Pub Date : 2023-05-08DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2208238
M. Turner, S. Holdsworth
Abstract Work in construction is highly demanding and stressful. Graduates must navigate these imminent challenges as well as the challenges associated with transition as they enter their new learning environment and seek to establish their professional identity. This research examined how resilience can support the transition of early career construction professionals from university into the workforce. Interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants and data was thematically analyzed. Challenges experienced by participants related to structural and cultural conditions of working in construction as well as the transitional career stage. Internal protective factors of emotional objectivity, reflection, goal setting, and physical and mental health emerged as important in positively responding to workplace adversity. Task-related and emotion-related organizational support were considered as important external protective factors that can facilitate the development of internal protective factors. Yet, formal organizational support was often not provided. Findings can inform the design of work and workplace programs which support this new cohort of workers to adapt to an unfamiliar and demanding work environment, as well as provide guidance to university construction management programs on ways to support the development of internal protective factors of emerging professionals. Furthermore, it is expected that students transitioning from university to work, irrespective of discipline, will progress through the three stages of the liminal experience and its possible that access to protective factors supporting resilience may assist students to positively move through this process.
{"title":"Developing resilience: examining the protective factors of early career construction professionals","authors":"M. Turner, S. Holdsworth","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2208238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2208238","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Work in construction is highly demanding and stressful. Graduates must navigate these imminent challenges as well as the challenges associated with transition as they enter their new learning environment and seek to establish their professional identity. This research examined how resilience can support the transition of early career construction professionals from university into the workforce. Interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants and data was thematically analyzed. Challenges experienced by participants related to structural and cultural conditions of working in construction as well as the transitional career stage. Internal protective factors of emotional objectivity, reflection, goal setting, and physical and mental health emerged as important in positively responding to workplace adversity. Task-related and emotion-related organizational support were considered as important external protective factors that can facilitate the development of internal protective factors. Yet, formal organizational support was often not provided. Findings can inform the design of work and workplace programs which support this new cohort of workers to adapt to an unfamiliar and demanding work environment, as well as provide guidance to university construction management programs on ways to support the development of internal protective factors of emerging professionals. Furthermore, it is expected that students transitioning from university to work, irrespective of discipline, will progress through the three stages of the liminal experience and its possible that access to protective factors supporting resilience may assist students to positively move through this process.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"805 - 819"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42945923","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}
Pub Date : 2023-05-05DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2205158
Rebecca Dickson
Abstract In Australia, rates of suicide and poor mental health among construction workers were high before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Lock downs”, “restrictions”, “social distancing” and legislative changes responding to the pandemic have likely exacerbated the working conditions that foster poor mental health. This study analyses the way in which workplace health and safety (WHS) is regulated in Australia against the backdrop of existing research relating to the development of Australia’s WHS laws, and the state of mental health of those working in Australia’s construction industry. This study was conducted using a doctrinal research methodology and utilising legal theory. This study assesses the capacity of the Australian WHS regulatory system to protect construction workers’ mental health by examining and interpreting key provisions in Australia’s WHS laws. It then uses a regulatory theory, responsive regulation, to explain the inconsistency between the capacity of those laws to safeguard mental health and the very poor state of mental health of Australia’s construction workers. The conclusion reached is that there is scope to improve current WHS laws to better protect construction workers’ mental health. A recommendation is made, that current WHS laws are changed to prescribe minimum standards of worker mental health, and mandate control measures to minimise and/or eliminate psychosocial risks. It is submitted that these changes in the law will contribute to a changed culture in Australia’s construction sector, which is supportive of mentally healthy workplaces and workers.
{"title":"What’s it going to take? Lessons learned from COVID-19 and worker mental health in the Australian construction industry","authors":"Rebecca Dickson","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2205158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2205158","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In Australia, rates of suicide and poor mental health among construction workers were high before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Lock downs”, “restrictions”, “social distancing” and legislative changes responding to the pandemic have likely exacerbated the working conditions that foster poor mental health. This study analyses the way in which workplace health and safety (WHS) is regulated in Australia against the backdrop of existing research relating to the development of Australia’s WHS laws, and the state of mental health of those working in Australia’s construction industry. This study was conducted using a doctrinal research methodology and utilising legal theory. This study assesses the capacity of the Australian WHS regulatory system to protect construction workers’ mental health by examining and interpreting key provisions in Australia’s WHS laws. It then uses a regulatory theory, responsive regulation, to explain the inconsistency between the capacity of those laws to safeguard mental health and the very poor state of mental health of Australia’s construction workers. The conclusion reached is that there is scope to improve current WHS laws to better protect construction workers’ mental health. A recommendation is made, that current WHS laws are changed to prescribe minimum standards of worker mental health, and mandate control measures to minimise and/or eliminate psychosocial risks. It is submitted that these changes in the law will contribute to a changed culture in Australia’s construction sector, which is supportive of mentally healthy workplaces and workers.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"758 - 780"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47417875","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}
Pub Date : 2023-05-03DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2205159
F. A. Ghansah, Weisheng Lu
Abstract Over the past 3 years, the global construction sector has been severely affected by the noxious coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Visionary construction stakeholders, including governments, practitioners, and academia, all have been actively devising strategies to deal with the crisis caused by the pandemic. Despite the rich contributions by academia, an in-depth review of their research works to understand how the pandemic has been handled to position the construction industry for post-pandemic actions and future pandemics is hitherto lacking. Hence, an up-to-date literature review is conducted in this study to better understand this terra incognita. It does so by adopting a six-step thematic analysis of 159 empirical peer-reviewed research articles in relation to COVID-19 on construction. The review discovered a growing research interest from different countries from 2020 to 2022. The existing studies can be put under four major topics, namely the COVID-19 impacts, challenges and opportunities, responding strategies, and post-COVID-19 interventions. A framework consisting of four categories of responding strategies, namely vaccination, personal responsibility of workers, government-instructional practices, and organisation-based approaches, is proposed through the lens of the socio-technical system theory to handle the pandemic crisis in construction. Limitations of the existing studies were further identified. Four pertinent research directions were finally proposed: building upon and testing the proposed COVID-19 response framework, adoption of more advanced innovative strategies to increase productivity amid pandemics and survive the risk of future pandemics, beyond the technological response to COVID-19 in construction, and post-pandemic view of the construction industry. This study contributes to the knowledge body by providing a candid evaluation of the knowledge contributed by academia to deal with the risks of future pandemics in the global construction industry.
{"title":"Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the construction industry: a literature review of academic research","authors":"F. A. Ghansah, Weisheng Lu","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2205159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2205159","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Over the past 3 years, the global construction sector has been severely affected by the noxious coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Visionary construction stakeholders, including governments, practitioners, and academia, all have been actively devising strategies to deal with the crisis caused by the pandemic. Despite the rich contributions by academia, an in-depth review of their research works to understand how the pandemic has been handled to position the construction industry for post-pandemic actions and future pandemics is hitherto lacking. Hence, an up-to-date literature review is conducted in this study to better understand this terra incognita. It does so by adopting a six-step thematic analysis of 159 empirical peer-reviewed research articles in relation to COVID-19 on construction. The review discovered a growing research interest from different countries from 2020 to 2022. The existing studies can be put under four major topics, namely the COVID-19 impacts, challenges and opportunities, responding strategies, and post-COVID-19 interventions. A framework consisting of four categories of responding strategies, namely vaccination, personal responsibility of workers, government-instructional practices, and organisation-based approaches, is proposed through the lens of the socio-technical system theory to handle the pandemic crisis in construction. Limitations of the existing studies were further identified. Four pertinent research directions were finally proposed: building upon and testing the proposed COVID-19 response framework, adoption of more advanced innovative strategies to increase productivity amid pandemics and survive the risk of future pandemics, beyond the technological response to COVID-19 in construction, and post-pandemic view of the construction industry. This study contributes to the knowledge body by providing a candid evaluation of the knowledge contributed by academia to deal with the risks of future pandemics in the global construction industry.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"781 - 803"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49083526","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-20DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2196431
Lei Cui
Abstract The construction supervision system plays an essential role in promoting the development of Chinese construction industry. However, as the core of the supervision system, the supervisor may deviate from duty and collude with the contractor to seek more profits. This paper investigates optimal collusion governance strategies under the prevailing supervision system. This paper develops a game-theoretic framework including an owner, a supervisor and a contractor, wherein all players interact and pursue to maximize their self-profits. The collusion equilibrium and the collusion-proof equilibrium are explored. Since the game contains multiple rounds of strategic interactions, backward induction is applied to ensure subgame perfection. The results show that collusion makes the supervision system not always in the owner’s interests. For projects recommended to implement the supervision system, the boundary condition for the owner applying the supervision system is derived. For projects required mandatory supervision, the owner prefers to let the contractor and supervisor collude under certain conditions and guard against collusive behaviours otherwise. This study contributes to the theory by exploring the effects of covert collusion and optimal governance strategies. In addition, this study can assist the owner in better understanding and managing agent collusion to safeguard the project quality.
{"title":"Collusion governance strategies under the construction supervision system in China","authors":"Lei Cui","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2196431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2196431","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The construction supervision system plays an essential role in promoting the development of Chinese construction industry. However, as the core of the supervision system, the supervisor may deviate from duty and collude with the contractor to seek more profits. This paper investigates optimal collusion governance strategies under the prevailing supervision system. This paper develops a game-theoretic framework including an owner, a supervisor and a contractor, wherein all players interact and pursue to maximize their self-profits. The collusion equilibrium and the collusion-proof equilibrium are explored. Since the game contains multiple rounds of strategic interactions, backward induction is applied to ensure subgame perfection. The results show that collusion makes the supervision system not always in the owner’s interests. For projects recommended to implement the supervision system, the boundary condition for the owner applying the supervision system is derived. For projects required mandatory supervision, the owner prefers to let the contractor and supervisor collude under certain conditions and guard against collusive behaviours otherwise. This study contributes to the theory by exploring the effects of covert collusion and optimal governance strategies. In addition, this study can assist the owner in better understanding and managing agent collusion to safeguard the project quality.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"724 - 738"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46680083","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-08DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2189739
Thi Binh An Duong, T. Pham, Q. Truong, Kevin Nguyen, Cong Hiep Pham, T. Hoang, T. Pham
Abstract Although previous studies have focused on different aspects of green/sustainability risk in construction supply chains (SCs) such as identification of risks or the linkage between characteristics of stakeholders and risk assessment, research on this topic is still quite limited. One important reason for this limitation is the absence of valid and reliable measurement of risk, resulting in the impossibility to discriminate between risk constructs. Therefore, the current study is performed to develop and then validate a measurement scale of risk in sustainable construction SCs. The data are collected from a large-scale survey supported by the Japanese government to promote sustainable socioeconomic development for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, with the participation of 283 firms in Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are used to test the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the risk constructs. The results indicate that all tests strongly support the measurement scale, and seven reliable risk constructs are identified including supply, demand, internal processes, information, financial, time, and environmental risks. This study also presents opportunities for further developing research on risk management (especially the three phases: risk assessment, risk mitigation, and risk monitoring) in sustainable construction SCs.
{"title":"Risk in sustainable construction supply chains: construct development and measurement validation","authors":"Thi Binh An Duong, T. Pham, Q. Truong, Kevin Nguyen, Cong Hiep Pham, T. Hoang, T. Pham","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2189739","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2189739","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Although previous studies have focused on different aspects of green/sustainability risk in construction supply chains (SCs) such as identification of risks or the linkage between characteristics of stakeholders and risk assessment, research on this topic is still quite limited. One important reason for this limitation is the absence of valid and reliable measurement of risk, resulting in the impossibility to discriminate between risk constructs. Therefore, the current study is performed to develop and then validate a measurement scale of risk in sustainable construction SCs. The data are collected from a large-scale survey supported by the Japanese government to promote sustainable socioeconomic development for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, with the participation of 283 firms in Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are used to test the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the risk constructs. The results indicate that all tests strongly support the measurement scale, and seven reliable risk constructs are identified including supply, demand, internal processes, information, financial, time, and environmental risks. This study also presents opportunities for further developing research on risk management (especially the three phases: risk assessment, risk mitigation, and risk monitoring) in sustainable construction SCs.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"634 - 650"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42776130","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-06DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2197651
Bowen Liu, Pengli Huang, Wenxue Lu
Abstract Boundary spanners of construction projects are representatives of the interaction between the client and the contractor, and their good interpersonal ties are a catalyst for the development of cooperation between the two organizations and play an important role in project success. However, in the existing research, the relationship between interpersonal ties and cooperative behavior is still controversial, and little attention is paid to the individual level of construction projects. Therefore, this study explores the influence mechanism of each dimension of boundary spanners’ interpersonal ties (obligatory ties, instrumental ties, and affective ties) on contractors’ cooperative behavior (in-role and extra-role behavior) and the moderating effect of dependence asymmetry. The data from 248 questionnaires completed by practitioners in the Chinese construction industry show that obligatory ties positively affect contractors’ in-role and extra-role behavior, and the correlation between obligatory ties and in-role and extra-role behavior is positively moderated by dependence asymmetry. Moreover, instrumental ties are positively related to contractors’ in-role and extra-role behavior. However, affective ties only positively affect contractors’ extra-role behavior, and this effect is negatively moderated by dependence asymmetry. These findings have implications for clients and contractors and can help them maintain their relationships, thus improving project performance.
{"title":"How to foster contractors’ in-role and extra-role behavior: the role of interpersonal ties and dependence asymmetry","authors":"Bowen Liu, Pengli Huang, Wenxue Lu","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2197651","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2197651","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Boundary spanners of construction projects are representatives of the interaction between the client and the contractor, and their good interpersonal ties are a catalyst for the development of cooperation between the two organizations and play an important role in project success. However, in the existing research, the relationship between interpersonal ties and cooperative behavior is still controversial, and little attention is paid to the individual level of construction projects. Therefore, this study explores the influence mechanism of each dimension of boundary spanners’ interpersonal ties (obligatory ties, instrumental ties, and affective ties) on contractors’ cooperative behavior (in-role and extra-role behavior) and the moderating effect of dependence asymmetry. The data from 248 questionnaires completed by practitioners in the Chinese construction industry show that obligatory ties positively affect contractors’ in-role and extra-role behavior, and the correlation between obligatory ties and in-role and extra-role behavior is positively moderated by dependence asymmetry. Moreover, instrumental ties are positively related to contractors’ in-role and extra-role behavior. However, affective ties only positively affect contractors’ extra-role behavior, and this effect is negatively moderated by dependence asymmetry. These findings have implications for clients and contractors and can help them maintain their relationships, thus improving project performance.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"739 - 757"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44243491","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-06DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2190993
Yu-Lin Huang, Tsen-Chin Lin
Abstract Multi-stage planning is common for expanding infrastructure complexes or networks. Previous real-option studies developed a sequential compound call option (SCCO) for evaluating multi-stage infrastructure investment projects, including evaluating abandonment options during individual pre-scheduled investment stages. In practice, however, investment schedules involve risk and uncertainties forcing investors to change plans, raising an important issue regarding investors having more options at each commencement date. This study introduces a new model, the sequential compound deferrable call option (SCDCO), incorporating deferment options for each fold in an n-fold setting and generalizing the exercise of each deferment option into mn periods. A closed-form solution to the valuation of SCDCO is derived accordingly. A real-world case demonstrates that introducing deferment options increases project value, but the marginal benefit of increasing deferment time diminishes. The presence of dedicated assets for the usage of future expansions can also increase project value, but this increase is restricted by deferment options. Furthermore, the investment cost growth with an increase of deferment time rapidly decreases project value and vice versa. Inflation or deflation is therefore important to consider in deferment decisions. Finally, although deferment options only produce limited project value, they have the flexibility to manage risks, changes, and budgetary constraints.
{"title":"Compound deferrable options for the valuation of multi-stage infrastructure investment projects","authors":"Yu-Lin Huang, Tsen-Chin Lin","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2190993","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2190993","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Multi-stage planning is common for expanding infrastructure complexes or networks. Previous real-option studies developed a sequential compound call option (SCCO) for evaluating multi-stage infrastructure investment projects, including evaluating abandonment options during individual pre-scheduled investment stages. In practice, however, investment schedules involve risk and uncertainties forcing investors to change plans, raising an important issue regarding investors having more options at each commencement date. This study introduces a new model, the sequential compound deferrable call option (SCDCO), incorporating deferment options for each fold in an n-fold setting and generalizing the exercise of each deferment option into mn periods. A closed-form solution to the valuation of SCDCO is derived accordingly. A real-world case demonstrates that introducing deferment options increases project value, but the marginal benefit of increasing deferment time diminishes. The presence of dedicated assets for the usage of future expansions can also increase project value, but this increase is restricted by deferment options. Furthermore, the investment cost growth with an increase of deferment time rapidly decreases project value and vice versa. Inflation or deflation is therefore important to consider in deferment decisions. Finally, although deferment options only produce limited project value, they have the flexibility to manage risks, changes, and budgetary constraints.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"670 - 686"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41939957","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-05DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2195195
J. Ajslev, J. L. Møller
Abstract The occupational safety and health (OSH) coordinator is an important figure for improving OSH in the construction industry. Working as an OSH coordinator is complicated, and coordinators must attend to many different roles to improve OSH. Recent research has even questioned the effectiveness of OSH professional practice. This points to a need to understand how OSH coordinators position themselves in relation to different roles when performing effective OSH coordination. This study aims to expand upon this question by analyzing how OSH coordinators position themselves in situations leading to the implementation of OSH measures. In the study, practices of OSH coordinators in the Danish construction industry are analyzed by “zooming in” on micro-sociological positioning practices observed during 107 days of ethnographic fieldwork, e.g. speech acts, and by “zooming out” on the links between these positioning practices and the implementation of OSH measures. The study contributes to OSH research and practice in several ways; firstly, the study conceptualizes a typology of practices connected to the relational roles of OSH professionals. Secondly, it expands upon how negotiating for the implementation of OSH measures is a relationally complex matter in which OSH coordinators switch between positioning themselves as alliance builders, authorities, challengers, experts, influencers, and champions. Improving attention and education to accommodate this knowledge may contribute to the creation of more tangible borders around the OSH professional practice, and more impactful OSH practice in terms of implementing measures.
{"title":"The art of role-switching–positioning practices and the relational roles of OSH coordinators in the Danish construction industry","authors":"J. Ajslev, J. L. Møller","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2195195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2195195","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The occupational safety and health (OSH) coordinator is an important figure for improving OSH in the construction industry. Working as an OSH coordinator is complicated, and coordinators must attend to many different roles to improve OSH. Recent research has even questioned the effectiveness of OSH professional practice. This points to a need to understand how OSH coordinators position themselves in relation to different roles when performing effective OSH coordination. This study aims to expand upon this question by analyzing how OSH coordinators position themselves in situations leading to the implementation of OSH measures. In the study, practices of OSH coordinators in the Danish construction industry are analyzed by “zooming in” on micro-sociological positioning practices observed during 107 days of ethnographic fieldwork, e.g. speech acts, and by “zooming out” on the links between these positioning practices and the implementation of OSH measures. The study contributes to OSH research and practice in several ways; firstly, the study conceptualizes a typology of practices connected to the relational roles of OSH professionals. Secondly, it expands upon how negotiating for the implementation of OSH measures is a relationally complex matter in which OSH coordinators switch between positioning themselves as alliance builders, authorities, challengers, experts, influencers, and champions. Improving attention and education to accommodate this knowledge may contribute to the creation of more tangible borders around the OSH professional practice, and more impactful OSH practice in terms of implementing measures.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"153 1","pages":"703 - 723"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41273673","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-02DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2190992
Lilly Rosander, A. Kadefors
Abstract Relational contracting models are increasingly being used for large and complex public infrastructure construction projects, but both practices and outcomes still widely vary. When analyzing the causes of failures and successes, most studies have focused on practices at the project level. In this paper, we add to the current understanding of relational contracting in public construction by examining the influence of factors at the organizational and institutional levels. We develop a framework based on theories of policy implementation and analyze two projects piloting a new Early Contractor Involvement model in a large public infrastructure client organization. In this case, a previous marketization policy, prescribing low client involvement in project processes, interfered with the relational contracting policy. This policy clash was not openly acknowledged from the start, despite causing significant confusion and frustration at the project level, but became recognizable largely through its consequences for resource allocation and managerial attention. We conclude that policy ambiguities, combined with a project-based implementation context, produce local interpretations and variations in relational contracting models. When project autonomy is high, industry-level agreements, standards and resources are important to align practices also between projects within the same client organization.
{"title":"Implementing relational contracting in a public client organization: the influence of policy clashes, resources and project autonomy","authors":"Lilly Rosander, A. Kadefors","doi":"10.1080/01446193.2023.2190992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2023.2190992","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Relational contracting models are increasingly being used for large and complex public infrastructure construction projects, but both practices and outcomes still widely vary. When analyzing the causes of failures and successes, most studies have focused on practices at the project level. In this paper, we add to the current understanding of relational contracting in public construction by examining the influence of factors at the organizational and institutional levels. We develop a framework based on theories of policy implementation and analyze two projects piloting a new Early Contractor Involvement model in a large public infrastructure client organization. In this case, a previous marketization policy, prescribing low client involvement in project processes, interfered with the relational contracting policy. This policy clash was not openly acknowledged from the start, despite causing significant confusion and frustration at the project level, but became recognizable largely through its consequences for resource allocation and managerial attention. We conclude that policy ambiguities, combined with a project-based implementation context, produce local interpretations and variations in relational contracting models. When project autonomy is high, industry-level agreements, standards and resources are important to align practices also between projects within the same client organization.","PeriodicalId":51389,"journal":{"name":"Construction Management and Economics","volume":"41 1","pages":"651 - 669"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46207885","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}
Pub Date : 2023-03-26DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2023.2186454
Vishal Singh, M. Bolpagni
Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, several instances of innovation were reported in construction and other sectors, consistent with previously noted spikes in innovation activities during crises and environmental perturbations. Yet the behavioural mechanisms and factors leading to changes in the innovation behaviour of actors under environmental perturbation are not adequately understood. This paper studies such behavioural mechanisms and factors, building on the Excitable Innovation Behaviour Model (EIBM), which explains the voluntary or coercive change in the innovation behaviour of actors in terms of their stable state needs and excited stated needs. The findings build on data collected through an online survey (N = 266) and interviews (N = 14) during the COVID situation. The results show that environmental perturbations can trigger both an increase and decrease in innovation activities. Actors’ network dependencies, motivation, and years of experience influence their innovation behaviour. Environmental perturbation triggers accelerated alignment and shared prioritization of the needs of the different stakeholders, resulting in commitment and timely actions towards innovation from each stakeholder. Actors’ ability and financial stability at the time of the excitation trigger mediate their innovation behaviour, revealing similarities and differences between EIBM and Fogg’s Behavioural Model of persuasion. The grounding of EIBM in behavioural theories makes it potentially generalizable and compatible with other behavioural models and theories on innovation. The underlying state-change mechanisms in EIBM also make it amenable to developing a parametric and computational model of innovation adoption and diffusion. The research insights will inform innovation management strategies, including technology adoption roadmaps in the construction sector.
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