Green and sustainable practices in the construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaber Shurrab ◽  
Matloub Hussain ◽  
Mehmood Khan
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Performance Model ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Construction ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to differentiate between sustainable and green construction and significantly contribute to empirical investigations related to the impact of green construction factors on sustainable performance and to test the theory of planned behavior in the construction context and empirically assess green construction factors and the performance model. The model incorporates green construction factors that link construction activities with suppliers and customers to support environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 120 construction industry respondents were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, which identified seven green construction factors. Two conformity factor analysis models were created to test the relationship fitness of the components and measure the impact of green construction factors on the sustainable performance of the construction. Findings The results provide substantial evidence that shows that the adoption of green construction factors by construction firms leads to improved sustainable performance. The overall perspective of respondents within the construction industry, according to the questionnaire survey, shows that the benefits, such as an improved corporate image and sustainable competitive advantage, increase compliance with customers’ expectations within the construction industry. Research limitations/implications This study covered private construction companies and measured the construction industry professional’s feedback without including the clients. Practical implications The results of this study will support the future success of ecological sustainability and green construction initiatives, mainly on enforcement and incentives; moreover, the results of this study will ensure that regulations will cover green practices for all types of projects and will be formally monitored for compliance. Originality/value The originality of this paper stems from drawing boundaries between green and sustainable construction and exploring the impact of green management on the sustainable performance of the construction industry. Most of the related previous works have used the concepts of green and sustainability interchangeably, and there is a lack of studies in this regard, particularly in the construction industry.

An empirical study of the impact of lean construction techniques on sustainable construction in the UK

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oyedolapo Ogunbiyi ◽  
Jack Steven Goulding ◽  
Adebayo Oladapo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Percentile Method ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The contribution of lean construction techniques in sustainable construction cannot be over emphasised, as sustainable development is now enshrined in government policy. In addition, lean construction is now faced with the challenges of sustainable development, continuous improvement, waste elimination, a stronger user focus, increased value for money along with high quality management of projects and supply chains, and improved communications. This paper presents an exploratory study from extant literature and the results of the use of questionnaire survey among construction participants to explore the contribution of implementing lean construction techniques in sustainable construction. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys of UK-based construction professional were conducted. The data collected were analysed with SPSS 19.0 version software using the percentile method, Cronbach ' s α reliability test, Kruskal Wallis test, Kendall ' s coefficient of concordance and one sample t-test. Findings – Results from this study indicate that there are several benefits associated with implementation of lean construction and sustainable construction. The overall perspective of professionals within the construction industry, according to questionnaire survey, shows that benefits such as improved corporate image and sustainable competitive advantage, improved process flow and productivity, improvement in environmental quality and increased compliance with customer ' s expectations are realised following integration of principles of lean construction and sustainable construction within construction industry. Just-in-time, visualisation tool, value analysis, daily huddle meetings and value stream mapping are the most common lean tools/techniques for enabling sustainability. This study also identified several areas of linkage between lean and sustainability such as waste reduction, environmental management, value maximisation, and health and safety improvement among others. Originality/value – The originality of this paper lies in its consideration of lean construction principles to better understand its impact on sustainable construction. This research contributes to the awareness of the benefits that can be derived from the implementation of lean construction in sustainable construction within the construction industry.

Do hotel companies communicate their environmental policies and practices more than independent hotels in Dubai, UAE?

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Rosalind Jenkins ◽  
Ioanna Karanikola
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Environmental Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Websites ◽  
Independent Hotels ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to ascertain how hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), engage in environmental sustainability and what benefits and negativities can be incurred from such activity, and to determine the extent to which hotels use their own corporate websites to disseminate information pertaining to their environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business has infiltrated since the latter half of the twentieth century. The hotel industry claims to engage in environmental sustainability due to the impact hotels have on the environment and considering the benefits that can arise from being environmentally friendly, such as positive corporate image and awareness of company’s stakeholders regarding company’s policies, practices and initiatives. A literature review regarding the current, most commonly used environmental practices and policies of hotels was conducted and content analysis was carried out in websites of companies and independent hotels in Dubai, UAE. Findings – Key findings showed that the environmental practices and policies which were the cheapest and easiest to implement were the most commonly used among hotels, and that hotel companies provided more corporate online environmental information than independent hotels. Overall, currently, hotels in Dubai do not effectively use online environmental reporting to their stakeholders, which should be an area of improvement by 2020. Research limitations/implications – Further research should be conducted in small and medium enterprises to identify benefits and challenges of and create awareness of the importance of online environmental reporting preparing for Expo2020. Originality/value – The analysis presented aims to highlight the importance of online environmental reporting by hotels and to compare and contrast ways of communicating CSR activities between hotel companies and independent hotels in Dubai, UAE.

scholarly journals Green building as a direction of sustainable development: essence, tasks, principles, benefits, prospects

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-71
Author(s):  
V. Bilotil
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Green Construction ◽  
Current State ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

The construction industry plays an important role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and reducing the impact on climate change through the introduction of green building principles. So the article has been devoted to this type of construction as an important area of sustainable development. The interaction of climate change and construction activities has been substantiated in the article. Tasks and principles of sustainable construction have been analyzed. The economic, ecological and social benefits of green construction have been studied. The difference between traditional and green construction has been described. The current state of development of sustainable construction in Ukraine and the world has been considered. Prospects for green construction in Ukraine have been identified. The urgency and necessity of its implementation in our country have been proved.

Enablers of incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into buildings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aba Essanowa Afful ◽  
Joshua Ayarkwa ◽  
Godwin Kojo Kumi Acquah ◽  
Dickson Osei-Asibey
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Applicability ◽  
Global Construction ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe aim of this study was to identify these enablers in literature and subsume them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among the enablers.Design/methodology/approachFifty-four (54) relevant articles were desk reviewed from different construction peer-reviewed journals and published conference proceedings to identify 20 core enablers of incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs.FindingsThe identified enablers include improved occupants' health, well-being and satisfaction, environmental conservation, high return on investments and co-operative methods of design and construction management among others. To better understand the enablers identified, they were classified into seven main interconnected categories: economic enablers, environmental enablers, occupant and end-user enablers, process enablers, corporate image, culture and vision enablers, client-related enablers and external enablers.Research limitations/implicationsThe interconnectedness brought to the fore a subtler appreciation of the drivers of IEQ, which could help expand current knowledge outside the narrow scope of isolated drivers. The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.Practical implicationsUnderstanding that the enablers will enhance the adoption and design of quality indoor environments, help in building the capacity of consultants to adopt the design of quality IEs and reduce the impact of construction on the environment.Social implicationsThese identified enablers are not limited geographically and thus could promote the design of quality indoor environments globally, particularly in green building design. To the global construction community, this review presents a list of enablers that would expedite the adoption of principles of IEQ designs in buildings thus taking the global construction industry one more step towards sustainable built forms. Promoting the identified enablers would ultimately steer stakeholders to design and build better indoor environments.Originality/valueThe fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.

Key challenges faced by Chinese contractors in Malaysian construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 705-726
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Boon Hui Yap ◽  
Sin Yi Cheah
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the major challenges faced by Chinese international contractors (CICs) in the Malaysian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory sequential mixed-methods research approach was adopted where following a detailed literature review and semi-structured interviews with local professionals, 20 prevalent challenges experienced by CICs are identified. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was used to elicit the views of 100 construction practitioners. Descriptive statistics were used to prioritise the challenges, while exploratory factor analysis was conducted to uncover the underlying factors. Findings The five most crucial challenges identified relate to: changes of regulation, cost control, contract clauses, language barrier and quality control. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four major underlying dimensions of these challenges, in connection to financial and government policy management, organisational performance management, supplier relationship management and cross-cultural management. Research limitations/implications The challenges are considered primarily involving CICs in the context of Malaysia; further work can be extended to Western or other East Asian, such as Japanese and Korean, international contractors undertaking construction projects in Malaysia or selected developing countries around the region. Practical implications This study will benefit professionals involved with China-backed construction projects in countries sharing demographics and socio-economic characteristics akin to Malaysia. The outcome of the study is expected to facilitate project managers to devise proactive risk-mitigation measures to reduce the impact of these challenges and to improve project delivery. Originality/value The paper examined the challenges faced by CICs in the Malaysian context. This is a timely study, as China’s Belt and Road Initiative will provide considerable opportunities for Chinese companies in Malaysia.

Policy barriers to sustainable construction practice in the Nigerian construction industry: an exploratory factor analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayotunde Babalola ◽  
Nishani Harinarain
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Policy Barriers ◽  
Construction Practice

Purpose Sustainable construction practice is structured on regulatory and non-regulatory policies in developed and most developing countries. With the gradual uptake of sustainability concerns in the construction industry, this paper aims to identify the strategic need for clear-cut policies to improve sustainable construction practice. Previous studies have harped on the need for regulatory and industrial/organisational policies on improving sustainable construction practice within the Nigerian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was used to evaluate the perspectives of construction professionals on the policy barriers for sustainable construction practice in Nigeria, and 46 policy barriers were identified. A total of 249 questionnaires were returned and useable for analysis. Findings Factor analysis revealed four clusters in the policy barriers to sustainable construction practice in the following order of significance: implementation strategies for sustainable construction practice, owners/client inputs for sustainable construction practice, stakeholder’s policy barriers and governmental and regulatory policy barriers. Practical implications Mitigating the identified barriers through effective policies will require adequate inputs from all relevant policymaking stakeholders and ensure improved sustainable construction practice among stakeholders and policymakers in the industry. This will in turn set a high standard and promote the practice of sustainable construction. Originality/value This study goes a step further in identifying the policy issues needed to ensure a smooth implementation of sustainable construction practice. The research findings will serve as a guide for policymakers in developing countries that through mitigation of the identified barriers, sustainable construction practice will be promoted.

scholarly journals Sustainable construction and the versatility of the quantity surveying profession in Singapore

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr Temitope Omotayo ◽  
Sin Wen Tan ◽  
Damilola Ekundayo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Cost ◽  
Cost Planning ◽  
Success Indicators ◽  
Quantity Surveying ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe changing role of quantity surveyors in the new paradigm of sustainable construction requires studies into new competencies and skills for the profession. The impact of sustainable construction on quantity surveying services, engagement and how they manage challenges provided an indication of the success indicators of the quantity surveying profession in meeting the sustainable construction needs.Design/methodology/approachA five-point Likert scale was developed from the list of quantity surveying firms in Singapore. An 85% response rate from 60 quantity surveying firms contacted in this study provided 51 responses. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were employed to evaluate the findings.FindingsThe factor analysis categorised the drivers derived from the literature into awareness of sustainable construction, adversarial role on green costing; carbon cost planning; valuing a sustainable property; common knowledge of sustainable construction; and lack of experience in sustainable construction.Social implicationsThe research findings supported the idea of increased sustainable construction skills in quantity surveying education, research and training.Originality/valueThe dearth of quantity surveyors with sustainable construction experience must focus on quantity surveying professional bodies and higher education. The quantity surveying profession needs reskilling in green costing and carbon cost planning to meet the needs of sustainable construction.

The impact of rework and organisational culture on project delivery

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi ◽  
Ojo Abiola-Falemu ◽  
Olajide Timothy Ibironke
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The Impact

Purpose It is generally accepted that organisational culture is capable of influencing how project organisation performs. It can also impact on how people set individual goals and objectives, perform their roles, tasks and deploy resources to achieve set objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of organisational culture on the occurrence of rework in Nigerian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted mixed method research using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to elicit information. Though, the result of the questionnaire survey was presented in this paper. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify which variables measured attributes of the same underlying proportions, while descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to establish the influence of organisational culture on rework. Findings The study identifies 14 factors as causes of rework from the result of factor analysis. The outcome also indicates that leadership style, success criteria and management style are important organisational culture dimensions. Poor management practices and lack of teamwork are found to be largely responsible for poor project delivery due to rework occurrence. Practical/implications The research will be of significant benefit to both the academic and industry practitioners. The result of the research will provide academics with useful insights into the influence of organisational culture on project delivery by undertaking future research to inform better understanding. The research will also provide practitioners with good understanding of how culture within their organisations can influence the performance of their subordinates or employees. Further research is encouraged to investigate the influence of management and leadership style on project delivery in the context of Nigeria. Originality/value This study is the first attempt to investigate the influence of organisational culture on occurrence of rework empirically in the Nigerian construction industry. There is paucity of research focusing on this area as it affects project delivery.

The impact of perceived service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishi Kant ◽  
Deepak Jaiswal
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Public Sector Banks ◽  
Quality Dimensions ◽  
Service Quality Dimensions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In the present competitive scenario in the Indian banking industry, service quality has become one of the most important facets of interest to academic researchers. The purpose of this paper is to determine the dimensions of perceived service quality and investigate their impact on customer satisfaction in the Indian banking context, with special reference to selected public sector banks in India. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of the empirical study, the authors validate a measurement model using structural equation modeling for investigating the impact of perceived service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction. The study sample consists of 480 respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India; the data were collected through a structured questionnaire utilizing a seven-point Likert scale while implementing a purposive sampling technique. Findings The perceived service quality dimensions identified were tangibility, reliability, assurance, responsiveness, empathy, and image. The empirical findings revealed that “responsiveness” was found to be the most significant predictor of customer satisfaction. On the other hand, “image” (corporate image) has a positive but the least significant relationship with customer satisfaction followed by all other constructs. The exception is “reliability,” which is insignificantly related to customer satisfaction in Indian public sector banks. Research limitations/implications The study cannot be generalized in the context of Indian banking sectors, as it only focused on the public sector. The findings of this study suggest that the six dimensions of perceived service quality model are a suitable instrument for evaluating bank service quality for public banks in India. Therefore, bank managers can use this model to assess the bank service quality in the context of Indian public sector banks. Originality/value There is dearth of research focusing on corporate image as a dimension of perceived service quality and its effect on customer satisfaction in the Indian banking context. Furthermore, similar studies were rarely found in the Indian context, especially within the public banking sector. Hence, this paper attempts to accomplish the research gap by empirically testing the satisfaction level of a large sample of the population in NCR toward six dimensions of perceived service quality rendered by selected public sector banks in India.

Stakeholder responses toward fast food chains’ CSR

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeonsoo Kim ◽  
Mari Luz Zapata Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Issue ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Supportive Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how stakeholders perceive the motives behind fast food companies’ public health-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) and general social issue-related CSR initiatives, and their responses toward CSR in terms of supportive communication intent, investment intent, and purchase intent. The authors further examine the impact of perceived CSR motives on intent and whether a healthier chain image has an effect on stakeholder responses. Design/methodology/approach An online experiment was conducted. This study employed a randomized 2 (CSR type: health-related CSR vs generic social issue-related CSR)×2 (chain image: healthier chain vs general fast-food chain) full factorial design using general stakeholder samples. Findings For an ordinary fast food restaurant, generic social issue-related CSR programs elicited significantly more positive perceptions of CSR motives, supportive communication intent and investment intent, than public-health related CSR. When a company has a healthier image, stakeholders do not distinguish between CSR types. Stakeholders perceive both CSR types as stemming from mutually beneficial motives and show neutral to slightly positive reactions to both CSR. A positively perceived CSR motive plays a determinant role in anticipating communication, investment, and purchase intents. Originality/value This is the first study that examines stakeholder perception of motives behind and responses toward fast food chains’ health-related vs generic social issue-related CSR initiatives, in light of corporate image. The study findings help public relations practitioners, public health professionals, parent groups, and legislators understand stakeholders’ reactions toward CSR initiatives in the fast food industry and help them monitor practices for improvements.

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