Greek Construction Project Managers' Cognitive Abilities, Personality and Knowledge

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios N. Aretoulis ◽  
Christoforos H. Triantafyllidis
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
International Management ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The tasks performed by a project manager are of special importance to the well being and economic prosperity of construction companies. This paper is aiming at defining the Greek project managers' dominant cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, skills and knowledge. An effort is made to identify available attributes associated with successful management performance and career development. The survey was conducted based on a structured questionnaire. The effort led to 102 responses, originating from engineers and construction professionals, throughout the Greek Construction Industry, including Public-Work Authorities. The questionnaire was based on international management literature and interviews. The study discusses the results of the survey and provides a comparison with those attributes identified in the international literature and correlates the participants' profile with their responses.

scholarly journals Greek Construction Project Managers' Cognitive Abilities, Personality and Knowledge

2016 ◽  
pp. 1243-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios N. Aretoulis ◽  
Christoforos H. Triantafyllidis
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
International Management ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Personality Characteristics ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Public Work

The tasks performed by a project manager are of special importance to the well being and economic prosperity of construction companies. This paper is aiming at defining the Greek project managers' dominant cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, skills and knowledge. An effort is made to identify available attributes associated with successful management performance and career development. The survey was conducted based on a structured questionnaire. The effort led to 102 responses, originating from engineers and construction professionals, throughout the Greek Construction Industry, including Public-Work Authorities. The questionnaire was based on international management literature and interviews. The study discusses the results of the survey and provides a comparison with those attributes identified in the international literature and correlates the participants' profile with their responses.

scholarly journals Ethics in construction industry : project managers’ case study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thobeka Kahlela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
South African Council ◽  
Unethical Conduct ◽  
Unethical Practices

Business ethics and corporate governance have taken centre stage globally in the last decade due to the increasing unethical practices by private and public institutions. These unethical practices adversely affect the image of professionals and organisations with a resultant negative impact on the competitive advantage of the organisation. This study aims to assess factors contributing to unethical behaviours of project managers. The study was conducted in five provinces of South Africa including KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Cape Town, Limpopo and Gauteng. The sample frame consists of construction project managers registered with South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Random sampling technique was employed in the selection of samples. A total number of thirty six questionnaires were analysed for the study. Descriptive statistics were employed for the analysis of data. Findings include personal value, organisational culture and education are very influential factors on ethical decisions of a project manager. Furthermore, corporate value and individual values are the factors which most influence the ethical judgment of a project manager. Improving ethical practice for the professionals could improve ethical performance in construction projects and production efficiency in the construction industry in SA. Based on the findings of the study, ways to mitigate unethical conduct would be; practicing ethical conduct at all times will improve production, the levels of risk on projects will decrease and also an improvement in communication and transparency will minimize the levels of unethical conduct of the project managers in South Africa.

FACTORS CAUSING PROBLEMS IN MANAGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN A COUNTRY UNDER MILITARY OCCUPATION: Contractors’ Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 05 (07) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Akram Subhe Suleiman ◽  
Jafar Subhi Hardan Abahre
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Military Occupation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
The Impact

An exhaustive literature search revealed that not much research has been done on factors causing problems in managing a construction project in a country under military occupation like Palestine. So, it is the main goal of this research is to identify these factors which could be used by the decision makers to select the appropriate project manager who bosses the suitable skills and competencies to deal with these problems. The study is a step toward determining means to improve the effectiveness of projects through identifying project manager competencies. It is important for Palestinian construction industry to progress in terms of project success; the problems that face the project managers must be determined and identified, in order to achieve the best results with less risk. A clear understanding of such problems helps the Palestinian construction industry of finding the suitable solutions to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was carried out to achieve the main aim of this research. The respondents were engineers have more than 3 years in the position of project manager in the Palestinian construction industry. The survey was based on factors drawn from findings of another researches in different countries, together with special factors identified as potentially affecting Palestine. The results identified many factors created problems; they were clustered in eight groups. These groups were arranged according to respondents in descending order as follows: the political situation of Palestine, lack of consultants` technical competencies, lack of resources, insufficient planning, team members uncommitted, conflicts between departments, breakdowns in communications, and changes in goals. As a result of this study one could conclude that managing a project in Palestine is as difficult as the complication of the political situation of the country. The project manager should have a complicated mixture of skills and competencies from dealing with Israeli occupation to dealing with stakeholders to lack of resources and unclear goals. The study has recommended to the Palestinian government to improve the regulations and laws to meet the impact of closure and segmentation of the Palestine.

Project Manager as a Pivot Point for Implementing Sustainability in an Enterprise

2013 ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Maltzman ◽  
David Shirley
Keyword(s):  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Pivot Point

In this chapter, the authors provide a rationale for asserting a special importance of the project manager with respect to implementing sustainability at their enterprise, due to their being at a key “pivot point.” This does not come without challenges, and here the authors convey those specific challenges for project managers. They show that one of these challenges is adopting a sustainability thinking mindset, a mindset that has its roots in the “larger scheme of things, and the long-haul,” even though project managers are often (necessarily) focused on their immediate scope, and short-term deliverables for demanding stakeholders. Finally, the authors advise project managers with some specific techniques to overcome the prior challenges.

A Comparison of the Behavioral Competencies of Client-Focused and Production-Focused Project Managers in the Construction Sector

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Dainty ◽  
Mei-I Cheng ◽  
David Moore
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Generic Management ◽  
Job Role ◽  
Management Competency ◽  
Behavioral Event ◽  
Behavioral Competencies

The importance of evaluating behaviors as an underpinning component of the project management body of knowledge is widely recognized. This paper reports on research that evaluated the behaviors of two functionally disparate sets of project managers operating within the construction industry. The first comprised those with overall responsibility for the on-site production function (the management contractor), while the second comprised client project managers overseeing project activities on behalf of the procuring organization (client's project managers). The behavioral competencies of both groups were evaluated using the established McBer methodology (cf. Spencer & Spencer, 1993), in which managerial characteristics are measured using behavioral event interviews. A total of 40 superior performing project managers were behaviorally profiled. The findings reveal 11 behaviors that are generic in nature and underpin effectiveness in the project management role, with one additional competency apparently determined by the particular job role context of the project manager. Comparisons are also drawn with the generic management competency profile, which suggests the existence of a range of behaviors specific to the project management discipline. The identification of both generic and job-specific competencies for the project management role has potentially far-reaching implications for the way in which project managers are developed in the future.

KNOWLEDGE AREAS FOR TRAINING JUNIOR CIVIL ENGINEERS IN OPERATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TASKS

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Smadar Shilony ◽  
Yehiel Rosenfeld ◽  
Eitan Goldschmidt ◽  
Shraga Shoval
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Management ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
External Monitoring ◽  
Join Construction

After leaving university with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, many graduates join construction companies in key roles such as operations engineer or project manager. Junior engineers often acquire the knowledge they need through mentorship by experienced engineers. Their knowledge is acquired on-the-job, according to the requirements of whatever projects are underway when they begin their employment. This study introduces the required areas of knowledge, with the goal of integrating junior engineers efficiently and effectively into the construction industry. The study found that the knowledge acquired by a graduate with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering does not match the knowledge required for engineers working in management and operations roles. In addition, the process of learning and filling in knowledge gaps often takes place on-the-job, or immediately before beginning a new project, without any external monitoring of the content or quality of the knowledge acquired. Although the various topics were defined by the engineers as important to their work, the findings indicate that both experienced engineers and young engineers need to fill in their knowledge gaps in critical various fields. This study highlights the need to build a comprehensive, standardized training program for all young engineers entering the workforce in construction management in order to fill in the knowledge gap and provide them with the tools to integrate properly in construction companies.

The Improvement Factors of Leadership Skills among Project Managers in Pre-Construction Phase of Sustainable Construction Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (S1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Aryani Ahmad Latiffi ◽  
Noorul Adharina Zulkiffli
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Normality Test ◽  
Manager Performance

Leadership skills are required in any area, including the construction industry. Compared to conventional construction projects, the obstacles of practising leadership skills are more significant in sustainable construction projects. In the context of managing a project, a project manager is accountable for overseeing the project from the pre-construction phase to the post-construction phase. Nevertheless, project managers often encountered utmost difficulties in sustainable construction projects during the pre-construction phase. Despite that, improving leadership skills would emerge to boost project manager performance in managing sustainable construction projects. Thus, this paper aims to determine the improvement factors of leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects. A questionnaire survey was developed with 44 improvement factors of leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects, in which 153 experienced project managers in sustainable construction projects in Malaysia responded. Data were analysed using normality test, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis via IBM SPSS version 24 software. The finding reveals that all improvement factors were significant to improve leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects. Hence, this paper's findings would assist project managers in grasping the improvement factors that can improve their leadership skills, particularly in sustainable construction projects.

Ambiguity acceptance and translation skills in the project management literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-450
Author(s):  
Karmin Gray ◽  
Frank Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Knowledge Competencies

Purpose The project management literature provides a fairly united picture of the importance of projects being successful. One success factor is represented by project managers themselves, whose personality, skills, knowledge, competencies, and traits affect project success. To better understand various project manager types, the purpose of this paper is to review the extant project management literature and propose a framework for categorising project managers based on the traits that they possess or lack. Design/methodology/approach The research commenced with identifying and collecting articles from the academic project management literature. The articles were then coded to identify different competencies and traits that a project manager needs to be successful. Based on this analysis, a framework with four main project manager types was developed. Findings The results indicate that ambiguity acceptance and translation skills are two important dimensions that project managers need to be successful. The four project manager types were arranged around two dimensions. Research limitations/implications The framework presented is based on previous research. Empirical testing of the proposed framework would be a promising direction for future research. Practical implications The framework assists reflective practitioners in identifying what kind of project manager they currently are, suggesting how they might transition into a different project manager type to increase their project management success rate. Originality/value This paper conceptualises project managers and how their personal traits relate to project success. It offers practical help to project managers in understanding their strengths and limitations, and how to become a different type of project manager.

scholarly journals Identifying the Competence Components of the Construction Project Managers in the Palestinian Construction Industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelnaser Omran ◽  
Akram Subhe Hardam Suleiman
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Functional Competence ◽  
Personal Competence ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Ethical Competence ◽  
Contract Administration

This study aimed at identifying competency components of project managers of small to medium-sized firms in the Palestinian construction industry and ranking them according to their degree of importance. A postal questionnaire survey was administered to 150 construction companies in Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin, which are located in the West Bank. A total of 109 questionnaires were returned, and the response rate was 73 percent. The respondents were project managers. The study identified four competence dimensions, namely, knowledge competence, functional competence, personal/behavior competence, and value/ethical competence. Each dimension is measured by several constituents. Knowledge dimension includes technical knowledge, management knowledge, general knowledge, communication knowledge, computer knowledge, financial knowledge, and legal knowledge constituents. Functional competence dimension includes seven constituents, namely, organizing project initiations, developing a project plan, managing human resource functions, managing project quality health safety and environment, managing design development and contract administration, tracking and controlling system, and administering project close out. Personal competence dimension has two constituents, namely, social-vocational and intraprofessional. Values/ethical competence dimension consists of two constituents, namely, personal values and professional values. Thus, personal competence is in the top ranking followed by functional competence, knowledge competence, and values competence. Finally, a mixture of knowledge, functional, personal, and values competences must be considered to produce a competent project manager in the Palestinian construction industry. This study recommends that the Palestinian Contractors Union and the Palestinian Engineers Association improve the competencies of their members by conducting continuous and up to date construction management training programs by targeting competencies included in this research.

scholarly journals Status and Barriers Impeding Utilization of Project Management Tools: Epidemic for Tripartite Construction Parties in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia Kuang Lee ◽  
Tak Wing Yiu ◽  
Wei Xin Lim ◽  
Adekunle Qudus Adeleke ◽  
Tien Choon Toh
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Implementation Level ◽  
Construction Organization

Project management tools have been widely used in construction project life cycles to monitor progress, evaluate payments/claims, and manage construction works worldwide. Despite their capability in helping project managers to achieve specific objectives within time, budget, and standards, not every construction organization in Malaysia would fully utilize these tools due to several challenges. As numerous studies substantiate the importance and of project management tools, lackluster adoption rates have led to productivity problems, project delays, and maturity problems at both project and enterprise levels in the construction industry. This study investigates the level of implementation and addresses the significant barriers that impede the utilization of project management tools. A survey was administered to well-known construction companies in Malaysia. This study revealed that the implementation level was discouragingly low, and the top 5 barriers were: (1) financial considerations, (2) restrictions on human capital, (3) high annual turnover, (4) lack of technology awareness, and (5) organizational culture. These findings suggest that the Malaysian construction industry should: overhaul financial and human resource limitations, increase assistance for users, and boost the partial implementation of basic techniques of project management to the maximum extent possible. The practitioners can understand the dynamics and causes of predicaments to the full implementation of project management tools in their respective companies. As for academicians, these findings help theoretical development and literature arguments on our current construction industry as a whole and optimistically help finds ways to make the Malaysian construction industry more efficient.

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