scholarly journals Project Partnering in the Construction Industry: Theory vs. Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Hosseini ◽  
Paulos Windimu ◽  
Ole Jonny Klakegg ◽  
Bjorn Andersen ◽  
Ola Laedre
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
The Real ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Contract Form ◽  
Interaction Behaviors ◽  
Practical Implications

Clarification of what partnering is and its practical implications may help the construction industry to achieve the full benefits of this concept. The purpose of this study is to shed more light on how the partnering concept as practiced in real-life projects compares with the way partnering is described in the literature by exploring the hard (formal/contractual) elements of this concept. By this, we aim to identify discrepancies between theory and practice and help clear up the confusion that results from conflicting definitions of partnering. This investigation is based on a literature study and 39 interviews with respondents from 44 construction projects classified as partnering projects. Findings reveal that the discrepancies between theory and practice are remarkable: either the practitioners have misunderstood what partnering entails or the minimum requirements are too stringent and do not reflect the real-life use of the concept. Observation from case projects shows that no partnering hard element is applied in all studied projects. Partnering projects may share the partnering label, but use different sets of hard elements. Partnering can be identified as being present through a range of features, characteristics and interaction behaviors. This concept should be studied as an enacting strategy that can be adopted by various contract models rather than simply as an alternative contract form.

Experiential Learning in Graduate Archival Education at the University of Botswana

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olefhile Mosweu
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Archival Theory ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
The Real ◽  
The University

Most curriculum components of archival graduate programmes consist of contextual knowledge, archival knowledge, complementary knowledge, practicum, and scholarly research. The practicum, now commonly known as experiential learning in the global hub, is now widely accepted in library and information studies (LIS) education as necessary and important. It is through experiential learning that, over and above the theoretical aspects of a profession, students are provided with the opportunity to learn by doing in a workplace environment. The University of Botswana’s Master’s in Archives and Records Management (MARM) programme has a six weeks experiential learning programme whose purpose is to expose prospective archivists and/or records managers to the real archival world in terms of practice as informed by archival theory. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which the University of Botswana’s experiential learning component exposes students to real-life archival work to put into practice theoretical aspects learnt in the classroom as intended by the university guidelines. This study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data through interviews from participants selected through purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Documentary review supplemented the interviews. The data collected were analysed thematically in line with research objectives. The study determined that experiential learning does indeed expose students to the real world of work. It thus helps to bridge the gap between archival theory and practice for students without archives and records management work experience. For those with prior archival experience, experiential learning does not add value. This study recommends that students with prior archives and records management experience should rather, as an alternative to experiential learning, undertake supervised research, and write a research essay in a chosen thematic area in archives and records management.

Repetitive Project Modelling With Penalty and Incentive

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Shurrab ◽  
Ghaleb Y. Abbasi ◽  
Osama Eljamal ◽  
Jalal T. Tanatrah
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Suggested Model ◽  
The Real ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Numerical Example ◽  
Graphical Technique ◽  
Project Model ◽  
Repetitive Activities

Repetitive construction activities have the same activities which are performed repeatedly. Repetitive projects include: pipelines, highways, and multi-story buildings. Repetitive projects have been modelled widely using the traditional network techniques although, they have some disadvantages. Furthermore, different approached have been developed for repetitive activities including the graphical and analytical techniques. The objective of this research is to add new enhancements on an approach called Repetitive Project Model (RPM) which is related to the repetitive construction projects. The enhancements incorporating the incentives and penalties within the RPM. This model incorporates a network technique, a graphical technique, and an analytical technique. A numerical example was demonstrated in this research paper to aid on using the suggested model in the real-life application.

Knowledge management for construction organisations: a research agenda

Kybernetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1778-1800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vipula Sisirakumara Gunasekera ◽  
Siong-Choy Chong
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Conversion ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to review the knowledge management (KM) processes, knowledge conversion modes and critical success factors (CSFs) and contextualise them to the construction setting to guide effective KM implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual in nature. It begins with a review of issues faced by construction organisations, which led them to consider implementing KM. This is followed by a comprehensive review of KM processes, knowledge conversion modes, KM CSFs and their application to the construction industry.FindingsBased on the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) model, the knowledge conversion modes are discussed, linking them to the KM processes of knowledge creation, sharing, storage and application. The KM CSFs identified from construction literature suggest that they can be categorised into two groups, namely, factors within organisational control (managerial influence, technological influence and resource influence) and factors beyond organisational control (social influence, political influence, environmental influence, economic influence, industry influence and construction technology influence). The resulting review is discussed in terms of how construction organisations can implement KM effectively to achieve the desired project performance outcomes in terms of time, cost and quality.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this paper has made some theoretical contributions, a quantitative analysis will further reinforce its value both in theory and practice, particularly in terms of applying the KM processes and CSFs to different organisational, industry and country settings. A quantitative research is being carried out in the major construction sector in Sri Lanka to establish the relationships between the KM processes, knowledge conversion modes and KM CSFs with project performance outcomes, which will be reported in a subsequent publication.Practical implicationsAs the construction industry uses a considerable number of knowledge workers, implementing KM for project planning and execution is the key to sustaining the growth of construction organisations and industry, particularly when KM implementation is linked to project performance outcomes. Practical implications are provided in terms of what successful KM implementation entails.Social implicationsEffective KM implementation can serve as a conduit for construction organisations to build capacity and develop the ability to react quickly to social challenges brought about by different stakeholders, even before the project commences, so that the project performance outcomes will not be affected. Another social implication is the role played by project team members, in which efforts have to be put in place to facilitate the use of KM processes, so that teams can align project activities to the general good of their organisations.Originality/valueA comprehensive KM framework that guides the construction industry on KM implementation is long overdue. This research represents the first of such attempts to view KM from a wider perspective, both in terms of internal and external influences affecting construction organisations. Once the conceptual framework developed is validated, it is expected to bring enormous benefits to different stakeholders.

Factors affecting tender price in the Ghanaian construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Kissi ◽  
Theophilus Adjei-Kumi ◽  
Edward Badu ◽  
Emmanuel Bannor Boateng
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose Tender price remains an imperative parameter for clients in deciding whether to invest in a construction project, and it serves as a basis for tender price index (TPI) manipulations. This paper aims to examine the factors affecting tender price in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature review, nine independent constructs and one dependent construct relating to tender pricing were identified. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among quantity surveyors in Ghana. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) examined the influences of various constructs on tender price development (TPD) and the relationships among TPD and TPI. Findings Results showed that cultural attributes, client attributes, contractor attributes; contract procedures and procurement methods; consultant and design team; external factors and market conditions; project attributes; sustainable and technological attributes; and TPI have a positive influence on tender price, whereas fraudulent attributes exert a negative influence. Practical implications The findings offer construction professionals broader understanding of factors that affect tender pricing. The results may be used in professional decision-making in the pricing of construction projects, as they offer clearer causal relations between how each construct will influence pricing. Originality/value This study adds to the body of construction pricing knowledge by establishing the relationships and degree of influences of various factors on tender price. These findings provide a valuable reference for practitioners.

scholarly journals An appraisal of the barriers to client involvement in health and safety in Nigeria’s construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nnedinma Umeokafor
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Client Involvement ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study that identified and assessed the barriers to client involvement in health and safety (H&S) in the Nigerian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of literature review and a pilot study, structured questionnaires were designed and administered to clients and their representatives in ongoing construction projects in Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were then adopted while analysing the data. Findings The research reveals that the major barriers to client involvement in H&S in Nigeria’s construction industry focus on the gaps created by lack of H&S legislation in specifying client roles and responsibilities in H&S, trust and confidence in the supply chain, low levels of awareness at various levels, procurement issues, the attitudes of the various members of the project team and resource-related issues. In total, 20 barriers to client involvement in H&S were identified and assessed. Practical implications Policy makers will find the study beneficial as it provides a good understanding of the issues to address while making policies that seek to involve the client in H&S in Nigeria. Originality/value While the findings offer insight on the barriers to client involvement in H&S in Nigeria’s construction industry, the study also contributes to the discourse in developing countries. The paper recommends transparent steps in procurement, H&S legislation that factors in economic incentives and community and financial institutions contributions to involving clients in H&S. The study is the first attempt to investigate the barriers to client involvement in construction H&S in Nigeria, contributing to the dearth of H&S literature in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Framing the Real: Lefèbvre and Neo-Realist Cinematic Space as Practice

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Brancaleone
Keyword(s):  
Film Theory ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Multidimensional Space ◽  
Spatial Practices ◽  
The Real ◽  
Cinematic Space ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The One

In 1945 Roberto Rossellini’s Neo-realist Rome, Open City set in motion an approach to cinema and its representation of real life – and by extension real spaces – that was to have international significance in film theory and practice. However, the re-use of the real spaces of the city, and elsewhere, as film sets in Neo-realist film offered (and offers) more than an influential aesthetic and set of cinematic theories. Through Neo-realism, it can be argued that we gain access to a cinematic relational and multidimensional space that is not made from built sets, but by filming the built environment. On the one hand, this space allows us to “notice” the contradictions around us in our cities and, by extension, the societies that have produced those cities, while on the other, allows us to see the spatial practices operative in the production and maintenance of those contradictions. In setting out a template for understanding the spatial practices of Neo-realism through the work of Henri Lefèbvre, this paper opens its films, and those produced today in its wake, to a spatio-political reading of contemporary relevance. We will suggest that the rupturing of divisions between real spaces and the spaces of film locations, as well the blurring of the difference between real life and performed actions for the camera that underlies much of the central importance of Neo-realism, echoes the arguments of Lefèbvre with regard the social production of space. In doing so, we will suggest that film potentially had, and still has, a vital role to play in a critique of contemporary capitalist spatial practices.

scholarly journals BIM-Enabled Virtual Reality Technology in Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (08) ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
Siddharth Jain ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Smart Environment ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
Road Map ◽  
The Impact

Construction 4.0 (a concept of Industry 4.0) is an ongoing transformation that aims at digitalization and automation of traditional construction and industrial practices using modern smart technology. The technological development especially of the construction sector is of utmost importance to meet the requirements of rapid construction projects aiming at quality work, increased productivity, and cost savings. One such technology that has come to the limelight is Virtual Reality (VR), which is a computer-generated smart environment that is artificially created using various types of hardware and software. This smart environment is created to resemble a real-life structure that can be explored, visualized, and interacted with by users using electronic devices for better decisionmaking before actual construction. The purpose of this paper is to design a Virtual Reality model using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and to examine the impact and influence of Virtual Reality Technology in the Indian construction industry with the help of a questionnaire survey. This study provides necessary information for implementing Virtual Reality technology in the construction industry. The results of this study provide a research road map to researchers for their future efforts.

Construction project productivity evaluation framework with expanded system boundaries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Zhan ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Le Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
System Boundaries ◽  
Content Type

PurposeWhile the investment in construction projects has increased over the past few decades, low construction project productivity (CPP) appeared to be persistent, thereby reflecting an “investment-in-failure” paradox between the investment and CPP. Hence, this paper aims to develop a systematic and holistic CPP evaluation framework to explain the apparent paradox in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first reviews the literature about the theories of system, production, principal–agent and project success evaluation to re-conceptualise the CPP and proposes a two-stage CPP evaluation framework. The framework is subsequently explored through a sequential qualitative mixed-methods design within the context of the Hong Kong construction industry by combining 32 semi-structured interviews with senior industry experts and exploratory case studies, with three real-life construction projects.FindingsThe paper identifies three system boundaries for CPP evaluation, that is, parameter, timeframe and stakeholder, and develops a two-stage CPP evaluation framework to indicate site efficiency and utilisation effectiveness, thereby accessing the productivity of both the construction and post-construction stages. The “investment-in-failure” paradox associated with current CPP evaluation approaches is primarily attributed to the narrowly defined CPP boundaries.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative exploration of the evaluation framework only focusses on the Hong Kong construction industry. Further case studies within other urban contexts could be used to improve the generalisability of the findings. Quantitative research is also necessary to advance theoretical development of the two-stage CPP evaluation.Practical implicationsThe systemic CPP conceptualisation and the two-stage CPP evaluation framework support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders and enable them to formulate holistic strategies for long-term CPP enhancement.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates the needs to expand the system boundaries of CPP to reflect its systemic value and to shift the paradigm of CPP evaluation from being output-orientated and quantity-focussed to being outcome-orientated and value-focussed.

The effect of the client–contractor relationship on project performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milind Jagtap ◽  
Sachin Kamble
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Relationship Commitment ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is first to examine the effect of client-led and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance in the Indian construction industry and second to assess how the client-led supply chain initiatives complement the contractor-led supply chain initiatives. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the effects of the client-led supply chain initiatives (reward power and competence trust of the construction clients) and the contractor-led supply chain initiatives (contractor integration and calculative commitment of the contractor) on project performance in construction projects are examined. The data were collected from 346 construction professionals working in Indian construction projects using purposive sampling. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The contractor-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of contractor integration and the calculative relationship commitment of a contractor, were found to be strong mediators, indirectly affecting the project performance. On the other hand, the client-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of the reward power of the client and the competence trust of the client, directly influence the project performance. Research limitations/implications This study reports the inevitable bias on the part of participants, who responded to the survey either in the capacity of client or contractor, although they might have executed projects in both capacities. Future studies could benefit from the use of objective data instead of behavioral data. Practical implications This study helps construction firms understand how to demarcate the client and contractor roles in the construction supply chain to improve the project performance. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its investigation of the influence of client-led supply chain initiatives and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance.

scholarly journals The Passing Fads and Emergent Trends of Project Culture in Construction Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghua He ◽  
Jin Li ◽  
Jingyuan Wan ◽  
Zhenyu Zhang ◽  
Zhen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Research Focus ◽  
Holistic Review ◽  
Hybrid Function ◽  
Project Culture

Project culture in construction industry is unique, distinguishing one project from others, and plays a role in the processing of construction projects. The aim of this paper is to conduct a holistic review of the extant literature and identify the future trends of project culture. The method of a systematic literature review was conducted to overview the extant articles on project culture in construction industry until 2019. After searching in ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, we obtained a total number of 31 papers and refinement was made by content analysis. Four aspects were analyzed: the nature of project culture, the diagnosis of project culture, factors influencing project culture, and research focus. It provides a map of project culture from philosophy paradigms. And findings show that research on project culture was mainly from the function paradigm (the integration position) in which culture can be manipulated for better project performance. A few from nonfunction paradigm (the fragment position) stressed sense making of project culture. This study proposes a framework consisting of a hybrid function/nonfunction paradigms and diagnoses project culture from explicit and implicit aspects. These findings make a firm foundation for the exploration of project culture from multiperspectives in theory and practice.

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