scholarly journals Mind the Gap: A Policy Gap Analysis of Programmes Promoting Timber Construction in Nordic Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11876
Author(s):  
Martyna Maniak-Huesser ◽  
Lars G. F. Tellnes ◽  
Edwin Zea Escamilla
Keyword(s):  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
High Price ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Safety Regulations ◽  
Timber Construction ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Large Level

The construction sector is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and consumers of energy, making it one of the most relevant sectors when planning reduction strategies and policies. The use of timber in the built environment has been identified as a key strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction sector. In this paper, we use the concept of policy gap analysis to identified underlying challenges in the implementation of timber construction on three Nordic countries, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. We carried out a series of semi-structured interviews with experts from the countries of study. The interviews came from industry, government, and construction companies. The use of the gap analysis approach was useful not only to identify areas that are being targeted but also those areas that were not covered by any programme at the time of study. The results showed that the studied programmes have a large level of coverage and congruence with the identified challenges. Moreover, they also showed that challenges related to fire safety regulations and insurance policies for timber buildings still need to be addressed, whereas the challenges of high price variability and lack of promotion are being addressed by multiple programmes. With this work, we have seen how timber construction is gaining momentum and how the challenges have been addressed systematically.

Assessing Organisations’ Readiness for Technological Changes in Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norfashiha Hashim ◽  
◽  
Aina Syazifa Samsuri ◽  
Nur Hidayah Idris ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Technological Readiness

Of late, the advancements in technology have witnessed a spike in the number of schemes aimed towards enhancing the deployment of technologies in construction-based entities, thereby increasing the demand for technological modifications. This paper intends to scrutinise the keenness of construction entities to identify technological changes within the construction sector. The goals of this research work are to ascertain the degree of willingness for technological alterations, the norms which construction entities should possess regarding the readiness for technological alterations, and the obstacles encountered by construction firms in terms of technological alterations. Ten semi-structured interviews were carried out comprising ten G7 contractors in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur regarding on the implementation and adopting the technological changes within their companies. Based on the observations, most construction firms in Malaysia are fairly prepared to encounter technological fluctuations. Furthermore, the research deliberates many norms which are essential to generate the technological readiness in construction firms along with the obstacles which could impact the organisational inclination for technological changes. This work intends to help construction companies evaluate their degree of readiness and organise themselves for better adoption of technological alterations in their businesses.

Effects of Supply Chain Characteristics on E-Procurement Institutionalization in the Construction Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 85-96
Author(s):  
Quangdung Tran ◽  
Drew Steve ◽  
Rodney Anthony Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
T Test ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ownership Type ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Silhouette Coefficient

This study seeks to investigate the effects of supply chain characteristics on e-procurement institutionalization in construction companies. Data was collected through the in-depth structured interviews with 47 managers from a sample of 31 construction firms in Vietnam. The technique of cluster analysis with the Ward algorithm, the silhouette coefficient, and the t-test were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that the supply chain characteristics in terms of the size, ownership type, and operating market of strategic partners were significantly associated with the level of e-procurement institutionalization in construction companies. Along with the findings, this study's results will be helpful to policy-makers in formulating supportive policies and actions to effectively improve the low status of e-procurement adoption as well as accelerate the diffusion of the technology in the industry.

scholarly journals An off-site construction readiness maturity model for the Indian construction sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-142
Author(s):  
Deepthi Bendi ◽  
Muhammad Qasim Rana ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Jack Steven Goulding ◽  
Anil Sawhney
Keyword(s):  
Maturity Model ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose This paper aims to present an off-site construction (OSC) readiness maturity model for assessing the readiness of offsite construction companies in the Indian construction sector. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted in three stages. The first stage consisted of a detailed literature review to document 17 different variables affecting the OSC adoption in India. In Stage 2, 15 semi-structured interviews were carried out where the participants were asked to refine those variables for the Indian context and define what would be different levels of attainment. In the third stage, another set of 5 semi-structure interviews was performed to validate the maturity levels and definitions. Findings A three-level OSC readiness maturity model is presented for discussion. This describes 17 variables at different levels of maturity. Practical Implications The proposed OSC readiness maturity model guides construction practitioners in India through a structured process to enable them to assess their OSC readiness in the market. This assessment enables them to evaluate and benchmark their processes through the strategic and operational phases. The maturity model also identifies the areas of concern and the scope for further development or change to secure the optimal advantage of OSC methods. Originality/value The research produced a model to assess the readiness of OSC adoption in the Indian construction sector. Although the model has been applied to the Indian construction sector, it can easily be modified to accommodate other OSM contexts.

scholarly journals Hoots and harm reduction: a qualitative study identifying gaps in overdose prevention among women who smoke drugs

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Bardwell ◽  
Tamar Austin ◽  
Lisa Maher ◽  
Jade Boyd
Keyword(s):  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Structural Violence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Overdose Prevention ◽  
Polysubstance Use ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes ◽  
Mixed Gender

Abstract Background Smoking or inhaling illicit drugs can lead to a variety of negative health outcomes, including overdose. However, most overdose prevention interventions, such as supervised consumption services (SCS), prohibit inhalation. In addition, women are underrepresented at SCS and are disproportionately impacted by socio-structural violence. This study examines women’s experiences smoking illicit drugs during an overdose epidemic, including their utilization of a women-only supervised inhalation site. Methods Qualitative research methods included on-site ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews with 32 participants purposively recruited from the women-only site. Data were coded and analyzed using NVivo 12 and thematic analysis was informed by gendered and socio-structural understandings of violence. Results Participants had preferences for smoking drugs and these were shaped by their limited income, inability to inject, and perceptions of overdose risk. Participants expressed the need for services that attend to women’s specific experiences of gendered, race-based, and structural violence faced within and outside mixed-gender social service settings. Results indicate a need for sanctioned spaces that recognize polysubstance use and drug smoking, accommodated by the women-only SCS. The smoking environment further fostered a sociability where participants could engage in perceived harm reduction through sharing drugs with other women/those in need and were able to respond in the event of an overdose. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the ways in which gendered social and structural environments shape women’s daily experiences using drugs and the need for culturally appropriate interventions that recognize diverse modes of consumption while attending to overdose and violence. Women-only smoking spaces can provide temporary reprieve from some socio-structural harms and build collective capacity to practice harm reduction strategies, including overdose prevention. Women-specific SCS with attention to polysubstance use are needed as well as continued efforts to address the socio-structural harms experienced by women who smoke illicit drugs.

scholarly journals Long Hours, Uneasy Feelings: Parliamentary Work in Denmark, Finland and Sweden

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Mannevuo ◽  
Jenni M Rinne ◽  
Isak Vento
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Political Agency ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Vicious Cycle ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychological Strain ◽  
Work Pressure ◽  
The World

AbstractPoliticians’ work pressure is gaining more attention in parliamentary studies. To participate in the discussion about governing under pressure, this article offers an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how representatives navigate within a flexible, limitless work culture. This article presents a new inquiry to re-examine contemporary political agency by combining cultural studies theories with empirical insights in Nordic countries. By analysing 52 semi-structured interviews with MPs in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, the study finds that politics attracts people who want to change the world, but these attributes may initiate a vicious cycle, taking the form of psychological strain.

scholarly journals Green business models in the construction sector: an analysis of outcomes and benefits

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Abuzeinab ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Mohd. Asim Qadri ◽  
Dennis Kulonda
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Business ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Green business models (GBMs) in the construction sector represent the logic of green value creation and capture. Hence, the call to examine GBMs is growing ever louder. The aim of this paper is to identify benefits of GBMs by adopting five essential elements of the GBM from the literature: green value proposition; target group; key activities; key resources (KR); and financial logic. Design/methodology/approach In all, 19 semi-structured interviews are conducted with construction sector practitioners and academics in the UK. Thematic analysis is used to obtain benefits of GBMs. Further, the interpretive ranking process (IRP) is used to examine which elements of the GBM have a dominant role in providing benefits to construction businesses. Findings The benefits are grouped into three themes: credibility/reputation benefits; financial benefits; and long-term viability benefits. The IRP model shows that the element of KR is the most important when evaluated against these three benefit themes. Practical implications Linking GBM elements and benefits will help companies in the construction sector to analyse the business case of embracing environmental sustainability. Originality/value This research is one of the few empirical academic works investigating the benefits of GBMs in the construction sector. The IRP method is a novel contribution to GBMs and construction research.

scholarly journals Minor harassments: Ethnic minority youth in the Nordic countries and their perceptions of the police

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mie Birk Haller ◽  
Randi Solhjell ◽  
Elsa Saarikkomäki ◽  
Torsten Kolind ◽  
Geoffrey Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Ethnic Minority Youth ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Police Interactions ◽  
Police Practices

As different social groups are directly and indirectly confronted with diverse forms of police practices, different sectors of the population accumulate different experiences and respond differently to the police. This study focuses on the everyday experiences of the police among ethnic minority young people in the Nordic countries. The data for the article are based on semi-structured interviews with 121 young people in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. In these interviews, many of the participants refer to experiences of “minor harassments” – police interactions characterized by low-level reciprocal intimidations and subtle provocations, exhibited in specific forms of body language, attitudes and a range of expressions to convey derogatory views. We argue that “minor harassments” can be viewed as a mode of conflictual communication which is inscribed in everyday involuntary interactions between the police and ethnic minority youth and which, over time, can develop an almost ritualized character. Consequently, minority youth are more likely to hold shared experiences that influence their perceptions of procedural justice, notions of legitimacy and the extent to which they comply with law enforcement representatives.

Causes and mitigation for declining productivity in the Australian mid-rise residential construction sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tillmann Böhme ◽  
Alberto Escribano ◽  
Emma Elizabeth Heffernan ◽  
Scott Beazley
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Residential Construction ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Productivity ◽  
Productivity Losses ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Stage Process

Purpose The construction industry is a significant driver of economic activity in many countries. However, there has been a lack of growth in productivity within the Australian construction sector over recent years. The purpose of this paper is to gain an in-depth understanding of the causes for declining productivity within the Australian mid-rise residential construction network. Design/methodology/approach Two in-depth case studies have been conducted with a builder and developer, both significant entities of the Australian mid-rise residential construction network. Case study data collection comprised a five-stage process including semi-structured interviews and archival information review. Findings Drivers for declining construction productivity were identified under the categories of: industry-, firm- and project-level productivity. The drivers include: incomplete documentation, design changes, inefficient project management, supply chain fragmentation, among others. Originality/value The contribution of this study is the identification and categorisation of major issues impacting sector productivity along the mid-rise residential construction supply chain. The research identified that the substructure and superstructure are the construction phases during which most productivity losses occur. Mitigations are discussed in terms of systemic sector productivity increases at an industry, firm and project levels.

scholarly journals Analisis Keunggulan Kompetitif Ubikayu terhadap Jagung dan Kedelai di Kabupaten Lampung Tengah

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Robet - Asnawi ◽  
Made Jana Mejaya
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Financial Analysis ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
High Price ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Structured Interviews

Cassava is a major food crops which widely developed in Lampung province, it caused   high adaptability, easily cultivated, smallest risk of failure, and high price. The study was objective to analyze competitive advantage of casava farming system compared to  maize and soybean farming system. The activity were conducted at Central Lampung regency from April 2012 to February 2013. The primary data were obtained from respondents with sample of 90 farmers, using survey methods with structured interviews and questionnaires. Secondary data were obtained from the office of relevant agencies and BPS Lampung. Data analysis were financial analysis and competitive advantage analysis. The results showed that cassava farming more profitable than maize and soybean farming system  income Rp.21.109.000/ha and R/C of 2,91 compared to corn farming income Rp.15.935.000 and R/C of 2,01 and soybean farming income Rp.5.187.800/ha and R/C of 1,48.  Cassava farming system will be competitive compared corn and soybeans farming on the productivity levels at least 34.567 kg/ha and 20,788 kg/ha and cassava price at least IDR 654/kg and IDR 394/kg.

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Bahraini Construction Companies

2016 ◽  
pp. 40-51
Author(s):  
Asma Ayari
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Gulf Countries ◽  
International Labor ◽  
The Social ◽  
Corporate Social

The purpose of this study is to give a description of ethical business cultures in Bahraini construction companies. Construction companies in the Middle East are facing charges in terms of exploitation of workers and poor working conditions. The construction sector is one of the most dynamic in Bahrain, and its participation in national GDP is increasing. It is also the most important sector in the creation of jobs. Bahrain, as in the Gulf countries, employs a workforce from India and Asia, one of the lowest in the international labor market. This study analyzes the reality of the CSR in the construction sector and proposes some guidelines for the role of Bahraini stakeholders in the implementation of the social responsibility.

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