Mohammadreza Yadollahi and Rosli Zin
The solution of prioritization problem for budget allocation across road infrastructure rehabilitation projects is highly complicated. This complexity is often due to the…
Abstract
The solution of prioritization problem for budget allocation across road infrastructure rehabilitation projects is highly complicated. This complexity is often due to the contradictions exist in budget allocation process. Such process concerns allocation of rehabilitation funds across various road infrastructures and taking into account multiple evaluation criteria. Therefore, budget allocation is a complex process with too many contradictions in form of criteria or attributes. According to the Systematic Innovation methodology, solving a problem means removing a contradiction. This paper presents a decision support approach for management of budget in rehabilitation process of road infrastructure, introducing Applied Multi-Criteria Ideal Rehabilitation Model. To achieve this, with the help of multi-criteria decision analysis, the Degree of Ideality is introduced as a function of all criteria. "Ideality" is the measure of how close the system is to the ideal final result. If the useful feature improves or harmful feature lessens, the ideality improves. In order to maximize the Degree of Ideality in the proposed Model, contradictions and resources are identified and ideal final result is introduced. This will result in a simple mechanism for allocation of budget across all the road infrastructures need to be rehabilitated.
Christine Nerisha Anak Stephen Liat, Eeydzah Aminudin, Eric Lou, Gabriel Ling Hoh Teck, Leng Pau Chung, Rosli Mohamad Zin and Rozana Zakaria
Oversupplied emission basically will create a global economic downturn, which will lead to the implications for the climate action more broadly. Though the pandemic has test the…
Abstract
Oversupplied emission basically will create a global economic downturn, which will lead to the implications for the climate action more broadly. Though the pandemic has test the resilience of carbon initiatives, there is urgency in identifying the carbon tax to strengthen as jurisdiction around the world ambitious in adopting and mitigating the targets as an introductory of the associated policy tools. Based on different situations and disciplines, the carbon tax model is simulated in different ways. The purpose of this study is to compare the available approaches that have been utilised by researchers and to determine the methods that suitable the most. The carbon tax and its influence on the construction sector are being benchmark and discussed as the whole of this document. A bibliometric approach is the method in this study in between the keyword of a carbon tax and the construction industry based on the data available in database of Scopus and Web of Science to foresee the interconnection between the knowledge of understanding and definition. The definition of carbon tax is the Pigovian tax that is designed to reduce the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted with aim to act as a green tax and been paid by the industries that emitted GHGs as for the carbon emission reduction agenda. The implementation is parallel to the other government policies and in sync to the sustainable development goals.
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Heap‐Yih Chong and Rosli Mohamad Zin
The purpose of this research is to discover the behavior of dispute resolution in the Malaysian construction industry by analyzing factors that affect the selection of dispute…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to discover the behavior of dispute resolution in the Malaysian construction industry by analyzing factors that affect the selection of dispute resolution methods using factor analysis approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Preliminary interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted. Dispute resolution methods were grouped and discussed together, based on the similarity of their characteristics, and used for the questionnaire survey. This research approach is different from the earlier studies that mostly focused on a single dispute resolution method. The data were further analyzed with factor analysis. This improved the data interpretation.
Findings
Seven latent factors were extracted and revealed that the contractors and developers preferred alternative dispute resolution (ADR). However, the appreciation of the outcomes of ADR was perceived to be very low. Arbitration and litigation were in part accepted and agreed upon by the respondents.
Originality/value
The combined results from the literature review on the stages of dispute resolution and the latent factors affecting the selection of dispute resolution methods could assist in decision making. The selection of ADR or non‐ADR itself is not a major issue; rather, there is a concern for increased efficiency and an appreciation of the methods in the construction industry are more demanding.
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Erman Surya Bakti, Muhd Zaimi bin Abdul Majid, Rosli Muhamad Zin and Bambang Trigunarsyah
The purpose of this paper is to explore the process, and analyse the implementation of constructability improvement and innovation result during the planning and design for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the process, and analyse the implementation of constructability improvement and innovation result during the planning and design for seawater intake structure of fertilizer plant project.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology approach is case study method at the project level. This constructability improvement process was investigated by using constructability implementation checklists, direct observation, documented lessons learned analysis and key personnel interviews.
Findings
The case study shows that the implementation of constructability during planning and design stage for this seawater intake structure has increased the project performance as well as improved the schedule by five months (14.21 percent) and reduced the project cost by 15.35 percent.
Research limitations/implications
This case study was limited to three previous seawater intake projects as references and one new method seawater intake structure at a fertilizer plant project.
Practical implications
A constructability improvement checklist using theory and lessons learned for the specific construction project was documented.
Originality/value
The findings support the relevant study of constructability and provide specific lessons learned for three previous projects and one of the new methods of the construction project and which are documented by the company.
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Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Rosli Mohamad Zin, Javier Irizarry, Samaneh Zolfagharian and Masoud Gheisari
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study aimed at investigating the information requirements for broad use mobile applications for construction projects. It…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study aimed at investigating the information requirements for broad use mobile applications for construction projects. It also presents the results of usability testing of a mobile application prototype for improving information management in construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the research objectives, the information required to properly design the mobile application was collected by distributing an online questionnaire among construction professionals. Then a server‐based application prototype was developed based on enterprise content management concepts. The mobile application was tested in a laboratory by setting a group of construction management postgraduate students who had experience of working in the construction industry.
Findings
This study determines and ranks the critical on‐site information artifacts, considered highly important from the perspective of clients, consultants, and contractors. The study also illustrates the development of a mobile application prototype and results of a usability test. The test results demonstrate that the application is well designed, user friendly, and meets user requirements.
Practical implications
The results of this study are useful for developing a functional mobile application to manage on‐site information in construction projects.
Originality/value
The paper makes an original contribution by investigating information requirements of a mobile application for on‐site information management.
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Abdul Rahim Norhayati Rafida and Ab Wahab Norailis
Environmental communication has been a profession and a subject of study for decades. Communication currently revolves around the anthropogenic ecological catastrophe, which makes…
Abstract
Purpose
Environmental communication has been a profession and a subject of study for decades. Communication currently revolves around the anthropogenic ecological catastrophe, which makes the field’s early self-description as a crisis discipline even more pertinent. How communication is used and perceived significantly impacts how human-caused climate disasters and other environmental and social problems develop and how solutions are offered. The phenomenon of technology has shown significant impacts on how people refer to environmental communication. While bibliometric analysis (BA) helps understand the trends, ChatGPT can generate information related to environmental communication. How are they different from each other? What are the limitations? This study aims to identify the trends and limitations of BA and ChatGPT that are associated with environmental communication.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach is used, which refers to BA using the Biblioshiny software (n = 867) and content analysis on ChatGPT 3.5. It uses a systematic technique for keyword search, namely, environmental and communication, from 2000 to 2022.
Findings
There has been a decrease in the scientific production of studies starting in 2021 and 2022, which is believed to be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ChatGPT provides valuable information but is rather complimentary to BA. ChatGPT is unable to provide statistical information related to environmental communication among Scopus-indexed publications.
Research limitations/implications
This study focuses on the literature published in Scopus from 2000 to 2022. The keyword is limited to “environmental” and “communication.” Besides, the choice of keywords made it specific to the studies involved in the BA, which may not include some other studies if the keywords are not listed.
Originality/value
The originality of the research focuses on the field of environmental communication, its evolution within previous literature and the comparison between BA and the use of ChatGPT for understanding trends and limitations within this field. The text touches upon various aspects, such as the historical context of environmental communication, the impact of technology, the trends in scientific production among Scopus journal papers and the limitations of using ChatGPT compared to BA.
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Mohd Rosli Mohamad and Normayuni Mat Zin
This paper aims to discuss the mediating effects of innovation on the relationship between knowledge management and firm competitiveness.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the mediating effects of innovation on the relationship between knowledge management and firm competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from small construction firms in the Eastern Region of Peninsular Malaysia. Out of the 190 construction firms surveyed, 153 (80.5%) respondents returned their completed questionnaire. These were used for data analysis. The data were then analyzed using the covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
Knowledge management had a direct and significant positive effect on firm competitiveness. Nonetheless, the effect of knowledge management on firm competitiveness was mediated by innovation. This indicates that knowledge management should be supported by technical and administrative innovations in the firm.
Research limitations/implications
The data collected were from a limited sample of construction firms. In addition, conducting a study on a region of Malaysia may limit the generalizability of the model.
Practical implications
While knowledge management is crucial for a firm’s competitiveness, technical and administrative innovations must be concurrently improved for a stronger firm competitiveness. This is especially true in terms of financial strength and core competence.
Originality/value
This paper provides some empirical evidence that technical and administrative innovations fully mediated the relationship between knowledge management and firm competitiveness. The results consolidate the resource-based view on the importance of internal resource and capability of the firm and improve KM research area. It also strengthens the view that KM is a critical factor for firm competitiveness, but a good KM without strong innovation will not increase the competitiveness of small construction firms.
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Rosman Mahmood, Ahmad Suffian Mohd Zahari, Najihah Marha Yaacob and Sakinah Mat Zin
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the importance of innovation for the performance of small firms in the construction sector. Furthermore, this paper also examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the importance of innovation for the performance of small firms in the construction sector. Furthermore, this paper also examines the influence of several factors related to entrepreneurial capital (entrepreneurial value, business strategy, experience and training) on small firm performance in the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses primary data of 255 small firms in the construction sector under the category of small contractors (G1). Stratified sampling method was utilized for data collection, which is then analyzed using the descriptive and multiple regression analysis to achieve the objectives of the study.
Findings
The findings showed that the factor of innovation and several factors related to entrepreneurial capital (entrepreneurial value, business strategy and business experience) have a significant positive relationship with the performance of small firms in the construction sector. However, factor of training indicated a significant negative correlation with small firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
Although this study found a significant impact in explaining the factors that affect performance, particularly in the construction sector, it only takes into account only some internal factors (entrepreneurial capital and innovation). Proposed future research should consider a variety of other factors mainly related to external factors, such as economic development, growth potential, industry structure, internal social capital and government policy.
Practical implications
This study provides clear implications related to the theory and contributions to the literature related to research in the construction sector. The study also provides invaluable insightfulness to various stakeholders including policy makers, institutional support and small contractors about the importance of innovation and entrepreneurial capital in determining the performance of small firms in the sector.
Originality/value
The results provide supportive evidence that entrepreneurial values and business strategy are important internal factors in determining the performance of a firm, which is consistent with the theory of resource-based view. Experience and training factors, as indicators of firm performance, are articulated in the theory of human capital. Hence, the findings not only can strengthen both the theories but also make a significant contribution to the literature of the study, particularly in the construction sector.
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Md. Faruk Abdullah and Asmak Ab Rahman
The objective of the chapter is to discuss the role of wa’d (promise) to mitigate risk in different Islamic banking products. The chapter will illustrate the element of wa’d in…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of the chapter is to discuss the role of wa’d (promise) to mitigate risk in different Islamic banking products. The chapter will illustrate the element of wa’d in different Islamic banking products in Malaysia.
Methodology/approach
The study has adopted the document review method to get information on different banking products. Moreover, it conducted semi-structured interviews with bankers to get in-depth information.
Findings
The study finds out that wa’d plays a vital role in structuring several products including retail products, trade financing products, and treasury products. Along with the unilateral wa’d there is a usage of double wa’d (wa’dan) in some product structures. In most of the products, wa’d is included as a risk mitigation instrument along with other major underlying Shari’ah contracts. Some Shari’ah issues are involved with these products namely the Shari’ah rulings related to wa’dan, “form over substance,” etc.
Originality/value
This is an in-depth field study which adds new knowledge on wa’d-based products. The experience of Malaysia might be a lesson for other countries to minimize risk in their Islamic banking products.