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Given the importance of green construction for reducing the negative environmental impact of the construction industry, and the numerous policies instituted by governments around the world to motivate building construction stakeholders, why is there still a limited level of adoption?

Building on studies that have questioned the dominant framing of the limited adoption of green construction as an inefficient behaviour, this study proposes a theoretical model characterising the two problems in the decision-making process that boost the reluctance of building construction stakeholders to embrace green construction. A traditional literature review, combining deductive and inductive approaches was employed.

The theoretical model consists of six conceptual variables as follows: social norms, personal dilemma, trust, loss aversion, self-interest and green construction adoption. The expected relationships between them are also provided.

The theoretical model has not been empirically tested; however, it can be replicated or adapted for empirical investigation in any context.

This study may help in identifying which factors must be given attention in policy-making in order to promote the adoption of green technologies and practices. Specifically, subjecting the theoretical model to empirical test will reveal the strongest paths that can be used to curtail the reluctance of the industry to embrace green construction.

Contributes towards the current research agenda on the reasons for the low level of voluntary adoption of green construction. It also provides theoretical answers to the questions regarding the limited impact of the plentiful policy mechanisms instituted by governments around the world to promote green construction adoption.

This study draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing residential buildings in Ghana.

This study used the quantitative approach involving survey data. A sample size of 242 participants was involved in the study. Applying principal component analysis on the responses from the participants, an index for damp-proofing, cost, knowledge, and social norms was derived. After generating the indexes, the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was applied to estimate the impact of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing.

The results from the OLS regression revealed that knowledge has a significant positive effect on damp-proofing while costs and social norms have significant negative effect on damp-proofing in Ghana. This study, therefore, concludes that although neoclassical economic factors such as knowledge and cost affect behaviour (damp-proofing), behavioural factors such as social norms also matter.

The outcome of this study calls for policymakers to consider putting in place measures that increase knowledge and promote the use of damp-proofing techniques during the construction of buildings. In addition, the study calls for scholars to partake in collaborative research amongst disciplines such as economics, psychology, and the construction industry in order to provide more innovative solutions, the key of which is finding innovative ways to damp proof buildings.

This study is original in its context as it draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing of residential buildings in Ghana. This is an area that has received less attention in the areas of building biology and building pathology globally.

This study examines occupants' satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a green-certified building [The Green Star South Africa (SA) Building] in Ghana.

Views of 300 respondents are solicited on 15 IEQ (obtained through a critical review of the literature and complemented with a pilot interview on the subject) parameters. Data obtained are analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings suggest that occupants are generally satisfied with five critical aspects of IEQ. The results also indicate that the occupants perceive five key IEQ parameters to have high levels of importance. Further inferential analysis of the parameters revealed that two core IEQs require the highest levels of improvement actions.

The study was conducted in Ghana and analysed occupants' perceptions of working within one green-certified building. Again, the collection of the occupants' responses was not linked with the direct measurement of physical characteristics of the IEQ parameters of the building. Hence, the findings cannot be generalised.

Practically, the study contributes to providing all stakeholders involved in the Green Star SA Ghana certification system with the relevant feedback for their decision-making on current and future projects to be certified under this certification system.

This study provides valuable information on the performance of IEQ parameters of the building and points out potential IEQ areas that need improvement efforts, especially concerning current and future facilities certified under this certification system.

Work on construction sites involves individuals with diverse character, temperament,age, physical strength, culture, religion and experience level. A good number of these individuals are also alleged to involve themselves in substance and alcohol abuse due to the physically demanding nature of their work. These could promote the prevalence of violence on construction sites which could in turn affect safety on construction sites. However, there is a lack of empirical insight into the effect of violent behaviour and unsafe behaviour on construction sites. This study therefore pioneers an empirical inquiry into the relationship between violent behaviour and unsafe behaviour on construction sites.

Seventeen violent behaviours and 15 unsafe behaviours were measured on 12 construction sites among 305 respondents using a structured questionnaire. A total of 207 valid questionnaire responses were collected from site workers. Partial least square–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to examine the relationship between violent behaviour and unsafe behaviour.

The results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between violent behaviour and unsafe behaviour on construction sites.

The findings from this study provide valuable insight into a less investigated dimension of the problem of construction site safety management. A focus on attitudinal issues such as how workers relate toward others and toward self should be an important consideration in safety improvement interventions on construction sites.