Factors affecting the delivery of optimum health and safety on construction projects during the covid-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benviolent Chigara ◽  
Tirivavi Moyo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of construction professionals relative to factors that affect the delivery of optimum health and safety (H&S) on construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a quantitative design which entailed the distribution of a web-based questionnaire among construction professionals, namely, architects, construction/project managers, engineers, H&S managers and quantity surveyors working for contractors and construction consultants in Zimbabwe. The data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Factor analysis was used to reveal interrelated significant sets of factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S. Findings Factor analysis revealed nine components/factors: change and innovation-related, monitoring and enforcement-related, production-related, access to information and health service-related, on-site facilities and welfare-related, risk assessment and mitigation-related, job security and funding-related, cost-related and COVID-19 risk perception-related factors as the significant factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe. Research limitations/implications The results highlighted the need for social dialogue among construction stakeholders to support initiatives that will enhance the delivery of H&S on construction projects. Construction stakeholders may find the results useful in highlighting the areas that need improvement to protect workers’ H&S during the pandemic. However, the small sample limits the generalisability of the results to construction sectors in other regions. Originality/value The study investigated factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 to inform interventions to enhance H&S.

Exploring the critical waste factors affecting construction projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Saad Bajjou ◽  
Anas Chafi
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
People Development ◽  
Communication And Coordination

PurposeWaste is typically encountered during the building's life cycle, from the design phase, through the construction phase, to modification and demolition. Most of these construction wastes are unnoticed or unattended by project managers, which lead to serious environmental problems. Effective waste reduction strategies will require a thorough and detailed understanding of the causes of construction waste. Hence, this paper aims to explore critical waste factors (CWFs) affecting the performance of construction projects.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review was carried out to determine these factors based on previous studies, from which a questionnaire was developed. Series of statistical analyses such as reliability analysis, Spearman Correlation, Kruskal–Wallis and factor analysis were performed on a total of 330 valid responses to identify latent factors responsible for wastes occurrence.FindingsThis study reveals 31 CWFs through evaluation of prior relevant studies carried out in several countries and then adjusted and validated through semistructured interviews. The significant differences in views within various groups of respondents with different organizational characteristics are highlighted. The results of factor analysis showed that there are six principal components extracted with 66.3% of variance explained (material-related factors; subcontractors and workers; planning, communication and coordination; people involvement and financial issues; people development strategies; and external factors).Originality/valueThis study differs from other studies in the literature by gathering all relevant waste factors including those related to nonphysical waste such as time, budget, workers and equipment. Furthermore, this paper will be of great interest to both practitioners and researchers since it brings various recommendations concerning the prevention/reduction of waste through lean construction for more sustainable construction projects.

scholarly journals Risk factors affecting the ability for earned value management to accurately assess the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maan Nihad Ibrahim ◽  
David Thorpe ◽  
Muhammad Nateque Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Earned Value ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Earned Value Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Factors Influencing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a set of risk-related factors influencing the earned value management (EVM) concept as an assessment technique in evaluating the progress of modern sustainable infrastructure construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach has been adopted for identifying risk-related factors influencing EVM concept from a literature review and through interviewing industry personnel, followed by an inductive process to form sets of key factors and their measuring items. Findings EVM is a common method for assessing project performance. A weakness of this approach is that EVM assessment in its current form does not measure the impact of a number of project performance factors that result from the complexity of modern infrastructure construction projects, and thus does not accurately assess their impact in this performance. This paper discusses and explains a range of potential risk factors to evaluating project performance such as sustainability, stakeholder requirements, communication, procurement strategy, weather, experience of staff, site condition, design issues, financial risk, subcontractor, government requirements and material. In addition, their measuring items were identified. Practical implications This research assists projects managers to improve the evaluation process of infrastructure construction performance by incorporating a range of factors likely to impact on that performance and which are not included in current EVM calculations. Originality/value This research addresses the need to include in the EVM calculation a range of risk factors affecting the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia and therefore makes this calculation a more reliable tool for assessing project performance.

scholarly journals Understanding off-site readiness in Indian construction organisations

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepthi Bendi ◽  
Muhammad Qasim Rana ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Jack Steven Goulding ◽  
Amit Kant Kaushik
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Descriptive Statistical Analysis

Purpose This paper presents a bespoke model for understanding off-site construction (OSC) readiness among Indian construction organisations. This model presents 17 variables for discussion, the results from which help support OSC strategic decision-making. Design/methodology/approach Factor analysis was used to investigate the relationship between variables to group them into factors. After identifying 26 different variables, these were reduced to 17 using factor analysis and categorised into four groups. Descriptive statistical analysis and factor analysis using SPSS was used to develop a hierarchy of factors that affect OSC readiness in India. These findings were reinforced by five domain experts to support the results. Findings Minimising on-site duration, ensuring cost and time certainty and transportation issues were identified as the three most important factors, whereas lack of guidance and scepticism were among the lowest factors affecting the Indian OSC sector. Research limitations/implications This research is specifically focused on OSC within the Indian construction sector. As such, data collection, propagation and analysis should be constrained to the population context regarding inference, generalisability and repeatability. Practical implications The proffered OSC readiness model offers OSC practitioners an ability to assess the OSC readiness of construction organisations in India. This includes the evaluation and benchmarking of processes in both strategic and operational phases, including highlighting areas of concern and scope for further development (to achieve optimal advantage of OSC methods). Originality/value Originality rests with the use of factor analysis and descriptive statistical analysis to study the influence of different construction-related factors and variables on the OSC sector in India. This impact readiness model is context-specific to the Indian OSC sector – providing a unique insight into the causal factors and dependencies that can affect the adoption and uptake of modern methods of construction in India.

Managing project scope creep in construction industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mian M. Ajmal ◽  
Mehmood Khan ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Petri T. Helo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeProject scope creep is a nightmare and nearly intolerable task. Most project managers struggle to curtail the expanse and degree of scope creep. This study examines different likely project scope creep factors associated with the construction industry projects.Design/methodology/approachAfter many brainstorming sessions with construction stakeholders, several project scope creep factors were identified. Then, a detailed survey was executed in big construction projects of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsThe results derived and validated five conspicuous factors leading to project scope creep. Respectively, the highest and the lowest impact on project scope appears to be imposed by tasks/specifications and complexity/uncertainty.Practical implicationsIt offers crucial support to the project stakeholders in scrutinizing different factors that stand as hurdles to project success and allows them to seek remedies to resolve them.Originality/valueIt is among the first study in the region that identifies and validates the factors that hinder construction project success.

scholarly journals Improving Labour Productivity in Ghanaian Building Construction Projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-169
Author(s):  
Benjamin Boahene Akomah ◽  
Roland William Lawson ◽  
Emmanuel Nana Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Materials Handling

Abstract Labour productivity is key to the success of every construction project. The paper seeks to determine the factors that affect labour productivity and proffer possible ways to improve it in building construction projects. The study was preceded by a literature review. Data used were primary data collected through the use of questionnaires. The total number of respondents was 175. Snowball sampling technique was used in sampling respondents. Factor analysis was performed on the data collected and mean scores were also generated. The findings of the study showed that the use of wrong equipment, misuse of time schedule, lack of training sessions, poor site organisation, lack of motivation for workers, delays in the supply of materials and rework were the critical factors affecting labour productivity in building projects of Ghana. However, the major ways of improving labour productivity in building construction projects, according to the study, were to correct bad behaviour that negatively influenced productivity, proper layout of site, to improve health and safety, to use proper materials handling systems and to set targets for employees. Management must put structures in place to restrict human, material and construction related factors. This is because giving concessions in these areas can take a toll on productivity.

scholarly journals Understanding employee turnover in humanitarian organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Nezih Altay ◽  
Stephen J Childe ◽  
Thanos Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
High Level

Purpose – At a time when the number and seriousness of disasters seems to be increasing, humanitarian organizations find that besides their challenging work they are faced with problems caused by a high level of turnover of staff. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the 24 variables leading to employee turnover identified by Cotton and Tuttle (1986) the authors analyse the work-related, external and personal factors affecting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations, using a survey of members of the Indian National Institute of Disaster Management. Findings – Results indicated that the three factors are present. Of the external factors, only employment perception had a factor loading over 0.7; of the work-related factors, all were significant; of the personal factors, biographical information, marital status, number of dependants, aptitude and ability and intelligence had the highest loadings. It was also shown that behavioural intentions and net expectation were not significant. Originality/value – Only a few studies reported on employee turnover and its reasons are not well understood in the context of humanitarian organizations. To address this need, the aim of this paper is to explore the personal reasons impacting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations. In the study the authors have adopted 24 variables used in Cotton and Tuttle (1986) and classified into constructs to explain turnover, and further tested the model using data gathered from humanitarian organizations.

Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 721-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Essmat Shouman ◽  
Nahla Fawzy Abou El Ezz ◽  
Nivine Gado ◽  
Amal Mahmoud Ibrahim Goda
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Functional Domain ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with early stage cancer breast under curative treatment at department of oncology and nuclear medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Identify factors affecting QOL among these patients. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study measured QOL among early stage female breast cancer (BC) patients and determined the main factors affecting their QOL. Three interviewer administered questionnaires were used. Findings – The physical domain mostly affected in BC patients and the functional domain least. Socio-demographic factors that significantly affected BC patients QOL scores were patient age, education, having children and family income. Specific patient characteristics include caregiver presence – a factor that affected different QOL scores. Age at diagnosis, affection in the side of the predominant hand, post-operative chemotherapy and difficulty in obtaining the medication were the disease-related factors that affected QOL scores. Originality/value – The final model predicting QOL for early stage female BC patients included age, education and difficulty in obtaining the medication as determinants for total QOL score. Carer presence was the specific patient characteristic that affected different QOL scores.

Productivity monitoring in building construction projects: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesam Salah Alaloul ◽  
Khalid M. Alzubi ◽  
Ahmad B. Malkawi ◽  
Marsail Al Salaheen ◽  
Muhammad Ali Musarat
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Productivity ◽  
Automated Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Meta Analyses

PurposeThe unique nature of the construction sector makes it fall behind other sectors in terms of productivity. Monitoring construction productivity is crucial for the construction project's success. Current practices for construction productivity monitoring are time-consuming, manned and error prone. Although previous studies have been implemented toward reducing these limitations, a gap still exists in the automated monitoring of construction productivity.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to investigate and assess the different techniques used for monitoring productivity in building construction projects. Therefore, a mixed review methodology (bibliometric analysis and systematic review) was adopted. All the related publications were collected from different databases, which were further screened to get the most relevant based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.FindingsA detailed review was performed, and it was found that traditional methods, computer vision-based and photogrammetry are the most adopted data acquisition for productivity monitoring of building projects, respectively. Machine learning algorithms (ANN, SVM) and BIM were integrated with monitoring tools and technologies to enhance the automated monitoring performance in construction productivity. Also, it was observed that current studies did not cover all the complex construction job sites and they were applied based on a small sample of construction workers and machines separately.Originality/valueThis review paper contributes to the literature on construction management by providing insight into different productivity monitoring techniques.

Who are sustainably minded apparel shoppers? An investigation to the influencing factors of sustainable apparel consumption

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyo Jung Chang ◽  
Kittichai (Tu) Watchravesringkan
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
College Student Sample ◽  
Buying Behaviour

Purpose Consumers’ environmental behaviours are not only the result of their positive attitudes towards environments, but also different reasons and motivations exist. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to find out important factors affecting sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Applying the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study further examines how knowledge about sustainable apparel, perceived money availability, and perceived accessibility to the store influence sustainable apparel consumption. Design/methodology/approach Using a purposive college student sample, 235 usable responses were collected to answer the questions. An exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis was first performed followed by confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation modelling analysis. Findings Results revealed that the TPB was successfully applied in the context of sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Furthermore, it was found that consumers’ perceived money availability and perceived store accessibility are important factors that affect control beliefs and sustainable consumption. Research limitations/implications This study found the needs of educating college students for contexts of environmental apparel and textiles issues. Originality/value Even though previous literature often found the gap between the behavioural intentions and the actual behaviour, this study found the respondents of this study walk their talk. This study successfully applied the TPB to explain consumers’ sustainable apparel buying behaviour.

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