Small Construction Companies Research Articles

Profitability and Firm Size–Growth Relationship in Construction Companies in Malaysia From 2003 to 2010

In this study, we intended to examine empirically how a firm's profitability performance would impact its growth process and the inference for Gibrat's Law. The basic study looks at small, medium and large firms' tendency to grow when their internally generated profits are high. The sample is 124 construction companies listed from years 2003 to 2010 at BURSA Malaysia. Data used is secondary data collected from BURSA Malaysia and annual reports. The result indicated that "growth" contributed significantly to profitability in both small and medium-sized construction companies, but was not significant in large companies. Thus, hypothesis two was supported. This study supports Gibrat's Law, showing that size and growth rate are independent.

곡면 최적화 알고리즘을 활용한 비정형 건축물 외장공사비 개산견적에 관한 연구

비정형 건축물의 건설에서 가장 어려운 공정은 복잡한 디자인으로 이루어진 외장패널을 제작 및 시공하는 것이다. 설계자는 비정형 건물의 부드러운 곡면형태를 훼손하지 않는 범위 안에서 복잡한 곡면을 갖는 패널의 양을 축소하여 패널제작 및 시공비용을 최적화함이 필요하다. 특히 설계초기단계에서 다양한 건축외관을 디자인하고 각 설계대안의 예상공사비를 추정하면서 설계의도를 충족하는 적절한 대안을 찾는 것은 대단히 중요하다. 하지만 대부분의 설계사무소들은 비정형 건축물의 패널최적화에 대한 이해, 기술 및 데이터가 부족하여 초기설계 단계에서 예상공사비 산정, 설계 대안 비교를 통한 예상공사비 조정등의 업무를 효과적으로 수행하지 못하고 있는 실정이다. 본 연구는 비정형 건축물 설계자가 쉽게 접할 수 있는 범용 어플리케이션을 이용하여 비정형 건축물의 외장패널을 최적화하는 방법을 제시하며 최적화 결과와 국내 비정형 건설프로젝트의 외장공사에 대한 실적공사비를 접목하여 최적화 진행에 따른 공사비 변화정도를 산출하는 방법을 제시한다. 연구결과의 적용성을 검증하기 위해 국내에서 최근 완공된 비정형 건축프로젝트의 사례연구를 수행한다. The outer surfaces of free form buildings contain panels with two-directional curvatures. To construct these panels, complex geometric surfaces should be divided into forms and sizes that can be manufactured and constructed efficiently. Because the bigger the curvatures of these panel, the more expensive the construction costs, these complex curvatures should go through optimal process of reinterpretation to minimize the curved surfaces with complex two-directional curvatures, which is called panel optimization. Small construction and design companies have trouble in calculating even rough estimate and cannot adjust expected construction cost of the panels based on comparison of design alternatives in conjunction with panel optimization process due to lack of knowledge and experience. This study conducts the research that can support designers' cost decision-making in the design stage of the free form buildings with respect to the panel optimization process. A 3D commercial application specialized to modeling free form shapes is used for the purpose.

중소규모 민간건축사업의 VE적용 개선방안

VE(Value Engineering) is believed to be a very powerful tool for quality improvement and schedule reduction of a project as well as for cost savings. However, little of small and medium size construction companies adopt the VE into their projects, particularly those in private sector. The main reason is that the VE is commonly misunderstood to be complex and sophisticated process, thus it is only applicable for large and difficult projects. VE applied into two small and medium scaled private projects from design phase to construction phase in order to verify advantages of the tool and find the most optimized process of it. As a result, a P university project experienced a considerable reduction on construction cost by changing a construction method of its ground works and sizes of H-beams. In addition, a H motor exhibition hall project also achieved time and cost savings. It was also revealed that, for better application of the VE on a small and medium size project, building trust between owner and contractor is prerequisite. VE skill can be taken full advantage by all the small and medium scale enterprises, which will surely lead to a huge progress of the construction business.

Negotiating safety practice in small construction companies

Small construction companies have high rates of work related injuries and pervasive challenges in preventing them. This article examines safety practice from the employee perspective, taking into account the role of the owner–manager and interactions with customers in everyday work settings. Data were derived from a qualitative multi-case study of ten small construction companies (carpentry/plumbing/masonry) involving one or two-man work crews. The analytic approach is phenomenological, based on thematic content analysis of interviews and participant-observations. The employees’ general approach to safety was “to take care of oneself”, which, in addition to standardized rule-based knowledge, drew on individual feelings, personal experience and the balancing of various concerns in different work settings, e.g. workflow, customer satisfaction, good work relations and safety issues. In the context of small companies, safety practice was negotiated in the tension between owner–manager decisions and employees’ self-administration, which also was reflected in the way safety was communicated and learned within the companies as a matter of professionalism and individual mastering. Safety was rarely in explicit focus among employees in the small construction companies. It was an intrinsic part of their craftsmanship, established and negotiated in work situations and in interactions, in particular with customers. Safety issues were rarely shared or communicated as a common issue within the company. Consequently owner–managers had limited impact on the employees’ daily safety practices. Injury prevention approaches should take into account the limited impact that owner–managers had on the day-to-day safety practices, as well as the importance of the employees’ relationships with the customers.

Understanding working class lives: An examination of the quality of life of low income construction workers

The construction industry is considered to be one of the oldest trades of mankind. Even though this industry has shown phenomenal growth in the developing economies like India, hardly any research has been done to understand the living condition and status of the people who have contributed with their sweat and blood for the growth of this industry. The study aims at understanding the living condition of the low income construction workers from one of the small construction companies of eastern India, from the state of Jharkhand. In all twelve families staying at the construction site agreed to volunteer. The average age of the respondent parents (i.e. mother as well as father) was 28.5 years. Qualitative methods have been used in order to collect the data. Ethnography and photo elicitation was used as a primary method of data collection. Apart from this, in-depth interviews were also conducted with the workers of the construction company. Discussion with the participants led to the emergence of four themes. They were (1) Daily Rituals, (2) Living Condition, (3) Quality of food and (4) Health and Hygiene. The research findings indicate that the conditions at which the workers live at the construction site can be considered to be in a state of pitiful situation which is mainly due to their acute level of poverty. Based on the study findings, there is an imperative that the societal forerunners, policy makers and philanthropists continue to use research findings to understand the living condition of the low income construction workers and draft strategies accordingly, to improve their status and Quality of Life.

302 Predicting Risk of Lost Work-Time Injury in Small Construction Companies

ObjectiveThe construction industry experiences a high rate of injuries. A pattern of minor injuries may increase risk of severe injuries within a company. The assistance of outside safety and health...

STRESO IR KITŲ PSICHOSOCIALINIŲ VEIKSNIŲ LIETUVOS MAŽOSE STATYBOS IR NEKILNOJAMOJO TURTO ĮMONĖSE TYRIMAS

Where examined psychosocial risk factors in Lithuanian small construction and real estate companies. For evaluation of these factors were used the four questionnaires. In this paper studies presented by the using the “burnout”, Copenhagen (COPSOQ II, 2007) and work motivation questionnaires. Investigations were carried out in 11 small construction companies and in five real estate agencies of the total of 199 respondents. The biggest problem for construction companies is that most employees can not influence their allocated workload and going through that does not have time to do important tasks in high quality. Has been observed that women are more affected by stress than men, and employees who are 45 years old or more, have a greater risk of experiencing the "burnout" syndrome. In real estate agencies, using the Copenhagen questionnaire, where found that the main psychosocial risk factors is high-paced, emotional and stress conditions. It was found that women are more sensitive to psychosocial risk factors than men. Persons occupying leading positions, feel a greater commitment to their workplace, although their work has a greater negative impact on their personal lives than other employees. The study, using a questionnaire motivation at work, so established motivating factors of real estate agencies rating: job content, financial motives and achievements. At least are motivated the relationship with manager.

Application of knowledge management technologies in Korean small and medium-sized construction companies

In today’s emerging knowledge-based economy, Knowledge Management (KM) is being rapidly disseminated in both academic circles and the business world. The effective management of knowledge is vital to the survival and prosperity of a company, particularly in project-based industries such as construction. As a result, construction companies have adopted Information Technology (IT)-based KM systems (KMSs). KMS refers to the technology platform and infrastructure that an organization employs to support KM. However, the increasing attention given to KM is targeted at Large Multi-national Construction companies (LMCs), with little attention given to Small and Medium-sized Construction companies (SMCs). Compared to LMCs, SMCs need different sources and types of knowledge and technology to remain nourished and healthy. In this context, this research attempts to facilitate KM activities within SMCs through the distribution of a set of KM technologies tailored to meet the requirements of SMCs. First, we analyze key obstacles to implement KM activities within SMCs through a survey. Based on this analysis, a set of KM technologies are then identified and adapted to support the KM activities of SMCs in a feasible fashion. In addition, we discuss the expected change of organizational behavior by the distribution of those KM technologies. In the end, these technologies are synthesized into a web-based Construction Knowledge Management Portal (CKMP) system that seeks the inter-organizational sharing of construction knowledge. By delivering key KM technologies to SMCs, our study benefits both academia and the construction industry.

Injury rates, severity, and drug testing programs in small construction companies

ProblemConstruction work is hazardous and workers consistently rank in the top of all occupations and industries for illicit drug and heavy alcohol use. MethodsDrug-testing programs were classified into three categories: no program, pre-employment/post-accident, and pre-employment/post-accident/random/suspicion. We analyzed workers’ compensation claims from 1,360 construction companies over a six-year period to assess the possible association of testing program with injury rate. ResultsCompared to no program, results respectively were RR=0.85 (CI=0.72–1.0) and RR=0.97 (CI=0.86–1.10) for all injuries, and RR=0.78 (CI=0.60–1.03) and RR=1.01 (CI=0.86–1.19) for lost-time injuries. Variability of results was exhibited across trade and union status, among other categories. SummaryDrug-testing programs may be associated with lower, non-significant, injury rates in this population. Impact on IndustryDrug-testing programs may be associated with lower injury rates, but care should be exercised to ensure accurate injury reporting, characterize underlying safety practices of a company, and to determine quality and consistency of testing.

Critical Cost Factors of Building Construction Projects in Malaysia

The objective of this study is to determine the critical cost factors of building construction projects. Survey data are randomly collected from building contractors in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Each respondent is asked to assign a one-to-five rating for each of the 79 cost factors identified from the literature review. Priority ranking of these factors shows that only 35 cost factors are regarded by the respondents working for the small, medium and large construction companies in the Klang Valley, Malaysia as highly relevant for building construction projects. ‘Client requirements on quality’ is found to be the most critical factor that influences the costs of building construction projects.

Childcare Practices among Construction Workers in Chira Chas, Jharkhand

This study aims at examining the childcare practices and issues experienced by the low-income construction workers in India. It is concerned with understanding varied aspects relating to problems that construction workers, as parents, face while bringing up their children in one of the small construction companies of eastern India, in the state of Jharkhand. Qualitative methods have been used in order to collect the data based upon phenomenological principles. Ethnography and photo-elicitation were used as a primary method of data collection. Apart from this, in-depth interviews were also conducted with the workers of the construction company. Discussion with the participants led to the emergence of four themes: children left alone; playing at risky site areas; poor health of children; and children working along with parents. The research findings indicate that infants are taken by their parents to their place of work whereas children between five and 10 years had to be left alone at home. It was also found that acute poverty was a major cause leading to the consumption of inadequate and low nutritional food, leading to poor health of the children. Based on the study findings, there is an imperative that societal forerunners and philanthropists continue to use research findings to understand the childcare practices amongst the low-income workers and draft strategies accordingly, to improve the situation.

Developing and implementing environmental management systems for small and medium-sized construction enterprises

Environmental aspects are gradually becoming factors of importance for construction businesses, their operations and their management. These factors can be seen as new change makers for construction management itself. New criteria need to be taken into account when structuring construction activities, in decision making, and throughout the production control. Instances of construction management solutions that also encapsulate environmental aspects are likely to appear. A contractor’s environmental management system (EMS) is an example of such an instance. As a management solution an EMS is targeted at minimizing a contractor’s environmental impacts. An experiment has been carried out where an EMS solution was formed and tested for small and medium-sized contractors. Fifteen small and medium-sized construction companies were involved. Along with the action research approach, a set of workshops with company people were arranged for EMS structuring and for its testing. Within these experiments the researcher acted as a developer and inside observer. The proposed EMS solution presents the structuring of environmental aspects for management attention. Moreover, this structuring can be used as a basis for a formal environmentally conscious management system. All companies involved in the research have started to use the EMS solution or its parts.

Safety Critical Incidents Among Small Construction Contractors: A Prospective Case Study

According to a 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, approximately 90% of construction companies employ 20 or fewer workers; of these, 30% specialize in residential construction. Contractors with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from OSHA reporting requirements, unless a fatality occurs or an injury/illness leads to lost workdays for three or more employees (29 CFR 1904.1, Subpart B). This qualitative case study was conducted to understand character- istics and work patterns to develop a clearer understanding of the natural context of work, especially given the underre- porting of safety information by small construction companies. A prospective study was conducted in which construction workers logged critical incidents for four weeks. Definitions and examples of critical incidents were given to workers, along with a data logging notebook with structured questions. Workers could report the events immediately upon occur- rence or after the workday ended. A total of 102 critical incidents were reported. Content (axial coding) and cluster analy- ses were used to analyze the logs and to extract important descriptors and patterns. Results were used to characterize in- jury types, antecedents, time-of-day, and family-work involvement. Descriptions regarding the training-, resource-, and planning-related practices of small construction workers focused on the unique challenges that impose barriers and con- straints on safety climate.

Leisure as a way of coping with stress: an ethnographic study of the low-income construction workers

This article tries to reveal the lived experiences of stress amongst site construction workers and their coping mechanism through leisure in a small construction company of eastern India from the state of Jharkhand. Qualitative methods have been used to collect the data using ethnography and photo-elicitation methods. Discussion with the participants led to the emergence of two themes: (1) work demand and stress and (2) leisure experiences as a coping mechanism. The research findings indicate that physically demanding nature of the job coupled with heavy work load was a major cause which led to the development of stress amongst site construction workers. Subsequently, they were found to be adopting different leisure activities as a coping mechanism for their stress. Based on the study findings, there is an imperative that the societal forerunners and philanthropists continue to use research findings to understand the level of stress prevailing amongst the construction workers and their various stress-coping mechanisms to improve their condition.

Concentration Effect on Construction Firms: Tests of Resource Partitioning Theory in Jiangsu Province (China) from 1989 to 2007

Along with the economic acceleration and the consequent flourishing of urban infrastructure and real estate, there has been a tremendous development within the Chinese construction industry. However, the industry continues to suffer from excessive competition and low profit margins. Based on the resource partitioning process of organizational ecology theory, which predicts how market concentration relates to the survival of specialist and generalist organizations, this study analyzes the structure and the structural effect of the Jiangsu construction industry. Using the event history analysis method and data of all companies known to have operated during the period 1989–2007, the survival of both large and small construction companies within this low but increasing concentration industry has been investigated. It is concluded that the increasing concentration of the Jiangsu construction industry has a negative effect on the survival of construction companies. Nevertheless, no resource partitioning process...

Use of attitude congruence to identify safety interventions for small residential builders

The construction industry has experienced high numbers of occupational injuries and fatalities over the years. To address this issue, differences in safety attitudes and behaviours were explored among construction workers, first‐line supervisors, and project managers in small residential construction companies with respect to recommendations for safety interventions. A triangulation design consisting of observation (shadowing), subjective quantitative (questionnaire), and subjective qualitative (interview) methods was used to obtain different but complementary data on the same safety challenges. Shadowing was utilized to explore onsite safety problems and/or risky behaviours resulting from safety attitudinal discrepancies among the three groups. Questionnaires were administered to identify salient themes for the observed practices. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted to explore the causes of the observed safety problems. Results revealed that first‐line supervisors did not enforce safety rules strictly or consistently, and that significant differences in safety attitudes and risk perceptions were observed among the three groups. Results also support a tendency among subcontractors to practise risky behaviours, even though they generally articulated a desire to avoid injuries. The recommended interventions include holding regular safety meetings between managers and workers, implementing informal training to supplement formal training, and closely examining and reviewing the appropriateness of health and safety policies.

Empirical Assessment of Internationalization Strategies for Small and Medium Construction Companies

In the wake of increased globalization, more small and medium construction companies (SMCCs) are expanding into the global market. However, the international construction industry is different from the domestic with respect to resource, regulations, culture, entry strategies, and risk levels among other factors. This paper explores various ways and modes of internationalization for SMCCs under 13 key hypotheses that are relevant to the issues of internationalization from the perspective of SMCCs. To verify these hypotheses, this study used actual data from 560 cases of SMCCs’ overseas projects performed between 1990 and 2007. It was found that SMCCs’ entry scheme as prime contractors was more rewarding than in the case of subcontractors. Moreover, SMCCs are likely to evolve from subcontractors engaged with home-country contractors to subcontractors engaged with foreign contractors. Also, cultural distance is positively related to performance, but the effects of cultural properties are not as strong compar...

A Study of Craft Worker Length of Employment at Select Missouri Construction Companies

This study addressed a gap in the literature relative to craft worker length of employment. More specifically, it set out to provide a methodology for using readily available employee databases to assist construction companies in retaining their at-risk craft workers. Using a sample population of 10 of Missouri's 17 largest contractors, this study examined the employee databases to identify differences in mean length of employment based on hire age, craft, and company size. An analysis of variance was utilized to test three null hypotheses. Results lead the researcher to accept the null hypothesis that there were no significant differences between the mean length of employment for craft workers based on five hire age categories (16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, and 55 years & up). However, results indicated that operators had a statistically significant (0.05 alpha) longer length of employment than did carpenters, laborers, and iron workers. Also, results indicated that craft workers at medium-sized companies had a statistically significant longer length of employment than did craft workers at small and large construction companies. The researcher recommended future studies to address why craft workers at medium-sized construction firms and operators in general would have a greater mean length of employment.

Implementing Quality Management Systems in Small and Medium Construction Companies: A Contribution to a Road Map for Success

This article focuses on the lessons learned while implementing ISO 9001:2000-compliant Quality Management Systems in small- and medium-sized construction companies in Portugal. It identifies the major difficulties to swift and successful implementation and proposes solutions. We make a comparison with equivalent issues in another unique industry and with cases described in the literature, and discuss how the solutions proposed in this article can be generalized to other industries and company sizes.

A Study on the Improvement Device according to recognition of practical use realities of Tax Support System for the Small and Medium Construction Companies

A Study on the Improvement Device according to recognition of practical use realities of Tax Support System for the Small and Medium Construction Companies