The factors contributing to construction accidents in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Zahoor ◽  
Albert P.C. Chan ◽  
Ran Gao ◽  
Wahyudi P. Utama
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Delphi Survey ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contributory Factors ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
Safety Research ◽  
Accident Causation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Construction Accidents

Purpose The highest number of accidents in proportion to the employment rate is found in construction industry among all industries in Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the contributory factors of accident causation that can significantly reduce the rate of accident in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach In total, 32 contributory factors of accident causation were identified through a triangulation strategy comprising eight face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the academic and industry experts coupled with a comprehensive literature review. Delphi survey was then conducted among the four respondent groups (clients, contractors, safety official and academia) to prioritize these factors. A consensus was achieved among the respondent groups after conducting two rounds of Delphi survey. Finally, the results were validated using the technique of inter-rater agreement (IRA) analysis. Findings All the shortlisted accident causation factors were graded as “important” to “extremely important”. Moreover, a “moderate” to “strong level” agreement was developed among the respondent groups. The three most significant factors were highlighted as “poor enforcement of safety rules and regulations by the Government agencies”, “insufficient allocation of safety budget and safety incentives by the client”, and “insufficient provision of safety training and resources by the contractor”. Practical implications The findings will help the key stakeholders to prioritize their energies towards achieving zero accident in the construction industry. Moreover, addition of academic experts as one of the respondent groups will enhance the linkages between the academia and the industry practitioners. Originality/value Besides highlighting the underlying causes of construction accidents in Pakistan, a detailed methodology is presented in this study for the analysis and validation of the Delphi survey data, which can be extrapolated in other regions and industries for elements prioritization. The findings of the study can also be generalized for other developing countries having similar work environment. The results validation through the use of IRA analysis is an addition to the field of construction safety research. The study also authenticates the applicability of IRA analysis to assess the agreement level among the respondents.

Successful collaboration between smart city consortium and Hong Kong Government in Covid-19 dashboard: the case of leadership in practice

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jung Yue Chun ◽  
Wahid Abdul Nabsiah ◽  
Cheng Ling Tan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Third Party ◽  
City Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Mass Collaboration ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to discover why such a public partnership project had been successful with a non-profit third-party alliance such as a smart city consortium (SCC) promoting smart city development. Design/methodology/approach This descriptive case study is primarily based on analysing data collected from various texts, public statements, media interviews and three semi-structured interviews with key members involved in the Covid-19 dashboard project. Findings The data and analysis reviews that both interpersonal and interorganisational trust, dedication and proactiveness of the leaders at SCC were major contributing factors to why SCC was able to partner with the Hong Kong Government in the Covid-19 dashboard in the first place and that the success was also a direct outcome of effective mass collaborative knowledge management activities. Research limitations/implications The research in leadership attributes and activities in the non-profit alliance has been few and this collaborative partnership between the alliance and the government is an example of the importance of further research in smart city leadership. Practical implications In deploying projects for mass collaboration and knowledge sharing in smart city development (which is multi-disciplinary in nature). there are still many new and evolving organisational practices and leadership matters that many business leaders and city managers can learn from. Social implications Smart city development projects involve the notion of sharing data in an open environment enabled by software and mediating tools. Successful projects such as this Hong Kong Covid-19 dashboard which serves a diverse audience can further promote the importance of an open data policy regime for the benefit of the public. Originality/value This case study covers a highly original and unique case study with the leaders at the SCC and representatives from the Hong Kong Government.

Exploring the student perspectives on the barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Rana
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Teacher Relationship ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe present study aims to gauge the perspectives of students on the difficulties they faced during online learning during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) technique.Design/methodology/approachThe current study employed IPA, and it was conducted among the students enrolled for professional courses in the government, private and deemed-to-be universities in Uttarakhand, India, using semi-structured interviews for the purpose of data collection.FindingsThe findings have been grouped under five parts referred to as “superordinate themes” or “barriers” which comprises learning in an online class environment, online learning in the home environment, student–teacher relationship in online learning, technical hindrances in online learning and health issues in online learning. These superordinate themes were further grouped under sub-themes.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study focused on the students of various private, public and deemed-to-be universities of the Uttarakhand region and represents the higher education sector only and did not tap the primary, secondary and vocational education. The students of academic courses or degree courses like arts, commerce, basic sciences and humanities, etc. were not included in the research study. Hence, the study lacks generalizability.Practical implicationsThe research findings of the present study have implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), teachers, students and policymakers.Originality/valueThe present study addresses the methodological gap by offering a new line of research where IPA has been used as the methodology to determine the barriers of online learning in the COVID-19 situation, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the studies have used it so far to ascertain the barriers to online learning from the student perspective.

Minimisation and management strategies for refurbishment and renovation waste in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann T.W. Yu ◽  
Kelvin S.H. Mok ◽  
Irene Wong
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe capacity of landfills will reach saturation in the 2020s. There are more than 50,000 buildings in Hong Kong over 30 years old and which may require extensive refurbishment under the Mandatory Building Scheme. Additionally, most new owners/tenants tend to renovate their premises before moving in. Hence, there is an urgent need in Hong Kong, to explore strategies and measures to enable the development of effective refurbishment and renovation (R&R) waste management for such projects. The objectives of this paper are to investigate the process of R&R for identifying the perceived barriers and thereby the strategies for minimisation and management of R&R waste in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachDesktop study, semi-structured interviews, site observations and document reviews were used as the data collection methods to achieve the objectives of this research. Considering the nature and characteristics of the industry structure, the snowball sampling process was deployed for data collection. Thematic analysis and content analysis were used for data analysis. Waste minimisation and management strategies for R&R projects were then discussed and developed by the research team and a focus group meeting was held to validate the research findings. Six strategies were then proposed to the government.FindingsR&R projects contribute 10–20% of the construction and demolition waste. The barriers to recycling of R&R waste can be grouped into six major categories: (1) lack of sorting and storage spaces, (2) high cost, (3) insufficient government supporting policy, (4) complicated recycling processes, (5) immature recycling market and (6) insufficient public education. Also, six strategies are proposed in this study, which include (1) pre-refurbishment audit, (2) development of recycling market, (3) sea reclamation, (4) incineration, (5) government support and (6) education and research.Originality/valueThe strategies and measures proposed in this research could most adequately serve as reference for the government officials, building professionals and academic researchers. Such knowledge would make possible the development of effective strategies and measures for minimising and managing R&R waste.

Chinese construction worker reluctance toward vocational skill training

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-171
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Wang ◽  
Xincheng Wang ◽  
Yu Huang
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Labor Management ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThough most construction workers in China possess minimal skillset, they are reluctant to attend vocational skill training sponsored by the government or enterprises. This paper aims to examine their willingness to attend the training from workers’ individual perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThe authors interviewed 492 construction workers on topics concerning their age, education, work tenure, technological level, daily wages, apprenticeship duration, apprentice channels and training experience; this information was then logistically analyzed to reveal if it influences construction workers’ willingness to attend training courses.FindingsThe results show that in a variety of possible influencing factors, technological level, apprenticeship duration and education are the most significant ones that affect construction workers’ willingness to attend vocational training. Technological level makes the greatest contribution to workers’ willingness to attend training, yet the effect of training experience and daily wages is minimal.Practical implicationsTo achieve sustainability in construction labor management, it is important to shed light on what influences worker’s willingness to attend training programs and take some efficient steps to address these issues.Originality/valueThis paper provides a new insight into the workers’ willingness to attend vocational skill training programs in the Chinse construction industry and suggests some practical implications for professionals and policymakers. Furthermore, the findings could prove valuable to other countries or industries, especially those sharing similarities to the Chinese construction industry.

Integrating corporate social responsibility into efforts to realize millennium development goals

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Katamba ◽  
Cedric Marvin Nkiko ◽  
Charles Tushabomwe-Kazooba ◽  
Sulayiman Babiiha Mpisi ◽  
Imelda Kemeza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an alternative roadmap to accelerating realization of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Uganda, even after 2015. Design/methodology/approach – Using a mixed research methodology, this research documented CSR activities of 16 companies operating in Uganda. Data collection was guided by quantitative and qualitative methodologies (semi-structured interviews with CSR managers, plus non-participant observation of CSR activities and projects linked with MDGs). Triangulation was used to ensure credibility and validity of the results. For data analysis, the authors followed a three-stepwise process, which helped to develop a framework within which the collected data could be analyzed. For generalization of the findings, the authors were guided by the “adaptive theory approach”. Findings – Uganda will not realize any MDGs by 2015. However, CSR activities have the potential to contribute to a cross-section of various MDGs that are more important and relevant to Uganda when supported by the government. If this happens, realization of the MDGs is likely to be stepped up. CSR's potential contributions to the MDGs were found to be hindered by corruption and cost of doing business. Lastly, MDG 8 and MDG 3 were perceived to be too ambiguous to be integrated into company CSR interventions, and to a certain extent were perceived to be carrying political intentions which conflict with the primary business intentions of profit maximization. Practical implications – Governments in developing countries that are still grappling with the MDGs can use this research when devising collaborations with private-sector companies. These documented CSR activities that contribute directly to specific MDGs can be factored into the priority public-private partnership arrangements. Private companies can also use these findings to frame their stakeholder engagement, especially with the government and also when setting CSR priorities that significantly contribute to sustainable development. Originality value – This research advances the “Post-2015 MDG Development Agenda” suggested during the United Nations MDG Summit in 2010, which called for academic and innovative contributions on how MDGs can be realized even after 2015.

scholarly journals Trade-based money laundering (TBML) empowers criminals to run free post-Brexit

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariola Jolanta Marzouk
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Money Laundering ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Subject Matter Experts ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This paper aims to provide unique empirical findings exploring the impact of the UK’s post-Brexit Economic Strategy to boost trade with developing countries on the UK banking sector’s ability to manage trade-based money laundering risks. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research design that used structured literature review, followed by semi-structured interviews with key subject matter experts employed by large UK banks. Findings Both banks and law enforcement struggle to prioritise trade-based money laundering (TBML) intelligence discovery due to deficient skills, resources, technology and lack of strong regulatory stimulus. The regulated sector calls for the UK anti-money laundering (AML) reform that would better incentivise TBML deterrence, yet the Government underestimates the money laundering risks while trading with high-risk jurisdictions post-Brexit. Research limitations/implications The findings are based on a small sample of six semi-structured interviews with difficult to access population of key subject matter experts. Despite the small sample, participants provided well-articulated and informed insights. Practical implications The UK’s post-Brexit Economic Strategy to boost trade with developing countries downplays the TBML risks it carries. The findings should alert UK banks, law enforcement and the Government who will collectively bear the responsibility to effectively manage TBML while enabling smooth trading. Originality/value The research provides unique perceptions of UK banks’ senior subject matter experts on managing TBML threats from opportunistic criminals.

scholarly journals A comparison of the suitability of FIDIC and NEC conditions of contract in Palestine

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haytham Besaiso ◽  
Peter Fenn ◽  
Margaret Emsley ◽  
David Wright
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Do So

Purpose The standard forms of construction contract are receiving greater attention in the management of projects scholarship as they probably influence the project success and project disputes. The extant literature suggests that the standard forms of construction contract are one of the top sources of disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the standard forms of construction contract, FIDIC and NEC, in reducing disputes in the Palestinian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The researchers have used qualitative methods to collect data and more specifically have undertaken 12 semi-structured interviews. Findings The study reveals that the standard forms of construction contract can be a tool to minimise disputes, but certainly not to eradicate them, and NEC appears to be more capable than FIDIC to do so. Originality/value This study contributes to knowledge by bringing an industrial perspective into the role of standard forms of contract in disputes creation and avoidance. The interviewees, recurrent users of FIDIC contract, criticised certain features and expressions and proposed some solutions.

The impact of open government data on accountability and transparency

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena ◽  
Irfan Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Accountability, citizen participation and transparency are the three pillars on which open government data (OGD) is based. As such, OGD implies that the government shall provide data freely via the internet so that the same may be re-used for diverse purposes. It is hoped that by re-using government data, public value shall be co-created and government services might be improved upon with the involvement of different stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to underline the impact of OGD on accountability and transparency in the context of Pakistan where OGD initiative is taking roots for quite some time now. In the present study, the authors seek to investigate the challenges being faced by the professionals in the private sector and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan. Besides, the authors also seek inputs from the respondents in the manner in which OGD initiative of Pakistan has impact on ensuring accountability and transparency. Design/methodology/approach For conducting the review of the national OGD portal of Pakistan, the authors invoke documentary analysis wherein the authors investigate the features of the national OGD portal of Pakistan. Furthermore, the authors conducted structured interviews with 49 senior management representatives from private sector and NGOs in order to gauge the challenges encountered by them in tapping OGD from diverse online public sources. Findings Respondents aver that robust statistical analysis is not feasible via the data sets being shared by the online sources. More initiatives are required on the part of the government bodies to release the data sets which have remained confined in silos. Government should institutionalize an OGD policy and promote the re-use of OGD by the professionals from diverse backgrounds. At present, only educational data are being shared by the OGD portal of Pakistan and it is important that more data sets are being released in the public domain. Furthermore, the respondents perceive that in a bid to be more accountable and transparent, the government bodies should release data sets via the online channels which are user-friendly. Research limitations/implications The present study conducted a qualitative research where the number of respondents was relatively less. Further research is required by adopting quantitative approach in order to accommodate more respondents and lend reliability to the study. Nevertheless, the study holds implications for academicians and practitioners in the sense that while it is needed that further research be conducted on the OGD initiative of Pakistan, it is imperative that policy makers get involved in institutionalizing the OGD initiative of Pakistan at national and local levels. Social implications Professionals might be better involved in creating and co-creating products and services by tapping OGD. Originality/value Given that OGD initiative in Pakistan is in a nascent stage and research is wanting in exploring the nature and scope of Pakistan’s OGD, the present study seeks to contribute toward the existing OGD literature.

A decision-making formula for value engineering applications in the Sri Lankan construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani Karunasena ◽  
Kosala Rajagalgoda Gamage
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Value Engineering ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Research Outcome ◽  
Analyse Data

Purpose The construction industry in many developing countries is reluctant to apply value engineering (VE) due to uncertainty of outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing practices of VE techniques and make recommendations to organisations and national construction regulatory bodies, to standardise VE practices. A decision-making formula is introduced to determine profitability of VE applications prior to implementation. Design/methodology/approach A broad literature review and six case study projects that applied VE were selected. Thirty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data within cases. Six expert interviews were conducted as confirmatory interviews to clarify and validate research outcome. Content analysis and cognitive mapping were used to analyse data among case studies. Findings Application, knowledge and experience on VE techniques among construction professionals are unsatisfactory. Recommendations include reducing contractor’s design responsibility, introducing proper VE guidelines and statutory regulations. A framework is introduced to assist authorities to standardise application of VE techniques. A decision-making formula is suggested to determine margins of contractor’s portion due to VE techniques and original profits gained. Originality/value The formula can be used as a decision-making tool by construction industry practitioners to determine successfulness of proposed VE techniques, and the proposed framework can be used to guide construction professional bodies to standardise VE practices.

Offsite construction in the Australian low-rise residential buildings application levels and procurement options

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Lin ◽  
Sainan Lyu ◽  
Rebecca Jing Yang ◽  
Linda Tivendale
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Rise ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Selection Of

PurposePrefabricated housing has become a boom industry across the world; however, the uptake of offsite construction (OSC) approaches in Australian low-rise buildings is rather low compared with high-rise buildings in other countries. This study aims to investigate and analyse the adoption of different levels of OSC approaches and the selection of different procurement options in Australian low-rise residential buildings.Design/methodology/approachThe research objectives were pursued through a mixed research method. An empirical questionnaire survey was carried out with 35 professionals in the Australian building and construction industry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 interviewees and analysed using thematic analysis method in NVivo software.FindingsThe research results found that the most suitable OSC level for Australian low-rise buildings is components-based prefabrication and identified the barriers to OSC uptake for each OSC level. The study also showed that the best option of procuring prefabricated products is from Australian manufacturers, followed by Australian suppliers/dealers and overseas manufacturers. Panelised prefabrication and components-based prefabrication are ranked as the most suitable OSC approaches for Australian manufacturers. Modular prefabrication is regarded as the most suitable for overseas manufacturer, while components-based prefabrication is the most suitable for Australian suppliers/dealers.Originality/valueThe selection of various OSC approaches and different procurement options in the low-rise residential buildings are scarcely explored topic, and thus, this study provides knowledge of interest for both researchers and practitioners.

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