Examining the effect of xenophobia on “transnational” mega construction project (MCP) success

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1119-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umer Zaman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue that modern-day xenophobia has emerged as one of the high-risk factors for transnational mega construction projects (MCP’s). While research in transnational MCP’s remains surprisingly under-explored, this study aimed to examine how transformational leadership (TFL) and HPW practices can still achieve MCP success despite the rise of xenophobia in the global construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This study examined survey-based sample evidence from 220 respondents including project team members (operational, quality and technical), project stakeholders (e.g. regulatory authority, subcontractors, functional managers, etc.) and project clients/sponsors. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed to test the theoretical hypotheses and to highlight significance of a holistic and novel framework of MCP success. Findings This study’s core finding unveiled a significantly negative effect of xenophobia on MCP success (ß=−0.389, t=5.574, p<0.000). Interestingly, PLS-SEM results also showed a significantly negative effect of TFL on MCP success (ß=−0.172, t=2.323, p<0.018), whereas HPW practices demonstrated a significantly positive effect on MCP success (ß=0.633, t=9.558, p<0.000). In addition, xenophobia and MCP success relationship were positively moderated by TFL (ß=0.214, t=2.364, p<0.018) and HPW practices (ß=0.295, t=3.119, p<0.002), respectively. Research limitations/implications This study underscores the importance of TFL and HPW practices in explaining the linkage between xenophobia and MCP success. Besides advancement of broader multi-disciplinary research and cross-pollination of research ideas, this study also offers unique research direction to explore the potential impact of TFL and HPW practices in demographically diverse project settings especially in countries where xenophobia has swiftly become inevitable. Practical implications As many countries undertake MCP’s with national pride and high strategic importance, this study provides an exemplary model of transnational MCP success. This study shows that conscious use of TFL and HPW practices could guard against escalating xenophobia in the global construction industry. Originality/value This study is first to provide an empirically grounded model of MCP success that collectively examines the role of xenophobia, TFL and HPW practices. This research has developed practical references for transnational construction companies in strategic planning and management of MCP’s.

Author(s):  
Milind Jagtap ◽  
Sachin Kamble

Purpose The purpose of this paper is first to examine the effect of client-led and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance in the Indian construction industry and second to assess how the client-led supply chain initiatives complement the contractor-led supply chain initiatives. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the effects of the client-led supply chain initiatives (reward power and competence trust of the construction clients) and the contractor-led supply chain initiatives (contractor integration and calculative commitment of the contractor) on project performance in construction projects are examined. The data were collected from 346 construction professionals working in Indian construction projects using purposive sampling. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The contractor-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of contractor integration and the calculative relationship commitment of a contractor, were found to be strong mediators, indirectly affecting the project performance. On the other hand, the client-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of the reward power of the client and the competence trust of the client, directly influence the project performance. Research limitations/implications This study reports the inevitable bias on the part of participants, who responded to the survey either in the capacity of client or contractor, although they might have executed projects in both capacities. Future studies could benefit from the use of objective data instead of behavioral data. Practical implications This study helps construction firms understand how to demarcate the client and contractor roles in the construction supply chain to improve the project performance. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its investigation of the influence of client-led supply chain initiatives and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Arianpoor ◽  
Hameed Mohsen Khayoon

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of teaching style and academic enthusiasm of Iraqi accounting and auditing students on their stress, aggression and anxiety. Design/methodology/approach The statistical population in this study consists of two parts. The first is the Iraqi accounting and auditing students in Iran and the second is the Iraqi accounting and auditing students in Iraq. By available non-probability sampling method, 62 people (Iraqi students in Iran) and 102 (Iraqi students in Iraq) were selected as samples. In this research, a questionnaire was used to collect information. The validity of the questionnaire’s structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Also, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients in this study indicating the measurement tool’s reliability. In this research, structural equation modeling has been used to analyze and test the hypotheses. The primary criteria for determining the coefficient and evaluating the path coefficients were used to evaluate the structural model. Findings Findings indicate that in Iraqi students in Iraq and Iraqi students in Iran, teaching style negatively affects stress, aggression and accounting and auditing students’ anxiety. Also, in the group of Iraqi students in Iraq and the group of Iraqi students in Iran, the eagerness to study has a significant negative effect on accounting and auditing students’ stress and anxiety. In contrast, the effect of the desire to study accounting and auditing students’ aggression was confirmed only in Iraqi students in Iraq. Originality/value As the accounting and auditing professions are among the most stressful occupations that increase the characteristics of aggression and anxiety in the employees of that profession, the results of leading research can show that the stress, anxiety and aggression of accounting and auditing students how to reduce through training so that their stress, anxiety and aggression do not appear in the workplace and the reports of accountants and auditors are not affected.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lekan Damilola Ojo ◽  
Deji Rufus Ogunsemi ◽  
Olusola Ogunsina

Purpose The Nigerian construction industry is bedeviled with poor project performance and outcomes which value management (VM) could address if applied. The application of VM on Nigerian construction projects is very minimal due to certain obstacles, namely, lack of VM experts, paucity of knowledge on the techniques, etc., which inhibits the adoption into the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework of the adoption of VM on construction projects in a typical developing economy. Design/methodology/approach This study engaged 15 selected VM experts in two rounds of Delphi survey to develop a conceptual framework of VM adoption. The method of data analysis includes mean score, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, chi-square (χ2) test, interrater agreement analysis and significant level analysis. The developed conceptual framework was sent to a team of local and international VM experts for validation. Findings This study reveals that the adoption of VM requires the collective effort of relevant stakeholders in the construction industry. The framework developed presents individual and collective activities to be undertaken by the stakeholders. The activities include training, legislation, government-funded research, etc. Thus, the adoption of innovative management methodology like VM requires the collaboration of academics, construction professional bodies and government parastatals. This will assist in the judicious use of limited construction resources and boost the relevance of the Nigerian construction industry among developing nations and in the global construction market. Originality/value This study used the opinions of few construction professionals that can be regarded as VM experts in Nigeria, as against engaging a pool of construction professionals who may not be knowledgeable in VM process. Engaging the few VM experts in the Nigerian construction industry is important to have a valid basis for drawing conclusion, as large questionnaire survey could be possibly filled by inexperienced or unqualified respondents if stringent criteria are not considered at the outset of this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengdi Wang ◽  
Dong Li

PurposeIn accordance with Bagozzi’s self-regulation theory, the aim of this paper is to explore the enablers and inhibitors of continuance intention from the perspective of bullet curtain, a new form of commentary on online video websites.Design/methodology/approachA total of 350 questionnaires were collected for the final analysis (covering 101 questionnaires for the pilot test) from China’s bullet curtain website. To analyze the model, the authors adopted SmartPLS 3.2, a structural equation modeling software.FindingsAs the results suggest, there is a positive correlation between satisfaction and continuance intention and a negative association between social network fatigue and continuance intention. In addition, synchronicity between the comments and video content, a dimension of synchronicity proposed in this study, improves the satisfaction. Furthermore, information overload significantly intensify social network fatigue.Practical implicationsThe results help bullet curtain providers offer better interactive environment and improve websites’ functions to stimulate users.Originality/valueBy combining positive effect and negative effect of commentary, this study investigates Bagozzi’s theory in a context of bullet curtain. Besides, combinations of these factors help to gain insights in how the bullet curtain works in online video websites. These offer useful guidelines for managers to optimize a better system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nizar Souiden ◽  
Riadh Ladhari ◽  
Liu Chang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine ethnocentrism and animosity in a special context of two societies that share cultural, historical, ethnic and geographical characteristics. In particular, it first investigates the relationships between Chinese ethnocentrism and animosity toward Taiwan, and then it examines the impact of these two factors on the Chinese perception of Taiwanese brand quality and their purchase intent. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of 605 respondents from China, data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that although Chinese animosity toward Taiwan is moderate, it is significantly driven by ethnocentrism, which has a significant and negative effect on willingness to buy, but not on the perception of Taiwanese brand quality. The Chinese animosity toward Taiwan, however, has negative and significant effects on their perception of Taiwanese brand quality and their intention of purchasing Taiwanese brands. Research limitations/implications The immense size of the country has impeded the representativeness of the authors’ sample and the generalizability of the results. Also, the study covers only one type of product. Practical implications Forming partnerships with local Chinese businesses and developing strong ties with local communities could be considered as a solution to minimize or circumvent the effect of animosity and might help foreign companies appear more “local.” Originality/value In contrast to past studies that investigated ethnocentrism and animosity in the context of countries presenting several differences (e.g. China vs USA), this study investigates the effect of ethnocentrism and animosity in the context of two countries (China and Taiwan) that share cultural, historical, ethnic and geographic characteristics. Despite the strong ties between the two countries, the Chinese have a certain animosity, though moderate, toward Taiwan and consequently are less inclined to buy Taiwanese brands. This implies that Chinese animosity toward a country may be toned down or pronounced, depending on whether they have strong or weak ties with that country.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guofeng Ma ◽  
Shan Jiang ◽  
Jianyao Jia

PurposeA lack of reliable and effective communication tools poses major barriers impeding the performance of construction projects consisting of diverse participants. Although some construction project teams (CPTs) begin to apply social media (SM) as an available approach for project management the entire mechanism of SM adoption in this specific context remains understudied. Therefore, this study aims to adopt a CPT's lens to investigate the critical antecedents and associated effects underlying SM adoption in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachBased on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) theory, a conceptual model was proposed and tested by empirical data collected from 159 CPTs in China. Structural equation modeling technique was employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results demonstrate that all the five extracted TOE-based antecedents including two technological factors (i.e. compatibility and expected cost), one organizational factor (i.e. top management support) and two environmental factors (i.e. project partner collaboration and project fit) are crucial to the adoption of SM in CPTs. Besides, SM acceptance is found to mediate the relationships between organizational and environmental factors and SM use. Moreover, SM use significantly predicts the communication effectiveness of CPTs.Research limitations/implicationsA questionnaire study based on cross-sectional data from China may only unveil the logic of SM adoption in the context of Chinese construction industry within a shorter time interval. It is recommended that future research could develop longitudinal studies among various construction practitioners in different countries to further specify and generalize the current findings.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive understanding of SM adoption in the construction industry by exploring the preadoption antecedents and postadoption effects from the perspective of project teams. The empirical findings advance the current web-based project management literature and afford new insights for construction practitioners into better managing SM application to reap its full capabilities in projects.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mujahed Thneibat ◽  
Motasem Thneibat ◽  
Bader Al-Tamimi

PurposeThis study aims to lay the groundwork for the potential application of value management (VM) in construction projects. This paper presents a critical review on the status of VM in a developing country and highlights the role of perceptions on critical success factors (CSFs) for the phases of VM studies, as the participants in a VM study should consider CSFs tailored to the local context.Design/methodology/approachA series of interviews and a questionnaire were conducted to understand the drivers, perceptions, barriers, and CSFs of VM in the Jordanian construction industry. Although descriptive statistics were used to analyze the status of VM, a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was adopted to highlight the interrelationships between perceptions and the CSFs of the three phases of VM (i.e. pre-workshop, workshop, and implementation).FindingsThe descriptive analysis revealed conflicting viewpoints for perceptions and drivers. Most practitioners acknowledged little awareness of VM phases, and the SEM results indicated that perceptions of VM, in terms of its capacity in improving the scope and objectives of the project, and reducing overall costs, most strongly influenced the CSFs of the implementation phase in terms of support and clear plan for implementation, and had the least influence on the pre-workshop phase. Further, the perceptions had a moderate effect on the CSFs of the workshop phase and it tended to be positive, highlighting the importance of function analysis in this phase.Originality/valueThis is the first study to reveal the status of VM in Jordan in terms of adoption, drivers, perceptions, barriers and CSFs; no prior studies have investigated how perceptions can affect the CSFs of each phase of VM and the endorsement of VM by the construction industry. The contributions of this study include linking the perceptions of construction professionals with the CSFs of VM.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Islam ◽  
Arooba Chaudhary ◽  
Muhammad Faisal Aziz

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of knowledge hiding (KH) on organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals (OCBI) through the mediation of self-conscious emotions (SCE), namely, shame and guilt. This paper further considers the supervisor’s Islamic work ethics (IWE) as a conditional variable. Design/methodology/approach In this quantity-based research, this paper collected data from 473 employees working in various service and manufacturing organizations through Google form at two-lags. Findings The study applied structural equation modeling and identified that employees experience SCE due to KH. More specifically, rationalized hiding was found to have a negative effect, whereas playing dumb and evasive hiding was found to have a positive effect on shame and guilt. The results also revealed SCE (shame and guilt) as mediators between KH and OCBI. Further, the supervisor’s IWE was found to be a conditional variable to strengthen the association between KH and SCE. Research limitations/implications The study collected data from a single source. However, the issue of common method variance was tackled through time-lags. Practical implications The study suggests that supervisors must communicate with employees about the negative outcomes of KH. They must create such an environment that discourages the engagement of employees in KH and encourages the employees to engage themselves in helping behaviors to maintain a productive and creative work environment. Originality/value This study adds to the limited literature on the emotional consequences of KH from knowledge hiders’ perspective and unfolds the behavior-emotion-behavior sequence through the emotional pathway. More specifically, this study examined the negative emotional effect of hiding the knowledge that leads to compensatory strategy (organizational citizenship behavior) through SCE (shame and guilt). Finally, zooming into SCE, this study elucidates the supervisor’s IWE as a conditional variable.


Author(s):  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Martin Regan ◽  
Jason von Meding ◽  
Ashraf Ahmed ◽  
Obas John Ebohon ◽  
...  

PurposeThe UK construction industry produces up to one third of all waste to landfill. This study aims to identify specific project practices impeding the reduction of waste in construction projects as well as uncovering potential waste solutions throughout the project delivery process. The rationale being that for such a drastic reduction in waste to landfill, holistic and extensive measures would be required.Design/methodology/approachA two‐way methodological approach was used. This comprised qualitative unstructured interviews and a quantitative questionnaire survey of three major stakeholders in the UK construction industry: clients, architects and contractors.FindingsDesign factors remain the major cause of impediments to waste reduction to landfill. Critical impediments include clients making waste prevention a top priority in projects, overly complex designs, waste taking a low priority compared to project time and costs, lack of concerns by designers for buildability, among others. Critical solutions include early supply chain involvement in design process, choosing materials for their durability, early communication of design changes to all parties, longer project programmes and better lead times, among others.Practical implicationsIn all, the target of halving construction waste to landfill based on the 2008 benchmark is achievable but would require construction companies to take it upon themselves to implement the proposed solutions suggested by this study.Originality/valueThe value of this research is to provide UK construction companies with solutions to reduce waste and aid the reaching of the landfill target, as landfill is decreasing as a solution to waste. In addition the cost savings on reducing waste could be crucial for companies in this current economic climate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Kissi ◽  
Theophilus Adjei-Kumi ◽  
Edward Badu ◽  
Emmanuel Bannor Boateng

Purpose Tender price remains an imperative parameter for clients in deciding whether to invest in a construction project, and it serves as a basis for tender price index (TPI) manipulations. This paper aims to examine the factors affecting tender price in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature review, nine independent constructs and one dependent construct relating to tender pricing were identified. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among quantity surveyors in Ghana. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) examined the influences of various constructs on tender price development (TPD) and the relationships among TPD and TPI. Findings Results showed that cultural attributes, client attributes, contractor attributes; contract procedures and procurement methods; consultant and design team; external factors and market conditions; project attributes; sustainable and technological attributes; and TPI have a positive influence on tender price, whereas fraudulent attributes exert a negative influence. Practical implications The findings offer construction professionals broader understanding of factors that affect tender pricing. The results may be used in professional decision-making in the pricing of construction projects, as they offer clearer causal relations between how each construct will influence pricing. Originality/value This study adds to the body of construction pricing knowledge by establishing the relationships and degree of influences of various factors on tender price. These findings provide a valuable reference for practitioners.


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