Barriers to adopting lean construction in the construction industry: a literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wassim Albalkhy ◽  
Rateb Sweis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and theoretically explain the general barriers to adopting lean construction practices in the construction industry regardless of the country or the company size or specialization, and to suggest future research studies in this field. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review was conducted to identify and explain the list of the barriers from scientific sources that were published before May 2018. Findings Twenty-nine barriers were identified and explained, and a proposed model to classify the sources of the barriers was chosen. Seventeen barriers were classified as internal environment-related barriers, five were labor-related, three were materials-related and four were exogenous barriers. In addition, some directions for the future research studies were suggested. Research limitations/implications The barriers that are related to the advanced levels of lean construction (LC) implementations, to a specific location or to a specific LC tool were excluded. Originality/value This review will help to increase the understanding of the new concept of LC and might help to encourage the adoption of LC practices. Also, it might be useful for identifying the strategies to achieve successful application of these practices.

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sitsofe Kwame Yevu ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a review of research developments on the ecosystem of driving forces for electronic procurement (e-procurement) on project procurement and to propose directions for future research for an effective adoption and sustained usage. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted in three phases to identify and examine literature. A total of 68 papers were retrieved and were thoroughly reviewed to identify the drivers for e-procurement. Findings A total of 61 drivers were identified and subsequently developed into a categorization framework for synthesized understanding which reveals existing interrelationships. Although literature has consensus on some selected drivers, few studies have identified drivers relating to sustainability. Gaps were identified from the existing literature and directions for future research were proposed. Research limitations/implications Since this is a literature review, future research could conduct further investigations focusing on the research gaps identified. The framework developed presents a basis for further research to explore the drivers in various socio-economic environments. Practical implications This study provides valuable insights for improving the understanding of practitioners on the complex network of drivers for e-procurement. These findings stimulate discussions on benefits required for assessment in e-procurement adoption by practitioners. Originality/value This study provides the first comprehensive review of the drivers for e-procurement adoption in the construction industry, which was lacking in the existing body of knowledge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Macdonald ◽  
Briony Birdi

Purpose Neutrality is a much debated value in library and information science (LIS). The “neutrality debate” is characterised by opinionated discussions in contrasting contexts. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature by bringing these conceptions together holistically, with potential to deepen understanding of LIS neutrality. Design/methodology/approach First, a literature review identified conceptions of neutrality reported in the LIS literature. Second, seven phenomenographic interviews with LIS professionals were conducted across three professional sectors. To maximise variation, each sector comprised at least one interview with a professional of five or fewer years’ experience and one with ten or more years’ experience. Third, conceptions from the literature and interviews were compared for similarities and disparities. Findings In four conceptions, each were found in the literature and interviews. In the literature, these were labelled: “favourable”, “tacit value”, “social institutions” and “value-laden profession”, whilst in interviews they were labelled: “core value”, “subservient”, “ambivalent”, and “hidden values”. The study’s main finding notes the “ambivalent” conception in interviews is not captured by a largely polarised literature, which oversimplifies neutrality’s complexity. To accommodate this complexity, it is suggested that future research should look to reconcile perceptions from either side of the “neutral non-neutral divide” through an inclusive normative framework. Originality/value This study’s value lies in its descriptive methodology, which brings LIS neutrality together in a holistic framework. This framework brings a contextual awareness to LIS neutrality lacking in previous research. This awareness has the potential to change the tone of the LIS neutrality debate.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidija Breznik ◽  
Robert D. Hisrich

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation capabilities. It links dynamic capability with innovation capability and indicates the ways they can be related. Design/methodology/approach – The relationships between dynamic and innovation capability were investigated through a systematic literature review. Findings – The review indicates that common characteristics exist between of the both fields, which demonstrate six relationships. Additionally, findings show some inconsistencies and even contradictions. Originality/value – In this paper, the authors have compared dynamic capabilities, a relatively new approach in the field of strategic management, with innovation capabilities, a widely recognised crucial domain for sustained competitiveness. Since both areas address issues that are essential to today's environment, future research should seek to clarify both concepts, by undertaking some new research and developing comprehensive and unambiguous framework.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoulkadre Ado ◽  
Zhan Su

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically assesses the major contributions to the academic literature on China’s increased focus on Africa, from 2001 to 2011. It discusses the key trends concerning China’s presence in Africa and draws conclusions on the significance of the studies by emphasizing and contrasting the prevailing positions. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a qualitative approach using an integrative and comprehensive literature review, the authors performed a content analysis of high-impact, peer-reviewed papers. Findings – The paper questions and repositions some of the existing controversies. The results from existing studies remain questionable, requiring further clarification and more theoretical backing. It, moreover, highlights the notion that behind the explicit neutrality views of China’s presence in Africa, implicit assumptions may exist. These are often the differences in narratives conveyed by Western and Southern stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – Most of the conclusions drawn from this paper need to be re-explored and supported by additional research. This could be done by widening the scope of the analysis. Studies need to provide more empirical support for their assertions through quantitative data and evidence-based qualitative analyses – all within a framework that considers more cultural, social and historical dimensions. The paper also suggests that an institutionally based view appears most relevant in better explaining China in Africa. Originality/value – This paper reviews a decade of research on China in Africa and presents a snapshot of the current state of knowledge. It also raises concerns to be analyzed by future research and proposes new avenues for better understanding China’s presence in Africa.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-546
Author(s):  
Christofer Laurell ◽  
Sten Soderman

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of articles on sport published in leading business studies journals within marketing, organisational studies and strategy.Design/methodology/approachBased on a review of 38 identified articles within the subfields of marketing, strategy and organisation studies published between 2000 and 2015, the articles’ topical, theoretical and methodological orientation within the studied subfields were analysed followed by a cross-subfield analysis.FindingsThe authors identify considerable differences in topical, theoretical and methodological orientation among the studied subfields’ associated articles. Overall, the authors also find that articles across all subfields tend to be focussed on contributing to mature theory, even though the subfield of marketing in particular exhibits contributions to nascent theory in contrast to organisation studies and strategy.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by illustrating the current state of research that is devoted or related to the phenomenon of sport within three subfields in business studies. Furthermore, the authors discuss the role played by leading business studies journalsvis-à-vissport sector-specific journals and offer avenues for future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zejun Li ◽  
Chengyuan Wang ◽  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Biao Luo

Purpose This paper aims to summarize antecedents and consequences of risk-taking in tournaments and show the development of tournament optimization considering risk-taking. Moreover, further expansion expectations related to antecedents and consequences of risk-taking in tournaments and tournament optimization considering risk-taking are discussed. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive bibliographic retrieval and further literature review and systematics re-organization are used to build the framework with respect to risk-taking in tournaments. Then, qualitative analysis is used to present conclusions of existing research. Findings By summarizing various antecedents, different consequences and tournament optimizations with regard to risk-taking in tournaments of existing research, the authors present a series of research opportunities regarding risk-taking in tournaments that can propel the advancement of tournament theory. Originality/value The studies on risk-taking in tournament have been recently received wide attention and are growing vigorously. Based on the summary and re-organization, the framework of literature studying risk-taking in tournaments is built. This literature review also helps researchers learn the advance of risk-taking in tournament and provides fruitful direction for future research on this topic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 971-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Grieco ◽  
Gennaro Iasevoli

Purpose Co-marketing strategies play an important role in enabling firms to improve their competitive position. However, despite its increasing implementation, it remains a topic that is largely not researched. The purpose of this paper is to analyze existing contributions to the field of co-marketing research and the different perspectives scholars have adopted in analyzing the topic. Design/methodology/approach A literature review has been developed, as its lack seems to be a major hindrance to the development of related studies. A specific focus has been made on the adopted approaches. Five approaches have been identified, and multidimensional scaling (MDS) has been used to analyze the differences among them. Findings First, the analysis of the typologies of studies on co-marketing alliances is made. Also, the identified approaches are strategic-based, consumer-based, relational-based, specificity-based and evaluation-based. What emerges from the MDS is that there are two perspectives of analysis of the alliance that characterize them: the inside–outside and the wide–narrow points of view. Research limitations/implications Limitations are mostly referred to the methodologies and the level of subjectivity they imply. For example, they are not only the choices made concerning keywords to be used and, consequently, the articles included in the analysis, but also the MDS that offers broad autonomy to the researchers in interpreting the data. Originality/value The originality of this research is that it fills an emerged gap concerning a literature review on co-marketing alliances, supporting future research in this field of study. The identification of the approaches underlines what may be lacking, providing interesting insights on possible avenues for future research.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1075-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Sundtoft Hald ◽  
Jan Mouritsen

PurposeThis research aims to explore the enabling and constraining effects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and speculate on how these can be linked to the four generic roles of operations management (OM) proposed by Slack et al.Design/methodology/approachThis research understands ERP as boundary objects characterised by modularity, abstraction, accommodation, and standardization. An in‐depth cross‐disciplinary literature review and role synthesis is conducted.FindingsFour enabling and three constraining effects of ERP are deduced from existing literature. ERP and OM are linked conceptually. Based on the identified effects of ERP, the paper speculates on the managerial tasks of the production and operations manager (POM) in an ERP environment and lists a set of central concerns of potential relevance to POM and to future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe identified roles of ERP and their implications could be empirically tested using case based and survey research.Practical implicationsThe results provide insights into how ERP has multiple and parallel roles, and how these roles are relevant to the function of OM. Such knowledge is valuable for practicing POMs in managing the implementation and design of ERP to support the different domains of OM.Originality/valueCurrent studies of the effects of ERP and their link to the practice of OM tend to focus on one or a few roles of the emerging system. Such studies do not properly take into account the modularised and pluralistic nature of ERP. This research provides a platform from where future research on the effects, managerial dilemmas and implications of ERP can be reconciled across research communities.


VINE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano García-Fernández

Purpose – The aims of this paper are: to identify the dimensions of knowledge management (KM), and to propose a model for KM that will be useful for future researchers in carrying out KM measurement. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review of theoretical and empirical contributions to KM. Findings – The results obtained show that the creation, transfer and storage, and implementation and use are dimensions of the concept of KM. On the basis of these dimensions, this study proposes a model integrating these dimensions and operationalizes it using selected items, so that future researchers may carry out measurements using the proposed model. Practical implications – The study implies that companies and researchers use a smaller time in theoretical checks and can devote to measurements which develop improvements. Originality/value – The present model differs from other, previous models in that it integrates various approaches to the study of KM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Joy M. Rooney

Purpose This paper aims to systematically review the current literature on compassion in mental health from a historical, service user and carer (SUAC)/academic researcher perspective with respect to the current paradigm/biomedical model. Design/methodology/approach Searches were conducted in CIANHL Complete, Academic Search Complete, British Education Index, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Scorpus, Proquest Central using a simplified PRISM approach. Findings In the UK, the SUAC-movement facilitated the adoption of more compassionate mental health in statutory services. Across the world, compassion-based approaches may be viewed as beneficial, especially to those experiencing a biomedical model “treatment”. Health-care workers, suffering burnout and fatigue during neoliberal economics, benefit from compassion training, both in their practice and personally. Randomised control trials (RCTs) demonstrate compassion-type interventions are effective, given sufficient intervention timing, duration and design methodology. Psychology creates outcome measures of adequacies and deficiencies in compassion, demonstrating their importance statistically, with reservations. The effective protection of mental health by self-compassion in both SUACs and health care professionals is evident. It is clear from qualitative research that SUACs prefer compassionate mental health. It also makes a large difference to mental health in general populations. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are given, including a necessity to fund RCTs comparing compassionate mental health interventions with the biomedical model. Unless statutory mental health services adopt this emerging evidence base, medics and their SUACs will continue to rely on pharmaceuticals. Originality/value This is the first integrated literature review of compassion in mental health from a historical, SUAC/academic researcher viewpoint using all research methodologies.


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