a smaller number of shared factors that accounted for the observed correlations.
Findings
This study identified six major environmental factors, namely, (1) property market environment, (2) property development environment, (3) general political and economic environment, (4) property price environment, (5) general property development industry environment and (6) residual environment. If the property development process is viewed as an input–transformation–output open system, Factor 2 significantly affected the transformation process, Factors 3 and 5 affected both the transformation process and its final output, and Factors 1 and 4 affected the final output. Other factors did not appear to be significant.
Research limitations/implications
Because organisational environments may change from place-to-place and time-to-time, the data may vary accordingly.
Practical implications
Traditional management systems cannot cope with current environmental changes. The performance of developers depends on their ability to respond to the issues that arise from increasingly unpredictable, novel and turbulent environments. Developers must continuously scan, monitor, forecast and assess their external environments.
Originality/value
This study contributes to a better understanding of the environmental sectors that significantly influence property development firms.
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Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on…
Abstract
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.
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Paul Boerjan and Norbert Vanhove
Profile of world tourism today S. Medlik gives in his publication “Trends in World Tourism” a good picture of world tourism today. This publication, together with the…
Abstract
Profile of world tourism today S. Medlik gives in his publication “Trends in World Tourism” a good picture of world tourism today. This publication, together with the WTO‐publication “Tourism Compendium”, allows us to formulate a profile of world tourism today.
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
Abstract
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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Well‐founded complaint has recently been made concerning the characters of the various forms of “candy,” or, as we should term them, “sweets,” that are manufactured in great…
Abstract
Well‐founded complaint has recently been made concerning the characters of the various forms of “candy,” or, as we should term them, “sweets,” that are manufactured in great quantities in the United States.