scholarly journals Energy Management Application in Construction Projects in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
◽  
Abed Ayash ◽  
Sherif Mohamed ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Management Application ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Factors driving contractors to implement energy management strategies in construction projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
Abed Ayash ◽  
Sherif Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Energy Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
And Training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors driving Palestinian construction contractors to implement energy management strategies during the execution of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted by administering a questionnaire that comprised 26 drivers for adopting energy management strategies. Data were collected from 67 contractors in the Gaza Strip. Factor analysis was adopted to explore the underlying relationships among the identified drivers. Findings Drivers were grouped into one of the four categories: economic and financial, institutional and legal, organisational and managerial and educational and informational. The results revealed that the majority of the respondents were of the view that economic and financial factors were the most important factors driving the adoption of energy management strategies by construction companies in the Gaza Strip. Of the economic and financial drivers, the cost savings derived from the adoption of energy management strategies was considered the most important item. Energy management education and training programmes are scarce in the Gaza Strip, and local contractors have no formal energy management education and training. The government needs to allocate sufficient funds for policy implementation and regulation enforcement. Research limitations/implications Difficulties in accessing energy management data are deemed as a limitation to this study, as the topic of energy management in the construction has received no or very little academic attention so far. Practical implications This study provides a valuable reference for studying ongoing research in the practice of energy management development in other industries and locations. The priority of the drivers for energy management will help the local contracting companies to focus on weak and strong points of the company for energy use development to remove these weak points and invest in strong points. This paper results can increase the encouragement for greater social responsibility of the contracting organisations towards energy use. Government and concerned organisations can get benefits from the identified factors in encouraging contractors to adopt energy management strategy in their projects. Originality/value This study is the first investigation of energy management aspects in a local construction industry, especially from contracting organisations.

ATTITUDES OF CLIENTS TOWARDS UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
Ayat Al Sweity
Keyword(s):  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Ethical Awareness ◽  
Construction Organizations ◽  
Evaluation Phase ◽  
The Gaza Strip

This paper investigates the attitudes of clients towards unethical behavior in construction projects in the Gaza Strip. A questionnaire survey was adapted in this study. A total number of 220 questionnaires were distributed to construction projects clients and 162 questionnaires were returned, a 73.6% response rate. The results indicated that most respondents agreed there is a positive relationship between ethical behavior and long-term profitability of construction organizations. The majority of respondents believed improving ethical practice for professionals could improve ethical performance in construction projects, while unethical behavior may decrease quality. Respondents indicated the major difficulty in developing a strong ethical awareness is that unethical behavior is the prevailing trend within the industry. Most organizations have an ethical code of conduct, but there is great difficulty in applying it due to political and economic conditions. Respondents agreed that the most serious phase in the construction project life cycle affected by unethical behavior is the construction phase, followed by the bid evaluation phase.

scholarly journals CAUSES OF VARIATION ORDERS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE GAZA STRIP

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
Faisal Arain ◽  
Sadi Al-Raee
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Proactive Measures ◽  
International Consultant

The maximum project performance would be achieved if the work invariably flows smoothly within time limits and anticipated budget. Variation orders result in time delay, cost overrun, quality defects, and other negative impacts. This is common in construction projects in Gaza Strip. The main objective of this study was to analyze the causes of variation orders in construction projects in Gaza Strip. The causes of variation orders in construction process in Gaza Strip were investigated through questionnaire survey of 36 classified construction companies, 25 consultants and 15 owners. 64 causes of variation orders were identified from literature review. The study results identified the top ten most important factors that include lack of materials and equipment spare parts due to closure, change in design by consultant, lack of consultant's knowledge of available materials, errors and omission in design, conflicts between contract documents, owner's financial problems, lack of coordination among project parties, using inadequate specification for local markets by international consultant, internal politics, and change is specification by owners. In general, the study shows an agreement among owners, consultants and contractors regarding the ranking of the 64 factors causing variation orders. The results al‐so reveal that factors related to consultant are the most important causes of variation orders followed by the factors related to owner. An understanding of the causes of variation orders would be helpful for building professionals in assessing variation orders. Furthermore, the study would also assist professionals in taking proactive measures for reducing variation orders in construction projects. The findings from this study would also be valuable for all construction professionals in general. Santrauka Projektas bus efektyviausias, jei darbai vyks nuolatos ir sklandžiai, neviršijant terminu ir numatyto biudžeto. Del pake‐itimu nurodymu projektas užtrunka, viršijamos sanaudos, atsiranda kokybes trūkumu ir patiriamas kitoks neigiamas poveikis. Tai būdinga Gazos ruože vykstantiems statybu projektams. Pagrindinis šio tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti, kokios priežastys Gazos ruožo statybu projektuose lemia pakeitimu nurodymus. Priežastys, lemiančios pakeitimu nurodymus Gazos ruožo statybu procese, buvo tiriamos atlikus 36 tam tikros kategorijos statybos imoniu, 25 konsultantu ir 15 savininku apklausa. Apžvelgus literatūra nustatytos 64 pakeitimu nurodymus lemiančios priežastys. Atlikus tyrima, buvo nustatyti dešimt svarbiausiu veiksniu, iskaitant medžiagu ir atsarginiu irangos daliu trūkuma del uždarymo, projekto konsultanto pakeitimus, nepakankamas konsultanto žinias apie galimas medžiagas, projekto klaidas ir trūkumus, vienas kitam prieštaraujančius sutarties dokumentus, finansines savininko problemas, veiksmu koordinavimo trūkuma tarp projekto dalyviu, tarptautinio konsultanto naudojamas vietiniu rinku neatitinkančias specifikacijas, vidaus politika ir savininku pakeitimus specifikacijoje. Apskritai tyrimas rodo, kad savininkai, konsultantai ir rangovai sutaria del to, kaip pagal svarba išsidesto 64 veiksniai, lemiantys pakeitimu nurodymus. Be to, rezultatai rodo, kad su konsultantu susije veiksniai yra svarbiausios pakeitimu nurodymu priežastys, o antroje vietoje – su savininku susije veiksniai. Statybu specialistams suprantant, kokios priežastys lemia pakeitimu nurodymus, tokius nurodymus jiems vertinti būtu lengviau. Be to, tyrimas padetu specialistams imtis aktyviu priemoniu, kad statybu projektuose pakeitimu nurodymu būtu mažiau. Šio tyrimo išvados taip pat būtu naudingos visiems statybu specialistams apskritai.

Risk Management Strategies in Construction Organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 406-413
Author(s):  
Shabbab Ajami Alhammadi ◽  
Bassam A. Tayeh ◽  
Wesam S. Alaloul ◽  
Tareq J. Salem
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Construction Organizations ◽  
Risk Management Strategies ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Background: Construction projects are among the riskiest businesses due to the number of factors involved that are difficult to control; hence, the popularity of risk management as part of the decision-making process in construction organizations is increasing. Despite the advancements, there are various risks involved that lead to project failure. Aim: Thus, this study aims to assess the risk management strategies in construction organizations in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Methods: Seventy questionnaires were distributed after subjecting them to pretesting and pilot study that confirmed the validity and reliability of the questions. The target respondents included engineers and consultants from the construction organizations, Ministry of Works and Housing, and international agencies. The questionnaire was retrieved with a 65.71% response rate. Results: Results indicated that the most popular method of risk factor determination in the Gaza Strip is the “checklist” (RII=84%). For tools/methods of risk analysis, relying on experience in the direct assessment is the most prominent, with an RII of 78%. For the methods of avoiding risk before the project implementation, dependence on experience in the work for preparing and planning was ranked highest (having RII of 81.6%). Finally, follow-up on the implementation to avoid rework, with an RII of 77.6%, was ranked highest among other factors of avoiding risk during the construction projects implementation. Conclusion: This study highlights the key risk management strategies that will be beneficial for the construction industry stakeholders to resolve the unwanted risk failures in the construction industry.

scholarly journals FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE GAZA STRIP

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
Sherif Mohamed ◽  
Saleh Abushaban
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Project Leadership ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Local Construction ◽  
Project Participants ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Construction projects located in the Gaza Strip, Palestine suffer from many problems and complex issues. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the performance of local construction projects; and to elicit perceptions of their relative importance. A comprehensive literature review was deployed to generate a set of factors believed to affect project performance. A total of 120 questionnaires were distributed to 3 key groups of project participants; namely owners, consultants and contractors. The survey findings indicate that all 3 groups agree that the most important factors affecting project performance are: delays because of borders/roads closure leading to materials shortage; unavailability of resources; low level of project leadership skills; escalation of material prices; unavailability of highly experienced and qualified personnel; and poor quality of available equipment and raw materials. Based on these findings, the paper recommends that: 1) project owners must work collaboratively with contractors and facilitate regular payments in order to overcome delays, disputes and claims; 2) project participants should actively have their input in the process of decision‐making; and 3) continuous coordination and relationship between project participants are required through the project life cycle in order to solve problems and develop project performance. Santrauka Statybos projektai Gazos Ruože, Palestinoje, kenčia nuo daugelio problemų ir sudėtingų klausimų. Todėl pagrindinis šio straipsnio tikslas yra nustatyti veiksnius, darančius įtaką vietos statybos projektams įgyvendinti, ugdyti suvokimą apie jų santykinę svarbą. Iš viso 120 respondentų buvo suskirstyti į tris pagrindines projektų dalyvių grupes: savininkai, konsultantai ir rangovai. Apklausa parodė, kad visos trys grupės sutinka, kad svarbiausi veiksniai, lemiantys projekto įgyvendinimą, yra: atidėliojimas, susijęs su sienų (kelių) uždarymu ir lemiantis medžiagų stygių; negaunamos atsargos; menki vadovavimo projektams įgūdžiai; nepagrįsta medžiagų kaina; patyrusio ir kvalifikuoto personalo stoka ir prasta įrankių ir žaliavos kokybė. Pasitelkiant šias išvadas, straipsnyje rekomenduojama: 1) projektų savininkai turi dirbti kartu su rangovais ir reguliariai atsiskaityti norėdami išvengti atidėliojimų, ginčų ir pretenzijų; 2) projekto dalyviai turėtų aktyviai dalyvauti priimant spendimus; 3) nuolatinė projekto dalyvių kontrolė ir jų tarpusavio santykis yra reikalingi per visą projekto įgyvendinimo ciklą norint išspręsti iškilusias problemas ir įgyvendinti projektą.

Key barriers to the implementation of energy-management strategies in building construction projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Enshassi ◽  
Abed Ayash ◽  
Sherif Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Construction ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Purpose Knowledge and application of energy management during the life cycle of construction projects are lacking. The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate the key barriers that are faced by contracting firms in the implementation of energy management during building construction projects focussing on construction plants, as they are considered as the major energy users on site. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was employed and distributed using stratified random sampling to 100 contracting companies operating in the Gaza Strip. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Programme for the Social Sciences (SPSS; Version 22) to identify the number of components that could represent the 31 identified barriers. Findings From the factor analysis, the barriers were clustered into four factors: economic and financial (which accounted for the largest percentage of variance), knowledge and information, legal and contractual, and organisational and management. This indicates that economic and financial aspects are the most important barrier impeding the implementation of energy management; local contractors should seriously consider this issue when making decisions about energy management during project construction. In addition, the lack of energy-management codes and lack of governmental support are significant obstacles to the implementation of energy management on construction sites. Research limitations/implications Although the objective of this study was achieved, there were some study limitations. This study is limited to the perceptions and geographical boundaries (i.e. the self-governing territory of Gaza Strip in Palestine as a developing country), therefore, it cannot be generalised. However, it could form the basis for useful comparison in the future. A future study may be carried out with a much larger sample size to validate the conclusions of this study. Triangulation research methods could also be employed in future research in order minimise the bias and validate the conclusion. Further study regarding energy management throughout the whole life cycle of the development is recommended. Practical implications This paper has highlighted a number of barriers to efficient energy management during the project construction phase. It is critical for local regulators to take note of the economic and financial barriers to facilitate a more energy-conscious society where incentives (could be via tendering preferences) can encourage both clients and contractors to proactively conserve energy during construction. As for the contractual barriers, the local government should lead by example in including “energy consumption” as a leading indicator for evaluating project performance. Originality/value This study also provides practical knowledge for stakeholders so that they can develop effective methods to overcome the identified barriers to attain higher levels of sustainable energy management. This study can contribute to knowledge in the developing countries context concerning energy management and conservation in construction projects.

scholarly journals Project Manager Interventions in Occupational Health and Safety During the Pre-construction Phase in the Gaza Strip

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bassam A. Tayeh ◽  
Rola O. Yaghi ◽  
Yazan I. Abu Aisheh
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Great Awareness ◽  
Safety Interventions ◽  
The Gaza Strip ◽  
The Impact

Background: Construction industry is classified as one of the most dangerous industries, where workers are exposed to accidents and risks. Objective: This study inspected the role of project manager in promoting Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) during the pre-construction phase in the construction projects in the Gaza Strip. Previous studies were reviewed in order to extract the impact of inadequate health and safety interventions in the construction projects throughout the world, and their applicability in the Gaza Strip was determined. Methods: This was achieved through a pilot study and a draft questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed in order to assess and evaluate the perception of project managers on the extent of their roles in promoting health and safety in the pre-construction phase. The sample size was 101, out of which, 77 completed questionnaires were returned by the respondents. Results: The study revealed that two project parameters, mainly affected by inadequate health and safety interventions, were quality and labour productivity. The main stage during which a project manager played a significant role in promoting health and safety was the planning stage, with “identifying specific safety issues from prior experience” being the highest sub-factor, which was followed by the designing stage, with “plan works at the design phase through a time schedule, citing the duration of processes, divided into steps and any process priority” being the highest sub-factor. Conclusion: Finally, there was the tendering stage, with “make ensure that facilities are provided on site for first aid and emergency medical treatment in the event of an accident” being the highest sub-factor. The results of this study show great awareness of a project manager in promoting health and safety in the pre-construction phase.

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