scholarly journals Understanding the key competencies of market-ready building surveying graduates from employers’ perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ittshaam Zaheer ◽  
Saheed O. Ajayi ◽  
Sambo Lyson Zulu ◽  
Adekunle Oyegoke ◽  
Hadi Kazemi
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Maintenance ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Personal Management ◽  
Key Competencies ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose This study aims to investigate the various competencies a graduate should hold to prepare them for graduate building surveying roles from employers’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sequential exploratory mixed-method approach by informing a quantitative study with the finding from a qualitative study. Findings Based on exploratory factor analysis, the study found that 13 essential competencies are valued by the employers when recruiting building surveying graduates, as they are requisites for effective job performance. Personal management skills, technical surveying knowledge and knowledge of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor standards are the essential competencies based on the level of variance extracted by the three components. Other competency categories include client management skills, being goal-driven and self-motivated, optimistic personality traits, strong mental resilience, building maintenance and management knowledge and time management skills, among others that are explained in the paper. Originality/value The essential competencies were dependent on maintaining a balance between knowledge, skills and personality-based competencies. Measures and approaches for gaining the essential competencies, as well as their level of significance, are further discussed. The study will be of significant benefits to employers of graduate building surveyors, academic institutions that are seeking to improve their graduate employability, as well as students who are preparing for the world of work.

Influences of key stakeholders’ involvement in maintenance management

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheong Peng Au-Yong ◽  
Azlan-Shah Ali ◽  
Faizah Ahmad ◽  
Shirley Jin Lin Chua
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Maintenance ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Maintenance Service ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose Proper maintenance management ensures a long-term investment and provides a support function in business continuity to achieve organisational goal. However, inadequate involvement and participation of key stakeholders in maintenance management limit the continuous improvement of maintenance performance. Currently, there is a lack of studies about the influence of key stakeholders’ involvement in maintenance. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to deal with enhancement of maintenance management through the involvement of key stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted a mixed method approach to determine the relationship between involvement of key stakeholders in maintenance management and maintenance effectiveness. The approach comprised of literature review, questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings This research suggests a positive correlation between involvement of maintenance manager (MM), maintenance staff, organisation, user and maintenance service provider (SP) in improving the effectiveness of maintenance management. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the involvement of MM and SP are significant predictors of maintenance effectiveness. The research further identified that there was a lack of involvement of the user and SP in maintenance management. Originality/value The research demonstrated that all key stakeholders should value the important roles of their participation in maintenance management to ensure an optimum return on a long-term investment. To create the awareness for the involvement of key stakeholders in building maintenance, studies on the advantages of participating in building maintenance and the impacts of ignorant towards building maintenance can be beneficial to the industry.

A systematic review of principal time use research

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-232
Author(s):  
Craig Hochbein ◽  
Abby Mahone ◽  
Sara Vanderbeck
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Time Use ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Principal Preparation Programs ◽  
History Of ◽  
Positive Correlations

PurposeTo advance the study of principal time use (PTU), the purpose of this study is to report findings from a systematic review of PTU research. In addition to identifying common findings, this study also examined the supporting evidence and methodologies of PTU studies. From this dual approach, this study specified the evidence that supports claims about PTU, as well as identified areas requiring future examination.Design/methodology/approachA systematic reference review process considered 5,746 potential PTU manuscripts. The inclusion criteria identified 55 studies published between 1920 and 2015. This review synthesized data pertaining to the methodologies and findings of PTU research.FindingsFindings from studies conducted across decades indicated that principals worked extensive hours. Moreover, the workdays of principals consisted of brief and unrelated activities, most often focused on noninstructional tasks. Contrary to common hypotheses, studies indicated that PTU dedicated to administrative tasks exhibited positive correlations with educational outcomes. However, claims about PTU have been derived from samples overrepresented by large urban school districts and limited periods of observation.Practical implicationsFuture studies should implement diversified sampling strategies and extended observation periods. For principal preparation programs, the results indicated an opportunity for increased instruction on time management skills.Originality/valueThis systematic review identifies the overlooked history of the research and specifies the evidence that supports common claims about PTU, which provides empirically derived guidance for future PTU studies.

Leadership in a time of financial crisis: what do we want from our leaders?

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 612-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlene Haddon ◽  
Catherine Loughlin ◽  
Corinne McNally
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Crisis Leadership ◽  
Organizational Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain a nuanced understanding of what employees want from leaders in an organizational crisis context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a mixed methods approach to explore employee leadership preferences during organizational crisis and non-crisis times using the Multi Factor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio and Bass, 2004), and qualitative interviews. The authors also investigate sex roles using the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1981). Findings – The mixed method approach reveals some potential limitations in how leadership is typically measured. The qualitative findings highlight employees’ expectations of leaders to take action quickly while simultaneously engaging in continuous communication with employees during crisis. None of the components of transformational leadership encapsulate this notion. Originality/value – The mixed methods approach is novel in the crisis leadership literature. Had the authors relied solely on the quantitative measures, the importance of continuous communication during crisis would not have been apparent. As a result of this approach, the findings suggest that widely used and accepted measures of leadership may not adequately capture leadership in a crisis context. This is timely as it aligns with current literature which questions the way this construct is operationalized (Van Knippenberg and Sitkin, 2013).

An evaluation of the impacts of construction professionals’ conflict on performance in the Nigerian construction industry

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamen Sunkanmi Adeyemi ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Professional Organization ◽  
Southwestern Part ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Great Performance ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate impacts of construction professionals (CPs) conflict on performance in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI).Design/methodology/approachA quantitative method was used for this research. Questionnaires were sent to various CPs in Southwestern part of Nigeria. A total of 150 questionnaires were sent out, while 135 were gotten back from the partakers. The data received from the partakers were computed by applying descriptive and exploratory factor analysis.FindingsIn this study, conflict leads to the abandonment of the CPs’ task being rated highest by the participants. This was followed by conflict that results in insufficient communication, generates job pressure, results to frustrations and displeasure among the CPs, helps in early problem identification, causes work damage among professionals, helps in solving professional organization problems, improves productivity of professionals, improves communication among the professionals and so on.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to CPs that are members of professional bodies in Nigeria, and only 135 participants participated. Though, this paper suggests that a mixed-method approach should be utilized in further studies with a wider coverage.Practical implicationsThe findings from this paper will increase the understanding of CPs in Nigeria on various impacts of conflict on performance in the construction industry, most specifically the professional bodies. Moreover, this study will increase the knowledge of CPs to always avoid whatever that leads to the abandonment of their tasks. Additionally, this study will benefit the CPs to avoid insufficient communication among themselves, in order to accomplish great performance and efficiency in their respective professional bodies.Originality/valueSince previous studies on impacts of construction conflict in Nigeria were only focused on contractors and consultants in construction project, this current study filled the gap by evaluating the impacts of CPs’ conflict on performance in the NCI. Also, the method of analysis used for this study is exemptional because previous studies have overlooked the method. However, it is recommended that CPs must communicate more with others so as to ensure favorable conflict effects on performance.

Expatriate assignments: the “same” job may require different tasks

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-239
Author(s):  
Scott Martin ◽  
Reynold James
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Task Differences ◽  
Expatriate Assignments ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Given a specific job, this paper aims to examine if the tasks change when moving from one country to another, and if so, whether such changes are at least partly a function of environmental factors. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach (surveys and interviews) with professional-level expatriates based in the UAE. Findings The results indicated that the “same” job often required different tasks depending on the country. Given a matching job between home and host countries, 66 per cent of respondents indicated that the job was different and on average, 20 per cent of the job was perceived to be different. Environmental forces did account for meaningful task differences. Legal and regulatory forces were a particularly important driver of task differences. Practical implications It is important to consider potential task differences in connection with expatriate assignments. Attending to task differences can have a positive impact on staffing, development and management processes. Originality/value Given the “same” job, the specific tasks may be different depending on the country.

scholarly journals Exploring future cityscapes through urban logistics prototyping: a technical viewpoint

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Graham ◽  
Rashid Mehmood ◽  
Eve Coles
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Supply Chain Design ◽  
Theory Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Unique Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this technical viewpoint is to provide a commentary of how we went about using logistics prototyping as a method to engage citizens, science fiction (SF) writers and small- to medium- sized enterprises (SME’s). Six urban logistic prototypes built on the themes of future cities, community resilience and urban supply chain management (SCM) are summarized, together with details of the data collection procedure and the methodological challenges encountered. Our investigation aimed to explore the potential of logistics prototyping to develop “user-driven” and “SME” approaches to future city design and urban supply chain decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – This Boston field experiment was a case study investigation conducted between May and August 2013. Qualitative data was collected using a “mixed-method” approach combining together focus groups (MIT faculty), scenarios, prototyping workshops, interviews and document analysis. These story-creators could use the prototype method as a way of testing their hypotheses, theories and constrained speculations with regard to specified future city and urban supply chain scenarios. Findings – This viewpoint suggests that the prototyping method allows for unique individual perspectives on future city planning and urban supply chain design. This work also attempts to demonstrate that prototyping can create sufficiently cogent environments for future city and urban SCM theories to be both detected and analysed therein. Although this is an experimental field of the SCM theory building, more conventional theories could also be “tested” in the same manner. Research limitations/implications – By embedding logistics prototyping within a mixed method approach, we might be criticized as constraining its capability to map out the future – that its potential to be flexible and imaginative are held back by the equal weighting given to the more conventional component. In basing our case study within one city then this might be seen as limiting the complexity of the empirical context – however, the situation within different cities is inherently complex. Case studies also attract criticism on the grounds of not being representative; in this situation, they might be criticized as imperfect indicators of what transpires in other situations. However, this technical viewpoint suggests that in spite of its limitations, prototyping facilitates an imaginative and creative approach to theory generation and concept building. Practical implications – The methodology allows everyday citizens and SME’s to develop user-driven foresight and planning scenarios with city strategists’ and urban logistic designers. It facilitates much broader stakeholder involvement in city and urban supply chain policymaking, than current “quantitative” approaches. Social implications – Logistics fiction prototyping provides a democratic approach to future city planning and urban supply chain design. It involves collectively imagining socio-technical futures and second-order sociological effects through the writing of SF narratives or building “design fictions”. Originality/value – Decision-making in future cities and urban SCM is often a notable challenge, balancing the varying needs and claims of multiple stakeholders, while negotiating an acceptable trade-off between their competing claims. Engagement with stakeholders and active encouragement of stakeholder participation in the supply chain aspects of future cities is increasingly a feature of twenty-first century social decision-making. This viewpoint suggests that the prototyping method allows for unique individual perspectives on future city planning and urban supply chain design. This work also attempts to demonstrate that prototyping can create sufficiently cogent environments for future city and the urban SCM theories to be both detected and analysed therein. Although this is an experimental field of SCM theory building, more conventional theories could also be “tested” in the same manner.

scholarly journals Using complexity and volatility characteristics to guide hybrid project management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Costantini ◽  
Jon G. Hall ◽  
Lucia Rapanotti
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe paper aims to provide methodological support for hybrid project management, in which the discipline of predictive methodologies combines with the flexibility of adaptive ones. Specifically, the paper explores the extent complexity and volatility dimensions of organisational problems inform choices of PM methodologies both theoretically and in current practice, as a first step towards better methodological support for hybridisation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes a mixed method approach, including both secondary research and primary research with practitioners. Primary research consists of a small scale survey (n = 31) followed by semi-structured interviews, with findings triangulated against secondary evidence.FindingsThe paper provides empirical insights on how complexity and volatility of organisational problems can inform hybrid project management practices. Specifically, it suggests a mapping between volatility and complexity dimensions and predictive and adaptive risk controls as a first step towards the systematisation of hybrid combinations in projects.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the small participant sample, the research results may lack generalisability.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of methodological support for setting up hybrid projects in practice.Originality/valueThe paper addresses a gap acknowledged both in the literature and by practitioners.

Borrowing place brands: product branding from SMEs in the publishing industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-75
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Noorda
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Publishing Industry ◽  
Book Industry ◽  
Book Publishing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Place Brand ◽  
Online Book ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically test how company size affects the use of Scotland’s place brand in product branding by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the book industry in Scotland. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed-method approach to investigate place brand adoption for product branding by SMEs in the Scottish book industry through the analysis of Scotland’s place brand identifiers in a corpus of 208 online book blurbs. Findings Results from the analysis show that, amongst SMEs in the Scottish publishing industry, smaller companies are more likely to use Scotland place brand identifiers in product marketing. Originality/value This is the first study to analyze book blurbs from a marketing perspective and it is one of the few articles on product-place co-branding. Additionally, branding in SMEs is a relatively new and uncharted area of research to which this study contributes, and branding in book publishing is also a scarcely researched area, to which this study offers new, empirical data about the relationship between place brands and product brands.

Shared leadership and team creativity

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1805-1822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiji Lyndon ◽  
Ashish Pandey ◽  
Ajinkya Navare
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Team Learning ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cognitive Trust ◽  
Team Creativity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Method Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Method Approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the theoretical understanding and conceptualization of shared leadership by examining the impact of cognitive trust as an antecedent of shared leadership. Further, the study examines the mediating effect of team learning on relationship between shared leadership and team creativity.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a mixed method approach with sequential explanatory research strategy. Using a survey questionnaire, data from 44 teams were collected at two different time points. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 22 teams to explain the results that emerged from the quantitative study.FindingsThe study found that cognitive trust positively influences shared leadership. Further, team learning fully mediates the relationship between shared leadership and team creativity. The major themes that emerged from the qualitative study are participant's experiences of shared leadership in team, reasons to exert leadership, reasons to accept leadership and consequences of shared leadership.Practical implicationsOrganizations can enhance team creativity by promoting shared leadership in the organization.Originality/valueThis study examines the mediating process of team learning between shared leadership and team creativity. Mixed method approach adopted in the study explains the shared leadership process by building on both quantitative and qualitative research.

Managers’ perceptions of the accountability of corporate university programs, involvement in the corporate university programs and commitment to the organization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Tong ◽  
Ronald L. Jacobs ◽  
Yarong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Corporate University ◽  
Corporate Universities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
University Programs ◽  
Moderate Relationship ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose What remains uncertain with corporate universities is the contribution they provide to their organizations, particularly when considered from the perspective of managers. Managers are important stakeholders, as they may participate in carrying out the mission and policies that govern the corporate university and participate in the programs offered. Organizations would benefit from knowing more about the perceptions of managers. The purpose of this paper is to study managers’ perceptions of the accountability of two corporate university programs in China and its relationship with the managers’ overall involvement in corporate university programs and their commitment to the organization. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in two state-owned organizations in China, a country in which many organizations have adopted corporate universities. A mixed-method approach was used to carry out the study. Findings The results showed that there was a moderate relationship between the managers’ perceptions of the accountability of corporate university programs, based on two management development programs and managers’ involvement in corporate university programs and their commitment to the organization. The results also showed a low relationship between managers’ involvement in their corporate university programs and commitment to the organization. Originality/value The findings provide implications for managing corporate universities in China and enhancing the accountability of these initiatives. The study serves as a basis for future studies involving corporate universities and on the accountability of and involvement in training.

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