VERDICT—An e-readiness assessment application for construction companies

In the recent years, the use of e-commerce tools in construction has been on the increase. The benefits of using these tools on construction projects have been well documented in research and industry publications. Studies have shown that the construction industry recognises the potential for the use of e-commerce. However, the use of these tools is still not common within the industry and the uptake of e-commerce technology in the UK construction industry has been relatively slow.Implementation of any new technology such as e-commerce for achieving business targets requires major changes in an organisation, its current practices, systems, processes and workflows. Taking this into account, construction companies who are currently using, and those who have yet to use e-commerce tools need to take measures to successfully adopt and use this technology. It is important for companies that seek to adopt e-commerce tools to analyse their businesses to ensure a productive and beneficial implementation of these tools (i.e. measure their ‘e-readiness’ for adopting e-commerce tools). To address this need an e-readiness assessment model and a prototype application were developed. This paper describes the development and implementation of VERDICT, an e-readiness assessment prototype application for construction companies. VERDICT assesses the e-readiness of construction companies in terms of their management, people, processes and technology, and presents the readiness results in both textual and graphical formats. It also provides companies with the potential to compare their e-readiness against that of the ‘best-of-breed’.     

Balancing employee needs,project requirements and organisational priorities in team deployment

The ‘people and performance’ model asserts that performance is a sum of employee ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO). Despite extensive evidence of this people–performance link within manufacturing and many service sectors, studies within the construction industry are limited. Thus, a recent research project set out to explore the team deployment strategies of a large construction company with the view of establishing how a balance could be achieved between organisational strategic priorities, operational project requirements and individual employee needs and preferences. The findings suggested that project priorities often took precedence over the delivery of the strategic intentions of the organisation in meeting employees’ individual needs. This approach is not sustainable in the long term because of the negative implications that such a policy had in relation to employee stress and staff turnover. It is suggested that a resourcing structure that takes into account the multiple facets of AMO may provide a more effective approach for balancing organisational strategic priorities, operational project requirements and individual employee needs and preferences more appropriately in the future.     

The social impact of construction industry schools-based corporate volunteering

Despite the rapid growth of corporate volunteering in construction, there has been very little research in this area, particularly from a recipient’s perspective. To address this gap in knowledge, data were collected using surveys, reflective diaries, workbooks and a progress web, from 103 school pupils participating in one of the UK’s largest schools-based construction industry corporate volunteering programmes. The results show that corporate volunteering programmes which partner construction industry professionals with school students in a work-related activity-based learning environment can have a significant impact on student construction industry knowledge, perceptions, career choices, aspirations and employability skills. This is particularly the case for female students and for students whose learning styles do not align with traditional classroom-based pedagogies. It is recommended that more research is needed to classify and understand the different types of volunteering programmes that operate in the construction sector across multiple cohort groups, the factors that determine success and failure and the overall impact on the students and the wider community in the long term as well as the short term. There is also a need for more research into what it means for the companies involved and for the staff who volunteer.     

Book review

In response to impending skills shortages and changing employment patterns, the UK construction industry recently has made considerable efforts to attract more women to its professions. However, despite their increasing representation, there are indications that women experience difficulties in developing their careers within the industry. This research investigated the careers of men and women working for large construction companies, in order to establish the gender determined influences on women's career progression. A primarily qualitative methodology was employed for the research, in which career profiles were developed through ethnographic interviews with 41 matched pairs of male and female employees. This allowed the gender specific determinants of careers to be established across a range of different organizations, and from informants at different vocational and life-cycle stages. The analysis resulted in the formulation of a set of eight interrelated theoretical models, from which a theory of women's career development was constructed. The theory reflects the belief that the construction workplace is a competitive and conflictual environment, where women are overtly and covertly discriminated against by men, who use structural systems to undermine their participation. The women interviewed were found to have dealt with these barriers in a way which perpetuated existing work cultures. If reflected throughout the industry, this would suggest the existence of a self-fulfilling cycle of women's continued under-achievement. The paper puts forward the radical proposition that women should not be attracted to the industry unless steps are taken to moderate its exclusionary and discriminatory culture.     

RFID tracking implementation model for the technical trade and construction supply chains

The use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking has increased considerably in supply chain management during the past ten years. Despite the large diffusion of the technology, the use of RFID tracking has remained scarce in the construction industry despite the intense research. The particular design and temporary operating sites of the construction supply chains delay the diffusion, because the best-known RFID tracking systems in other industries are mainly designed to support the retailers' processes. The particular supply chain structure of construction industry, demands different business logic to build and gain benefits of RFID tracking systems. This paper presents RFID tracking implementation model for technical trade and construction industries. The approach for building feasible model was Technology Acceptance Model. The model design is based on the research project, where 16 manufacturing and wholesaler companies of technical trade were involved, and survey where customers of these manufacturers and wholesalers were interviewed.     

Marketing orientation in construction firms: evidence from Turkish contractors

The major idea behind this paper is that, the role of marketing within the construction industry should be investigated by using an integrated conceptual framework that considers the marketing perception of firms, general marketing practices, expected benefits from marketing and impact of marketing capability to create competitive advantage, so that a complete picture about marketing practices can be drawn. A questionnaire form that has been designed based on this idea is introduced and findings of the questionnaire study about marketing perception of Turkish contractors as well as general marketing practices in the Turkish construction industry have been reported. Results demonstrate that the level of marketing orientation is rather low and marketing functions are generally conducted with superficial knowledge about marketing. There are misconceptions related with the benefits of marketing perspective and majority of the construction companies do not conduct marketing activities integrated with the rest of the value chain. Findings of the current research support previous work on marketing practices in construction companies from different countries.     

User perceptions of ICT impacts in Swedish construction companies: ‘it’s fine,just as it is’

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in construction companies has been growing steadily during the last decade. However, few studies inquire into either perceptions of the impact of actual ICT use or perceptions among different occupational groups in construction companies. The aim of the paper is to explore users’ general perceptions of ICT impacts in the post-adoption stage and analyse the implications for construction management practice. A mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected using a web-based survey both in a major construction company and among medium-sized companies in Sweden. Data from 294 returned completed questionnaires were analysed with t-tests and multiple regression analysis. In addition, participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted within the major construction company in order to strengthen the analysis. It can be concluded that respondents are generally fairly satisfied with the ICT. Differences in perceptions among occupational groups can be explained by the nature of work tasks and the original intentions for using ICT as a means of control and calculation. Even if respondents perceive that a further development of ICT could improve competitiveness, they do not want to increase their use of it in their workplaces. They basically think that ‘it is fine, just as it is’. This indicates that a challenge in construction management is to investigate how prevailing and new ICT applications can be used to develop the industry.     

Essay competition: The individual and the intelligent facade

As knowledge becomes a source of competitive advantage, knowledge-management activities have become critical for success. Construction firms can effectively use their organizational memory to enhance their decision-making abilities. A framework was constructed to model the organizational memory formation process in construction companies. Based on this model, an interview study was conducted to investigate both the organizational memory formation and the role of organizational memory in strategic decision-making within the construction industry. Eight Turkish contractors were assessed. The results suggest that construction companies make use of several knowledge sources and mechanisms to acquire knowledge. Although construction companies are successful at the collection and storage of knowledge, they are weak in the exploitation of organizational memory, especially at the strategic decision-making stage. In addition, they cannot increase their organizational learning competence due to some company- and industry-specific barriers.     

An investigation of corporate approaches to sustainability in the US engineering and construction industry

Sustainability involves focusing on a project’s impact in three areas: (1) environmental; (2) economical; and (3) societal. In reality, companies’ approaches in the three areas are not evenly distributed. A study of current trends in the US construction industry related to the emerging focus on sustainable construction will be of great value for the engineering and construction industry to recognize the differences in corporate approaches to sustainability, for the sake of team alignment. A random cross‐section of 300 companies, consisting of 150 owner companies, 75 contractor companies and 75 design firms representing a variety of industries, was selected from annual company data assembled by the weekly construction news publication Engineering News Record (ENR). To identify sustainability‐related concepts within the context of these company documents, content analyses and chi‐square statistical analyses were performed on the selected companies’ publicly available annual reports and mission/vision/values statements. The primary objectives are to: (1) identify concepts of sustainability that are currently being emphasized within the US engineering and construction industry, possibly at the expense of other concepts; and (2) develop an understanding of the relationships between various company and industry groups related to the fundamental concepts of sustainable construction.     

09大考 群英布阵

春节过后，金融危机带来的经济衰退仍是人们热议的话题。虽然各国都在为应对全球金融危机做出努力，奥巴马的新金融救援计划和经济刺激计划更成为近期人们关注的焦点，但是美、欧、日经济将很可能陷入“L形”衰退的事实并无实质性的改变，全球经济仍笼罩在金融危机的阴影之中。中国政府做出的积极有效的应对措施，虽然在一定程度上提振了人们的信心，但不可否认2009年将是我国进入新世纪以来经济发展最为困难的一年。     

Understanding employee resourcing in construction organizations

In recent years the literature on employee resourcing has consistently advocated the importance of adopting a holistic, strategic approach to employee deployment decision making rather than adopting a reactive needs‐based approach. This is particularly problematic in construction where the multi‐project environment leads to constantly changing resource requirements and to changing demands over a project's life cycle. This can lead to inappropriate decisions, which fail to meet the longer‐term needs of both construction organizations and their employees. A structured and comprehensive understanding of the current project team deployment practices within large construction organizations was developed. Project deployment practices were examined within seven case study contracting firms. The emergent themes that shaped the decision‐making processes were grouped into five broad clusters comprising human resource planning, performance/career management, team deployment, employee involvement and training and development. The research confirms that a reactive and ad hoc approach to the function prevails within the firms investigated. This suggests a weak relationship between the deployment process and human resource planning, team deployment, performance management, employee involvement and training and development activities. It is suggested that strategic HR–business partnering could engender more transparent and productive relationships in this crucial area.     

The challenge of change for innovation in construction: A North Cyprus perspective

A vision of change for innovation within the perspective of revaluing the construction industry is essential to develop a culture of self-sustaining improvement, mutual recognition, respect and support in the long term in North Cyprus. The research attempts to put forward a case for a restructuring of the construction sector in order to deliver a step in change in quality of output and to realise maximum value to all clients, stakeholders and end users. The main objective of this study is to (1) determine current innovation practices and identify key issues that contribute to successful implementation (2) assess the existence and severity of barriers to change for innovation (3) propose solutions for overcoming barriers to change for innovation in construction industry and develop a framework to revaluate the construction industry. The research includes an extensive literature study, interviews with managers on the challenge of change for innovation in construction, analysis of this information to develop findings, and extending these to present the key strategic issues that could be targeted for revaluing the construction industry. The paper commences on understanding the firms’ own processes and detecting their weaknesses and strengths, determining the strategies and actions that should be made in the short term to adopt innovation practices and helping the North Cyprus construction industry to learn as a whole. The paper concludes how the drivers of change for innovation can offer benefits to construction firms in North Cyprus if appropriate strategies are adopted.     

Toward collective organizational values: a case study in UK construction

Despite privatization, many government‐linked companies (GLCs) still continue to operate in Malaysia. Many have objectives that include the redressing of ethnic economic imbalance. Government‐linked construction companies (GLCCs) were created within these larger public groups. A study was conducted to explore whether the GLCCs are still valid in Malaysia's present construction industry scenario, and if not, what actions should be taken in respect of them. Four aspects (i.e. social obligation, competitiveness, efficiency and income generation) were looked into. To answer the research questions, the viewpoints of ‘A’ Class bumiputera contractors were solicited which were then investigated on four GLCCs, three belonging to state economic development corporations (SEDCs) and one to a land development agency (LDA). The exploratory study found that three case study GLCCs have limited public value. This paper concludes by recommending changes that should be made to them. There is much that policy makers in developing countries with GLCCs can learn from the Malaysian experience. At the very least, it underscores the need to assess their raison d'être periodically. This study also hopes to encourage other scholars to look into a much under‐researched area—that of a particular set of actors commonly created to promote local construction industry development.     

Impacts of information technology on the structure of construction

Changes in the structure of the construction industry can be attributed in part to information costs being reduced over time. Co-ordination, inspection and the translation of client needs are facilitated, affecting employee incentives within firms, transactions between firms and the role of intermediaries.

These aspects of information technology influence the optimal configuration of construction processes within each firm in the industry. Patterns of integration are seen as dependent on the interaction of aspects of information technology with attributes of each construction process. Geographic expansion, diversification or subcontracting, integration with materials supply and into real estate are considered.

An emerging industry pattern with three types of firms: specializing, co-ordinating and local is indicated, while in the long run, a development towards individuals in project networks is foreseen.     

Organizational memory formation and its use in construction

As knowledge becomes a source of competitive advantage, knowledge-management activities have become critical for success. Construction firms can effectively use their organizational memory to enhance their decision-making abilities. A framework was constructed to model the organizational memory formation process in construction companies. Based on this model, an interview study was conducted to investigate both the organizational memory formation and the role of organizational memory in strategic decision-making within the construction industry. Eight Turkish contractors were assessed. The results suggest that construction companies make use of several knowledge sources and mechanisms to acquire knowledge. Although construction companies are successful at the collection and storage of knowledge, they are weak in the exploitation of organizational memory, especially at the strategic decision-making stage. In addition, they cannot increase their organizational learning competence due to some company- and industry-specific barriers.     

Performance metric development for pharmaceutical construction projects

Pharmaceutical facility construction projects tend to exhibit uniqueness in procedures and methods of deliveries, and thus require a distinct project management approach. Based on inputs from five leading pharmaceutical companies, a set of cost, schedule, and dimensional metrics were developed and tested. First, a hierarchical structure of pharmaceutical project types was established as a framework enabling projects to be properly grouped and compared. Next, within the framework, industry-specific metrics tailored to the processes were produced. For better industry acceptance, surveys and analysis on the developed metrics were finally conducted. The result shows that the framework and metrics have considerable value as an efficient tool for measuring pharmaceutical construction project performance, ultimately providing a chance to improve performance for the industry. By employing the metrics, the industry can find solutions to more effectively manage cost, schedule, and other resources for the delivery of pharmaceutical construction projects.     

A review of construction companies' attitudes to sustainability

In the last decade several initiatives have been taken to encourage the construction industry to support the agenda of sustainable development. On the basis of public disclosures made by companies listed on the UK Stock Exchange this paper reviews current attitudes to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The findings suggest that very few of the major companies positively embrace these ideas. It is subsequently argued that the fragmented and diverse nature of the industry further complicates the transition towards sustainable construction. The conclusion is that even though the construction industry has its own sustainability agenda, relatively few companies have changed their business paradigm.     

Best practices for organizational change management within electrical contractors

Few studies have investigated best practices for organizational change management (OCM) within the electrical contracting industry. This study had two research questions: first, to determine whether there is a relationship between electrical contractor usage of OCM practices and successful change adoption; second, to identify whether electrical contractors have recommendations for how to effectively implement OCM practices within their companies. The first research question was assessed via a national survey of 94 electrical contractors who had recently adopted an organizational change. The second question was explored through 11 in-depth interviews of electrical contractors who had implemented organizational changes such as prefabrication, management team realignment, new software, paperless mobile technology, payroll automation, and entering into a new market. Results showed OCM practices were associated with successful change adoption. OCM practices that had a direct association with successful change adoption included change agent effectiveness, a realistic timescale, providing change-related training, senior leadership commitment, measuring performance benchmarks, providing sufficient resources, and effective change message communication. Interviewees recommended best practices for executing these OCM practices. Contributions include being the first study to investigate OCM practices specifically within the electrical contracting industry and identification of how practitioners can implement OCM practices for their change initiatives.     

Clients’ needs,wants and expectations from contractors and approach to the concept of repetitive works in the Northern Cyprus construction market

Intense competition existing in the construction market creates an industry that is dominated by the client groups. This paper provides insights into private clients’ needs, wants and expectations from contractor firms in the Northern Cyprus building construction market, by presenting survey findings of 91 clients regarding this issue. Moreover, it presents their perspective related to doing repetitive works with the same contractors in possible future works. The study has clearly confirmed the fact that the clients in the specified market place high emphasis on a wide variety of factors. The importance assigned to these factors varies according to the categories or characteristics of the clients within the private building construction sector. Another striking finding was the responding clients’ willingness to do possible repetitive works with the same contractors assuming that they are fully satisfied with the existing or past projects. This opportunity, if used properly by the contractor firms in this market, may be the key to beating the competition and lead to the easy path to increase a contractor firm's market share. Furthermore, it was found that the responding clients expect much more than quality, finishing on time and within budget for full satisfaction and continuing to do repetitive works. The importance and hence the contribution of a set of criteria related to achieving full client satisfaction, and leading to possible repetitive works is presented. Although it would not be reasonable to determine general strategies on just a single study, the contractor firms in the Northern Cyprus construction market will benefit from the framework given within this paper by recognizing what is important and essential to private building construction clients in particular situations and hence present the capabilities of the contracting or potential contracting organizations in ways that meet this to best advantage. Although the results given are based on input from the Northern Cyprus construction market, we believe that the contractor firms in other countries, who specialize in building works for private sector may also benefit from the findings or at least the approach of this research as well.