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

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.

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Assessing Organisations’ Readiness for Technological Changes in Construction Industry

International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering Technology ◽

10.30880/ijscet.2021.12.01.013 ◽

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.

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

Built Environment Project and Asset Management ◽

10.1108/bepam-10-2017-0097 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 253-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

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.

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Tania Wallis, Chris Johnson, and Mohamed Khamis, Interorganizational Cooperation in Supply Chain Cybersecurity: A Cross-Industry Study of the Effectiveness of the UK Implementation of the NIS Directive

Information & Security An International Journal ◽

10.11610/isij.4812 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tania Wallis ◽

Chris Johnson ◽

Mohamed Khamis

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Interorganizational Cooperation ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Eu Directive ◽

Industry Study ◽

Working Groups ◽

The Uk ◽

Industry Sectors

The transposition of the EU Directive on Network and Information Security (NIS) by EU Member States involved assigning a set of responsibilities to operators, regulators and policy makers within a national cybersecurity strategy, in order to improve cybersecurity levels across critical infrastructures. This research investigates the perspectives and experiences of organisations affected by the NIS Directive focussing on three different sectors (Energy, Water & Aviation). The authors evaluate the response of different actors to NIS interventions and their challenges in meeting their assigned responsibilities, in particular their ability to oversee supply chain cybersecurity. It proposes further support for partnerships and cooperation across organisations to increase the effectiveness of NIS implementation. Based on results from semi-structured interviews and observations of industry working groups, an approach to supply chain oversight to achieve a balance between control and cooperation is recommended, to improve cybersecurity within industry sectors and across critical national infrastructures. Although our initial focus has been on working mainly with UK stakeholders, we argue that our recommendations have a more general application beyond those countries directly affected by the Directive.

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The State of Sustainability Best Practices in Construction: A Benchmark Study

Journal of Green Building ◽

10.3992/jgb.5.3.116 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 116-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Annie R Pearce ◽

Sushil Shenoy ◽

Christine M Fiori ◽

Zachary Winters

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Government Policies ◽

Eastern United States ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Home Office ◽

Capital Projects ◽

Construction Firms ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Sustainability Practices ◽

Job Site

During the last decade, sustainability-related technologies and practices have become increasingly common among construction companies, both in the home office and on the job site. Multiple drivers are fueling this trend, including government policies for sustainability in capital projects and increased recognition of the benefits of sustainable practices in the private sector. However, the extent to which sustainability-related technologies and practices have been adopted by companies in the field has not been systematically documented. This study used semi-structured interviews and field observations to document the sustainability-related practices of 28 construction firms in the eastern United States. The purpose of the study was to benchmark current industry use of construction sustainability best practices. Findings of the study show that most firms have tried sustainability practices in the field on at least some of their projects, sometimes without being aware that those practices were related to sustainability. Considerable variation was observed among self-reported trial and adoption rates across the practices in the inventory. This study serves as a first step toward understanding why some sustainability innovations are being embraced more readily than others, and may lead to a better understanding of how to increase adoption of sustainability innovations.

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

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132111876 ◽

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.

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Reflecting on knowledge management as an enabler of innovation in project-based construction firms

Construction Innovation ◽

10.1108/ci-09-2020-0148 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Natalya Sergeeva ◽

Meri Duryan

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Cognitive Mapping ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Firm Level ◽

Content Type ◽

Construction Firms ◽

Innovative Capabilities ◽

Innovative Thinking

Purpose This paper aims to explore the ways innovation becomes enabled through knowledge management and sharing which has important implications for establishing and sustaining the culture of innovative thinking in project-based construction firms. This study adopts a reflective practitioner perspective to explore this relationship. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the construction sector professionals whose roles are most relevant in the connection between innovation and knowledge management. Thematic analysis and cognitive mapping techniques were used to analyse the interview data. Findings The research findings indicate that due to the complexity of project-based construction firms, a more holistic approach to knowledge management and organisational learning at the firm level is required. This would enable a culture of continuous and coordinated knowledge flow that facilitates innovation and continuous improvement in project-based firms. Practical implications This paper has important implications for practising managers in project-based construction firms. By better understanding the ways organisational knowledge can be managed to become an enabler of innovation would allow to build and enhance firms’ innovative capabilities, individual and team competencies. There is a real need for innovation knowledge managers as formal job positions in the construction sector. Originality/value This study contributes to construction innovation and project management research and practice by providing insights into establishing and sustaining the culture of learning and innovative thinking.

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Developing of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Indicators in Construction

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202126305049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 263 ◽

pp. 05049

Author(s):

Ieva Cataldo ◽

Nerija Banaitienė ◽

Audrius Banaitis

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chain Management ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain ◽

Chain Management ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽

Construction Company ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Management Indicators

Most of the existing supply chain management methods and systems are being transferred to construction regardless of the specifics of companies in the construction sector. Numerous complex factors such as ecological, social and economic are required for the continuous evaluation in the modern management of construction sector. The provided studies and the research to examine sustainable supply chain management in construction sector from a holistic perspective, concentrating on mostly long-term sustainable decision-making by the construction company rather than being centered only on the supply chain management for construction projects. This paper identifies a list of sustainability indicators for examining the supply chains of construction companies. Those indicators were categorized and assigned to one or a couple groups by reviewing their use in the previous literature agreeing to the reasoning to way better reflect the SSCM principle of their use in construction companies. The use of indicators can help develop strategies for the construction sector for sustainable policy makers and construction company managers.

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DEVELOPING OF SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT INDICATORS IN CONSTRUCTION

Mokslas - Lietuvos ateitis ◽

10.3846/mla.2022.15156 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (0) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Ieva Cataldo

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chain Management ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain ◽

Chain Management ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain Management ◽

Construction Company ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Management Indicators

Most of the existing supply chain management methods and systems are being transferred to construction sphere regardless of the specifics of companies in the construction sector. Numerous complex factors such as ecological, social and economic are required for the continuous evaluation in the modern management of construction sector. The provided studies and the research to examine sustainable supply chain management in construction sector from a holistic perspective, concentrating on mostly longterm sustainable decisionmaking by the construction company rather than being centered only on the supply chain management for construction projects. This paper identifies a list of sustainability indicators for examining the supply chains of construction companies. Those indicators were categorized and assigned to one or a couple groups by reviewing their use in the previous literature agreeing to the reasoning to way better reflect the SSCM principle of their use in construction companies. The use of indicators can help develop strategies for the construction sector for sustainable policy makers and construction company managers.

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Retaining Knowledge in Smaller Building and Construction Firms

International Journal of Knowledge and Systems Science ◽

10.4018/ijkss.2017070101 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Susanne Durst ◽

Guido Bruns ◽

Ingi Runar Edvardsson

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Knowledge Retention ◽

Research Approach ◽

Construction Sector ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Construction Firms ◽

Critical Knowledge ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Further Development

The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of how SMEs retain critical knowledge. Against the background of the underdeveloped body of knowledge regarding knowledge retention, the authors selected an explorative (qualitative) research approach. More precisely, they conducted semi-structured interviews with organization members (i.e. executive and regular staff) of five Austrian SMEs operating in the building and construction industry. This study provides fresh insights into knowledge retention in SMEs. The findings advance the limited understanding of knowledge retention in general and regarding SMEs. They also contribute to the further development of the study of knowledge management in the building and construction sector. Based on the study's findings the authors derive suitable measures to better manage the process of knowledge retention in SMEs. These measures may be useful for SMEs operating in other industries as well.

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