S. D. Siriwardhana, A. L. Samarakkody, I. Wimalaratne, M. Mahinkanda, U. Kulatunga, L. Rathnayake
In the 21st century, where modern technologies are developed at an expeditious rate, the construction industry has survived over centuries, despite its slow rate of innovative adaptations, the poor performance of professionals, excess number of qualification holders, and vastly reported skill shortage. Technological advancement is the catalyst to solve these issues attaching extreme significance to transform the role of professionals in line with industrialisation, digitalisation and globalisation. Herein, Quantity Surveying (QS) is a key profession in the construction industry that contributes to the cost management aspect of a construction project. With the technological advancements in the industry, identifying the adaptability of QSs to 21st-century technologies and recognizing the nature of their emerging job role that may reshape the traditional role has become a pressing issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Thus, this paper investigates the potential impact of such advancements on QS employment patterns, underscoring the need for professionals to align with the shifting paradigms of digitalization. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten expert QS practitioners from various international contexts. This method enabled the exploration of current states, expected competencies, and the professional evolution of QSs amidst technological disruptions. The findings suggest that while core QS functions remain irreplaceable, the profession is poised for significant transformation. This paper concludes with a range of recommendations that ensure the relevance and importance of the profession well into the future. The paper provides the international QS community with a unique data source that should prove valuable for comparative purposes and general discussion about the future of QSs globally and the direction of the profession. Therefore, this research contributes to knowledge by the diversifying QS roles in the construction industry with significant competencies encountered while addressing adaptability of QSs in the 21st century technology advancements.
{"title":"Quantity Surveyors’ Adaptability to Technology: The Last Frontier of Job Displacement Challenge","authors":"S. D. Siriwardhana, A. L. Samarakkody, I. Wimalaratne, M. Mahinkanda, U. Kulatunga, L. Rathnayake","doi":"10.4038/besl.v14i1.7687","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/besl.v14i1.7687","url":null,"abstract":"In the 21st century, where modern technologies are developed at an expeditious rate, the construction industry has survived over centuries, despite its slow rate of innovative adaptations, the poor performance of professionals, excess number of qualification holders, and vastly reported skill shortage. Technological advancement is the catalyst to solve these issues attaching extreme significance to transform the role of professionals in line with industrialisation, digitalisation and globalisation. Herein, Quantity Surveying (QS) is a key profession in the construction industry that contributes to the cost management aspect of a construction project. With the technological advancements in the industry, identifying the adaptability of QSs to 21st-century technologies and recognizing the nature of their emerging job role that may reshape the traditional role has become a pressing issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Thus, this paper investigates the potential impact of such advancements on QS employment patterns, underscoring the need for professionals to align with the shifting paradigms of digitalization. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten expert QS practitioners from various international contexts. This method enabled the exploration of current states, expected competencies, and the professional evolution of QSs amidst technological disruptions. The findings suggest that while core QS functions remain irreplaceable, the profession is poised for significant transformation. This paper concludes with a range of recommendations that ensure the relevance and importance of the profession well into the future. The paper provides the international QS community with a unique data source that should prove valuable for comparative purposes and general discussion about the future of QSs globally and the direction of the profession. Therefore, this research contributes to knowledge by the diversifying QS roles in the construction industry with significant competencies encountered while addressing adaptability of QSs in the 21st century technology advancements.","PeriodicalId":476114,"journal":{"name":"Built-environment Sri Lanka","volume":"32 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141803066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
During the immediate postcolonial decades, reverting to once-subverted indigenous architectural traditions with elite patronage was spearheaded by nascent Ceylonese architects. The most celebrated domestic architectural style from this period has been confirmed as Neo-regionalism of Geoffrey Bawa. This rubric has over the years, been labeled as the most apposite to the context of its inception. Further, it is widely acknowledged that Bawa’s domestic clientele was drawn from the elite of which, the bulk being Sinhalese in ethnicity. Sinhalese, the majority population is heterogeneous, which has primordially been assembled into numerous caste-based sub-cultures. The paper tackles some domestic projects by Bawa; for Sinhalese elite of Govigama and Karava castes – the most numerous two castes. The study strives to constitute the caste-based cultural strands to have survived and unraveled via architecture (along with periodic changes). It Adheres to a qualitative research methodology, and delves on case studies. A photographic survey affords the information to supplement extant literature. The analysis of key architectural traits is carried out and the final interpretation is through phenomenology. In-depth interviews compensate for gaps in literature. In this light, examining in a phenomenological perspective how architecture executed for the Sinhalese elite frame cultural peculiarities of caste, and also periodic changes, if successful, could be applied to similar cases elsewhere.
{"title":"Subtle Addressing of Caste in the Elite Domestic Architecture of Geoffrey Bawa","authors":"M. N. R. Wijetunge","doi":"10.4038/besl.v14i1.7683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/besl.v14i1.7683","url":null,"abstract":"During the immediate postcolonial decades, reverting to once-subverted indigenous architectural traditions with elite patronage was spearheaded by nascent Ceylonese architects. The most celebrated domestic architectural style from this period has been confirmed as Neo-regionalism of Geoffrey Bawa. This rubric has over the years, been labeled as the most apposite to the context of its inception. Further, it is widely acknowledged that Bawa’s domestic clientele was drawn from the elite of which, the bulk being Sinhalese in ethnicity. Sinhalese, the majority population is heterogeneous, which has primordially been assembled into numerous caste-based sub-cultures. The paper tackles some domestic projects by Bawa; for Sinhalese elite of Govigama and Karava castes – the most numerous two castes. The study strives to constitute the caste-based cultural strands to have survived and unraveled via architecture (along with periodic changes). It Adheres to a qualitative research methodology, and delves on case studies. A photographic survey affords the information to supplement extant literature. The analysis of key architectural traits is carried out and the final interpretation is through phenomenology. In-depth interviews compensate for gaps in literature. In this light, examining in a phenomenological perspective how architecture executed for the Sinhalese elite frame cultural peculiarities of caste, and also periodic changes, if successful, could be applied to similar cases elsewhere.","PeriodicalId":476114,"journal":{"name":"Built-environment Sri Lanka","volume":"55 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141805898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rohana Bandara Herarh, Jacquline Tham, Ali Khatibi, S. M. F. Azam
This research navigates the intricate landscape of Sri Lanka's tourism sector against the backdrop of its rich cultural heritage and captivating landscapes. As global travel trends increasingly pivot towards sustainability, this study investigates the core of Sri Lanka's tourism dynamics, exploring consumer preferences and the diverse factors that shape them. The research employed a structured questionnaire distributed to 209 visitors who chose environmentally certified hotels, offering a comprehensive dataset for analysis. Utilizing a quantitative approach, the study employs descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses to unravel patterns and relationships among variables. The findings highlight consumers' positive inclinations towards environmental certifications, while shedding light on nuanced preferences regarding transportation, room reservations, pricing structures, hotel accessibility, food availability, environmental satisfaction, and cultural practices. Key relationships, such as the impact of environmental certifications on transportation facilities, pricing structures, and environmental satisfaction, are quantitatively explored. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders aiming to align tourism practices with sustainability goals in Sri Lanka, offering a holistic understanding of consumer preferences in this culturally rich and environmentally diverse destination.
{"title":"Sustainable Harmony: A Holistic Examination of Consumer Preferences and Influencing Factors in Sri Lanka's Tourism Industry","authors":"Rohana Bandara Herarh, Jacquline Tham, Ali Khatibi, S. M. F. Azam","doi":"10.4038/besl.v14i1.7690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/besl.v14i1.7690","url":null,"abstract":"This research navigates the intricate landscape of Sri Lanka's tourism sector against the backdrop of its rich cultural heritage and captivating landscapes. As global travel trends increasingly pivot towards sustainability, this study investigates the core of Sri Lanka's tourism dynamics, exploring consumer preferences and the diverse factors that shape them. The research employed a structured questionnaire distributed to 209 visitors who chose environmentally certified hotels, offering a comprehensive dataset for analysis. Utilizing a quantitative approach, the study employs descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses to unravel patterns and relationships among variables. The findings highlight consumers' positive inclinations towards environmental certifications, while shedding light on nuanced preferences regarding transportation, room reservations, pricing structures, hotel accessibility, food availability, environmental satisfaction, and cultural practices. Key relationships, such as the impact of environmental certifications on transportation facilities, pricing structures, and environmental satisfaction, are quantitatively explored. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders aiming to align tourism practices with sustainability goals in Sri Lanka, offering a holistic understanding of consumer preferences in this culturally rich and environmentally diverse destination.","PeriodicalId":476114,"journal":{"name":"Built-environment Sri Lanka","volume":"29 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141806028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}