scholarly journals Labor waste in housing construction projects: an empirical study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soraya Nassri ◽  
Saeed Talebi ◽  
Faris Elghaish ◽  
Kayvan Koohestani ◽  
Stephen McIlwaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Housing Construction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
High Level

PurposeHigh-level labor waste is a major challenge in construction projects. This paper aims to identify, quantify and categorize labor waste in the context of Iranian housing construction projects.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a case study approach, with empirical data collected through direct observations and semi-structured interviews.FindingsHaving triangulated the findings from the literature review and empirical studies, a list of eight types of waste was derived for the thirteen observed laborers in ten case study projects. The empirical studies allowed the labor waste identified from the literature to be verified and refined by considering it in the context of the observed activities, and led to two new types of waste being identified which were not considered in the literature. Findings indicate that nearly 62% of laborers' time is spent on non-value-adding activities. It appeared that “unnecessary movement,” “waiting” and “indirect work” make up the highest labor waste.Research limitations/implicationsThis research focuses only on onsite resource flows in a housing construction site. It does not include offsite flows such as material delivery to site.Originality/valueThe findings have provided substantial evidence on type and amount of labor waste and provide a solid basis to stimulate construction actors to participate in reducing labor waste and improving productivity.

How Australian manufacturing firms perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in the supply chain

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Fayezi ◽  
Ambika Zutshi ◽  
Andrew O'Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Sector Data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address an important question which centres on investigating how do manufacturing businesses perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in their supply chains (SCs). Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was utilised and data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with ten organisations in the Australian manufacturing sector. Data analysis was conducted using analytic techniques based on, for example, pattern matching and cross-case synthesis. Findings – Findings confirmed that there is some ambiguity concerning the understanding of the terms agile and flexible, both within and between organisations. The implications are that there is often little consistency in the way the terms are operationalised and then applied. In this regard, and to inform future research, the paper offers empirically grounded definitions for SC agility and flexibility. Moreover, four propositions are developed and discussed which shed light on the dynamics of agility and flexibility in the SC. Originality/value – This is one of the first empirical studies to address some of the apparent inconsistencies between organisational applications of agility and flexibility, and their impact on SC operations.

Social urbanism: public policy and place brand

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Place Brand ◽  
The City

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on how a public policy designed to address a social problem ultimately became the place brand.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a qualitative case study approach focusing on the city of Medellín, Colombia. It draws from fieldwork conducted in Medellín over 2014 and 2015, including semi-structured interviews with an array of local stakeholders.FindingsThe paper concludes that local governments should be aware that the policymaking process can become part of their branding. It also shows the importance of the continual involvement of stakeholders in the place brand process to ensure it is a sustainable brand.Originality/valueThere are limited studies which focus on how a public policy designed to address a social problem ultimately becomes the place brand. This paper shows how a public policy, social urbanism, became the branding of Medellín.

Value co-creation in the B2B context: a diagnosis of knowledge management based on multiple case studies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Bonamigo ◽  
Camila Guimarães Frech ◽  
Ana Carolina Custódio Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Multiple Case Studies ◽  
Knowledge Asymmetry ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to empirically investigate how organizations delivering services in business-to-business relations deal with the boundary paradox and knowledge asymmetry in value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative multiple case study strategy. Datas were gathered through 13 semi-structured interviews that were then analyzed through the content analysis. Findings The authors identified three mechanisms that organizations use to deal with the boundary paradox and two strategies to handle the knowledge asymmetry. Research limitations/implications First, no opportunities were afforded to involve more participants. Second, owning to confidentiality reasons, not all organizations provided us documents to be analyzed. Practical implications The findings guide managers in balancing the use of contracts and trust in inter-firm collaborations and fostering the learning of customers. Also, insights to protect knowledge based on the paradox of openness in value co-creation. Originality/value This study’s findings address the gap in value co-creation literature concerning the lack of empirical studies.

The use of environmental performance indicators in “the greenest city in Europe”

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Alpenberg ◽  
Tomasz Wnuk-Pel ◽  
Philip Adamsson ◽  
Johannes Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Municipal Managers ◽  
Environmental Performance Indicators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine why and how municipal managers and CEOs for municipally owned companies use the environmental performance indicators. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach as a research design was used. In total, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among managers for administrative departments and municipal company CEOs. Findings This study found that the environmental performance indicators are used by department managers mainly for resource allocation, control and for teaching the employees. The CEOs of the municipal companies use the environmental indicators for communicating with external stakeholders and see the indicators primarily as marketing tools. The main reason why the environmental performance indicators are used in the municipality can be the strong demand from the local politicians to push the “green agenda,” and therefore the managers have to comply. Research limitations/implications As in any case study, generalizations from the research should be made with care, but since this is only one municipality, further research is needed to find additional evidence. Practical implications The findings of this study have a number of implications for future practice, and it is worth mentioning that clear guidelines for how the information could be made more useful for managers at the managerial level in Växjö municipality (VM) are requested for both the municipal managers and the CEOs. Social implications Overall, this study strengthens the idea that environmental performance indicators could be used to a larger extent for communicating with external stakeholders both for municipal departments and companies. Originality/value The research adds to the literature by examining different patterns of using environmental performance indicators in a unique setting – in VM, which is called “the greenest city in Europe” and is one of the “pioneers” in environmental work and extensively uses performance indicators.

scholarly journals Sustainability Practice of a Multinational Oil Company in Nigeria: A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Charles Afam Anosike
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Community Relations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Oil Company

Environmental degradation and socioeconomic dilemma continue to affect agricultural productivity in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Several works of literature confirm the high level of pollution and contamination of land and water as a result of over 50 years of oil production in the region. The effects of environmental pollution continue to aggravate the hardship of the local people, which generates development friction, threaten oil operation, and mutually contrive relational efforts, by so invoking mistrust between oil companies and the host communities. Sustainability programs of oil companies often provide the channel to engage and promote community relations from which projects are conceived and executed. Despite sustainability efforts of oil companies, the region continues to experience oil spills and environmental degradation.Hence, the current research explores the sustainability efforts of a multinational oil company to establish whether the company’s leadership makes environmental considerations and to identify possible corrections that could be adopted to achieve sustainable value. For this purpose, the paper employed a single case study approach using open-ended interview sessions in collecting data. Research data were gathered from a sample of 20 experienced sustainability practitioners of the oil company, partnering nonprofit organizations, and community leaders through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data were segmented and categorized. The data analysis process revealed several themes regarding the challenges and shortfalls of sustainability programs in the region. The evidence found suggests that implementing a transparent and inclusive sustainability management system is essential to enable a systems view in contemplating sustainability programs. In so doing, oil MNCs leaders could enable effective environmental consideration in their sustainability programs to help reinvigorate productive agriculture and ensure continuing oil operation.

scholarly journals Introducing an innovation promotion model for construction projects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Fernando ◽  
Kriengsak Panuwatwanich ◽  
David Thorpe
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Relationship Enhancement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Comprehensive Study

PurposeThis study aims to investigate and model the complex dynamics of innovation enablers in construction projects aiming to develop a framework identifying actions for clients to promote innovation.Design/methodology/approachThrough a comprehensive literature review, a conceptual model was previously derived to explain the client-driven enablers in promoting innovation. This was tested using the data from 131 Australian construction projects. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data using factor analysis and correlation analysis to test the model, which was validated using the case study approach. The testing and validating aspects are explained in this paper.FindingsThe constructs of the recommended model are idea harnessing, relationship enhancement, incentivization and project team fitness.Research limitations/implicationsThe difficulty of analyzing the complex dynamics happening within projects in relation to innovation has been a barrier to progress research in this area. The introduction of this model would pave the way for researchers to explore this area with ease.Originality/valueAs revealed in the detailed literature review undertaken, this is the first time that a comprehensive study has been conducted to identify client-led innovation enablers for construction projects. The results would benefit industry practitioners to achieve enhanced project outcomes in construction projects through innovation.

Does project culture matter? A comparative study of two major hospital projects

Facilities ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (13/14) ◽  
pp. 801-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Zuo ◽  
George Zillante ◽  
Zhen-Yu Zhao ◽  
Bo Xia
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
Project Culture ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
Project Level

Purpose – This research aims to investigate the impacts of project culture on the performance of construction projects. Cultural issues in the construction industry have attracted growing attention from both practitioners and academia. However, there are few studies on culture issues at the project level. The influence of project culture has not traditionally been on the research radar. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach, utilising questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews and review of project documents, was used to investigate project culture and its associated impacts in two major hospital projects. Findings – The results indicated that project culture played an important role in achieving harmonious relationships between project participants and better project outcomes in terms of schedule, functionality, satisfaction with the process, satisfaction with the relationships, environmental issues addressed commercial success, further business opportunities and overall performance. Case 1 outperformed Case 2 in these performance indicators. Similarly, it became clear that the project’s culture should be developed from the outset and sustained during the project period. Furthermore, it was also highlighted that the project culture should be translated to all levels of the supply chain, i.e. sub-contractors and suppliers. Practical implications – The findings enabled the client to understand the role of project culture and actively commit towards the development and maintenance of the project culture from very early on. It also helps project teams to understand how to deal with cultural issues at the project level. Originality/value – This study is one of limited empirical studies that offer in-depth insights of how project culture affects the performance of construction projects. It is also the first study of hospital projects on the research topic.

Coaching and mentoring in higher education institutions: a case study in Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-322
Author(s):  
Ahmed Nawaz Hakro ◽  
Priya Mathew
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach

PurposeUniversities and higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly recognizing the value of coaching for professional and organizational development. This study is designed to investigate whether Cognitive Coaching, implemented as a programme in an HEI in Oman, made any difference to the behaviour and attitudes of employees holding leadership positions in academic, administrative and professional services departments. It also explored the factors that hindered or supported the coaching programme and offers recommendations to strengthen coaching initiatives in similar contexts.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect feedback from the 15 participants of the programme. A case study approach was adopted in this study for an in-depth examination of the effectiveness of coaching interventions.FindingsThe findings suggest that coaching can be an effective approach, facilitating personal and professional development and also contributing to the achievement of organizational goals.Research limitations/implicationsAs a case study of a coaching programme in a single institution, the findings of the study are not generalizable to other contexts, though a “thick description” of the context in which the study took place will enable institutions in similar contexts to draw lessons from the experience.Practical implicationsThis study discusses the benefits of a coaching programme for an HEI in the Middle East. Suggestions to strengthen coaching include board level endorsement and sensitivity to cultural nuances in coaching relationships.Social implicationsOne of the effects of a coaching programme is the collegial atmosphere that it can foster. This can have wider impacts on the community as there is more open communication and trust engendered amongst employers and employees belonging to different cultural backgrounds.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to report the findings of a systematically organized coaching programme in an HEI in the Middle East.

Agency as the achievement of reform ownership

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-262
Author(s):  
Lauren Godfrey ◽  
Carol Booth Olson
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teacher Expertise ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Advance Student ◽  
Current Reform

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how, through the cultivation of reform ownership in the professional development (PD) program, the Pathway Project, agency was achieved for the development of teacher professionalism and teacher expertise in the cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes. This, in turn, provided opportunities to advance student learning. Design/methodology/approach Multiple sources of data (focused classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and collected artifacts) were analyzed through a case study approach to understand the processes by which an agentic context materialized for these two teachers. Findings The authors identified the following three stages in the cultivation of reform ownership in the cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes: emerging; developing; and deepening. Each of these stages proved critical to the achievement of agency for the development of teacher professionalism, teacher expertise and student learning. Originality/value The cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes offer a renewed vision of the ways in which teachers can achieve agency in the current reform environment. Given the proliferation of reform efforts within today’s educational landscape, their cases suggest that PD developers take seriously the responsibility of cultivating reform ownership for the achievement of agency and deep and lasting change.

Creation of firm performance through resource orchestration: the case of ÜLKER

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rifat Kamasak
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Data

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the complex interaction of different resource sets and capabilities in the process of performance creation within the context of resource-based theory. Design/methodology/approach – An inductive case study approach that included multiple data collection methods such as in-depth interviews, observation and documentation was utilized. Findings – Organizational culture, reputational assets, human capital, business processes and networking capabilities were found as the most important determinants of firm performance within the context of Ülker case study. Originality/value – Although large-scale empirical studies can be used to explore the direct resource–performance relationship, these quantitative methods bypass the complex and embedded nature of intangibles and provide only a limited understanding of why some resources are identified as strategic but others are not, what their roles are, and how these resources are converted into positions of competitive advantage. However, understanding of complex nature of resources that are embedded in organizations designates the need for more fieldwork-based qualitative studies. This study aims to address this gap by providing a thorough understanding about the managerial and organizational processes through which the resources become valuable.

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