scholarly journals An Empirical Case Study and Approach on TQM in a Stipulated Construction Firm

2021 ◽  
Vol 1197 (1) ◽  
pp. 012037
Author(s):  
P. Mohan Anjani Kumar ◽  
Ashwin Raut
Keyword(s):  
Market Competition ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Construction Firm

Abstract In comparison to other sectors such as manufacturing and service, the construction sector is perceived to impose a low value on performance. TQM is implemented by very few construction companies in this world, and the top-down technique is widely used. To incorporate TQM in a company, top management must contribute to a “bottom-up” strategy by creating a “Quality Circle.” According to this study, the first and most important criteria for introducing TQM in construction firms is top management involvement, other obstacles that companies must overcome include a lack of education, lack of confidence, lack of common trust, a lack of skilled staff, market competition, weak strategies and requirements, bad behavior, the availability of experienced field managers, and so on. In this approach, one case study is analyzed to show how Total Quality Management (TQM) is efficiently applied by using a “bottom-up” approach and creating a PMO in an Indian construction company. After some study of the Pareto graph, and identifying root causes using Root Cause analysis, experience is applied in the provided studied construction firm to apply TQM. Following that, a method for applying TQM in a building company is suggested.

Failure factors–a comparative study of private and government construction firms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogeshwar V. Navandar ◽  
Chintaman Bari ◽  
P. G. Gaikwad
Keyword(s):  
Critical Factor ◽  
Private Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Firm ◽  
Project Failures ◽  
Managerial Experience ◽  
Government Construction ◽  
Failure Factors

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to examine the failure factors for the construction firms in a developing nation. Furthermore, the comparison of failure factors for private and government firms are evaluated.Design/methodology/approachIn the present study, comparison between private and government construction firms is done in the context of a construction firm failure. About 60 construction firms were selected in and around the Nashik region for the investigation, where a simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART) is used for analysis purpose.FindingsIt is found that for private firms (private contractors and builders) lack of experience is the major factor for failure of the business as against lack of managerial experience is a critical factor in case of a government contractor.Practical implicationsThe outcome of the present study will be used to guide the policymakers during the implementation of governmental and private projects in order to lessen the construction project failures.Originality/valueConstruction company failure is an important aspect in developing countries like India. The limited studies were available in literature which shows failure factors for government and private firms and distinguished them. Hence, the present study extends the construction company failure literature by focusing on government and private firms. Also, the study provides some theoretical guidelines for management to avoid construction company failure in India.

Managing renewal in fragmented business networks

IMP Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malena Ingemansson Havenvid ◽  
Håkan Håkansson ◽  
Åse Linné
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Core Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Companies

Purpose – The authors argue that the construction industry is characterised by a fragmented business context with three main features: the project-based character, the strong focus on price in all parts of the supply chain along with the great importance of suppliers. This fragmentation has been identified as problematic for the industry’s ability to innovate and engage in renewal. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this further by focusing on how construction companies manage renewal in a fragmented business context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use an in-depth case study of a housing project in Sweden to discuss how firms manage renewal in a fragmented type of business environment. The authors identify the challenge of achieving renewal in an individual construction company as an issue of handling intra- and inter-organisational issues in both intra- and inter-project environments. Findings – The case study indicates that renewal can be partly handled and managed through long-term business relationships and partly through opening up to new business relationships. Moreover, innovations and learning developed in other projects can be used in the focal project, and due to a repetitive task it is possible for the construction company to use a core network of individuals and organisations to enhance overall renewal among actors. Research limitations/implications – The study needs to be supported by further empirical observations. The paper encourages IMP scholars to further investigate projects from an industrial network approach. Practical implications – The study shows that the internal resources of firms can be used systematically to create continuity in a multi-project organisation, and that relationships can be used to bridge learning and innovation among actors across projects. Originality/value – The paper addresses why firms in fragmented (project-based) businesses might struggle with achieving renewal in a novel way by outlining and investigating four organisational challenges they must handle.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Organisational Capability of Japanese Construction Firm towards Open and Service Innovation through PPP/PFI arrangement

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taeko Suehiro ◽  
Kumiko Miyazaki
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Private Finance Initiative ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Private Finance ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Firm ◽  
Collaborative Capabilities

<p>This study examined the influence of Public–Private Partnership (PPP) — or, more specifically, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) — arrangements in relation to open and service innovation in construction firms in Japan. The expectation of the PPP/PFI procurement arrangement is that Japanese construction firms will provide a broader range of services (service innovation) through expanded cooperation with various other firms (open innovation) compared to the conventional procurement scheme.</p><p>Our in-depth case study of a Japanese construction company shows the dynamics of project-based firms' capability accumulation through a PPP/PFI arrangement. The study identified a model of capability development for construction firms towards service and open innovation. It consists of three organisational capabilities: technological capabilities, project capabilities and collaborative capabilities. The model can be seen as an ideal approach for understanding and comparing cases of long-term capability accumulation of project-based firms, especially regarding providing services that meet the public's needs.</p><p> </p><p>Keywords: Public–Private Partnership (PPP); Private Finance Initiative (PFI); Project Capability, Open innovation; Service innovation; Construction firm</p>

scholarly journals Influence of top management commitment towards the effective implementation of TQM in Iraqi oil companies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 2039-2053
Author(s):  
Abbas Abdulhameed Aletaiby ◽  
Akila Pramodh Rathnasinghe ◽  
Pramodh Kulatunga
Keyword(s):  
Influential Factor ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractBy raising performance, Total Quality Management (TQM) transforms any industry that is in a state of substantial structural change and facing increased competition. However, Iraq as one of the main global oil suppliers is still lagging on the TQM journey due to decreasing quality levels, particularly in management systems. Thus, this study aims to facilitate TQM in Iraqi Oil Companies by reviewing the TQM practices and the significance of Top Management Commitment (TMC) towards eliminating the barriers for implementation. To achieve this aim, the study utilises a mixed research approach and a single holistic case study strategy by triangulating literature and data collected from one of the leading Iraqi oil companies. The research identified TMC as the most influential factor for effective TQM implementation and six barriers. Furthermore, the research reveals the relationship between the top management commitment required for successful TQM implementation and barriers in that journey. This study will be the first of its kind in the Iraqi oil industry which will lead to a better understanding of TQM practices in Iraq and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.

scholarly journals Application of the Lean-Agile approach in construction: experiences from a case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira de Almeida Viana ◽  
Arthur Granato Ferreira Campos ◽  
Jeferson de Souza da Silva ◽  
Pedro Henrique Dutra de Abreu Mancini de Azevedo
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Automotive Technology ◽  
Agile Approach ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
The City

The lean-agile approach has already been adopted by several industries such as automotive, technology, apparel and construction. However, despite several studies pointing to its benefits, in construction the use of this approach still suffers from many cultural resistances. Having in mind that the adoption of the lean-agile approach is something that can benefit construction companies, this article aims to demonstrate the practical application of tools and techniques that encompass this approach. Through a single case study using the participant observation technique in a Construction company located in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, it has been collected and analyzed data from the application of the lean-agile approach in a set of 15 constructions. Thus, this article intends to contribute to the advancement of studies of the lean-agile approach by sharing the practices applied in this research, so that such practices can serve in the future as an input for the development of a lean-agile project management standardized model in the construction field, something that is still little discussed in the literature.

scholarly journals Supervisor's capability and aptitude to supervise Health and Safety (H&S) induction training to site workforces: A case study of the construction industry of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 962-971
Author(s):  
Khalid Daniyal ◽  
Bilal Aslam ◽  
Umer Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Upper Management ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Site Supervisors ◽  
Audio Communication

Health and Safety (H&S) is a professional approach to substitute harmless and vigorous work conditions for any industry. The construction industry is of utmost importance because it is associated with elevated accident rates compared to the other sectors. To some extent, cultural progression is also reliant on communication among all the groups inside a corporation. Effective communication happens in a construction corporation, among upper management and the employees arbitrated by the supervisors. Therefore, if the construction supervisor's capabilities are ignored, the plans to progress the satisfactory H&S culture may be unsuccessful. The aptitude for conducting H&S induction training to employees is one of the construction supervisor's abilities, and in developing countries, the supervisor's capabilities are ignored. Moreover, the organization's eagerness on H&S, which corresponds to the induction training, is relatively less. The current research reports an examination to analyze how the supervisors possess H&S capabilities and skills to oversee site H&S induction training to workforces successfully. For the analysis, Pakistan's construction industry was targeted, and numerous construction firms were contacted in this regard. The data for the intended objective was accumulated through talks and surveys with site supervisors in construction companies of various extents from all over Pakistan. The outcomes exposed insufficient training, an absence of management dedication, and an inadequate familiarity or usage of visual/audio communication assistance by construction companies in Pakistan. Thus, it is suggested that there is a need for the supervisors to understand the use of multilingual skills and current technologies to assist valuable site H&S induction training that can progress a path towards an optimistic H&S culture.

Strategic or operational perspectives on performance: what is prioritized in a large construction company?

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Samuelsson ◽  
Per Ekendahl ◽  
Petter Ekevärn
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Objectives ◽  
Large Organization ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Corporate Strategies ◽  
Organizational Levels ◽  
Operational Criteria

PurposeThis case study sets out to discuss the balance of operational and strategic perspectives on performance measurement in a large construction company.Design/methodology/approachIn interviews, managers at two middle organizational levels in the case company were asked to prioritize which criteria they found most important to direct their business. The results from these interviews were compiled in success maps in order to describe how the managers thought these criteria were interrelated.FindingsA gap was found between operational and strategic perspectives at the two organizational levels: lower management ranked criteria that corresponded to strategic objectives lower than did the middle management. One reason for this gap seems to be the lack of incentives for aligning with the strategic objectives. If there were no incentives, lower managers tended to prioritize operational criteria prior to strategic criteria.Practical implicationsThis study emphasizes the need to link strategic objectives to criteria that give incentives for lower management to comply with the strategic objectives, to formulate unambiguous strategies and to communicate these strategies clearly.Originality/valueIn large construction companies, measurement of effectiveness is particularly complicated since adjustment to local markets must be balanced with alignment with corporate strategies in order to benefit from the competitive advantages of a large organization. Managers in a large construction company have to combine operational and strategic perspectives in measurement and management. Little research has been done to investigate and understand this area and therefore this paper can make a useful contribution.

Evaluation of the impact of risk management on project performance in small construction firms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Amoah ◽  
Leon Pretorius
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Project Failures ◽  
Project Deliverables ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Risk management has become an integral part in businesses around the world. In the construction industry, risk management has also been introduced and has been mainly entrusted in the hands of the project team to go through a laid down risk management processes to identify possible risk events, which may occur during the project execution and the impact they may have on the project deliverables should they occur. It is, however, believed that small construction firms do not take risk management as a serious exercise even though most of the project risks are transferred to them as subcontractors. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate risk management processes in the small construction companies and the impact of risk management on their project deliverables. Design/methodology/approach A case study of a single construction company was used for this study. Data were collected through structured questionnaire to 16 respondents who are involved in the project execution in the case study company. Two managing directors of the case study company were also interviewed. In total, 11 project site meetings were also attended to observe meeting proceedings and to record issues discussed. In total, 15 monthly project reports and project close-out reports were also studied. In total, One hundred and five completed projects of which 58 per cent were renovation projects, 27 per cent were new projects and 15 per cent were civil/structural works were also examined. The data were then analysed using excel analytical tool and the content analysis method. Findings The findings indicate that small construction companies with respect to the case study company do not have a specific laid down risk management processes that project team are made to go through before and during the execution of their projects. There is, however, no conclusive evidence regarding the impact of risk management on project performance as a significant number of projects done were able to meet a successful project performance indicators even though risk management exercises were not done. Some of the identified risk events that caused project failures are payment delays, labour related issues, subcontractor/main contractor related issues, insufficient contingency reserves/plan, etc. Research limitations/implications Only one construction company was used as a case study for this research and all sources of data were related to a single company. The results may, therefore, be not generalisable. Practical implications The research has discovered that projects outcome could have improved tremendously if proper risk management exercises were implemented before project execution as most of the causes of project failures could have been identified through the risk management processes. This study, hence, gives an insight as to why small construction firms like the case study company should take risk management seriously in their projects execution to improve on the performance of their projects. Originality/value The research has discovered that projects outcome could have improved tremendously if proper risk management exercises were implemented before project execution as most of the causes of project failures could have been identified through the risk management processes. This study, hence, gives an insight as to why small construction firms like the case study company should take risk management seriously in their projects execution to improve on the performance of their projects.

Assessment of Electronic Procurement Practices on Project Delivery, Case Study of Selected Construction Companies in Oyo State

2018 ◽  
pp. 257-266
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Electronic Procurement ◽  
Ict Infrastructure ◽  
E Mail

This study investigated the use of e-Procurement in selected construction firms in Oyo state, Nigeria. The data were derived using a well-structured questionnaire survey involving 104 respondents. Descriptive statistical and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. Findings show that the use of electronic procurement in the selected construction firms for carrying out procurement function is high with majority of the professionals affirming the use of the system, the four categories of e-Procurement used were e-mail, static websites, web.2.0 technologies and portals that have capabilities of supporting the execution of functions limited to intra and inter firm communication and exchange of project information and data. Consequently, between 84 percent and 76 percent of the respondents used these e-Procurement technologies for communication of information, exchange of bill of quantities, project reports, CAD drawings and project specifications. Consequently, factors with the highest positive impacts on the use of these technologies in the firms were the speed of transactions, lower transaction cost and ease of use. The study implies that the selected construction firms in Oyo state Nigeria predominantly use e-mails and websites to support the execution of pre-award phase of construction procurement. Finding also shows that there is positive relationship between e-Procurement (e-Notifying, e-Exchange, and e-Submission of bid) and Project delivery. The study suggests that to accelerate the rate of uptake of e-Procurement and maximize its benefits in the Nigerian construction industry, there is a need to improve the quality and quantity of ICT infrastructure across the country; and to embark on aggressive enlightenment campaigns, training and skill development programs in the use of e-Procurement in the construction industry in this country.

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