Relative Importance Index Method Research Articles

Risk Identification and Assessment in Sustainable Housing Project: A Case of Housing Sector in Pakistan

Purpose: The study aims to identify the risk factors that are associated with the housing projects in Pakistan based on their relative importance. Moreover, this study intends to highlight the extreme, high and low risks that are involved in housing projects. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopts the quantitative research method and conducted a survey through a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The study has collected 168 responses from the project managers, contractors, designers and consultants of housing projects in Pakistan. In order to examine the relative importance of the risk, the study has applied the Relative Importance Index (RII) method to analyse the risks. Findings: The results of the study depict that there are five extreme risks, ten high risks and 13 low risks which may contribute harm the sustainability of the housing projects. Moreover, all the critical risk factors have high probability of occurrence and extreme impact on the sustainability of the housing projects in Pakistan. Implications/Originality/Value: The practitioners are recommended to develop such projects that should not damage the ecology of the region in which they are located. Also the land should be determined on the basis of sociological and environmental consideration and not on land value alone.

The efforts made to solve environmental health problems in developing countries. A case from Mtwara town in Tanzania

In this study, the cross-sectional study was designed to assess efforts to solve environmental health problems in Mtwara town, Tanzania. A questionnaire survey was used to collect perceptions from 685 secondary school students on environmental health problems and efforts to solve these problems. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were applied to describe the basic characteristics of the data, and principal components analysis was used to examine the dominant modes of variation of functional data in environmental health concerns of Mtwara town. The Relative Importance Index method was used to analyze the efforts made to solve environmental health problems. This study revealed seven environmental health issues that are pressing in Mtwara town (water supply, natural hazards, sanitation and hygiene, solid waste, air quality, climate change, and population concern). All of the questionnaire variables had significant factor loadings ranging from 0.429 to 0.854. In addition, the creation of environmental awareness among individuals, the existence of various campaigns, water purification, sociocultural beliefs, and mass media have been identified as the main efforts to solve the environmental health problems. The creation of environmentally conscious individuals was the highest among all items with a weight of 3.054545, and the schools' sensitivity to environmental health was the lowest with a weight of 1.314425. It is recommended that countries strengthen capacity building for more effective policy responses by consolidating the knowledge base and developing cross-sectoral cooperation strategies. In addition, socio-economic and political approaches should be introduced to sustainably link the environment and health.

ANALISIS PRODUKTIVITAS PEKERJAAN FINISHING PADA PROYEK TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) PONDOK CINA KOTA DEPOK

In the construction of a building project, one of the important elements in a building project is finishing work. Finishing work is a process of finishing or final completion of a building. The success of finishing work on the building depends on the success of each stage of the workers. Meanwhile, one of the factors influencing the success of a finishing work is the productivity of its workforce. This study aims to analyze productivity and what factors affect the productivity. This research uses the Relative Importance Index (RII) method, used a likert scale or a scale of 1 to 5 based on the perception of the level of interest of each respondent. Based on the results of the analysis, the performance of the project Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Pondok Cina Depok City on wall works is considered not good because the productivity index value is less than 1. Whereas the performance for floor and ceiling work is considered good because the productivity index value is more than 1. Factors that affect the productivity of finishing work are environment, work safety, education level, work experience, wages, and age. Keywords: Building, Finishing Work, Productivity.

Critical Success Factors and Constraints for Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure Development: Evidence from Afghanistan

Like other developing countries, infrastructure development is a major concern for the Afghanistan government. Since Public-private partnerships. In Afghanistan, public-private partnership is considered an appropriate alternative to the traditional procurement method for infrastructure development. Partnering with private sector investors enables the public sector to bridge the financial gap and utilize private sector skills and technology. This research aims to identify and evaluate the critical success factors (CSFs) and constraints for public-private partnerships in infrastructure development based on evidence from Afghanistan. Data collected through a structured questionnaire survey were analyzed to achieve the objectives. The questionnaire was developed based on in-deep and comprehensive review of the literature. Furthermore, the relative importance index method was employed as the analysis technique. This study identifies and assesses 25 CSFs and 25 Constraints for infrastructure PPP. The results indicate that all investigated CSFs and constraints are ranked important. Except for one CSF, which is perceived as highly important, all other CSFs and constraint factors are ranked high to medium important.

Analysis of barriers to adopt electric vehicles in India using fuzzy DEMATEL and Relative importance Index approaches

Electric vehicles (EVs) are introduced to mitigate air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. But the present EV sales are not impressive in India compared with other countries. Previous studies have attempted to identify the challenges to EV adoption based on the opinions of experts or road users. But it is essential to study both expert and users’ perspectives to understand the actual scenario. In addition, the government of India announced a revised FAME II subsidy for EV purchase in 2021, which has an additional incentive on the purchase cost. Thus, this study aims to identify the key potential barriers based on expert and customers’ perspectives. For this purpose, data were collected from the potential experts who have rich experience in EV, and 361 samples were collected from the customers who visited the EV showroom for an inquiry and test drive in Ahmedabad city, India. This study adopted the fuzzy DEMATEL method to identify the potential barriers based on expert opinion data and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method for prioritizing the barriers based on customers’ perspectives. The results show that the Higher initial purchase cost of a vehicle, Many EV manufacturers are new companies, Technical specification of the vehicle (power, acceleration, etc.), Less Mileage on a full charge of a battery, Non-Reliable battery technology, Lesser Adaptive competitive vehicle design, Limited availability of local technician, Limited availability of public charging stations, Higher waiting time at charging station if many vehicles are there, Safety concern while charging, Non-availability of charging facility on a long trip, and lack of understanding of subsidy policies (vehicle purchase subsidy and other EV incentives by government) are the major significant barrier in each group. Also, the revised FAME II subsidy policy and improvement on charging facilities have a significant positive effect on EV adoption. The outcome of this study will help the transport planners to develop necessary infrastructure facilities to boost EV. Also, this study outcome will help the EV policy makers and manufacturers to understand the consumer requirements.

Project-level Factors Influencing the Performance of Building Construction Operations in Sri Lanka: Viewpoint of Engineers and Construction Managers

Productive-based project-level operations are the lifeblood for the construction sector, leading the firms to achieve their expected profitability and long-term sustainability. Past studies highlight the poor project-level practices resulting in productivity loss in many developing countries, including Sri Lanka. It is essential for construction management teams to have a proper controlling hand on the project-level factors that influence construction productivity. The engineers and construction managers are the key decision-makers in construction project activities. This study aimed to quantify the impacts of project-level factors on the productivity of construction operations in Sri Lankan building projects based on the viewpoint of engineers and construction managers. Initially, the project-level factors were qualitatively identified through a comprehensive literature review. A questionnaire survey was carried out among engineers and construction managers from 90 leading Sri Lankan building construction contractors. The Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used to measure the impacts of the project-level factors on construction productivity. The results spotlight the need for reinforcing the current planning and monitoring practices from construction management teams focusing on construction methods, working conditions, scheduling and sequencing of construction tasks, health and safety practices, quality control practices, reworks, labour skills improvement and workforce overtime. The statistical assessments ensured the reliability and validity of the results. In addition, a series of industry consultative workshops and discussion sessions were conducted among construction experts through problem-based communication approaches to identify future actions in the construction project planning processes. These discussion outcomes also ensured the validity of the above results. The study outcomes will push the construction management practices to reduce the conflict situations between the project-level activities in different stages, leading to the achievement of organizational goals. Although the study findings are limited to the Sri Lankan context, some findings may be tested in other developing countries in similar scenarios.

Critical Factors Affecting the Success of Construction Projects in Oman

Construction in Oman is an important sector that contributes greatly to the country’s economic growth. Recently, the construction projects in Oman have been delayed which has led to delays in the projects’ completion and sometimes to their failure. This study aims to examine the critical factors affecting the success of construction projects in Oman. The extent to which factors related to project parties affect this success was assessed. A quantitative approach based on systematic literature review and questionnaire survey technique was used. The factors were identified and classified into six main categories, namely, time; finance; project designing, planning and scheduling; quality; project progress and development; and environment and nature. The factors are also classified as client-, consultant-, contractor- and external-related factors. This study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to people who experienced working in the public and private construction sectors in Oman. Relative importance index method was used for analysis. Results show that quality is the most important amongst the six investigated categories, followed by time; finance; project progress and development; project designing, planning and scheduling; and environment and nature. The client-related factors have the highest impact on the success of construction projects in Oman, followed by consultant-, contractor- and external environment-related factors. The selection of a low bid, rather than accurate and reliable bids, and the quality and experience of the project team and labour are the most significant factors affecting the success of construction projects in Oman. The contractors’ administrative corruption, indiscipline and dishonesty and the frequent equipment breakdowns are the two least important factors affecting the success of construction projects. The government should encourage clients to improve their procurement strategies and force the construction companies to implement innovative approaches to project delivery.

FINANCING MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF MUDRA LOANS IN AN EMERGING ECONOMY

This paper studies the impact of mudra on small and micro enterprises in terms of income generation, business expansion, standard of living, and employment generation in the process. The research is socio-economic research. The project applied mean difference method for quantitative data analysis and relative importance index method to analyse qualitative data. Paper used Schedule to conduct personal interviews to collect data from 384 respondents using convenience sampling. It was found that to some extent, the schemes have been successful in providing loans to MSME sector. The enterprises are benefitted due to collateral free mudra loan in terms of income generation and business expansion. But there was no significant impact on employment generation and standard of living as proved from the data collected from the respondents due to mudra loan. Also, no significant improvement in human development index was found among the respondents. No significant improvements in quality of food and nutrition were found as informed by the respondents. Financial independence has not been achieved for the women entrepreneurs. Policy implications for government and bank has been discussed at the end of paper. The paper is based on the project funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. This is a first kind of study conducted to study the impact of mudra loans on small and micro enterprises in India.

The challenges of land development for housing provision in New Zealand.

The land development process in New Zealand is criticised for causing delays in the delivery of adequate housing. These delays upset the demand and supply equilibrium, leading to housing shortages, expensive builds and rentals. This study investigates the challenges in land development, to ascertain the factors that are limiting its efficiency as a major catalyst to housing provision. An understanding of the complexities of the development process could enable the suggestion of feasible solutions for achieving housing goals. A two-stage process was adopted to achieve this study objective. In stage one, a critical review of relevant literature helped to identify 48 measurement items. Those items were included in a questionnaire survey in the second stage, to gather data from stakeholders involved in land development process in New Zealand. Using relative importance index (RII) method, nine significant challenges were identified, which were then categorised and discussed in accordance with the construction stakeholder groups that are responsible for creating those challenges. The nine major challenges are: delay in reviews and approval of documents; scope change; lengthy consent application processes; late response to queries by regulatory authorities; poor interaction between regulatory authorities; poor coordination within regulatory authorities; poor planning and scheduling; design errors and slow progress during design development. Findings of this study highlight the need for the development of proper workplan for consent processing, reasonable factoring of the risks associated with scope changes in the land development process, and the enhancement of project management skills of land development contractors.

A Holistic Intersection Rating System (HIRS)—A Novel Methodology to Measure the Holistic Operational Performance of Signalized Urban Intersections

Signalized urban intersections are key components of urban transportation networks. They are traditionally viewed and designed as primarily motorized traffic facilities, and thus their physical and operational designs have traditionally aimed at maximizing traffic throughput subject to constraints dictated by vehicular safety requirements and pedestrian crossing needs. Seen from a holistic viewpoint, urban intersections are hubs or effective centers of community activities of which traffic flow is only one. Those hubs have direct and indirect impacts on the overlapping traffic functionalities, the environment, public health, community wellbeing, and the local economy. This study proposes a new rating system, the Holistic Intersection Rating System (HIRS), aimed at appraising signalized intersections from a more inclusive viewpoint. This appraisal covers traffic functionality, sustainability, and public health and community wellbeing. This rating system can be used as a guide to conceive, plan, or design new intersections or revamp existing ones. HIRS rates signalized urban intersections based on the level of use of relevant enabling technologies, and the physical and operational designs that allow those intersections to operate holistically, thus leading to a more human-centric and sustainable operational performance. HIRS was validated using a panel of experts in construction, transportation, and public health. The Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used to weigh the HIRS features. The rating system was piloted on a sample of 20 intersections in different cities in the UAE. The results revealed glaring gaps in services to or the consideration of pedestrians, cyclists, and nearby households. The sample intersections scored a mean of 32% on the public health and community wellbeing section, 37% on the pedestrian subsection, and 15% on the cyclist subsection. Such relatively low scores serve as indicators of areas for improvements, and if mapped to their specific features and their relative weights, specific physical and operations designs and technology integration can be identified as actionable items for inclusion in plans and/or designs.

Construction Schedule Risk Assessment and Management Strategy for Foreign General Contractors Working in the Ethiopian Construction Industry

Construction project schedule delay is a worldwide concern and especially severe in the Ethiopian construction industry. This study developed a Construction Schedule Risk Assessment Model (CSRAM) and a management strategy for foreign general contractors (FGCs). 94 construction projects with schedule delay were collected and a questionnaire survey of 75 domain experts was conducted to systematically select 22 risk factors. In CSRAM, the artificial neural network (ANN) inference model was developed to predict the project schedule delay. Integrating it with the Garson algorithm (GA), the relative weights of risk factors with rankings were calculated and identified. For comparison, the Relative Importance Index (RII) method was also applied to rank the risk factors. Management strategies were developed to improve the three highest-ranked factors identified using the GA (change order, corruption/bribery, and delay in payment), and the RII (poor resource management, corruption/bribery, and delay in material delivery). Moreover, the improvement results were used as inputs for the trained ANN to conduct a sensitivity analysis. The findings of this study indicate that improvements in the factors that considerably affect the construction schedule can significantly reduce construction schedule delays. This study acts as an important reference for FGCs who plan to enter or work in the Ethiopian construction industry.

An Arithmetical Approach for Ranking of Factors Impacting the Timeline of Railway Project Using Relative Importance Index Method (RII), and Important Index (IMPI)

An Arithmetical Approach for Ranking of Factors Impacting the Timeline of Railway Project Using Relative Importance Index Method (RII), and Important Index (IMPI)

The Implementation Factors of Information and Communication Technology in the Life Cycle Costs of Buildings

Life cycle cost management is an integral part of buildings construction. The life cycle cost approach can be considered an objective approach because it considers all life cycles of buildings. Information and communication technology is one of the critical factors for the success of construction projects. Several studies point to the importance of information and communication technology use in life cycle cost management. Generally, information and communication technology can be helpful in the cost management process of buildings. However, few implementation factors of information and communication technology are used in the life cycle cost management of buildings. The research assumes that the most critical implementation factor is the investment cost for information and communication technologies used in cost management during the life cycle. The relative importance index method was used to evaluate and quantify the final rank of implementation factors. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to confirm or reject research results that were statistically significant.

Material waste minimization techniques in building construction projects

In Ethiopia, the rapid expansion of the construction sector has resulted in the wastage of construction materials that negatively affect the environment, society, and the economy. The reason is inefficient waste management strategies practiced in construction projects. Hence, an adequate material waste management strategy is required. This study was an attempt to identify the key techniques that can help to minimize material wastage in building construction projects. Questionnaire surveys, interviews, and reviews of previous studies and related literature were employed in gathering the relevant data. Seventy of 85 questionnaires administered and distributed to contractors, consultants, and clients were returned. These data were analyzed using the relative importance index method. The results indicated that employing waste management officers for this purpose, using prefabricated or off-site production of components, appropriate on-site waste management, and incorporating a policy of material waste minimization plan were identified as key measures to minimize construction material wastes.

Investigating parameters affecting maintenance of heritage buildings in Egypt

PurposeMaintenance of heritage buildings in Egypt is essential for extending their life and preserving them in a good condition for current use and future generations. The purpose of this paper aims to study the significant parameters to be taken into consideration in the decision-making process for maintenance of heritage buildings.Design/methodology/approachThis research identifies and analyzes the parameters affecting maintenance decision-making process using relative importance index method. Sixty-three parameters were collected from the literature and were categorized into six groups. The feedback of 15 experts who represent owners' representatives and consultants in the field of maintenance and preservation of heritage buildings was obtained through a questionnaire survey and analyses were conducted on the results.FindingsAccording to the highest values of the relative importance index method, the top 10 influencing parameters are determined. A comparison between feedback of the two groups of experts is conducted. Statistical analysis is carried out to test the parameters, revealing a strong correlation between structural and geotechnical groups of parameters.Originality/valueParameters affecting decision-making for maintenance of heritage buildings were identified, influencing parameters can be used to compare between heritage buildings in greater need of maintenance than others.

THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ACTIVITIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF MOUNT KINABALU, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Tourism contributes to the conservation and protection of mountainous areas, and even the characteristics and activities of tourism also affect the environmental sustainability of an area. This study aims to identify tourist characteristics, their opinion towards a sustainable environment, their activities conducted at the park and environmental impacts. Overall, 383 respondents agreed to participate, and the response has been analysed using the relative importance’s of these activities, and environmental impacts were quantified by the relative importance index method. Most of them visited Mount Kinabalu to experience natural sightseeing and hiking activity. Majority of them know environmental concern but feeling that KNP is rather crowded. Overall, the most popular activities were mount climbing and wildlife sightseeing by domestic and international tourist. The result of the study also has shown that noise and air pollution were ranked as the most important environmental impacts factors. Considering mountain tourism is an attraction and contributor to the economy of Sabah, there must be effective preventive measures. Because of that, planning, implementing and strengthening new policies and rules for tourist activities regarding the conservation and protection will help to minimize the impacts of tourism. Through the results of the study using the Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis, it is hoped that it will be able to help provide suggestions and solutions to balance the impacts of tourism in Mount Kinabalu towards sustainability.

A framework for the performance assessment of construction contractors in Saudi Arabia

PurposeIn this work, a framework for assessing construction contractors' performance in Saudi Arabia is developed. Usually, a contractor's assessment is based on financial aspects, which are lagging indicators in nature, and can ignore other nonfinancial aspects. Hence, a more detailed contractors' assessment framework is needed for the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. A framework that integrates financial and nonfinancial aspects in one model will enable contractors to better benchmark their performance to the rest of Saudi Arabia's construction industry.Design/methodology/approachInitially, the literature is reviewed and the most commonly used key performance indicators (KPIs) are identified and surveyed through contractors’ feedback to ensure their proper alignment with Saudi Arabia’s construction industry. The adopted set of KPIs will be further prioritized through the relative importance index (RII) method based on the surveyed contractors’ perceptions. Furthermore, the important set of KPIs will be factored into various groups using principle component analysis (PCA). Finally, the findings are validated through expert judgment.FindingsAll key performance indicators (KPIs) have proven to be significant, except for the environmental factor, which happens to be nonsignificant and hence has been omitted from further consideration. The remaining KPIs have been factored through the principle component analysis method. Five generic dimensions were identified: Performance, Satisfaction, Actual Metrics, Estimated Metrics and Compliance. The model has been validated by expert feedback, and it was found to be reliable.Originality/valueThe proposed model establishes an assessment framework to aid building construction contractors in assessing their performance in real time, in addition to postconstruction assessment for business development and retrofitting purposes.

Using Relative Importance Index Method for Developing Risk Map in Oil and Gas Construction Projects

The objective of this research is to classify risk factors and their ranking in terms of their probability and impact on construction projects in the oil and gas sector, to test the relationship between the causes and effects of risk factors and then develop the risk map to facilitate the planning of risk response strategies. To achieve this objective, researchers invited practitioners and engineers who are comprising a statistically representative sample of oil and gas sector population to joining a structured questionnaire survey. A total of fifty-one (51) factors were short-listed to be made part of the questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted with 357 participants of construction project teams as a sampling of populations from all oil and gas sectors in Yemen. The relative importance index (RII) method was applied to prioritize the project risk factors. RII data were used to develop a risk map for oil and gas construction projects. Correlation coefficient and reliability tests also carried out to know the relationship between risk factors and check the validity of the research. The reliability test of the questionnaire was 0.974 for the cause of risks and 0.81 for the effects, which considered very high value. RII analysis and risk map shown the most critical risk factors effected on project success. There is a significant contribution expected from this research, especially for companies operating in the oil and gas and other organizations that plan to invest in this field, in addition to expected benefits for the governments and researchers in this field due to lack of research in this field.

A methodology for identifying critical factors influencing land value in urban areas: a case study of Kerala, India

PurposeLand value is a measure of the specific features of a property, excluding buildings and other developments. Land value varies depending on the economic, geographic and political aspects of a particular location. The primary purpose of the paper is to identify the general and location-specific attributes impacting property prices in urban Kerala.Design/methodology/approachThe objective of the current study was achieved through a three-cycle Delphi survey and relative importance index (RII) approach. The experts who aided in the survey had a mutual interest in the subject but came from different backgrounds like property valuation, real estate, urban and environmental planning. The initial group of variables identified from the literature was expanded and scrutinized in the first cycle of the Delphi survey. The variables were grouped into five major categories and 13 subcategories based on the literature and expert opinion. In the subsequent stages, the short-listed variables were rated on a seven-point Likert scale until a consensus was attained. The top-ranked variables were identified through the RII method as the critical factors influencing land value in urban Kerala.FindingsThe results indicate that road accessibility and proximity to nuisance sources are the most crucial parameters. The outcome of the study will provide a better understanding of the dynamics of land value and the influencing factors in urban areas.Originality/valuePrevious studies do not give much consideration for the location-specific variability on the influencing parameters. Property management research has not considered the usage of expert opinion and RII for variable selection.

Fuzzy model for assessing delays in Egyptian residential projects

PurposeConstruction delays are a common problem in the Egyptian construction industry. Frequent delays in a project can lead to disputes and litigation. This paper aims to study and analyze the causes of construction delays.Design/methodology/approachThis research identifies delay causes in residential projects in Egypt and analyzes these causes with the relative importance index method. The feedback of construction experts was obtained through interviews. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was prepared. Fifty-six different delay causes were identified and categorized into eight categories based on a literature review and interviews with 36 experts from the construction industry who represent owners, consultants and contractors.FindingsAccording to the highest values of the relative importance index, the top ten delay causes of residential projects in Egypt are determined. Statistical analysis is carried out using the analysis of variance method to test delay causes obtained from the survey, which revealed a good correlation between residential projects parties with respect to most of the delay causes. A fuzzy logic model using MATLAB is developed for determining the probability of delay of residential projects, and the model was tested in a real case study and was found to be satisfactory.Originality/valueDelay causes in residential projects in Egypt were identified, and these causes were analyzed using the relative importance index method and fuzzy logic.