scholarly journals The Primacy of As-Built Drawings in the Management of Underground Utility Operations: A New Zealand Study

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 399
Author(s):  
Sami Maree ◽  
Funmilayo Ebun Rotimi ◽  
James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Skills Acquisition ◽  
Major City ◽  
Construction Operations ◽  
Underground Utilities ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
City Centres ◽  
Construction Works

There are increasing incidences of damages to underground utilities and services during maintenance and construction works. These have posed significant challenges to utility owners regarding the magnitude and costs associated with remediation works. Therefore, this study investigates the management activities for underground utility maintenance works in New Zealand to establish the significance of as-built drawings as a mitigator of these challenges. Data for the analysis was obtained through a questionnaire survey of asset owners, consultants, and contractors based in three major city centres in New Zealand. The responses are analysed descriptively and inferentially for ease of understanding of the study findings. The findings established the challenges around the as-built records, which were significant to utility damages during construction operations in New Zealand. The study participants highlighted other factors such as poor project management, site records, communication, excavation operator competencies, and inadequate site inventory. Generally, more investment in asset documentation is recommended for asset owners. Innovative approaches to information capture, monitoring and updating of as-built drawings are also suggested to improve on current routine processes. Other solutions relate to skills acquisition and development in the management of underground utility maintenance projects.

scholarly journals Priorities and approaches to investigating Asian youth health: perspectives of young Asian New Zealanders

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Wong ◽  
Roshini Peiris-John ◽  
Amritha Sobrun-Maharaj ◽  
Shanthi Ameratunga
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Youth Leaders ◽  
Asian Youth ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
New Zealanders

INTRODUCTION: The proportion of young people in New Zealand identifying with Asian ethnicities has increased considerably. Despite some prevalent health concerns, Asian youth are less likely than non-Asian peers to seek help. As preparatory research towards a more nuanced approach to service delivery and public policy, this qualitative study aimed to identify young Asian New Zealanders' perspectives on best approaches to investigate health issues of priority concern to them. METHODS: Three semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted with 15 Asian youth leaders aged 18–24 years. Using an inductive approach for thematic analysis, key themes were identified and analysed. FINDINGS: Study participants considered ethno-cultural identity, racism and challenges in integration to play significant roles influencing the health of Asian youth (especially mental health) and their access to health services. While emphasising the importance of engaging young Asians in research and service development so that their needs and aspirations are met, participants also highlighted the need for approaches that are cognisant of the cultural, contextual and intergenerational dimensions of issues involved in promoting youth participation. CONCLUSION: Research that engages Asian youth as key agents using methods that are sensitive to their cultural and sociological contexts can inform more responsive health services and public policy. This is of particular relevance in primary health care where culturally competent services can mitigate risks of unmet health needs and social isolation. KEYWORDS: Asian; minority health; New Zealand; youth

scholarly journals Identification of Factors Causing Delays in Construction Projects in Algeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Salhi Roumeissa ◽  
Messaoudi Karima ◽  
Sassi Boudemagh Souad
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Organization And Management

Time is an indicator of project performance, and along with cost and quality factors, it is the project roadmap, as it determines its success. In Algeria, among the problems often encountered in the construction of projects are timeouts. A questionnaire survey was conducted with experts in the field of construction, in order to know the factors causing delays in projects. The results show that the managerial factors (relating to planning, organization and management) are the most important in Algeria. Therefore, the use of Project Management is essential, given the need to promote this area in terms of processes and tools used, to allow the various project stakeholders to optimize the planning of activities and resources, to complete the project. project in a timely manner and reach the stage of project success. Recommendations were proposed and managerial solutions were suggested using the guide of PMBOK version 5.

scholarly journals Parents’ Responses to Relational Bullying in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tegan Brown
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Bullying Prevention ◽  
Cultural Shift ◽  
Bullying Perpetration ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Relational Bullying ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
Insight Into

<p>Relational bullying is a significant and widespread issue that is experienced by many young people in New Zealand. To implement effective and consistent prevention and intervention strategies, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of everyone involved. However, there is currently limited research on parents’ perspectives of relational bullying. While research in the field of bullying prevention is increasingly focused on the perspectives and responsibility of multiple parties, a significant gap in the literature remains: the perspectives of the parents of children who are involved as perpetrators of bullying, as well as those parents of children who are both bullies as well as victims. The present doctoral research yielded findings describing parents’ responses to their child’s involvement in relational bullying, including those involved in bullying perpetration. This project was comprised of three studies focussing specifically on relational bullying. The first study examined parents’ responses to hypothetical scenarios depicting their child perpetrating or experiencing exclusion, rumour spreading, and manipulation. The second study asked parent participants to reflect on any actual experience they had with supporting their child as a victim or perpetrator of relational bullying. In the third study, participants reflected on their own experiences with relational bullying during their childhood or adolescence, considering the continued impact on their current lives and on their parenting. Data collection was via one anonymous, online survey. These qualitative responses were analysed thematically to produce both individual study findings and overarching themes that reflected the participants’ perspectives. The responses revealed that parents respond to the three distinct forms of relational bullying (exclusion, rumour spreading, and manipulation) in different ways, with some forms of relational bullying viewed as less serious than others. In addition, the findings provide insight into how parents supported their child when they were involved in relational bullying perpetration. Parents responding to their child’s involvement in the perpetration of relational bullying often took action, assisted their child to make amends, and continued to monitor their child’s progress. When parent participants considered their own experiences of relational bullying, they identified being deeply impacted by the bullying at the time it happened, and they explained that it continued to have an ongoing impact on their current lives and on their parenting behaviour with their own children. The findings from the project overall illustrate the need for a cultural shift in the attitudes towards bullying that permeate the New Zealand context.</p>

Home and away: A national mixed-methods questionnaire survey of host and migrant Registered Nurses in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-173
Author(s):  
Margaret Brunton ◽  
Catherine Cook ◽  
Léonie Walker ◽  
Jill Clendon ◽  
Nilo Atefi
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Questionnaire Survey

Effect of using project management tools and techniques on SMEs performance in developing country context

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-466
Author(s):  
Seydou Sane
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight, through a theoretical and empirical analysis, the expected effects of the use of tools and techniques of project management on the performance of SMEs in Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data from a questionnaire survey of 157 SMEs in Senegal. The sample was chosen for convenience. Also, for data processing, the author mobilized descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression analysis. Findings Regardless of size, SMEs use project management tools and techniques. Their use positively and significantly influences their business and social performance. Also, the size of the SME is positively and significantly associated with the use of tools and techniques; however, the results show that the older the SME, the less it uses such tools and techniques. Research limitations/implications This research provides an overview of the tools and techniques of project management used by SMEs and their contribution to performance, everything that can support them in choosing the appropriate tools and techniques to respond to their needs. A limitation of this research is that it does not mention the tools that contribute the most to the performance of the SMEs. Originality/value Contrary to the results of some previous research studies on SMEs in Africa, showing that the way in which SMEs operate in Africa is often characterized by less use of formal management tools, for cultural and institutional reasons, this research shows that these have a very appreciable degree of openness to project management tools and techniques.

scholarly journals Dietary Patterns in New Zealand Women: Evaluating Differences in Body Composition and Metabolic Biomarkers

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakeela N. Jayasinghe ◽  
Bernhard H. Breier ◽  
Sarah A. McNaughton ◽  
Aaron P. Russell ◽  
Paul A. Della Gatta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Dietary Pattern ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Plasma Leptin ◽  
Metabolic Biomarkers

The combinations of food consumed together (dietary patterns) may have a greater influence on health than nutrients or food groups consumed independently. This study investigated the relationship between dietary patterns, body composition and metabolic biomarkers of premenopausal New Zealand women from three ethnic groups. In total, 408 New Zealand European, Māori and Pacific women aged 16–45 years participated in the Women’s EXPLORE (EXamining Predictors Linking Obesity Related Elements) study. Participants completed a 220-item food frequency questionnaire. Several body composition parameters and metabolic biomarkers were measured. Dietary patterns were extracted by principal component analysis and dietary pattern scores were categorised into tertiles to assess links with other measured parameters. Women with higher scores for the ‘refined and processed’ pattern were younger, had higher body mass index, total body fat, plasma leptin and plasma insulin (p < 0.001), and lower plasma ghrelin levels (p < 0.05) than women with lower scores. In addition, more Māori (51%) and Pacific (68%) women followed the ‘refined and processed’ pattern, while more New Zealand European women (40%) followed the ‘sweet and savoury snacking’ pattern. These data show that dietary pattern analysis is a useful tool to assess links between diet and metabolic health. It further reveals interesting ethnic group-specific differences in dietary pattern use.

scholarly journals Possible risks in construction of the facility in cramped conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 06021
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Aleksanin
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Traffic ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Construction Equipment ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Project Quality ◽  
Underground Utilities ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Historical Objects ◽  
Construction Works

Today, we often have to deal with the implementation of works on the construction of buildings and structures in the central regions of large cities with already established buildings. This is especially true when implementing projects for renovation or reconstruction of historical objects. The article analyzes the main types of restrictions for construction in cramped conditions. For example, heavy traffic and pedestrians, the presence of underground utilities, the lack of sites for storing materials, difficult access to structures for their survey, the inability to use large construction equipment, etc. Cramped conditions create a whole range of restrictions for the construction works, which can lead to the emergence of a certain group of risks. The article discusses the main risk groups in construction (financial, temporary, project, quality) and their causes. In the article each of the restriction in the construction in cramped conditions and the risks that they can cause are analyzed.

Investigating the managerial ‘‘nuts and bolts’’ for the construction industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-348
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Boon Hui Yap ◽  
Ian Ni Chow
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Construction Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Control ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
And Control

PurposeManagerial shortfalls can considerably undermine the delivery performance of construction projects. This paper appraises the project management essentials (PMEs) for successful construction project delivery.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a detailed literature review, a questionnaire survey was developed encompassing 20 PMEs that were identified. An opinion questionnaire survey was used to facilitate data collection from key construction stakeholders in the Malaysian construction industry. The survey data were subjected to descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis.FindingsFindings indicated that the leading PMEs are competency of the project team, competency of project manager, good leadership, effective planning and control and realistic cost and time estimate. Spearman’s rank correlation tests affirmed a good agreement on the ranking of PMEs across stakeholder groups. The present study found that PMEs for construction have a total of four dimensions, namely: scope, communication and competence management; stakeholder commitment and collaborative engagement; construction time–cost planning and control; and environment, health, safety and quality management.Practical implicationsThe findings could potentially contribute to the development of appropriate project management best practices to address managerial shortfalls in Malaysia and other developing countries.Originality/valueThis paper bridges the identified knowledge gap about critical managerial dimensions for successful project management in construction. The present study adds to the existing body of knowledge around this under-explored area in the construction management literature.

Application of Risk Significance Index Score to Construction Projects in Malaysia

2013 ◽  
Vol 838-841 ◽  
pp. 3102-3108
Author(s):  
Boon Hoe Goh ◽  
Byung Gyoo Kang ◽  
Chung Lian Liew ◽  
Wee Kang Choong ◽  
Tuck Wai Yeong
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Index Score ◽  
Project Risk ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
Potential Risks

Risk management is one of the most important areas in project management particularly in the construction industry. However it is not possible to analyze all of the potential risks as it will require too much time and effort. Therefore in order to identify and analyze the significant risks, the risks should be categorized and ranked. This research applied the concept of risk significance index score to construction projects in Malaysia. A comprehensive list of 40-potential risks has been developed through literature review and an interview survey. A questionnaire survey was conducted to produce project risk significance index score for the risks. The ranks of the risks have been identified and solutions for the significant risks have been produced through interviews. This research proves the practical use of risk significance index score for construction projects in Malaysia.

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