scholarly journals Critical Barriers to Social Sustainability: the Quantity Surveyors’ Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Ohene ◽  
Gabriel Nani ◽  
Mershack Opoku Tetteh
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
Adequate Education ◽  
Quantity Surveying

Although the advocacy for Social Sustainability consideration in the construction industry has been on the rise, however, the practice of Social Sustainability (SS) is plagued with many barriers. The barriers that hinder practices of SS in the construction industry has to be carried out. Notwithstanding, not much research works has been undertaken regarding the barriers that hinder SS in the construction industry. The aim of the study is to explore the critical barriers to social sustainability from the perspective of the quantity surveyor. A comprehensive literature review was conducted and nineteen (19) variables (barriers) were identified. Structured questionnaires were designed and were answered by 110 out of the total sample size of 120 Quantity Surveying professionals recognised by the Ghana Institute of Surveyors (GhIS) representing approximately 92% response rate. The data collected were analyse using Factor Analysis. The study found out that Socio-cultural barriers, Political and Technical barriers, knowledge or awareness barriers and financial barriers are the underlying group barriers for the 19 identified barriers. The study further revealed that, among the four underlying groups, Political and Technical barriers was the most dominant. This draws special attentions to the government’s position in ensuring effective consideration in promoting social sustainability practices as well as the technical knowledge needed in the SS practices in Ghana. The study as well raises the awareness and the need to ensure adequate education, training and professional development. Again, this study adds to sustainability literature by analysing the critical barriers to achieving social sustainability from the perspective of the Quantity Surveyor. The findings and recommendations of this study will help practitioners and policy makers in taking appropriate measures to overcome the barriers and thereby promoting the integration of social sustainability into quantity surveying practices.

scholarly journals Access to Healthcare for Immigrant Children in Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3320
Author(s):  
Bukola Salami ◽  
Alleson Mason ◽  
Jordana Salma ◽  
Sophie Yohani ◽  
Maryam Amin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Social Determinant ◽  
Immigrant Children ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Immigrant Parents ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University

Immigrants experience poorer health outcomes than nonimmigrants in Canada for several reasons. A central contributing factor to poor health outcomes for immigrants is access to healthcare. Previous research on access to healthcare for immigrants has largely focused on the experience of immigrant adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate how immigrants access health services for their children in Alberta, Canada. Our study involved a descriptive qualitative design. Upon receiving ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, we invited immigrant parents to participate in this study. We interviewed 50 immigrant parents, including 17 fathers and 33 mothers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the themes that emerged. Findings reveal that systemic barriers contributed to challenges in accessing healthcare for immigrant children. Participants identified several of these barriers—namely, system barriers, language and cultural barriers, relationship with health professionals, and financial barriers. These barriers can be addressed by policymakers and service providers by strengthening the diversity of the workforce, addressing income as a social determinant of health, and improving access to language interpretation services.

A Practitioner’s Perspective on Realignment

2016 ◽  
Vol 664 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-235
Author(s):  
Wendy S. Still
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Interagency Collaboration ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Alternatives To Incarceration ◽  
Level I ◽  
The City

This article offers a practitioner’s perspective on California’s criminal justice Realignment. Drawing on my direct experience implementing Realignment as the chief probation officer in the city and county of San Francisco, I argue that the San Francisco case illustrates how decarceration can occur without compromising public safety, and I offer a set of lessons for practitioners and policy-makers about how to achieve decarceration despite local political, organizational, and cultural barriers. Specifically, I identify interagency collaboration, investment in community corrections and a commitment to alternatives to incarceration and community engagement with the families of both victims and offenders as key facilitators of decarceration at the local level. I urge observers not to dismiss these lessons as idiosyncratic to San Francisco’s unique locale. Rather, my experience has been that even San Francisco’s exceptionally hospitable local culture is not enough to successfully implement reform; structural arrangements that institutionalize the practical implementation of cultural commitments to reduce reliance on incarceration are required.

scholarly journals Role of Leadership in Transforming the Profession of Quantity Surveying

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Ofori ◽  
Shamas-ur-Rehman Toor
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Knowledge Leadership ◽  
Quantity Surveying

The construction industry is facing a period of change. The roles ofthe professions involved in the industry in general, and of quantitysurveyors in particular, are also changing. There are opportunitiesfor surveyors to seize the initiative to broaden their involvement inprojects, and attain strategic positions within the industry. However,they will have to improve upon their skill sets and their knowledgebases. Senior quantity surveyors interviewed in Singapore sharedtheir views on the challenges facing the construction industry,and their profession. They suggested that the quantity surveyingprofession would only be able to address the pressing issues itfaces if it pays more attention to innovation and the development ofits people. It should be able to attract and retain talent. Knowledgemanagement will be of critical importance. This will be enabled andfacilitated by knowledge leadership.

Assessing the Green Supply Chain Management for the United Arab Emirates Construction Industry

2019 ◽  
pp. 1306-1327
Author(s):  
Sreejith Balasubramanian ◽  
Balan Sundarakani
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Green Supply Chain Management ◽  
Green Supply Chain ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Environmental Agencies

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry has been witnessing an unprecedented growth in the last two decades. As a result, the sector is facing a major challenge of reducing the carbon footprint and thus creating major concern for the governments and the environmental agencies in the UAE. The chapter discusses the role of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) in achieving sustainability in the UAE construction industry. The various stages of GSCM applicable to the construction industry are critically assessed along with green performance measures in achieving environmental, economic and operational performance. Finally, the chapter provides a list of recommendations that could be used by practitioners and policy makers in implementing and measuring sustainability practices in the construction industry.

Requisite Sustainable Development Contemplating Buildings

2022 ◽  
pp. 269-288
Author(s):  
Parul Bhyan ◽  
Bhavna Shrivastava ◽  
Nand Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Environment Sustainability

Sustainable development is a requisite for future generation, as increasing urbanization, destruction of natural resources by anthropic activities, degrading ecosystems for the sake of present economic development at cost of environmental exploitation are increasing by each passing day on earth. The goal of this chapter is to provide meaningful insights for policy-makers and decision-makers towards sustainable development in the construction industry. This study is first-of-its-kind study focusing on the Sustainable Developments Goals and sustainability dimensions and their criteria and indicators in one compilation through literature study. The study concludes that there is a need to integrate the construction industry into the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets to test the built environment sustainability and there is a need to develop the most adequate frameworks for commencing the topic. Two possible frameworks suggested for future research recommendation needed for the Indian context to enhance sustainability within construction industry are based on LCSA and MCDM analysis.

scholarly journals Innovate or Perish? Exploring some of the Myths of Construction Innovation

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Loosemore
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Global Competition ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Innovation Research ◽  
Global Innovation ◽  
The Face

The construction innovation literature suggests that managers face a stark choice. They can innovate or perish in the face of growing global competition and an increasingly uncertain and dynamic world. Innovation is presented as a key area of reform needed to raise business performance, yet at the same time it is argued that Australia is falling behind in the global innovation stakes. Evidence suggests that the Australian Construction sector is a poor innovation performer when compared to all-industry averages and contributes relatively little to the national innovation effort. Drawing on international innovation research, this paper argues that these views are overly simplistic and explores some of the myths that surround the process in the construction industry. Through interviews with some of Australia’s leading innovators and policy-makers it suggests that many of the factors that are said to drive innovation are not as straight forward as they may seem. There are important qualifications to consider and it would seem that construction innovation is a highly interactive and amorphous process, involving many people with multiple interests dealing with day-to-day challenges.Keywords: Innovation, opportunism, strategy, risk.

scholarly journals Evaluating critical success factors for implementing smart devices in the construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1625-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Alexander Silverio-Fernandez ◽  
Suresh Renukappa ◽  
Subashini Suresh
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success

Purpose The decentralisation of information and high rate of mobile content access in the construction industry provides an ideal scenario for improvement of processes via the implementation of the paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart devices are considered as the objects interconnected in the IoT; therefore, they play a fundamental role in the implementation of digital solutions during the execution of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to assess the critical factors for a successful implementation of smart devices in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was performed in the Dominican Republic. This country, located at the heart of the Caribbean, presents an economy that strongly relies on the construction industry. Following a systematic approach, a qualitative data collection and analysis was performed based on semi-structured interviews and content analysis to professionals of construction companies in the Dominican Republic, enquiring the concept of smart devices and critical success factors for implementing the devices in the industry. Findings The key success factors obtained from the contestants were leadership, technology awareness, company size, usability of proposed solution, cost of implementation and interoperability. Originality/value This paper provides information to clients of the construction sector regarding the benefits of embedding smart devices into their business activities. Furthermore, this study provides a better understanding of the key factors to be considered by construction organisations when embedding smart devices into their projects. This study also provides recommendations for distinct stakeholders of the construction sector, such as policy makers, clients and technology consultants. Policy makers should especially consider factors such as technology awareness and leadership to develop the right policies for the integration of the IoT in construction projects. Technology consultants should be aware of the latest case studies of successful implementation of smart devices and IoT systems in the world in order to adapt and implement smart devices and IoT in their projects.

Low Embodied Energy Sustainable Building Materials and Technologies

2015 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
P.S. Chani ◽  
Rajesh Deoliya
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Energy Materials ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
The World ◽  
New Buildings ◽  
Sustainable Building Materials

Construction industry is one of the largest consumers of the natural resources and responsible for substantial amount of CO2emission in the world. The purpose of this paper is to carry out comprehensive literature review on the low embodied energy materials and techniques used in the existing and / or new buildings in India. The paper also compares the conventional building materials and techniques, with alternative ones to assess their superiority. An investigation into the energy consumed by the building materials and techniques is computed to find out the embodied energy requirements to prove superiority of innovative construction techniques over traditional materials.

FACTORS INFLUENCING MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO SAFETY PERFORMANCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud ◽  
Mohd. Hamdan Ahmad ◽  
Yahya Mohd. Yatim
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Safety Climate ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Design For Safety ◽  
Research Outcome

The significance of safety commitment to improving safety performance and reducing risk is widely accepted and substantive research has been conducted globally in order to improve the safety performance of the construction industry such as: “safety commitment”, “design for safety”, “safety culture”, “safety climate”, “behavior base safety BBS”. Despite the research and improvements that have been made through the years, construction stakeholders are continuously being challenged with occurrences of injury on site. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the factors, which influence of management commitment toward improving safety performance in the construction industry of Nigeria. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 software. The results of the study showed that “involvement of workers in the preparation of safety programs for the site” and “appropriate issuance of motivational directives by the top management to enhance safety” significantly impact on the safety performance of construction stakeholders. Thus, the research outcome would be of benefit to top management of construction companies, policy makers and building development approvers.

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.

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