The work‐life experiences of office and site‐based employees in the Australian construction industry

A survey was conducted among employees of a large Australian construction firm. Comparisons were made between employees who differed by gender and work location. Male employees in site‐based roles reported significantly higher levels of work to family conflict and emotional exhaustion than male employees who worked in the regional or head office. Site‐based male employees were also less satisfied with their pay than male respondents who worked in the regional of head office. Few significant differences were found between women who worked in different locations. Neither were significant differences between men and women who worked in the same location reported. The results are explained in terms of women's tendency to work in administrative, secretarial or support services roles, which typically demand fewer hours. The paper concludes that the experiences of site‐based construction employees, particularly men, warrant further attention to explore the sources of work‐life imbalance and burnout.     

The rhythms of project life: a longitudinal analysis of work hours and work–life experiences in construction

A diary data collection method was used to collect data from project‐based construction workers in a large civil engineering construction project in Melbourne, Australia. Data capturing the number of hours worked, satisfaction with work–life balance and capacity to complete required tasks at work and at home were collected for 21 consecutive weeks. A strong correlation was found between hours worked each week and participants’ work–life experiences. Data were subjected to time series modelling procedures and weekly work hours were found to significantly predict participants’ capacity to complete tasks at work and at home, but not their satisfaction with work–life balance. The impact of work leading up to a major project milestone was found to increase the predictive capacity of the time series models, indicating that project events have a significant impact upon the work–life experiences of project‐based workers. The period of intense work prior to the milestone (the opening of a new ramp on to an operating freeway) contributed significantly to an immediate reduction in capacity to complete tasks at home. Further time series modelling revealed that recovery opportunities associated with workers taking a short, temporary break from work can also contribute to improved work–life balance. It is proposed that construction organizations use the naturally fluctuating workloads implicit in project work to ‘build’ recovery opportunities into project schedules.     

The Australian construction industry: is the shadow economy distorting productivity?

Estimates of the size and change in the Australian construction industry shadow economy value over time are provided and applied as a quality adjustment to Australian construction industry productivity growth from 1985 to 2012. The results indicate that the Australian construction industry shadow economy is growing and that by adjusting for the shadow economy, distortion is removed from construction industry productivity growth estimates. The findings create significant scope for future research into the estimation and the effect of shadow economic activity on productivity growth, not just in Australia but in other countries as well.     

Site operatives’ attitudes towards traditional masculinity ideology in the Australian construction industry

There is a widely accepted assumption in the construction literature that the industry is highly masculinised. However, there has been a surprising lack of empirical evidence around workers’ own attitudes towards masculinity in the sector. Addressing this lack of research, a survey to measure construction site operatives’ attitudes towards traditional masculinity ideology was undertaken in Australia using the Male Role Norms Inventory Scale-Short Form (MRNI-SF). It is found that the focus of attitudes towards masculinity in the construction industry may be shifting to reflect trends in the wider population and may be more inclusive and less hegemonic than has been previously argued. It is also found that the focus of masculinity in the construction industry is closely related to the physical and high-risk nature of work and that sexuality and humour may also be an important source of masculine identity. These results are important since they contribute a more nuanced understanding of the dimensions and exact nature of attitudes towards masculinity in the construction industry. It is concluded that future research into the impact of masculinity in areas such as gender diversity, safety and mental health would benefit from a more inclusive theoretical lens which recognises the dynamic nature of masculinity and which highlights the institutional legacies of past hegemonies that have to be challenged to move the industry forward.     

Social outcomes in the construction industry: the case of the Western Australian ‘Percent for Art’ policy

Social outcomes, in particular intangible social outcomes, are generally difficult to achieve in the construction industry due to the predominantly episodic, fragmented and heavily regulated nature of construction that presupposes a tendency towards mainstream construction processes and design. The Western Australian ‘Percent for Art’ policy is recognized for stimulating social outcomes, by creating richer and more aesthetically pleasing social environments through the incorporation of artwork into public buildings. A case study of four Percent for Art projects highlights the role of the Artwork Selection Committee in incorporating artwork into construction. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with committee members and policy officers. Data analysis involved a combination of pattern coding and matrix categorization, and resulted in the identification of the committee’s three key elements of collaborative communication, democratic decision-making and project champions. The findings suggest these key elements foster the interaction, communication and relationships needed to facilitate feedback, enhance relationships, create cross-functional teams and lower project resistance, which are all necessary to overcome constraints to social outcomes in construction. The findings provide greater insight into the mechanisms for achieving social outcomes and a basis for future discussion about the processes for achieving social outcomes in the construction industry.     

Input structure of the construction industry: a cross‐country analysis, 1968–90

During the past several decades, globalization has led to the integration of product markets. Rapid increases in cross‐border economic, social, technological and cultural exchange have become the key elements of knowledge diffusion and thus technology spillovers among countries. As a result, the debate as to whether absolute convergence occurs at the cross‐country level has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of this study is to examine the changes in the input structure of the construction industry in nine developed countries between the late 1960s and 1990 and to evaluate whether convergence occurs at input industry level. The analysis of the technical coefficients for 35 industries reveals that, across countries and over time, not only the key inputs but also the new high and low input industries are similar. The estimation of variance factors on the other hand suggests that (1) during the sample period, the input structure of the industry is dominated by divergence rather than convergence; (2) among the input industries, services in particular tend for convergence; and (3) manufacturing inputs provide a mixed picture where only a few inputs show convergence and the remaining inputs show in general weak divergence.     

Group‐level safety climate in the Australian construction industry: within‐group homogeneity and between‐group differences in road construction and maintenance

In modern organizations it is overly simplistic to assume that a uniform, organization‐wide climate for safety develops. Workgroup‐level safety climates are more likely to arise in decentralized organizations and their influence on occupational health and safety (OHS) behaviour is likely to be stronger when work is non‐routine, as in construction. The existence of workgroup‐level safety climates was examined in the Australian construction industry. A group‐level safety climate survey was conducted in a road maintenance and construction organization. The clear factorial structure produced in a larger sample of Australian defence logistics workers was not replicated and factors splintered, possibly due to the subject‐to‐item ratio in the construction study. However, the internal reliability consistency of the factors produced in the earlier pilot study was found to be acceptable for the construction industry data. Two requisite conditions for the existence of group‐level safety climates, i.e. (1) within‐group homogeneity; and (2) between‐group variation, were satisfied within the road construction and maintenance organization. The results indicate that distinct workgroup safety climates exist in construction, providing a theoretical explanation for why some workgroups perform better in OHS than others, despite having similar risk exposure.     

Project management and burnout: Implications of the Demand–Control–Support model on project-based work

Project-based work has long been characterized as frenetic, fast-paced, and dynamic. The often competing constraints imposed by schedules, stakeholders, and budgetary restrictions make project activities conflict-laden and highly conducive to work-related stress. Stress is not an end unto itself but instead, is often a precursor for burnout. Burnout is a psychological syndrome of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced personal accomplishment. This paper reports on the results of a study of burnout among project management personnel. Using the Demand–Control–Support model as our conceptual framework, we analyzed a sample of respondents from four project-intensive organizations. Our findings demonstrated that women tend to experience emotional exhaustion to a greater extent than their male counterparts. Further, control and social support do serve as moderators for the burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion and cynicism, suggesting limited support for the Demand–Control–Support model. Implications of this study for project management and workplace burnout are discussed.     

A review of studies on Public–Private Partnership projects in the construction industry

Public–Private Partnership (PPP) in construction is gaining in popularity. Although papers published in major journals have documented real cases of PPP projects, there appears to be a lack of systematically summarizing what they have already provided. Consequently, this paper reviewed PPP studies published in the six top journals in the construction field. The objectives are to compare and contrast the findings of the studies so as to provide insights for directing further PPP research and improving the existing practices of PPP projects. To achieve the review objectives, studies were first classified as either empirical or non-empirical. Empirical studies were further grouped under three themes: risks, relationships, and financing. Non-empirical studies were grouped under five themes: financing, project success factors, risks, and concession period. Suggestions for further research are risks, financing, contractual agreements, development of PPP models, concession periods, and strategies in choosing the right type of PPP.     

Queer eye on a ‘straight’ life: deconstructing masculinities in construction

The male-ness or masculine nature of the construction industry has often been blamed for the problems of equality and diversity in the sector. Yet, what constitutes masculinity in construction is rarely problematized. Conventionally, masculinity in construction tended to be associated with the subordination and harassment of minority groups (e.g. women, non-heterosexuals), and the ideals of keeping fit in order to meet the tough, physical demands of construction work. Therefore an attempt was made to expand the conceptualization of alternative masculinities in construction. By deploying queer theory, the life stories of nine non-heterosexuals working in trade and professional occupations in the construction industry were analysed to explore how a range of different masculinities played out in the social interactions in their personal and working lives. The findings suggest that conventional hegemonic masculinity, while present, is not the only form of masculinity that subordinates minority groups in construction. Rather, other non-hegemonic forms of masculinity (e.g. found in homo-social contexts) also serve to exclude both men and women. Nevertheless, examples were also identified of minorities countering such exclusionary forms of masculinity through, for instance, ‘friendship’ alliances at work, which could offer possibilities for building a more inclusive workplace in construction.     

Does satisfactory neighbourhood environment lead to a satisfying life? An investigation of the association between neighbourhood environment and life satisfaction in Beijing

Associated with the dramatic expansion of Chinese cities are the unprecedented scale and pace of changes to urban living environment. There is an imperative to assess residents' perceptions of neighbourhood environment and the impacts on life satisfaction. Drawing on a large-scale residential satisfaction survey conducted in Beijing in 2013, we examine the fine-grained spatial distribution and determinants of residents' life satisfaction. A multilevel ordinal response model is employed to investigate the roles of neighbourhood satisfaction, perceived relative income, socio-demographic characteristics, and contextual factors in predicting life satisfaction. Results show that satisfaction with key neighbourhood characteristics including safety, physical and social environments, and travel convenience is statistically significantly associated with life satisfaction. Income relative to that of peers in local areas or to that in the past is a more important predictor of life satisfaction than absolute income. Other individual-level variables, such as age, family structure, hukou status, health, commuting time, and housing-related variables including housing tenure and floor space, are significant correlates of life satisfaction.     

Work–life fit: identification of demand and resource typologies within a systems framework*

Work–life fit occurs when people have the resources required to meet demands such that role performance (both at work and in non-work life domains) is effective. Interviews were conducted with 59 construction workers based in Melbourne, Australia to explore how demands and resources were experienced. Using a systems framework, data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results identified two demand typologies associated with demand-to-demand interaction. Demands operating as ‘influencers’ have a major impact on the conditions of the interdependent demand, while demands operating as ‘creators’ generate a new demand and shape the conditions of that demand. One resource typology related to resource–demand interaction was identified. ‘Enabling resources’ enable an individual to manage multiple demands across multiple domains, and may also enable an individual to manage multiple demands within a single domain. A new conceptual contribution is made to an area in which theory is under-developed, by adopting a systems approach to understanding the dynamic interactions between demands and resources. A lack of fit is damaging for the individual; therefore, it is useful to know that demands and resources are interdependent and these interdependencies will vary according to individuals. Using a systems approach to understanding demands and resources will be helpful to organizations seeking to support workers to achieve optimal work–life fit.     

Growth and degradation in the Orient’s ‘Las Vegas’: issues of environment in Macau

This paper argues that the rapid growth of gambling‐related tourism and urban construction in Macau has given rise to serious environmental degradation. The major environmental issues include air quality, water supply, solid waste disposal, noise prevention, heritage conservation and environmental management. The author suggests that the government in Macau should refocus this city’s development direction and commit itself to sustainable development. At the policy‐making level, there are such urgent issues as integration of environmental, economic and urban planning with community participation in decision‐making; enhancement of environmental legislation and institutions; implementing vital measures to control of the numbers of visitors; developing a mass transport system; and protecting the city’s cultural heritage.     

The Kano–Kazaure highway,north central Nigeria: the significance of the engineering geology in construction

Kano–Kazaure highway traverses granitic rock with minor occurrences of metasediments and fine sandy deposits. The soil profiles were studied to determine their suitability in the proposed dualization of the highway route as part of the Trans-Sahara international highway construction project. The soils derived from the granitic rocks are well graded, with a high maximum dry density and low optimum moisture content. The soils derived from the schistose and quartzite zone are also suitable for road base and sub-base but the transported loose silty fine sand/sandy silty soils of the Chad Formation are only limited suitability.     

Extension planning and the historic city: civic design strategies in the 1908–9 Copenhagen international competition

In shedding light on the 1908–9 competition for Greater Copenhagen this article examines the contest as an instrument for the accumulation and transmission of planning know‐how, ideas and innovations in relation to the development of town planning theory and practice in the Nordic Countries. Plans are considered as both technical and cultural graphics marks reflecting alternative and possibly contradictory images of the greater city or city of the future. The discussion focuses on the relationship between urban design's twin polarities: urban transformation and creation on the one hand; concern for conservation and urban continuity on the other. After considering the competition's international dimension, the article explores the civic art strand of design in northern Europe before 1914 and the idea of the historic city by investigating the conservation movement that flourished in Copenhagen when there were rapid changes in the physical fabric. The article, based on archive materials, analyses of awarded and non‐awarded entries alike, illustrates how architects, engineers and surveyors combined their design of the city's extensions with conservation schemes for both peripheries and centre. It is suggested that, at a time when Nordic municipal authorities were pressing for comprehensive town planning, planners strove to provide ways of protecting the existing built environment. This involved not only safeguarding an emerging ‘historic city’ in contrast to the new extensions, but also proposals for maintaining urban continuity in the peripheries.     

Explosive construction in a micro‐state: environmental limit and the Bon curve: evidence from North Cyprus

The dynamo role of the construction sector in North Cyprus is documented on the basis of an empirical estimation of backward and forward linkages during the period 1998 to 2005. This was a period when the North Cyprus economy experienced an economic boom in the aftermath of the UN Peace Plan known as the Annan Plan for settling the Cyprus problem. The latest input–output table for the North Cyprus economy is 1998 and we had to derive backward and forward linkages for 2005 from a detailed breakdown of inter‐industry transactions per unit of construction output using the most significant purchases and deliveries, normalizing these transactions for comparability between 2005 and 1998. The results reflect radically different pattern of inter‐industry transactions in 2005 compared to 1998. This work also has general interest in highlighting the possibility of a modified Bon curve for micro‐states, such as North Cyprus, in which environmental constraints may be encountered earlier implying an inverted V‐shaped Bon curve in place of an inverted U‐shape.     

“Not a Lot of People Read the Stuff”: Australian Urban Research in Planning Practice

At the 2013 State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference, a dedicated plenary session examined the blunt prospect of “Who cares about Australian Urban Research?” One group apparently not reading, or not making extensive use of, urban research is Australian urban planners. Drawing on interviews and focus groups undertaken for a recent research project, in this paper we examine the nature of the research-practice Relationship in an Australian urban planning context. We explore the limited extent to which practitioners engage with research outputs; and the entrenched barriers to research to practice information exchange. While our interviews indicate planners are concerned about the lack of a solid research base with which to underpin many policies, assumptions and decisions; we find that time-poor professionals largely rely on popular media, industry publications and practice networks to inform decision making. Further, the political and reactive environment of planning practice means the role for evidence in consensus-driven decision-making is fraught and far from clearly defined. Ultimately the project highlights the extent to which the resources required to digest research, interpret its local significance, and apply it to practice can be underestimated.     

Protecting Lives and Property in the Wildland–Urban Interface: Communities in Montana and Southern California Adopt Australian Paradigm

Threats to people and property in the wildland–urban interface have taken on global proportions. It is becoming increasingly rare to have a wildland fire incident that does not involve people and their homes. In addition to Australia and North America, people have died in interface fires in Europe, Africa, and Asia, including 212 people who died in the devastating forest fires in northeastern China in May 1987. The prevailing interface model is one that attempts to evacuate people away from fire areas to get them out of harm’s way. This traditional approach in the U.S. has been preferred by law enforcement agencies and fire services. The problem with this model is that evacuation warnings are often late to non-existent, leading to the deaths of interface residents entrapped by fires on highways as they try to escape. For example, 16 people suffered lethal burns when the 2003 Cedar and Paradise Fires in California overran them as they were trying to evacuate. Two communities in the United States have adopted variations of the Australian model of Prepare, Go Early, or Stay and Defend (P/GE/SD). Officials in the Painted Rocks Fire District, Montana, and Rancho Santa Fe, California, were interviewed to determine how the Australian model was being implemented. Two of the authors have firsthand experience with these two case examples. P/GE/SD has been tested successfully at both locations. The Australian model, however, is under review following the Black Saturday fires of February 2009 in Victoria, Australia. The objective of this paper is to present specific ideas that can be used to reform and improve fire policy, planning, and performance in the Wildland–Urban Interface in the United States.