Large Construction Firms Research Articles

An Examination of Causes of Accidents and Hazards in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

This study aims to examine the causes of accidents and hazards in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI) from the perspectives of key stakeholders, and also the available legal regulations and provisions regarding remedies for redress in case of accidents. A qualitative research strategy with in-depth face-to-face interviews was adopted. Participants for the interview were seven of which are Contractors, Consultants, Construction Workers, and Suppliers/ Manufacturers using data saturation principle. The selection of interview participants was based onpurposive sampling, while data was analyzed using the content analysis technique. Five major causes of accidents and hazards that are critical for remedying were identified, including common law liabilities of the Employer who is the Contractor, with a duty to ensure that adequate provisions are made for the works to be carried out safely. The findings of the study provide adequate knowledge to the contractor and other stakeholders of the roles, duties,and responsibilities to ensure improved implementation of CHS practices. The study examined the legal basis and consequences for causes of accidents and hazards in the Construction Industry. Since large construction firms were considered in the current study, it is recommended that similar studies be conducted involving small and medium enterprises.

The effects of accounting benefit, ERP system quality and management commitment on accountants’ satisfaction

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are the largest software packages of information systems adopted by many organizations all over the world. The utilization of ERP systems has been considered as a key determinant of competitive advantages. The main objective of the present study is to propose a model of the accountant’s satisfaction in using enterprise ERP systems. Data were collected by using a questionnaire survey of almost 225 accountants working from 42 large Vietnamese construction firms. The results show that accounting benefits, ERP system quality and management commitment had significant effects on accountant’s satisfaction in the ERP environment. The study also indicate that the management commitment had an impact on ERP system quality and ERP system quality had a positive relationship with accounting benefits as well. Based on these findings, implications for managers in Vietnamese construction firms in providing accounting information quality are discussed.

Assessment of systematic risk management practices on building construction projects in Ghana

The construction industry happens to be one of the key sectors of every nation’s economy by way of value creation, employment and contribution to Gross Domestic Product. However, just like other sectors of the economy, the industry is saddled with numerous risks making the achievement of project objectives elusive. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the current risk management practices prevailing in the building construction project delivery in the Ghanaian construction industry. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analysed using content analysis technique. Quantitative data was obtained through survey questionnaires and analysed using fuzzy synthetic evaluation. Respondents were selected from three public Universities and construction firms in the highest building contractor financial class known as D1K1. It was found out that risk management is not implemented in a systematic, deliberate and continuous manner. However, risks are dealt with in an adhoc manner. This practice is at variance with acceptable risk management practices. The findings expose the weaknesses in the project management practice in Ghana. Project managers of large construction firms in Ghana require sound knowledge and training in internationally recognized systematic risk management practices in order to ensure achievement of value for money in construction project.

Does size of construction firms matter? Impact of project-factors and organization-factors on project performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the impact of project-factors and organization-factors on five indicators of project performance for small and medium enterprise (SME) and large construction contracting firms that are fully responsible for the successful completion of the projects. The five performance indicators are time, cost, safety, quality and financial.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted to solicit responses from project managers/directors from 342 construction firms in Malaysia. The construction firms included in this study came from various sectors: civil, building and infrastructure; oil and gas; marine and multidiscipline. Hierarchical multiple-regression was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe salient findings are as follows: (1) impacts of project-factors and organization-factors on performance indicators are different for SMEs and large construction firms and (2) relative impact of organization-factors on performance is much higher than the project-factors.Originality/valueAnalyzing the relative impact of project- and organization-factors on the performance of SMEs and large construction firms can significantly enhance the body of knowledge about performance levels and boost best practices in this respect related to construction industry.

A Structural Model for the Antecedents of Sustainable Project Management in Pakistan

Sustainable development is the core agenda item of the 21st century to be addressed simultaneously by societies, businesses, and academia. Likewise, sustainability research in the project context is fragmented and still at a nascent stage with less attention directed towards the key antecedents particularly in developing countries. Using institutional theory, this paper analyzes the role of normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures as external enablers for integrating sustainability in project processes. Additionally, it aims to empirically validate a structural model for predictors of sustainable project management (SPM). Data were collected from 146 large construction firms in Pakistan which were then analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results show that mimetic isomorphic pressures assert more influence than normative pressures in predicting the sustainability performance of construction projects. The inferred implications suggest that large construction firms will tend to improve their sustainable performance under isomorphic pressure from professional bodies and from those competitors who are early adopters of sustainable project practices. This paper contributes to the literature by explaining the role of non-coercive isomorphism as an important enabler of SPM in developing countries. The model presented will enrich our current understanding of SPM by studying its juxtaposition with institutional theory and sustainable development research.

Product diversification and large construction firm productivity: the effect of institutional environments in Malaysia

PurposeMany large construction firms (LCFs) adopt product diversification (PD) to counter downturns and spread risks. However, no detailed information is available concerning the type of PD that improves their performance. In addition, it is still uncertain how much changes in institutional dimensions influence the effectiveness of PD. Therefore, the aim is to resolve this issue by establishing a model that shows the extent of this influence.Design/methodology/approachThe generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator is used to model the PD strategies of 86 LCFs in Malaysia over 14 years (2003–2016) and its impact on productivity and profitability performance.FindingsUnrelated diversification (UD) decreased firm performance in 2003–2016, while related diversification (RD) had a positive impact during the more liberal 2010–2016 phase. The models show that the impact of PD is highly dependent on changes in institutional dimensions.Practical implicationsFirstly, managers may adjust the type of PD and its level of diversification to improve firm performance. Secondly, they may devise PD strategies based on changes in institutional dimensions to maximise their effectiveness.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by determining the optimal amount of PD (including RD and UD) and its impact on performance. Secondly, the study is the first to investigate the moderating relationship of the institutional dimensions of economic and regulatory institutions on PD-firm performance. Thirdly, the study is the first to explore the components of technical-scale-scope economies (movement towards and around the production frontier), this being crucial to the strategy that was only conjectured in previous studies.

TR Optimization in High-Performance Drilling Machine for Various Control Actions & Algorithm

Drilling industry has moved into a paradigm shift with the controlled Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) tuning, which provides optimum outcomes in recent decades. Interestingly the outcomes of several aspects of these PIDs are quite important for the industry sector. Many of the large industry or construction firms’ project that was seemed impossible at one point of time is now feasible. A significant amount of research has been commenced for tuning of PID controllers from the last six decades. Many tuning methods have also been proposed. Most of the tuning methods are model-based like Ziegler Nichols (ZN) method. It provides initial tuning of PID, which offer consistent result, but there is always suggested to fine-tune the PID controller further for the particular process to get optimum results. This paper represents a comparison for the several control schemes such as PID controller, PI with PD in feedback, PID with PD in feedback, PID-D and PID-PD controller and lead compensator. This relative study based upon rise time, settling time and peak-overshoot. The block diagrams were simulated in MATLAB, and their results are compared.

Influence of learning and service innovation on performance

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the influence of organizational learning (OL) and service innovation (SI) on organizational performance of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and examine the mediating role of SI. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested using the theoretical OL model of knowledge acquisition, distribution, interpretation and organizational memory (Huber, 1991; Lopez, Peon, & Ordas, 2005; Jiménez-Jiménez & Sanz-Valle, 2011), using structural equation modeling partial least squares analysis of a survey data set of Brazilian architectural firms. Findings Findings suggest that OL is significantly linked to SI and so is SI to organizational performance. However, neither the direct relationship between OL and organizational performance could be verified, nor the mediating effect of SI. Practical implications These results can offer KIBS managers insights that suggest that OL alone does not guarantee a significant impact in organizational performance, but it is a starting point for achieving SIs, that lead to performance improvement and competitive advantages. Originality/value This paper contributes to the knowledge production in the following ways: to the understanding of the relationship between OL and SI and its effect on organizational performance, traditionally overlooked in the literature; to the study of SIs, considering the importance of the service sector; and to the study of innovation processes in architectural firms, a sector traditionally understudied, because of the focus on large construction firms.

Influence of Construction Firm Size on the Level of Adoption of Sustainability Practices in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract The need to address the problems facing the natural environment and social economic development cannot be overemphasised. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of firm size on the level of implementation of sustainability practices in Niger Delta, Nigeria. Survey design approach was used in the study. Data were obtained through interviews and one thousand one hundred and seventy-nine copies of structured questionnaire administered to representatives of the firms by researchers and research assistants. The methods of data analysis were simple percentage and Spearman’s rank correlation. The result showed that small firms accounted for 84.7 %, medium-sized firms accounted for 11.61 % and large construction firms accounted for 3.73 %. Thus, a majority of firms are small and medium-sized construction companies in Niger Delta. The study revealed that the firm size influenced the level of implementation of firm sustainability practices in the study area. It was concluded that the size of firms had a significant influence on the level of adoption of sustainability practices among the construction firms operating in Niger Delta. It was also concluded that small and medium-sized construction firms recorded poor capacity building and human capital development. The study recommended that small and medium-sized construction firms operating in Niger Delta should improve their level of capacity building and human capital development.

Assessing of Modern Machinaries used by Large Scale Construction Firms for High Cost Construction Projects

India is one of fastest growing economy in the world which attracts many foreign investors to our country. With the economy being liberalized, foreign players have a vital stake over our countries growth and it’s after effects. The Construction area has consistently been progressively to this financial development which all in all is an exceptionally divided industry. It needs to impart on a huge scale other related help business lines prone to be materials, types of gear, merchants, providers, subcontractors, customers and furthermore the undertaking plan and funds. All these elements which this sector deals with are subjected to potential risks involved which have to be predicted, monitored and managed. Construction industry has been following method for managing these risks and issues to be arising from a project. They have been managing these risks by foreseeing them with the experience and knowledge that the company has gained over the period of time. But this will be a question for a firm if they diversify or when they enter into any new venture of business domain. The conventional model is the one using the manual techniques for assessing risks involved from the experience, knowledge and competency gained in the business domain. Using Primavera (P6) the risk is been managed by creating several models generated which explains the process of additions of risks, identification of type of risk, calculation of exposure values, calculation of risk impact, assigning the person responsible to the risk, time frame of risk, preparation of control plans if the risk occurs. Finally the results thus obtained from both the methods are been compared and the results

Assessement of Safety Management for Public Construction Sites in Nigeria

The study investigates the attitude of construction firms operating within Kano metropolis towards safety provision for workers on site. In achieving these objectives Investigatory Survey Research Approach Method (ISRAM) was adopted and used in order to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. Questionnaires were distributed to various construction companies within Kano metropolis, the totals of eighty (80) copies were distributed and fifty eight (58) copies were retrieved. Data collected were found suitable. And were analyzed using Software statistical package (SPSS). From the analysis the result revealed that there is negligence in the attitude of construction companies towards safety and stricter regulations have to been forced. Dissemination of information on safety techniques would reduce accident on site and increase the worker’s moral for better performance in turns to reducing overrun cost. Ineffectiveness of government policy on safety measure especially in construction work was found to have contributed to low productivity by workers on site, since they don’t have access to any claim even when accident occurred on sites. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of bodies buried in the foundation of the wall. Bodies were also used to make up the wall’s thickness. It has been estimated that millions of workers lost their lives due to accident, intense physical labor, starvation and disease. This is in order of magnitude of life per meter of wall length. Therefore, safety in mission statement of large construction firms or companies is not common (Amaechi, 1990). Execution is supported by correlation; some of these correlations were by organizations such as Independent Project Analysis (IPA). It has been statistically proven that there is correlation between good front end loading and safety performance of good front end loading.

Contractor’s Technology Acceptance for Firm Sustainability Performance

The construction industry’s contributions to Greenhouse gas emissions have generated several discussions among the construction stakeholders in recent times. Granted that the construction industry has been contributing significantly to the economy as well as employment in most countries for decades, the industry’s resource consumption is, at the same time, damaging to a sustained human environment. This paper empirically explored the organizational technology orientation and perceived organizational usefulness that could improve construction Malaysian construction firm’s sustainability performance. Close-ended structured copies of questionnaire survey were employed to collect data from large Malaysian construction firms, and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling technique was used to analyze the 172 responses. The results indicated that both technology orientation and perceived organizational usefulness are capable of influencing the construction firms’ sustainability performance. The implication is that this study’s model can predict the sustainability performance of the sampled construction firms. Some implications for research and practice, as well as future recommendations, were highlighted.

Building sustainability in the construction industry through firm capabilities, technology and business innovativeness: empirical evidence from Malaysia

While the identification of the drivers of social sustainability in construction firms has remained one of the popular topics in the literature, many questions about these drivers remain unanswered, especially in the context of the developing countries. This study empirically determines some organizational internal drivers influencing the social sustainability performance in construction firms. To achieve this, we developed a conceptual model and tested on a sample of registered and active large construction firms from the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board, using partial least-squares structural equation modelling for analysis. The study reveals that organizational internal drivers could trigger social sustainability performance. However, our analysis shows that organizational capabilities – complex tangible and intangible resources that are controlled by a firm through certain organizational practices and which enable it to implement value-creating strategies-partially mediates the relationship between these drivers and social sustainability. While few limitations of this study include the fact that the data used are the subjective opinions of the top officials who responded to the survey, our findings reveal that construction firms with efficient resource capabilities tend to adopt more sustainability in project delivery. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the important factors for social sustainability in construction.

Complexity of women’s modern-day challenges in construction

PurposeAlthough the UK construction sector has enjoyed a significant rise in the number of women joining the industry, there is undoubtedly more room for improvement. Numerous schemes have been initiated by government and other professional bodies to encourage more women to undertake a career in construction. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the organisational complexities of problems faced by women working in professional roles in construction. It thus initiates a dialogue on the lack of workplace flexibility and discriminatory practices that prevent many more women from joining.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological philosophy is adopted. The research critically explores the views of women working in professional roles in six large construction firms in England.FindingsIt was widely acknowledged that the industry had improved significantly, however there are still concerns yet to be addressed. It was identified that women face new challenges when they attain senior roles. Furthermore, it is believed that the current glass ceiling theory and leaky pipeline theory are not adequate to study these issues.Research limitations/implicationsSample size and narrow focus on large construction firms are the limitations of the paper.Practical implicationsThrough academic and industry dissemination, the findings from this research encourage both men and women working in the construction industry to adopt inclusive practices that will help widen the pool of knowledge and expertise.Social implicationsThis paper sheds light on a problem that is assumed to be eradicated once women progress to senior management roles.Originality/valueThis research presents an in-depth critical perspective of challenges faced by women construction professionals occupying decision-making positions.

The Economic Institutions of Construction in London after the Great Fire

This article contributes to literature on the role of “firms” in the early modern English economy by exploring contracts for works between the Crown, the City of London, and large construction firms that built the Greenwich Hospital, City churches, and St. Paul’s Cathedral from 1670 to 1712. Primary sources show varying arrangements to pricing, mitigating risk, and securing finance occurred without the costs of intermediaries. Clients pushed financial and operating risks onto contractors through complex contracting systems that enabled and supported a number of coordination mechanisms in the market. The article argues that contracts rather than firms should be the unit of analysis for those wishing to examine productivity and changes in early modern business.

Analysis of some factors driving ecological sustainability in construction firms

Construction management scholars, institutional investors, and construction practitioners are strongly emphasizing firms’ needs to respond adequately to the harmful effects of construction on human societies and the environment. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the environmental dimension of the triple bottom line of sustainability within the construction industry by considering regulatory framework and a set of organizational capabilities (organizational culture, flexible design, quality orientation, product diversity, and customer loyalty) that have been highlighted to aid firms’ achievement of ecological sustainability. Using survey data of Malaysian large construction firms, structural equation modelling was used to confirm the mediating role of organizational capabilities in the regulatory framework and ecological sustainability relationship. The findings of this study established how proactive firm core competencies can strengthen construction businesses in developing nations to discover new avenues of performing environmentally sound construction businesses. It also demonstrated how a favourable regulation targeted at the unique configuration of large construction firms in Malaysian context could contribute to their environmental sustainability performance. The limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Evaluating Supplier Management Maturity in Prefabricated Construction Project-Survey Analysis in China

Prefabrication is considered as a modern method of construction, transferring part of on-site work into factories and generating a new decoupling point in supply chain. Management of prefabricated component (PC) suppliers plays a key role in the performance of prefabricated construction project (PCP). Evaluating and improving supplier management maturity (SMM) become critical issues for large contractors. Previous research on PCP supply chain mainly focused on technology, process and performance aspects, while paying little attention to supplier relationship management. This study proposes an assessment criteria system of supplier management from five dimensions, including procurement process, operation efficiency, relationship coordination and strategy alignment and corporate social responsibility. A maturity grid with five levels is designed to present continuous improvement of supplier management. 34 large PCP construction firms listed in contractor directory were investigated in China through semi-structured interview and questionnaire survey. Independent two-samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance were adopted to explore SMM of different groups according to business scope, procurement method and construction experience. The results indicate that the overall maturity level of supplier management is relatively low, implying that supply activity cannot achieve inter-organization integration. Management on relationship coordination and strategy alignment lag behind procurement management and operation efficiency. Single business contractors have higher SMM than diversified ones. Contractors integrated in engineering, procurement and construction are superior to design-bid-build contractors in supplier management, especially in relationship coordination and strategic alignment. Construction experience is conductive to supplier operation efficiency. Noticeably, there are no statistically significant differences in the performance of corporate social responsibility among different groups. These results will contribute to developing a benchmark framework for contractors to evaluate SMM and achieve continuous improvements in PCP.

Exploring the Significant Cash Flow Factors Influencing Building Projects Profitability in Ghana

This paper identifies and explore significant quantifiable cash flow factors influencing building projects profitability in Ghana. A thorough literature was undertaken to unravel the quantifiable cash flow factors which facilitated design of questionnaire. A survey with prime focus on large firms registered with the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Ghana was undertaken. A total of 50 questionnaires were received from 63 administered representing 79.36% response rate with a Cronbach Alpha value of 0.895 and Kappa value of 0.743 respectively were attained. One-sample t-test was performed on the rated responses to establish 12 significant factors. Principal component analysis was subsequently employed to reduce factors to the most significant components. Prominent variables selected from rotated and component score matrixes were: wages of labour and staff; progress payment duration; bank interest rate; and replacement of defective works as significant variables. This study was limited to quantifiable cash flow factors and large construction firms hence, recommended further study with focus on qualitative factors, procurement types, broader scope of construction firms and other developing countries. The outcome of this is to aid construction managers effectively manage the significant cash flow factors to maximize profit.

Differences in safety training among smaller and larger construction firms with non-native workers: Evidence of overlapping vulnerabilities

Collaborative efforts between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) led to a report focusing on overlapping occupational vulnerabilities, specifically small construction businesses employing young, non-native workers. Following the report, an online survey was conducted by ASSE with construction business representatives focusing on training experiences of non-native workers. Results were grouped by business size (50 or fewer employees or more than 50 employees). Smaller businesses were less likely to employ a supervisor who speaks the same language as immigrant workers (p < .001). Non-native workers in small businesses received fewer hours of both initial safety training (p = .005) and monthly ongoing safety training (p = .042). Immigrant workers in smaller businesses were less likely to receive every type of safety training identified in the survey (including pre-work safety orientation [p < .001], job-specific training [p < .001], OSHA 10-hour training [p = .001], and federal/state required training [p < .001]). The results highlight some of the challenges a vulnerable worker population faces in a small business, and can be used to better focus intervention efforts. Among businesses represented in this sample, there are deficits in the amount, frequency, and format of workplace safety and health training provided to non-native workers in smaller construction businesses compared to those in larger businesses. The types of training conducted for non-native workers in small business were less likely to take into account the language and literacy issues faced by these workers. The findings suggest the need for a targeted approach in providing occupational safety and health training to non-native workers employed by smaller construction businesses.

Sustainability attitude and performance of construction enterprises: A China study

Construction industries have significant impacts on the economy, society and environment. To transform construction industry towards sustainability, construction enterprises' perceptions and performance on sustainability needs to be understood and evaluated, which has not be fully explored by existing studies. This paper holistically examines the Chinese construction enterprises’ attitude towards and performance on various aspects of sustainability (e.g. the economic, social and environmental aspects) in order to identify those aspects the firms perceive to be the most and least important and those aspects the firms perform best and worst on. The associations among the sustainability attitude, sustainability performance, and firm size are also explored. The findings show that quality management and customer service are perceived as the most important as well as the best-performed aspects by the firms while supporting community development is the least important and worst-performed aspect. Sustainability attitude is positively correlated with performance, and larger firms tend to have better sustainability performance than that of small ones. However, larger construction firms do not necessarily perceive sustainability more important. This study provides a useful reference for policy makers and researchers to understand how sustainability is perceived and implemented by the Chinese construction firms.