Lam, Hu and Ng examine contractor prequalification and propose the use of principal component analysis (PCA) as an alternative to the usual empirical method. This method reduces the need for dimensions of, and correlations between, contractor attributes, which enables the application of a range of analytical models. The authors show that the application of PCA to contractor prequalification reduces the subjectivity of the process in the sense that the weightings assigned for each criterion, which are usually required for analytical contractor prequalification methods, are not essential. A comparison of the results of the PCA with two neural network models, using the same data set, showed that the performance of the PCA is much simpler than that using a neural network.
It is often said that businesses in China thrive on trust and guanxi (relationship). Based on case studies of two building projects in China, Jin and Ling constructed a framework that can be used to foster trust and build relationships in construction project organizations in China. The authors found that as a project progresses, relationships deepen. There are also distinct inherent risks such as a partner's self‐seeking behaviour and opportunistic actions. To counterbalance these risks, they investigated trust‐fostering tools such as careful selection and effective management of partners. Their framework could be used to promote harmonious relationships when working in China.
It is common wisdom that the implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) materials management system in the construction industry lowers project cost and duration. On the other hand, contractors may be compelled to keep inventory under some circumstances that may include uncertainty in the supply chain and production process, high inflation rates, available discounts on prices of large amounts of materials, and price cuts in case of early purchasing. These circumstances are often encountered in developing countries. Polat and Arditi present a comparison of the JIT and just‐in‐case (JIC) materials management systems in terms of total cost of inventory by means of a simulation model that makes use of actual data obtained from an ongoing trade centre project in Istanbul, Turkey. The study suggests that had the JIT system been used in the project in Istanbul the total cost of inventory would have been 4.4% higher than the total cost of inventory in the JIC system currently used.
There is a prevalent notion within the management science and construction management literature that firms categorized as small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute a set of ‘homogenous’ organizations that display little variation and have commonly shared characteristics. However, small firms differ in terms of their management, structure, and activities. Acar et al. concentrate on the relationship between organizational size and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within the SMEs in the building construction sector in Turkey. The differences in ICT‐related attitudes between SMEs of different sizes are sought by making use of the data collected in a survey of a randomly selected sample of 227 building construction firms. Although what emerges as a whole is the common underutilization of ICTs by SMEs in building construction, ‘organizational size’ appears to explain some of the ICT‐related attitude differences within these SMEs. Policy makers may consider using these findings as they represent a generic overview of the diffusion of new technologies and can assist in identifying future research directions.
Spaulding, Bridge and Skitmore take a look at the use of function analysis techniques as part of value management in Australia. These techniques are considered to be at the core of value management and yet the results of this study show that they are not always fully used. Furthermore, the links between participant knowledge and function analysis, and perceived implementation difficulties and function analysis are developed. In this way, parallels are drawn between the evolution of value management in Australia and in other countries. These findings are relevant to stakeholders seeking to further develop value management in Australia.
Lingard and Francis explore whether the well‐established relationship between job schedule demands and burnout may best be understood as an indirect one, with work‐to‐family conflict acting as the pathway by which job schedule demands give rise to burnout. They present the results of a large‐scale survey of male construction professionals and managers. Their results confirm that the demands of job schedules largely impact upon employee burnout through work‐to‐family conflict. The authors suggest that the implementation of initiatives designed to create a positive work‐family balance among construction professionals and managers may be an effective way of managing the problem of employee burnout.
Over the last decade, there has been an upsurge of interest in the concept of organizational learning, resulting in the call for construction firms to become learning organizations. Chan, Cooper and Tzortzopoulos reconsider the literature on organizational learning and put forward a number of conceptual challenges that could potentially be problematic for project‐based construction. There is a clear need to consider the benefits of learning beyond continuous improvement of business performance and to investigate the effects of learning on employees.
After the property crash of 1997 in Hong Kong, a cross‐sectional survey was conducted by Wong et al. to gauge housing price expectations and their formation in 2000. The results show that owner‐occupiers and housing investors seem to be unrealistically over‐confident in the medium‐to‐long‐term market performance. They tend to under‐estimate the volatility of Hong Kong's property prices and ignore people's worries about the economic downturn. The findings seem to contradict the popular belief that investor confidence is severely changed by the market's sharp downturn. The authors challenge the traditional adaptive expectations model and add weight to the argument that the real estate market generally does the opposite of what most people think it will do.
Forthcoming papers
Mei‐Yung Leung, Paul O. Olomolaiye, Alice Chong and Chloe C. Y. Lam
Impacts of stress on estimation performance in Hong Kong
Low Sui Pheng and Wu Min
Just‐in‐time management in the ready mixed concrete industries of Chongqing, China and Singapore
Pierre Bonnal, Didier Gourc, Ari‐Pekka Hameri and Germain Lacoste
A linear‐discrete scheduling model for the resource‐constrained project scheduling problem
Nicola Costantino
The contribution of Ranko Bon to the debate on sustainable construction
Jasper Mbachu and Raymond Nkado
Conceptual framework for assessment of client needs and satisfaction in the building development process
Wen‐der Yu
PIREM: a new model for conceptual cost estimation
Y. C. Huang
Graphical‐based multistage scheduling method for RC buildings
Kelu Guo, Edward Minchin and Ted Ferragut
The shift to warranties and performance specifications: what of method specifications?
Ronie Navon and Y. Shpatnitsky
A model for automated monitoring of road construction
Xing Wu and Zhihui Zhang
Input‐output anlysis of Chinese construction sector
Max Bergström and Lars Stehn
Benefits and disadvantages of ERP in industrialized timber frame housing in Sweden
Chuan Chen and John I. Messner
An investigation of Chinese BOT projects in water supply: a comparative perspective
Stephen D. Pryke
Towards a social network theory of project governance
Anna Kadefors
Fairness in inter‐organizational project relations: norms and strategies
Hong Zhang and Heng Li
Heuristic scheduling of resource‐constrained, multiple‐mode and repetitive projects
Danny Myers
Note: A review of construction companies' attitudes to sustainability
Nick Blismas, Christine Pasquire and Alistair Gibb
Benefit evaluation for off‐site production in construction
Tarek M. Zayed, Daniel W. Halpin and Ismail M. Basha
Productivity and delays assessment for concrete batch plant‐truck mixer operations
Manish Gangwar and Paul M. Goodrum
The effect of time on safety incentive programs in the U.S. construction industry
Igal M. Shohet and Monica Paciuk
Service life prediction of exterior cladding components under failure conditions
Roberto Pietroforte and Tullio Gregori
Does volume follow share? The case of the Danish construction industry
Geoffrey H. Briscoe
Women and minority groups in UK construction: recent trends
Graeme Larson
Horses for courses: relating innovation diffusion concepts to the stages of the construction process
Odysseus Manoliadis, Ioannis Tsolas and Alexandra Nakou
Sustainable construction and drivers of change in Greece: a Delphi study
Chris Ivory
The cult of customer responsiveness: is design innovation the price of a client-focussed construction industry?
Chris Leishman and Fran Warren
Private housing design customisation through house type substitution
David J. Delgado‐Hernandez and Elaine Aspinwall
Improvement tools in the UK construction industry
James M. W. Wong, Albert P. C. Chan and Yat‐Hung Chaing
Time series forecasts of the construction labour market in Hong Kong: the Box-Jenkins approach
Ajibade Ayodeji Aibinu
The relationship between distribution of control, fairness and potential for dispute in the claims handling process
Jan Bröchner, Per‐Erik Josephson and Johan Alte
Identifying management research priorities
Nigel Dann, Sarah Hills and Derek Worthing
Assessing How Organizations Approach the Maintenance Management of Listed Buildings
Mei‐Yung Leung, Anita M. M. Liu and Maggie Mei‐Ki Wong
Impact of Stress‐Coping Behaviour on Estimation Performance
Wai‐Ki Fu, Hing‐Po Lo and Derek S. Drew
Collective learning, collective knowledge and learning networks in construction
A. D. F. Price and K. Chahal
A Strategic Framework for Change Management
Helen Lingard and Valerie Francis
Does a supportive work environment moderate the relationship between work‐family conflict and burnout among construction professionals?