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Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2022

Temidayo Oluwasola Osunsanmi, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Wellington Didibhuku Thwala and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke

The challenges confronting the Nigerian construction industry which led to the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) practice were evaluated in this chapter. It was discovered…

Abstract

The challenges confronting the Nigerian construction industry which led to the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) practice were evaluated in this chapter. It was discovered that the Nigerian construction industry is confronted with fragmentation and poor information management. The stakeholders within the Nigerian construction industry proposed the adoption of SCM to overcome the fragmentation and other shenanigans facing the industry. This chapter revealed that construction supply chain (CSC) practices within the Nigerian construction industry focus on waste elimination by adopting the lean concept. The focus on the lean concept could be attributed to the numerous research related to lean or the enormous waste emanating from the Nigerian construction industry. Regardless of the emphasis on lean, the Nigerian CSC is still confronted with fragmentation and heavy waste generation. Thus, this chapter proposed the adoption of principles and technologies driven by the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is a paradigm shift for the management of CSC in the country. It was discovered in this chapter that Nigerian construction supply stakeholders had not embraced the technologies and principles of the 4IR. The failure to adopt the technologies driven by the 4IR is attributed to the absence of a CSC model that depicts the management of CSC in alignment with the 4IR. This chapter called for developing a SCM model for the Nigerian construction industry in tandem with the principles and technologies of the 4IR.

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Construction Supply Chain Management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-160-3

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Article
Publication date: 27 April 2020

Hassan Adaviriku Ahmadu, Ahmed Doko Ibrahim, Yahaya Makarfi Ibrahim and Kulomri Jipato Adogbo

This study aims to develop a model which incorporates the impact of both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties into construction duration predictions, in a manner that is…

170

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop a model which incorporates the impact of both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties into construction duration predictions, in a manner that is consistent with the nature/quality of information available about various factors which bring about uncertainties.

Design/methodology/approach

Data relating to 178 completed Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) building construction projects were obtained from construction firms via questionnaire survey. Using 90% of the data, the model was developed in the form of a hybrid-based algorithm implemented through a suitable user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) using MATLAB programming language. Bayesian model averaging, Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy logic were the statistical methods used for the algorithm development, prior to its GUI implementation in MATLAB. Using the remaining 10% data, the model's predictive accuracy was assessed via the independent samples t-test and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).

Findings

The developed model's predictions were found not statistically different from those of actual duration estimates in the 10% test data, with a MAPE of just 2%. This suggests that the model's ability to incorporate both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties improves accuracy of duration predictions made using it.

Research limitations/implications

The model was developed using a particular type of building projects (TETfund building construction projects), and so its use is limited to projects with characteristics similar to those used for its development.

Practical implications

The developed model's predictions are expected to serve as a useful basis for consultancy firms and contractor organisations to make more realistic schedules and benchmark measures of construction period, thereby facilitating effective planning and successful execution of construction projects.

Originality/value

The study presented a model which permits combined manipulation of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties, hence ensuring a more realistic incorporation of uncertainty into construction duration predictions.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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Book part
Publication date: 30 January 2025

Seyi S. Stephen, Ayodeji E. Oke, Clinton O. Aigbavboa, Opeoluwa I. Akinradewo, Pelumi E. Adetoro and Matthew Ikuabe

This chapter investigated tendering in stealth construction, emphasising innovative approaches and methodologies that prioritise environmental protection, safety, efficiency, and…

Abstract

This chapter investigated tendering in stealth construction, emphasising innovative approaches and methodologies that prioritise environmental protection, safety, efficiency, and aesthetics. It began with an overview of the construction industry’s tendering processes, followed by an in-depth examination of various tendering types, including competitive and negotiated methods. The study highlighted contemporary trends such as electronic tendering, Building Information Modelling (BIM), green and sustainable procurement, risk management, data analytics, artificial intelligence, lean construction practices, and blockchain technology. Moreover, with a specific focus on stealth construction, the chapter further analysed certain criteria, including building cross-section development, visibility, radio frequency emission, and countermeasures. It explored integrating functional construction systems, including environmental, safety, health, and quality management. Additionally, it discussed methods like green building, modular construction, and low-impact techniques. Lastly, the chapter emphasised the strategies to achieve environmental protection, safety, speed, economy, and aesthetics in tendering for stealth construction.

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Stealth Construction: Integrating Practices for Resilience and Sustainability
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83608-183-8

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Article
Publication date: 21 November 2016

Yasmin Ibrahim

Terminologies such as “integrated marketing” and “market segmentation” may be common parlance in contemporary marketing literature, but, in post-war America, they had distinct…

411

Abstract

Purpose

Terminologies such as “integrated marketing” and “market segmentation” may be common parlance in contemporary marketing literature, but, in post-war America, they had distinct racial orientations mediated by a history of segregation. This paper aims to examine the resonant discourses in the construction of the Negro market in post-war America and observes that the field of marketing provides a historiography, where Negro marketing was constructed as dilemmatic and through a duality of the black market impacting the well-established white market. A survey of marketing literature from the 1950s to the 1970s reflects a discursive turn from scepticism and caution in approaching the Negro market to evoking the ethical discourse and advocating equal rights for the black consumer.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of articles on the topic reveals that research occurred in other academic fields beyond the remit of marketing, and these different disciplines approached the issue of the Negro market from different research orientations and fields of enquiry. This paper focuses on academic literature that was published in marketing and business journals which were concerned with marketing to the black community. The journals reviewed in this paper include Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing/Communications, The Journal of Business, The Journal of Marketing and Journal of Advertising Research published from the 1950s to the 1960s. In reviewing the marketing literature from these journals, it highlights the recurrent and resonant themes and shifts in discourse in the period mentioned.

Findings

Despite the scepticism, there was a recognition among market researchers that they were in a unique position to influence significantly the future relationships between blacks and whites in America (Gould et al., 1970, p. 26; Kassarjian, 1971; Hair et al., 1977; Solomon et al., 1976). The marketing discourses also showed reluctance in supporting black media, as advertising agencies did not have a preference for it. Black advertising organizations, while providing access to the Negro market, were seen as having high preparation costs and high costs per thousand in terms of reaching the population. There was also dissatisfaction expressed with the results of the copy (Alexis, 1959).

Originality/value

The moral turn in advertising is evident in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where marketers spoke of intervention beyond market strategies. Cohen (1970, p. 3) argued fervently that there exists an opportunity for advertising to improve its social image by giving more attention to the black community. The moral discourse of social responsibility as marketers and advertisers sought to go beyond advocating consumer rights to recognising that structural changes and attitudinal shifts was required to reform the industry through recruitment and training of black staff in creative and consultative roles. Wall (1970, p. 48), in commenting on integrated advertising, observed that beyond producing advertisements which create a sense of equality in life style and values, black employment is vitally important in creative levels in the advertising industry to improve credibility and acceptance.

Details

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-750X

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Article
Publication date: 2 August 2013

Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi, Abimbola Olukemi Windapo and Keith S. Cattell

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and examine whether there is any significant relationship between the extent of business diversification and the performance of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and examine whether there is any significant relationship between the extent of business diversification and the performance of construction firms in South Africa. The rationale for the examination stems from the view that the relationship between diversification and the performance of construction firms raises important issues in strategic management and cross‐border business. In contractors' growth however, there is a dearth of empirical research and theoretical arguments regarding the effects of business diversification on construction company performance in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed the use of a case study and archival approaches using semi‐structured interviews to elicit primary qualitative and quantitative data over a period of five years for large construction companies listed in Grade 7‐9 on the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) contractor register. The scope of services and geographic diversification are computed from the sourced data. Dependent variables are the measure of performance using Return on Total Asset (ROTA), Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Profit Margin (PM); independent variables used are service/Product Diversification (PD) and Geographic Diversification (GD); while control variables used are size, age, technical capability and capital structure of the construction firms.

Findings

It emerged that established construction companies on the cidb contractor registers perform and diversify more in their service/product better than the newly upgraded contractors and this was evident in their performance with respect to profit margin. The results also indicated that there are no statistically significant differences in the performance of diversified and undiversified firms, although diversification was found to have a positive impact on the corporate performance of construction companies.

Originality/value

The outcomes of the research are useful to decision makers and managers of construction companies, as they will help in making viable corporate strategic diversification decisions. The study also engenders a better understanding of the effect of both product and geographic diversification on the performance of contractors.

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Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 1999

J.S.R. Jayaram and Y. Ibrahim

A design is robust if the design values for selected performance characteristics (i.e. responses) are chosen to be invariant to the variations the product will experience. For a…

893

Abstract

A design is robust if the design values for selected performance characteristics (i.e. responses) are chosen to be invariant to the variations the product will experience. For a design to be acceptable, it must conform to the design specifications. However, due to the existence of variation, this conformance is satisfied probabilistically, i.e. yield. Optimal manufacturing yield design is defined as a design that maximises the probability of satisfying the design specifications. Methods to achieve robust design for a single response and to achieve yield maximization are well established. A new method of achieving high yield and robust design for multiple responses is presented using the Cp and Cpk capability indices used in on‐line quality control techniques. The proposed method is applied to a single response problem and two multiple response problems. The results showed that the proposed method is capable of producing good manufacturing yield and robust design simultaneously.

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International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 16 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

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Article
Publication date: 6 November 2017

Mohsen Ali Murshid and Zurina Mohaidin

The purpose of this paper is to examine reported literature on the influence of medical representatives (MRs) and other promotional tools on drug prescribing behaviour, and to…

22049

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine reported literature on the influence of medical representatives (MRs) and other promotional tools on drug prescribing behaviour, and to assess whether this effect is different in developed and developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of the literature was conducted across online databases from 2000 to 2016. Eligible studies addressed MRs and other promotion tools used to influence drug prescribing in developed and developing countries.

Findings

A total of 40 reviewed studies met the inclusion requirements. In total, 22 of the studies were conducted in developed countries and 18 in developing countries. Out of ten studies that examined the influence of MRs on drug prescribing in developed countries, eight found a positive influence, one found only moderate and one finds no influence. Analogous results were found in developing countries. Six out of ten studies on the influence of MRs conducted in developing countries found a positive effect, three found only moderate effects, while one finds no influence. The influence of promotion tools on prescribing varied in developed countries, five found positive influence, four reported a small effect and one found negative influence. In developing countries, the size of effect also varied, five studies found positive influence of promotion tools on drug prescribing behaviour, five found a negligible or small effect, and one found no association. However, marked differences were observed between two sectors. In the developed countries, MRs are valued as a source of information and can have an effect on prescribing, while it is unreliable in developing countries. Sample drugs are more generally seen as an important promotional tool for prescribing in developed countries than developing countries.

Research limitations/implications

The results derived from this review are based on studies with varying methodological consistency. The review provides the crucial information that will be valuable to researchers working on comparative analysis of marketing efforts in developing and developed countries.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few systematic reviews on the influence of MRs and other promotional tools on prescribing. It compares the influence of MRs and promotional efforts in both developed and developing countries.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

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Article
Publication date: 27 January 2025

Abdulmalik Abba Dandago, Muhammad Aliyu Yamusa, Haruna Sa’idu Lawal, Mu’awiya Abubakar, Muhammad Abdullahi and Bello Mahmud Zailani

This study aims to assess the extent of the impact of uncertainty factors on renovation project performance.

11

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the extent of the impact of uncertainty factors on renovation project performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study aims to adopt a quantitative approach, using structural equation modelling (SEM) to assess the extent of the impact of uncertainty variables on construction project performance based on data from 226 construction professionals sourced using a questionnaire.

Findings

The SEM result indicates four (4) principal uncertainty factors have a significant effect on renovation projects, while the remaining four (4) do not. Results of descriptive and inferential statistics showed that 25 out of 45 identified uncertainty factors have a critical impact on performance, thereby serving as the basis for exploratory factor analysis, which produced an eight-group factor solution.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to specific locations, as uncertainty factors can be location-sensitive. Further research should be done to assess the Impact of these Uncertainty factors on a specific location and other project types.

Practical implications

The study aids practitioners in estimating project costs and durations by identifying uncertainty factors affecting renovation projects. It aids project managers in managing uncertainties to improve cost, quality and schedule and serves as a risk management tool for clients and project managers.

Originality/value

The study presents a path model that shows the impact of uncertainty factors on renovation project performance. The insights provided in this study are poised to assist project managers and other construction professionals in planning renovation projects more effectively and successfully.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

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Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 October 2023

Usman Musa, Mastura Jaafar and Faraziera Mohd Raslim

This study attempts to examine the factors that influence user intention to adopt e-procurement in the Nigerian public sector.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study attempts to examine the factors that influence user intention to adopt e-procurement in the Nigerian public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 278 procurement and information technology (IT) departments’ officials of key federal government ministries and agencies. The technology acceptance model (TAM) model was adopted and extended with security-related factors, namely perceived trust and perceived security. A partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to test and validate the model.

Findings

The results indicated that perceived usefulness is the best predictor of users’ intention to adopt e-procurement, followed by perceived security and perceived trust. In contrast, however, perceived ease of use was found to have a significant negative effect on the intention to adopt e-procurement.

Originality/value

This study is among the first in the Nigerian public sector context to evaluate users’ perceptions on e-procurement adoption with the use of a distinctive research model (TAM). The study's findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of e-procurement in the Nigerian public sector.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

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Article
Publication date: 26 September 2024

Gokhan Kazar

The cash flow from government agencies to contractors, called progress payment, is a critical step in public projects. The delays in progress payments significantly affect the…

85

Abstract

Purpose

The cash flow from government agencies to contractors, called progress payment, is a critical step in public projects. The delays in progress payments significantly affect the project performance of contractors and lead to conflicts between two parties in the Turkish construction industry. Although some previous studies focused on the issues in internal cash flows (e.g. inflows and outflows) of construction companies, the context of cash flows from public agencies to contractors in public projects is still unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to develop and test diverse machine learning-based predictive models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public agencies and improve the predictive performance of these models with two different optimization algorithms (e.g. first-order and second-order). In addition, this study explored the attributes that make the most significant contribution to predicting the payment performance of Turkish public agencies.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, project information of 2,319 building projects tendered by the Turkish public agencies was collected. Six different machine learning algorithms were developed and two different optimization methods were applied to achieve the best machine learning (ML) model for Turkish public agencies' cash flow performance in this study. The current research tested the effectiveness of each optimization algorithm for each ML model developed. In addition, the effect size achieved in the ML models was evaluated and ranked for each attribute, so that it is possible to observe which attributes make significant contributions to predicting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies.

Findings

The results show that the attributes “inflation rate” (F5; 11.2%), “consumer price index” (F6; 10.55%) and “total project duration” (T1; 10.9%) are the most significant factors affecting the progress payment performance of government agencies. While decision tree (DT) shows the best performance among ML models before optimization process, the prediction performance of models support vector machine (SVM) and genetic algorithm (GA) has been significantly improved by Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS)-based Quasi-Newton optimization algorithm by 14.3% and 18.65%, respectively, based on accuracy, AUROC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics) and F1 values.

Practical implications

The most effective ML model can be used and integrated into proactive systems in real Turkish public construction projects, which provides management of cash flow issues from public agencies to contractors and reduces conflicts between two parties.

Originality/value

The development and comparison of various predictive ML models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public owners in construction projects will be the first empirical attempt in the body of knowledge. This study has been carried out by using a high number of project information with diverse 27 attributes, which distinguishes this study in the body of knowledge. For the optimization process, a new hyper parameter tuning strategy, the Bayesian technique, was adopted for two different optimization methods. Thus, it is available to find the best predictive model to be integrated into real proactive systems in forecasting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies in public works projects. This study will also make novel contributions to the body of knowledge in understanding the key parameters that have a negative impact on the payment progress of public agencies.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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