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The paper reports some findings of a 2-year study on innovation sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which involved four case studies from four different innovative construction organizations, over 50 ethnographic... more
The paper reports some findings of a 2-year study on innovation sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which involved four case studies from four different innovative construction organizations, over 50 ethnographic interviews, company archive documents and video capture of innovative processes and products. The study explored a variety of issues such as types and sources of construction innovations, innovation strategy, climate and culture for innovation, risks in innovation and the formation of internal and external linkages to exploit organizational innovations. This paper, however, focuses on the mechanisms which construction organizations put in place to successfully exploit and benefit from innovations. It also examines the importance of an innovation strategy for the successful management of innovations. The paper shows that the important mechanisms for exploiting construction innovations include collaboration and building capability, novelty, stretching...
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This paper is based on an on-going 2-year EPSRC sponsored research project, which, inter-alia focuses on the utilization and exploitation of IT for team working in the construction, manufacturing and the financial sectors. An important... more
This paper is based on an on-going 2-year EPSRC sponsored research project, which, inter-alia focuses on the utilization and exploitation of IT for team working in the construction, manufacturing and the financial sectors. An important aim of the study is to ascertain and document what the construction industry can learn from other industrial settings. The study employs a combination of research approaches, including case studies, ethnographic interviews, semi-structured interviews, postal questionnaires, the analysis of archive documents, and practitioner and researchers’ workshops. There is a substantial amount of literature in the area of IT in construction teams, many of which are based on anecdotal evidence of the perceived benefits of IT to construction activities. There are also articles based on empirical investigations, which have been conducted on construction IT. However, these mainly tend to look at IT from a wider perspective, with many of these studies failing to captu...
ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it is necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects to improve project performance.... more
ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it is necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of knowledg...
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An Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been accepted as an innovation strategy to assist in overcoming key problems in the Malaysian housing sector. The manufacturers and producers of IBS have claimed that their systems have a... more
An Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been accepted as an innovation strategy to assist in overcoming key problems in the Malaysian housing sector. The manufacturers and producers of IBS have claimed that their systems have a multitude of advantages and benefits. The selection criteria used to choose the appropriate type of IBS for housing projects have been identified as one the critical issues in the decision-making process at the conceptual stage of using IBS. The criteria such as cost, time and quality play a major role in the selection tasks. Through a literature review, this paper highlights the criteria that have been considered in the adoption of IBS in the UK and in the Malaysian construction industry. It also reviews existing decision-making support and tools associated with choosing types of IBS. It is concluded that a wide perspective and an extensive variety of factors may contribute to the impact of the effectiveness of the decision-making process associated with...
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Purpose COVID-19 was officially declared as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11th March 2020, before the UK was put into lockdown on the 23rd March 2020. Organisations had to reconsider their policies and... more
Purpose COVID-19 was officially declared as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11th March 2020, before the UK was put into lockdown on the 23rd March 2020. Organisations had to reconsider their policies and procedures to allow their businesses to continue. This paper aims to focus on the effects of COVID-19 that the UK construction sector has had to undertake to enable businesses while employees had to adhere to COVID-19 lockdown rules. In addition, how the sector can positively continue once normality has returned within the industry. In doing so, this paper understands the historical issues within the construction sector and has had an effect during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology approach was taken to help obtain live information. In total, 19 semi-structured interviews from 15 organisations related to the construction sector were conducted to collect data. This information was evaluated using thematic analysis to arr...
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in domestics services in the National Health Service in Scotland a case study approach. In: Khosrowshahi, F (Ed.), 21st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2005, SOAS, University of London. Association of Researchers in Construction... more
in domestics services in the National Health Service in Scotland a case study approach. In: Khosrowshahi, F (Ed.), 21st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2005, SOAS, University of London. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, Vol. 1, 401-10. INVESTIGATING THE CURRENT STATE OF INFECTION CONTROL PRACTICES IN DOMESTICS SERVICES IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN SCOTLAND – A CASE STUDY APPROACH
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There is general acceptance by Facilities Management practitioners that failure to obtain feed back on the building performance can expose the facilities to serious consequences. Evaluating building performance is becoming a necessity in... more
There is general acceptance by Facilities Management practitioners that failure to obtain feed back on the building performance can expose the facilities to serious consequences. Evaluating building performance is becoming a necessity in effectively observing the overall perspectives of facilities. However, not every FM organisation performs this exercise on a regular basis. There are many obstacles that prevent the evaluation being conducted effectively such as lack of funds, lack of expertise and awareness of the importance of building maintenance. The implementation of various performance levels in planned maintenance requires not only the standardisation of the condition assessment method, but also the related planning methodology. There are different facilities performance evaluation approaches in practice such as post-occupancy evaluation, usability, users journey, post-occupancy review of building engineering (PROBE) and building performance evaluation to mention but a few. T...
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The refurbishment project involving structural alterations, facade retentions and demolition are high risk activities. There is evidence which shows that construction industry lacks appropriate management system to cope up with the risks... more
The refurbishment project involving structural alterations, facade retentions and demolition are high risk activities. There is evidence which shows that construction industry lacks appropriate management system to cope up with the risks and hazards on refurbishment. The safe building refurbishment, is quite complex and decision making plays a significant role. The decisions taken during the refurbishment process not only have an impact on the choice of material, level of quality achieved, but also a direct impact on health, safety and environment. The domain of refurbishment works is ideal for the deployment of a decision support system as there are numerous safety problems leading to the conclusion that the management and technical solutions often adopted in these projects are inadequate and refurbishment works require a considerable degree of expertise and experience that is often not present. The involvement of the project team to share the responsibilities and decision making a...
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SUMMARY: Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a vital organisational resource that provides competitive advantage. Managing knowledge assets can be a challenge, especially in the construction industry, where short-term working... more
SUMMARY: Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a vital organisational resource that provides competitive advantage. Managing knowledge assets can be a challenge, especially in the construction industry, where short-term working contracts and temporary coalitions of individuals can inhibit knowledge sharing. The role of information technology (IT) in knowledge management (KM), is an essential consideration for any company wishing to exploit emerging technologies to manage their knowledge assets. This paper presents research, which has been conducted to identify the technologies that are currently used to manage knowledge in the construction industry. The effectiveness of these technologies has also been explored, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of particular IT for KM. In addition, it attempts to highlight some of the challenges and complexities associated with managing knowledge in a project-based environment. A postal questionnaire was distributed among constructi...
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In recent times, there has been increased awareness that organisational knowledge might be the key to organisation success. In most construction organisations such knowledge is dispersed and fragmented, since much of it exists in diffuse... more
In recent times, there has been increased awareness that organisational knowledge might be the key to organisation success. In most construction organisations such knowledge is dispersed and fragmented, since much of it exists in diffuse social networks. To prevent failure, knowledge management (KM) has to be properly implemented in organisations. This invariably implies that construction organisations must address the needs of workers who supply this knowledge if they are to successfully exploit their skills. The extent to which organisations will be willing to co-operate in this process would depend to a great extent on the nature of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices. This paper, which is based on an empirical investigation of the role of HRM in KM, analyses the problems related to KM and the probable solutions through HRM. It argues that since knowledge is the unique human capability of making meaning from information, employees should be the focus of any KM ...
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The cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in developing countries can be a useful source of knowledge for both foreign companies and local companies. With the increased investments in... more
The cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in developing countries can be a useful source of knowledge for both foreign companies and local companies. With the increased investments in buildings and infrastructure by developing countries, the cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in developing countries if captured, transferred and reused will bring significant benefit to organisations and potential benefits to the wider construction industry. This paper is based on an 18-month research project funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which aimed at improving knowledge management in small medium enterprises (SMEs). The research project adopts a simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. The obj...
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A critical review of available literature is presented, which relates to the impact of culture on communication behaviour in public and private organisations. This is in order to identify deficiencies in the area of study as well as to... more
A critical review of available literature is presented, which relates to the impact of culture on communication behaviour in public and private organisations. This is in order to identify deficiencies in the area of study as well as to draw some lessons for future research. The focus is primarily on the effect of culture values on communication in Libyan public and private organisations. Key issues associated with definitions of culture, communication behaviours and organisational culture are considered and discussed. In addition, a critical review and synthesis of related studies on the effect of local Libyan cultural values on the communication behaviour of individuals in organisations are addressed. In conclusion, the paper argues that the role of culture in communication behaviour in organisational settings is complex. The paper also points to the fact that Libyan culture reflects ‘high power distance’, ‘masculinity’ and uncertainty avoidance. The implications of these complex i...
This paper is based on an on-going postgraduate research study, which is aimed at investigating the role of knowledge management and intellectual capital assets on organizational innovations in project based industries. The central... more
This paper is based on an on-going postgraduate research study, which is aimed at investigating the role of knowledge management and intellectual capital assets on organizational innovations in project based industries. The central hypothesis to the study is that by effecting knowledge management (KM) and managing intellectual capital (IC) there is wider scope for the generation, implementation and exploitation of organizational innovations. The study employs a combination of research approaches, including ethnographic interviews, semi-structured interviews, postal questionnaires and the analysis of archive documents. The paper explores the factors that favour effective implementation of KM and IC in organizations, and examines the link between such factors and the generation of ideas for innovation. Innovation is viewed as the successful exploitation of an idea, which is new to the unit of adoption. It can also be viewed as a process dependent on the tacit knowledge of individuals,...
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There is consensus among practitioners and academics that refurbishment projects are among the most complex, risky, dangerous and uncertain to manage. This situation is heightened where the works involve elements of demolition activities... more
There is consensus among practitioners and academics that refurbishment projects are among the most complex, risky, dangerous and uncertain to manage. This situation is heightened where the works involve elements of demolition activities and where tenants are in occupation. As a percentage of total construction output, refurbishment works in its many disguises have increased substantially in the last 30 years. In many developed economies, it now accounts for over 50% of output. However, the growth in refurbishment works has not been paralleled by empirical research, especially in the management of health and safety. This paper attempts to improve our understanding and knowledge of health & safety in this very important area of construction work. The paper is based on an on-going study funded by the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE). It investigates, inter-alia, the main risk factors and implications associated with the relatively high level of hazard and poor health & safety incide...
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Site managers meet complex problems in their day-to-day work and have to find solutions promptly. However, the industry does not capture this valuable experience and may even not realise its significance. If this knowledge is collected,... more
Site managers meet complex problems in their day-to-day work and have to find solutions promptly. However, the industry does not capture this valuable experience and may even not realise its significance. If this knowledge is collected, structured and disseminated, there would be significant benefits to the companies as well as the whole construction industry. This research is to test and improve a simple yet robust approach for this purpose. The site managers keep an audio diary of a problemsolving event by Dictaphone each week which contains their personal knowledge and thinking. Then the managers are debriefed about the set of their recorded events each month in order to explicate the significance embedded in these events and to transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. With the participation of site managers from a dozen small and medium sized construction companies across the country, the event recording and debriefing process last for six months. The prelimin...
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35 For more than two decades, construction industry leaders have made attempts to attract 36 more women into professional roles to ease skills shortages and diversify the workforce. 37 However, the number of women working in the industry... more
35 For more than two decades, construction industry leaders have made attempts to attract 36 more women into professional roles to ease skills shortages and diversify the workforce. 37 However, the number of women working in the industry has not improved significantly. 38 This paper reviews previous literature on gender diversity in the construction industry 39 and disseminates findings from a survey which investigated whether there are significant 40 differences in self-perception between men and women in construction consultancies 41 operating in the United Kingdom (UK). The survey questionnaire was completed by 60 42 men and 57 women. Analysis of the result confirmed that women tend to follow ‘zig-zag’ 43 career development paths and that ‘global self-worth’ of women over the age of 40 is the 44 lowest among all ages. However, little variation was found on initiatives to improve 45 retention of women in construction consultancies. The results reveal that both men and 46 women reg...
ABSTRACT An Initiative on Knowledge Transfer Between Academia and the Construction Sector in the West of Scotland This paper reports on the impact of the project the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE)two years after its start in June... more
ABSTRACT An Initiative on Knowledge Transfer Between Academia and the Construction Sector in the West of Scotland This paper reports on the impact of the project the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE)two years after its start in June 2002. CBE was a joint project of the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University, funded by European Regional development Fund and Scottish Government. It delivered continuous professional development activities for the construction sector in the West of Scotland.By the end of November 2004, data on 166 companies (out of 306 members) operating in the construction sector was collected and used to analyse their size, type, employment of women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, investment in IT and R&D, and involvement in research with academic institutions. The paper indicated how the project can be further developed in order to meet the needs of all stakeholders in the construction industry throughout Scotland.
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Refurbishments projects are generally considered to be of higher risk, more complex and in need of greater coordination than new build projects. In refurbishment work, there are many tasks where decisions are shaped not only by external... more
Refurbishments projects are generally considered to be of higher risk, more complex and in need of greater coordination than new build projects. In refurbishment work, there are many tasks where decisions are shaped not only by external factors but also by experience. In such situations, one is likely to find that experts rely on relatively unstructured methods in arriving at a decision. For the reason that there are proportionately more risks in refurbishment and renovation projects than in new-build, because of the associated degree of uncertainty and complexity, knowledge plays an important part in bringing the project to successful completion. Based on an on-going doctorate study which aims to develop an appropriate methodology to match the project requirements with the knowledge of project team members in refurbishment projects, this paper explores the applicability of a repertory grid technique in capturing knowledge for refurbishment in the construction industry. The need for...
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Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population growth, increased urbanisation, scarcity of land, and due to changes in the way we work and... more
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population growth, increased urbanisation, scarcity of land, and due to changes in the way we work and live. This trend is likely to continue for a while. Mega housing projects are characterized by their high construction budget, complexity, and their benefits to the society. Mega housing projects, however, raise a number of different challenges and complexities, which need consideration in order to successfully deliver them within cost, time and specified quality parameters. The paper addresses the main construction challenges and opportunities of mega housing projects. Furthermore, consideration is given to the human resources (HR) challenges and opportunities, as well as the efficiency of risk management processes throughout the construction of mega housing projects. Different Case studies are analysed, and a risk register for the successful deliver...
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population and urbanization. Construction of mega housing projects in Egypt faced a lot of challenges... more
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population and urbanization. Construction of mega housing projects in Egypt faced a lot of challenges during the construction phase. There is no targeted framework that allows contractors to improve their risk management practice and project success during the construction of mega housing projects in Egypt. The aim of the paper is to design a conceptual Risk Management Framework for Mega Housing Projects in Egypt to improve risk practices and project success during the construction phase. The objective of the paper is to design a conceptual risk management framework to guide contractors to an efficient risk management practice during construction of mega housing projects in Egypt. The study is to review risk standards, to recognize developed risk frameworks, and to design a conceptual risk management framework (CRMF). The framework guide contractors’ i...
Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture of continuous learning is inhibited. Very often, specialist and technical knowledge is not shared laterally, neither between fellow site... more
Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture of continuous learning is inhibited. Very often, specialist and technical knowledge is not shared laterally, neither between fellow site personnel nor organisations. This is especially so for tacit knowledge, which site managers gain and use in solving their complex day-to-day problems. A research on knowledge management amongst construction SMEs is discussed. This study uses storytelling as a mechanism for unravelling the tacit knowledge of experienced site managers. As stories are told, wider learning is extracted through reflection and debriefing. The intention is to share this learning, first within the participating SMEs and subsequently to the construction industry at large. The research is at the same time exploring different ways in which any knowledge obtained can be shared or transferred. In this regard, this paper concentrates on representing stories or their lessons graphically....
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Project managers have responsibility for the planning,execution and closing of any project such as construction projects, which requires improvement for cost and time related productivity, efficiency and effectiveness gains. Building... more
Project managers have responsibility for the planning,execution and closing of any project such as construction projects, which requires improvement for cost and time related productivity, efficiency and effectiveness gains. Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a relatively new way of working and methodology seeks to integrate the building lifecycle in order to provide a safer and more productive environment for its occupants; and to assert the least possible environmental impact from its existence; and be more operationally efficient for its owners throughout the lifecycle of the building infrastructure. The paper aims to explore how BIM can contribute to and improve project management. It uses the MediaCityUK project in the city of Salford, UK as a case study. This is a regeneration project expected to attract media institutions locally and from around the world thus establishing itself as an international centre for excellence. The University of Salford is the only Higher Educ...
There is now a great deal of interest among researchers and practitioners regarding the importance of knowledge management (KM) in an organisational context. Few large construction organisations have implemented and reaped the benefits of... more
There is now a great deal of interest among researchers and practitioners regarding the importance of knowledge management (KM) in an organisational context. Few large construction organisations have implemented and reaped the benefits of formal KM approaches. However, there are very few empirical studies on knowledge capture geared towards small and medium enterprises (less than 250 employees) in the construction industry. This paper is based on a research conducted among 26 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK construction industry. The paper explores the characteristics of SMEs as well as the key knowledge capture issues that confront them. These issues involve social, cultural and technological considerations, which demand a robust research methodology in their investigation. The research methodology for the study is also appraised in this paper. The paper concludes that if knowledge capture is to lead to a source of sustainable competitive advantage, SMEs should adopt ...
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Knowledge sharing in organisation is the act of making knowledge available to others within the organisation. It is the process by which knowledge held by an individual is converted into a medium that can be understood, absorbed, and used... more
Knowledge sharing in organisation is the act of making knowledge available to others within the organisation. It is the process by which knowledge held by an individual is converted into a medium that can be understood, absorbed, and used by other individuals. Knowledge sharing is important as it provides a link between the individual and the organisation by ‘moving’ knowledge that resides within individuals to the organisational level, where it is converted into economic and competitive value for the organisation. This degree of importance attached to knowledge sharing is heightened in a knowledge economy, where knowledge is seen as a valuable resource for innovation and for gaining competitive advantage. However, increasing evidence points to a paucity of research that has investigated the nature of the different approaches to improving the effectiveness of knowledge sharing, and the appropriate organisational factors at play for knowledge sharing to be fully exploited, and its be...
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Based on an EPSRC sponsored research project that focuses on the utilisation and exploitation of IT for teamworking in construction, manufacturing and the financial sectors, the research aims to assess the degree to which IT is or is not... more
Based on an EPSRC sponsored research project that focuses on the utilisation and exploitation of IT for teamworking in construction, manufacturing and the financial sectors, the research aims to assess the degree to which IT is or is not exploited for teamworking, and what lessons the construction industry can learn from other industrial sectors. The construction industry is aware of its position regarding IT and teamworking, and is willing to accept that research needs to be done and recommendations taken on board, but there is a real fear that IT is being introduced too fast and is becoming overused and overwhelming. The notion that IT can aid or encourage teamworking is confusing to some. Attention will be given, in this paper, to how this research can be put to use; how will the research be received; and what issues will it throw up for further debate and research? It is vital that companies are aware of the most frequently used technologies for teamworking. The industry must pa...
Climate change is one of the global sustainability issues that have increasingly attracted infrastructure sector business attention in the early part of the twenty-first century; when a range of stakeholders, including governments,... more
Climate change is one of the global sustainability issues that have increasingly attracted infrastructure sector business attention in the early part of the twenty-first century; when a range of stakeholders, including governments, started to pay attention to the potentially very serious consequences, and to the need to take action. Central to the problem of climate change is the massive production of carbon dioxide from contemporary processes of infrastructure procurement. This requires infrastructure businesses to substantially reduce the carbon intensity within their services and requires a sophisticated knowledge-based approach.
Industrialised Building System in its different guises appears to have gained popularity in recent years. Through a thorough review of literature, this paper presents a historical appraisal of the definitions offered for the different... more
Industrialised Building System in its different guises appears to have gained popularity in recent years. Through a thorough review of literature, this paper presents a historical appraisal of the definitions offered for the different guises of IBS, the characteristics of IBS, and the benefits it purports to offer. In the same vein, the factors that have fuelled the popularity of IBS is discussed together with the impact of the changing financial and property market crisis on the future of IBS. The implications of the current financial and property market prices on IBS in Malaysia shall also be discussed. The paper concludes by drawing inferences on the implications of the current financial and property market crisis on research in IBS from a Malaysian construction industry perspective.
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As organizations carry out their business activities in a knowledge economy, they must do so in a competitive manner if they are to survive and remain profitable. Being able to map out the knowledge assets an organization has and how it... more
As organizations carry out their business activities in a knowledge economy, they must do so in a competitive manner if they are to survive and remain profitable. Being able to map out the knowledge assets an organization has and how it might successfully exploit them in competitive markets, are key challenges for organizations, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry. At present, there are very few empirical studies in the construction industry that have considered Knowledge Management (KM) practices in SMEs. This paper, based on an on-going study on KM in SMEs in construction, presents some of the main challenges associated with implementing KM initiatives in SMEs. It also looks at the roles and types of Information Technologies, which might assist SMEs in their KM programmes. It documents the present and future training needs of SMEs, with regard to KM. The paper concludes that managing knowledge assets in SME is not easy. It is an integrat...
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National and international governments, practitioners and academics have identified the area of knowledge management (KM) as critical for organisational and national competitiveness. Similarly, intellectual capital (IC) in the form of... more
National and international governments, practitioners and academics have identified the area of knowledge management (KM) as critical for organisational and national competitiveness. Similarly, intellectual capital (IC) in the form of human capital is also seen as vital for project and organisational effectiveness. Managing knowledge and human capital is particularly relevant to the construction industry which is characterised by projects that are prototypical in nature, has temporary multi-disciplinary teams and structures and relies heavily on experiences as a basis for planning, decision making and the forming of project and organisational networks. This paper is based on an on-going postgraduate research study, which is aimed at investigating the role of knowledge management and intellectual capital assets on organisational innovations in project based industries. The study employs a combination of research approaches, including ethnographic interviews, postal questionnaires and...
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Construction is one of the most hazardous and complex industries worldwide, which may result in the most fatal accidents and occupational illnesses. It is also regarded as a major industry not only in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)... more
Construction is one of the most hazardous and complex industries worldwide, which may result in the most fatal accidents and occupational illnesses. It is also regarded as a major industry not only in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries but also worldwide and it is rapidly growing. This study reports an assessment of different body parameters, including physiological factors and body pain of construction workers from GCC countries. Demographic data were collected by way of face-to-face interview followed by the measurement of body mass index, blood pressure and heartbeat. Data for musculoskeletal pain were collected through a structured questionnaire. The results reveal that a majority of workers were overweight or obese. The blood pressure of 43·3% of the participants was more than the threshold and shows hypertensive values. An estimate of 46·6% of the workers experienced body pain in the last three months, while the most frequently reported areas for pain were neck, shoulder...
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In 2015, the UN member countries, on mutual understanding, identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be achieved by 2030. According to several reports, some countries are reflecting good progress, but overall, no country is... more
In 2015, the UN member countries, on mutual understanding, identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be achieved by 2030. According to several reports, some countries are reflecting good progress, but overall, no country is on track towards achieving all the UN SDGs. This paper aims to show the progress and commitment of the UAE towards UN SDGs. A qualitative research approach using a systematic literature review complying with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and a semi-structured interview was adapted to achieve the aim of this research. The results reflect that the Emirates has achieved only one goal. Most of the remaining goals are not on track to be achieved by 2030. In fact, some of the goals related to energy and climate are becoming riskier. The country under its different initiatives aims to invest a total of US$163·35 billion in different projects that target to achieve 50% clean energy by 2050. It is, however, not clear from ...
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Poor occupational safety and health (OS&H) results in an economic burden of 4% of the total world gross domestic product (GDP). Effective OS&H regulations and their implementation are one of the main factors in achieving an... more
Poor occupational safety and health (OS&H) results in an economic burden of 4% of the total world gross domestic product (GDP). Effective OS&H regulations and their implementation are one of the main factors in achieving an improved safety performance. This article discusses the current OS&H regulations applicable in all industries including construction in Oman. Construction is one of the main industries in Oman, which contributes about 9% towards its GDP. This article attempts to offer some basic understanding of the OS&H regulations applicable to both employees and employers in Oman. The current regulations comprise four chapters and 43 articles, which address some of the key areas, including the specifications of worker uniform and personal protection equipment, medical care, precautions against hazards, special precautionary measures, OS&H management system and enforcement by ministry inspectors. The minimum number of employees for an employer to have a qualified OS&H supervisor is 50. Different agreements between Oman and the International Labour Organization indicate that Oman is committed to implementing the National Programme for Work, which aims to build Oman’s labour market and to provide decent work.
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Energy is crucial to economic and social development and improves quality of life. However, fossil fuel energy produces greenhouse gases (GHGs) and cannot be sustained for a long time. It is essential to tackle these problems by moving... more
Energy is crucial to economic and social development and improves quality of life. However, fossil fuel energy produces greenhouse gases (GHGs) and cannot be sustained for a long time. It is essential to tackle these problems by moving towards renewable and sustainable energy. Some countries, including those in the Arabian Gulf region, are still in the appraisal stage of adopting different forms of renewable energy. This paper reviews the business potential and likely GHG reductions associated with adopting renewable energy in Oman. It is revealed that 1·9 Mt of annual carbon dioxide emissions could be cut by producing 10% of the country’s electricity from renewables. The paper further discusses the global sustainable energy commitment under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and reviews the 2030 targets of some countries that are high producers of GHGs. It is anticipated that if all these planned targets are achieved, the total sustainable energy contribution could grow ...
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The construction projects in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-member countries are peaking as the region is in the stage of improving its infrastructures. This briefing presents the current status of occupational safety and health in the... more
The construction projects in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-member countries are peaking as the region is in the stage of improving its infrastructures. This briefing presents the current status of occupational safety and health in the region by providing a brief comparison with some of the advanced countries where improved safety performance is guaranteed and maintained. The comparison of the available data shows that, in general, GCC countries display a poor occupational safety and health performance. The briefing suggests the key areas for research which could help the GCC construction industry to improve its performance. These areas include the awareness and importance of safety, cost of accidents, environmental and climatic factors which affect the workers, occupational safety and health regulations and their implementation, workers’ well-being, safety culture and safety climate.
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Purpose This paper aims to disseminate the knowledge integration process modelling throughout the phases of the early contractor involvement (ECI) procurement methodology, to optimise the benefit of ECI procurement method. The development... more
Purpose This paper aims to disseminate the knowledge integration process modelling throughout the phases of the early contractor involvement (ECI) procurement methodology, to optimise the benefit of ECI procurement method. The development of the model was aimed at taking advantage from the associated benefits of integrating knowledge and of ECI procurement. ECI provides contractors with an alternative means to tendering, designing and constructing projects. Thus, this paper explores knowledge interconnectivity and its integration involving numerous disciplines with various stakeholders to benefit from the collaborative environment of ECI. Design/methodology/approach The methodology implemented in the research includes a thorough literature review to establish the characteristics of the ECI tender stage as well as the characteristics of knowledge to be integrated in an ECI setting. Following this, an embedded case study research methodology was used involving three healthcare ECI pro...
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Procurement plays a key role in sustainability as policies and practices need to extend beyond organisations’ boundaries to incorporate their whole supply chains. There is, however, a paucity of empirical research on sustainable forms of... more
Procurement plays a key role in sustainability as policies and practices need to extend beyond organisations’ boundaries to incorporate their whole supply chains. There is, however, a paucity of empirical research on sustainable forms of procurement initiatives currently being implemented in the UK construction sector to improve competitiveness – which is the core driver of this paper. In order to achieve this aim, a mixed research methodological approach was adopted to collect and analyse data. The findings are based primarily on quantitative data obtained from 53 completed postal questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 17 professionals from 12 UK construction organisations. As revealed by this study, sustainable procurement is becoming increasingly important in the UK construction sector. The paper concludes that the process of integrating sustainable procurement initiatives into existing business models is often a complex issue. Therefore, there is an urgent need to ex...
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive literature review that seeks to address modern factors worldwide that are associated with the selection of current procurement methods. The aim is to develop an up-to-date... more
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive literature review that seeks to address modern factors worldwide that are associated with the selection of current procurement methods. The aim is to develop an up-to-date multi-attribute procurement decision-making chart for selecting the appropriate method for the project. Design/methodology/approach – Stage 1 (literature review). The search engines, Emerald; Business Source Premier; Science Direct and Sage were selected to identify journals that have published the most procurement methods-related articles. The search covered the period 1980-2015. Stage 2 (Survey) – after analyzing and appraising the literature, an up-to-date utility decision-making chart for selecting the appropriate procurement method for the project was developed. The chart was based on findings from a survey that included 57 construction professionals and who have demonstrated sound experience about the various procurement options. Findings – Th...
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In recent years, sustainable regeneration has been recognised as being of major economic and social concern in the world. In the UK for instance, government has initiated a number of policies and evaluation methods to deal with some of... more
In recent years, sustainable regeneration has been recognised as being of major economic and social concern in the world. In the UK for instance, government has initiated a number of policies and evaluation methods to deal with some of the environmental problems associated with regeneration projects. However, the post construction evaluation of these projects has often resulted in them being seen as not achieving their set objectives. Attempts aimed at evaluating the impact of sustainability by built environment practitioners have primarily been limited to their assessment of the projects’ potential environmental impacts, with the associated socio-economic impacts being neglected. There has not been any well-defined built environment research that has been able to deal holistically with the broader issues of sustainability in terms of benefits/impacts of the regeneration projects to the communities concerned. The findings of an exploratory study that adopted a semi-structured interv...
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... The study recommends that guidelines advocating "how best" to overcome refurbishment problems and difficulties" for different types of refurbishment projects, and refurbishment works across industrial sectors, ie... more
... The study recommends that guidelines advocating "how best" to overcome refurbishment problems and difficulties" for different types of refurbishment projects, and refurbishment works across industrial sectors, ie defence, hotel and health service sectors, be produced. ...