Medium-sized Construction Companies Research Articles

Study on Overseas Expansion Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Korean Construction Companies Using PEST Analysis

The purpose of this study is to research overseas expansion strategies for small and medium-sized construction companies(SMCCs) in South Korea. The research methodology employs PEST (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) analysis within the construction industry. Findings suggest increased investment in research and development, adoption of eco-friendly technologies, and localization strategies. By enhancing competitiveness through advanced technology adoption and strengthening sustainable practices aligned with global standards, firms can mitigate political and economic risks. Policy implications include collaboration with government and relevant agencies to support Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects, provide financial assistance, manage risks, and establish integrated information platforms. Moreover, enhancing capabilities through education and consulting programs in technology, law, finance, and risk management prepares firms for international expansion. This study offers specific solutions to Korean small and medium-sized construction companies, emphasizing enhanced policy support to successfully pursue expansion and growth opportunities in the global market.

재건축사업의 ESG 경영활동을 위한 중요도 및 우선순위 분석

This study attempted to discuss ESG activities for reconstruction projects as an effort for sustainable development of the construction industry. In particular, the purpose of this study is to analyze the importance and priorities of determinants affecting reconstruction ESG management activities in order to enhance the participation of the construction industry in ESG and its effectiveness in the domestic construction industry structure, which is composed mainly of small and medium-sized construction companies. The survey was conducted online with a quantitative survey of a group of experts working at construction companies, and the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) for the analysis of determinants of reconstruction ESG management activities was conducted using the DRESS 1.7 program. As a result of the analysis, social factors were the highest in the relative importance between AHP tier 1 factors, environmental factors, society, and governance, and environmental and governance were sequentially the highest. In addition, as a result of analyzing the relative importance of the determinants of reconstruction ESG, the importance of waste treatment, which is an environmental factor, was the highest, followed by job preparation and safety, which are social factors. On the other hand, ethical management, resident participation, and management strategies were shown to be lower in order among governance factors.

Statistical Analysis of Lean Construction Barriers to Optimize Its Implementation Using PLS-SEM and PCA

The construction industry performs many tasks scheduled and related to other activities. Companies must optimize their operations, increase efficiency, eliminate waste, and deliver better products to their customers. As a result, this study aims to identify the main challenges associated with the implementation of the Lean Construction model in small and medium-sized construction companies and optimize the implementation of this process using statistically-focused mathematical models. This study was conducted using the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) method and also carried out the principal component analysis to optimize Lean barriers so that they can be properly implemented in the construction industry. The most important obstacles are displayed, as well as the relationships with other factors. Significant relationships have been discovered between the barriers to Lean construction adoption, especially with regard to corporate culture, communication, training, leadership, and the influence of mentality on business and employee adaptability. Construction executives and managers can make well-informed policy and strategic decisions by having a thorough understanding of the main barriers to Lean implementation. This information enables them to focus on the implementation of Lean technologies in projects, to increase market competitiveness, reduce waste and enhance overall work efficiency.

Investigating the Causes of Variation Orders in Egypt Perspective of Medium and Small-Sized Companies

Introduction: Variation order became one of the major issues that is presented in construction projects. The nature of work in the construction industry is complex and difficult. Thus, variation order is expected to occur in every project due to its nature. The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of variation order in construction projects in Egypt according to the perspective of professional parties working for medium and small sized construction companies. The main method used for data collection was a questionnaire survey with experts working in the Egyptian construction industry. 62 participants from 18 construction companies were invited to take part of the study, 51 of them accepted the invitation. The findings showed the top ranked causes of variation order according to small and medium sized construction companies were poor communication, omissions in the design, financial limitations of the owner, additional work requested by the client, and contractor’s desire to gain more profits. Thus, the proper understanding of the causes of the problem can be helpful towards establishing a suitable criterion for reducing variation orders in construction projects in Egypt. The contribution of this study lies in the fact that only a very limited number of research explored the perspective of medium and small sized construction companies in Egypt. The study can be useful for other countries with similar working conditions and still suffering from the adverse impact of variation order.

Enhancing Safety on Construction Sites: A UWB-Based Proximity Warning System Ensuring GDPR Compliance to Prevent Collision Hazards.

Construction is known as one of the most dangerous industries in terms of worker safety. Collisions due the excessive proximity of workers to moving construction vehicles are one of the leading causes of fatal and non-fatal accidents on construction sites internationally. Proximity warning systems (PWS) have been proposed in the literature as a solution to detect the risk for collision and to alert workers and equipment operators in time to prevent collisions. Although the role of sensing technologies for situational awareness has been recognised in previous studies, several factors still need to be considered. This paper describes the design of a prototype sensor-based PWS, aimed mainly at small and medium-sized construction companies, to collect real-time data directly from construction sites and to warn workers of a potential risk of collision accidents. It considers, in an integrated manner, factors such as cost of deployment, the actual nature of a construction site as an operating environment and data protection. A low-cost, ultra-wideband (UWB)-based proximity detection system has been developed that can operate with or without fixed anchors. In addition, the PWS is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. A privacy-by-design approach has been adopted and privacy mechanisms have been used for data protection. Future work could evaluate the PWS in real operational conditions and incorporate additional factors for its further development, such as studies on the timely interpretation of data.

소규모주택정비사업의 활성화 방안에 관한 연구

As the industry developed and the need for housing increased due to population growth, the housing shortage was solved by constructing houses centered on large-scale apartments. Most of the supply of housing for the common people was achieved by small and medium-sized construction companies building multi-generational and multi-family houses such as villas, which are small houses. It was distributed. The small houses distributed in this way are deteriorating and left empty, damaging the scenery of residential areas, and there are also cases where they are abused as a place for youth to escape. To solve these problems, the government is also recommending the redevelopment and reconstruction of housing. However, the current reconstruction and redevelopment is being carried out focusing on large-scale complexes that can generate a lot of profit based on business feasibility, which makes it difficult for indigenous people to settle down and often turns into a stage for speculators. Therefore, the government in 2018 said, The “Special Act on the Maintenance of Vacant Houses and Small Houses” was implemented to play a role in improving the quality of residential life by stipulating matters and special provisions necessary to efficiently renovate vacant houses and revitalize the maintenance of small houses. However, to date, the improvement of small houses or empty houses has not been promoted as intended by this law. The small house improvement project has the advantage of speeding up implementation by simplifying the project implementation procedures, but there are difficulties in implementing the project in the field. In particular, it is not uncommon for projects to not proceed smoothly due to issues such as the composition of a council before establishing a cooperative and the dispute resolution process between residents who consented without knowing during the process of obtaining consent from residents and residents who expressed their opinion to cancel consent after consenting. It's happening. There is also the problem that it is difficult to make a profit for the developer due to the small size of the complex. Therefore, there are difficulties in selecting a business operator, which is the starting stage of the business. There are some areas where it is difficult to proceed with the project due to difficulties in establishing a cooperative.
 When reorganizing a city, the climate is changed to one in which development is carried out through small-scale housing redevelopment that harmonizes with nature and the environment rather than large-scale redevelopment, so that urban development is not a feast for speculator, but rather the original local residents do not leave and the residential environment is improved. I hope that this will change the perception that urban maintenance is carried out as a result.

Penerimaan BIM di Kalangan Kontraktor PKS dalam Industri Pembinaan Malaysia

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a modelling technology that provides construction professionals with digital tools for use in project planning, design, monitoring, and control. The potential advantages of putting BIM into practice are known to the Malaysian government. The Malaysian government has taken a number of steps to promote BIM in the hopes that Malaysian construction industry experts will utilize it extensively. However, significant difficulties are delaying the introduction of BIM in Malaysia. Implementing BIM typically presents difficulties for smaller businesses. Even though there are numerous benefits to utilizing BIM, small and medium-sized construction companies are still cautious to do so in the course of their work. This study examines BIM adoption in Malaysian small and medium-sized construction firms. The present degree of BIM adoption in Malaysia’s construction industry as well as the best tactics to encourage SME contractors in Malaysia’s construction industry to embrace BIM more effectively were the subjects of a questionnaire survey that was conducted. According to the survey’s results, SME contractors are still trailing behind in adopting BIM due to a number of obstacles that stand in the way of its adoption. In order to increase BIM adoption among SME contractors, it is crucial that government agencies successfully promote and encourage BIM use across the whole Malaysian construction sector. The importance of this study is in gathering data on the extent of BIM adoption among SME contractors, which might be utilized as a benchmark and reference for the development of BIM in the Malaysian construction industry.

Economic impact of the introduction of new regulations: an analysis of construction and transportation SMEs in Ecuador

The general objective of this study is to analyze the economic impact of Resolution No. 009 - 2021 on small and medium-sized construction and heavy transport companies in the province of Manabí. The methodology was of quantitative approach, non-experimental longitudinal design, field typified, descriptive level and under the modality of a documentary study. The information was collected through the survey technique. The analysis sample consisted of 20 people, including owners and employees of small and medium-sized companies in the construction and heavy transport sector in the province of Manabí. Among the results found, 91.9% know about the management of tariffs; 56.8% liked making purchases after the implementation of the Resolution; 70.3% received training; 48.6% indicated that they always had the support of their company; 40.5% said that it generated an economic impact; 37.85% are satisfied with this reform; 89.2% indicated that they consider it to have a positive impact; 43.2% rated Resolution No. 009-2021 as very good. It is concluded that: after the application of the survey to determine the economic impact of Resolution No. 009-2021 on SMEs in the construction and heavy transport sector in the province of Manabí, they indicate that it was of great relevance and help, as it managed to reduce tariff costs.

Investigating Knowledge Management Maturity Level in Medium-sized Construction Companies

Construction companies are knowledge-intensive industries that operate in highly competitive environment. They have to utilize their knowledge effectively to maintain their competitiveness. There are extensive literature explaining how large organizations have established effective knowledge management (KM) initiatives, which is in contrast to the little attention given to small and medium construction companies (SMEs). In fact, in East Java Indonesia, SMEs construction companies account for more than 90% of the construction sector. For these companies, to exploit the optimal benefits of KM, knowledge maturity could be used as a way of providing practical decision assistance. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the maturity level of KM in medium-sized construction companies. APO KM assessment tools are employed to address the objective of this study. This research found some areas that need to be improved by small-medium construction companies in order to enhance their knowledge management. It is expected that this study nourishes the existing literature on knowledge management areas.

Liquidity management in small and medium-sized construction enterprises during crisis - the case of Croatia

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of liquidity management on the profitability of small and medium-sized Croatian enterprises during the economic crisis of 2008 and the crisis caused by COVID-19 and provide empirical evidence of the effects of liquidity management on profitability. Methodology: The collected data were analyzed using the methods of descriptive statistics, chain and base indices as well as Spearman’s correlation coefficient, while the normality of the distribution of the selected sample of small and medium-sized enterprises was examined with the Shapiro-Wilk W test. Results: According to the research results, the economic crisis in the period from 2008 to 2014 had more pronounced negative effects on liquidity management of the observed companies than the economic crisis in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The research results showed that liquidity management and achieving adequate profitability in times of crisis are very important for small and medium-sized construction companies because their total assets are dominated by short-term assets, while short-term liabilities are their dominant source of funding so better education in the field of finance is recommended in order to understand the use of their own and others sources of funding.

Impact of Transactional Leadership on Green Technological Innovative Behavior

The international community is increasingly concerned about environmental pollution and the degradation of natural resources, which has aroused the world's attention to the green technology innovation of the corporate sector and emphasized the role of leaders in responding to this situation. This study examines the impact of interceding mechanisms and influencing factors in the association between green transactional leadership and employees’ green technological innovative behavior. We conducted two independent surveys to develop and test our hypotheses. In the first survey, we collected cross-sectional data from matched 43 project managers and 145 employees of small and medium-sized construction companies in Pakistan. In the second survey, we used a multi-waves approach to collect the data from matched 51 production managers and 165 their immediate subordinates from different small and medium electrical/electronic manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The results showed that green transactional leadership is associated positively with followers’ green technological innovative behavior. This article also found that innovative climate and organizational learning mediates the association between green transactional leadership and green technological innovative behavior. Moreover, the contingency role of environmental dynamism was found significant on the mediating influence of organizational learning in the association between green transactional leadership and followers’ green technological innovative behavior. The findings of this article help to improve our understanding of how green transactional leadership affects followers’ green technological innovative behavior in the electrical/electronic manufacturing and construction industries, and how intervening and contingent mechanisms affect the associations.

중대재해처벌법에 대비한 건설현장의 스마트기술 활용방안에 대한 연구

This study proposed a plan to easily handle the work of safety management officer at construction sites by effectively performing safety management work at construction sites using smart technology in preparation for the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. As a result of analyzing the research trends of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, it can be summarized into network analysis studies such as problems and improvement directions, countermeasures from subcontractors and small and medium-sized construction companies, site size, etc. The relationship between the detailed process of the construction site and smart technology, which is the core of this study, was found in the order of earthwork, steelwork, roof work, reinforced concrete work, window work, drainpipe metal work, civil work, and stone work. This means that when smart technology is applied, the response to serious accidents factors is relatively highly related, so it can be effectively managed. The definitive weight of smart technology for the detailed construction process was determined as the top items: earthworks, steelworks, roof works, 65%, reinforced concrete works 20%, window works 10%, drainpipe works 3%, and stone works 2%. Based on this, it can be prepared by applying the degree of input of smart technology to the detailed schedule of construction sites in order to increase the practical use of smart technology in preparation for the Severe Accidents Punishment Act.

Implementation of the Global Reporting Initiative Social Sustainability Indicators: A Multi-Case Study Approach Using Brazilian Construction Companies

This study aims to assess the applicability and adherence to social sustainability indicators by large and medium-sized construction companies in Pernambuco, Brazil. The study measures the importance and influence of these indicators in companies’ decision-making processes. The social indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) were selected as they come from a globally recognized and widespread organization. The research focuses on nine companies by conducting semi-structured interviews, site visits, and data validation through observations. The results indicate that most of the indicators were considered to have a high level of importance. However, these indicators are not as influential in decision-making as their importance suggests they should be. Currently, only 26% of the indicators are being measured by the companies, covering only three of the 19 GRI categories. The categories reported are occupational safety and health, local communities, and customer privacy. Most companies would be able to report the other 16 categories with minimal additional effort. A prioritization matrix is presented according to the importance and influence of the indicators and the effort to implement them. Overall, this study reveals that companies could easily measure most social sustainability indicators, making it possible to implement more sustainable decisions with less effort.

Derivation of Risk Factors to Quantify the Risk of Safety Accidents for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Construction Industry

The accident rate in the construction industry is much higher than in other industries. In particular, small- and medium-sized construction sites need to be managed by differentiating them from large construction sites. In order to create and manage a separate management guideline, a quantitative study on the difference between the two groups should be preceded. However, in previous studies, research particularly based on empirical and quantitative data is insufficient and somewhat inadequate. In this study, through statistical analysis of small- and medium-sized construction enterprises and large-scale construction enterprises, this research statistically proves the difference between the risk of occupational accidents. Furthermore, through multiple regression, safety accidents and significant factors of small- and medium-sized construction sites and large-scale construction companies have been verified and considered. The result shows the day of the week, accident time, and workers’ contract type are significant factors affecting construction workers’ accident risk for SMEs, while only the contract type was identified as a factor influencing accident risk for large construction companies. As this study aims at recognizing the risk factors of small-sized construction companies, the findings can provide effective references for assessing and managing the risks particular to the small- and medium-sized construction enterprises.

Study on the influence of COVID-19 on the growth of China's small and medium-sized construction enterprises.

The outbreak of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020 had a significant impact on China’s economy, society, and citizens; it also had a negative impact on the development of the construction industry. In particular, small and medium-sized construction enterprises with low ability to withstand risk have been strongly impacted, aggravating a crisis of survival among these firms. The focus of this study is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the growth of small and medium-sized construction companies. Based on the characteristics of small and medium-sized construction enterprises, this paper establishes a growth evaluation index and builds a growth evaluation model based on factor analysis. Twenty-three construction enterprises listed on small and medium-sized enterprises board are selected as samples, and the quarterly data of 2019 and 2020 are used for empirical analysis. The results show that the epidemic has had a high short-term impact on construction enterprises, and the total output value of the construction industry in the first quarter of 2020 was 16% lower than that in the same period of last year. In the long run, the impact of the epidemic on the growth of small and medium-sized construction enterprises has been limited. In the first quarter of 2020, the growth score of enterprises decreased by only 1.95% year-over-year, and it was essentially flat in the second and third quarters. The epidemic has had little influence on solvency, tangible resources or intangible resources but a high short term influence on profitability, capital expansion and market expectations. The long-term impact is small; It is conducive to the improvement of enterprise operation ability. Finally, to both address the influence of the COVID-19 on small and medium-sized construction enterprises and to realize their transformation and upgrading, targeted suggestions are offered at the policy and enterprise levels. The results will help to understand the impact of the epidemic on the growth of construction enterprises, and provide decision support for the healthy and orderly development of the follow-up construction industry.

Employee Readiness for Organizational Change in the SME Internalization Process: The Case of a Medium-Sized Construction Company

A growing body of research, especially in the domain of psychology and business, is aimed at identifying the link between work-related factors and employee readiness to accept change. Moreover, change management is a topic that rapidly attracts the attention of the academic and business communities as well. Therefore, this study is conducted in order to identify the antecedents of the effective implementation of change(s) within a context of a medium-sized construction company that went through numerous changes during its lifetime. A total of 12 different hypotheses and sub-hypotheses was tested to better understand what factors affect employee readiness for change. A multiple regression analysis was used on a sample of 54 employees indicating that organizational commitment, career commitment, and job satisfaction positively affect employee readiness for organizational change. The research contributes to the fields of human resources, organizational psychology, management of small and medium-sized enterprises, and change management.

Three-Phased Risk-Management Benchmark for Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Construction Companies

Small and medium-sized construction companies (SMCCs) typically lack the international experience of their large counterparts. International construction projects often are more uncertain than domestic projects, which can pique SMCCs' interest or necessity for external benchmarks of best practices. This study aims to provide a three-phased risk-management benchmark framework for the internationalization of SMCCs. The first-phase benchmarking evaluates how well companies prepare to undertake business abroad and what capabilities they should improve upon based on comparative data from 41 SMCCs. The second-phase benchmarking provides risk information from 49 international subcontract projects that must be managed for SMCCs. In the last phase, the benchmark delivers subcontractor risk-response strategies through the analysis of 134 international-contractual cases. Additionally, the three illustrative cases show that the benchmark framework and metrics are quite helpful for decision-makers and SMCC practitioners in evaluating and responding to their international construction project risks.

Stakeholders' impact on the leadership potential of small and medium-sized construction enterprises

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a methodological approach to assessing the impact of stakeholders on leadership potential of small and medium-sized construction enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology was based on taxonomic analysis to determine the coefficient of leadership potential in the following areas: financial growth of an enterprise, internal processes, human resources development and market potential. The examination process was grounded on the materials from small and medium-sized construction companies located in Russia and China.FindingsSubgroups of companies with positive dynamics of indicators, an unstable situation and negative trends of leadership potential formation are identified. Russian small and medium-sized construction companies prioritize the development of sales policies and the management of internal business processes, while Chinese companies–human potential. The generated regression equations indicate a direct relationship between stakeholder engagement and the leadership potential of construction companies in both countries.Originality/valueThe scientific contribution of this study is the proposed methodological approach to assessing the development of the leadership potential of an enterprise and diagnosing the degree of stakeholders' influence on the latter. This is facilitated by comprehensive analysis, which includes an assessment of leadership potential based on the results of taxonomic analysis, construction of vector diagrams and regression analysis. This study can be useful for persons conducting research in the direction of small and medium-sized business management, forming a strategy for business development and competition policy to form a company's leadership position in the market.

Comparative Study on Wooden Material Selection by Small and Medium-sized Construction Companies among Regions with Different Material Arrival Structure

Comparative Study on Wooden Material Selection by Small and Medium-sized Construction Companies among Regions with Different Material Arrival Structure

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.