11 research outputs found
Influence of ‘power’ and ‘dependence’ attributes on main contractor and sub-contractor collaboration in construction projects
No full textCollaboration among construction project participants, specifically between the main contractor and sub-contractor, is essential for efficient project delivery. A review of the literature suggests that collaboration among project participants in construction projects is influenced by both relational aspects (e.g. trust, commitment, and reliability) and transactional aspects (e.g. contractual approach or procurement design). The transactional aspects are characterised by the contractual approach and procurement design that bind the project participants by setting obligations and allocating risks among participants. Furthermore, the literature indicates that the transactional aspects of the bargaining power (also referred to as power) and dependence of the participants have a significant impact on the level of collaboration. Moreover, the predominant discourse in the literature on the contractual approach and procurement design is focused on the principal-centric aspects; specifically, safeguarding the main contractor’s interest, despite the fact that collaboration is dyadic in nature, and includes the interest of the sub-contractors. Hence, this study aims to investigate the extent of the influence of power and dependence attributes on the collaboration between the sub-contractors and main contractors in construction projects. This research explores the sub-contractor’s perspective on their collaboration with the main contractor. The theories relating to buyer–supplier relationships, power and dependence are used as a lens to investigate the collaboration between main contractors and sub-contractors in this study. Past research on the relationship between the sub-contractors and main contractors have focused on the relational aspect of collaboration. A systematic literature review process was used to construct a conceptual model to explore the relationships among the key theoretical constructs using a quantitative research methodology. The research population focuses on sub-contractors based in Australia. Various corporate bodies e.g. Australian Construction Industry forum, Australia Subcontractors Association etc. were approached, and their databases were used to select participants for a questionnaire-based survey, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypothesis and validate the conceptual model. The findings revealed that the power of a sub-contractor is influenced by the clarity of procurement decision, market competition and market structure. The dependence of a sub-contractor is influenced by the commercial importance and market reputation of that sub-contractor. Furthermore, it was observed from the results that the attribute of dependence strongly influences collaboration, whereas the influence of ‘power’ on collaboration is moderate. Hence, enhanced collaboration between the main contractor and sub-contractor will be observed when both entities depend on each other. Therefore, it is recommended that main contractors should analyse the prevalent market conditions and a project’s procurement priorities to select sub-contractors, and vice versa in case of sub-contractor
Review of Various Delay Causing Factors and Their Resolution by Application of Lean Principles in India
No full textAbstract
Practically speaking, not all real estate construction projects are accomplished in the defined span and within budget. Various factors responsible for occurrence of delays are one of the long-standing issues in the field of real estate. Delays make contractors endure productivity loss, cause high disturbance expenses, and prolongation costs. The aim of the research is to summarize several delay causing factors, which are observed in the execution of previous real estate construction projects. It then proposes implementation of standard prevention procedures to minimize delays. Time effect examination is the approach to evaluating and allotting the upshots of delays or changing a venture schedule. This review sets execution framework of the two sub-principles of the Toyota Way attributes known as philosophy sub-principles and process subprinciples to guide real estate construction businesses in their lean change to delay free real estate construction work. These are implemented after investigating the critical factors responsible for delays in the delayed projects by comparing their as-planned schedules with the adjusted schedules. Methods used in the research include structured surveys and content analysis, which is performed after collection of quantitative data from the respondents. The lean construction principles will be designed and provided to clients to be productive in performing work packages on their scheduled time with minimum possibility of time overrun.</jats:p
Review of various delay causing factors and their resolution by application of lean principles in India
No full textPractically speaking, not all real estate construction projects are accomplished in the defined span and within budget. Various factors responsible for occurrence of delays are one of the long-standing issues in the field of real estate. Delays make contractors endure productivity loss, cause high disturbance expenses, and prolongation costs. The aim of the research is to summarize several delay causing factors, which are observed in the execution of previous real estate construction projects. It then proposes implementation of standard prevention procedures to minimize delays. Time effect examination is the approach to evaluating and allotting the upshots of delays or changing a venture schedule. This review sets execution framework of the two sub-principles of the Toyota Way attributes known as philosophy sub-principles and process subprinciples to guide real estate construction businesses in their lean change to delay free real estate construction work. These are implemented after investigating the critical factors responsible for delays in the delayed projects by comparing their as-planned schedules with the adjusted schedules. Methods used in the research include structured surveys and content analysis, which is performed after collection of quantitative data from the respondents. The lean construction principles will be designed and provided to clients to be productive in performing work packages on their scheduled time with minimum possibility of time overrun
Earned Value based Liability Calculation Algorithm for Schedule Delays in Construction Projects
No full textCritical Factors Influencing the Performance of Highway Projects: An Empirical Evaluation
No full textHighway construction projects have always suffered from cost overruns due to extended project delivery, causing a loss of public funds. Since highways are the backbone of a nation, the purpose of this study is to measure the criticality of the factors that influence the performance of highway projects. A survey instrument was prepared and distributed to 185 project managers. To achieve the aim of the study, exploratory factor analysis was used and the standard factor loading was the criteria to measure the criticality. From the analysis, it was identified that the factors were grouped under four categories: (a) Execution constraints (b) Operational factors, (c) Stakeholder and political constraints, (d) Design Constraints. Further, it was concluded that the complexity of the sub-contractor’s performance, frequent modification in alignment, project design, loopholes in safety, and ambiguities in specifications are the main factors that impact the performance of highway projects. Therefore, it was recommended to develop an efficient project planning methodology which is a continuum of project management skills and tacit knowledge of managing a site which operates efficiently
An analytical study of critical factors affecting contractor efficiency in construction projects in Indian scenario
No full textPurpose: Recent studies show that lowest bidder technique is mainly used in developing countries such as India to award a contract. It has been demonstrated that the lowest bid is not always the accurate one and can lead to cost overruns and time extensions amongst other problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the critical factors impacting contractor’s efficiency in Indian construction projects. Research approach: A survey was sent to participants of construction projects awarded by the government with the lowest bidder technique in Uttar Pradesh, India. For further research, snowball sampling was used, and structured interviews were conducted amongst experienced managers and engineers of these projects on both client’s and contractor’s side. Findings: It was observed that, to a greater extent, the delays were caused due to contractor’s opportunistic behaviour. The main findings are that new bidding methodologies are to be tested as they can lead to the choice of a more accurate and realistic bidder. In addition, subjective evaluation components, such as schedule and workforce, should be reflected in contract award methods in addition to the cost criteria. Further studies should be performed on the choice of contract awarding methodology based on the project size and type. Originality value: The researcher’s focus was to analyze the influence of contracting methodologies and factors
affecting contractor’s performance in lowest bid award project, where this is an area of least focus amongst researchers in the Indian subcontinent
Identification of Delay Causing Actor in the Indian Real Estate Project: an AHP-Based Approach
No full textIndian construction is a vital domain with an enormous employment potential and its contribution to the economy. Real estate is an essential domain of construction that tackles the housing demands. In the present scenario, this sector is experiencing a slowdown often failing projects. Thus, the aim is to identify the project participant and attributes that lead to delays in the schedule of real estate projects. In this process, we apply the hierarchical analytical process to identify the actor and the causes that result in an overrun. Our findings suggest that to a significant extent delays occur due to contractors under the influence of distinct factors discussed in the study
Technology integration in India’s real estate sector: measuring awareness of virtual reality and closed-loop marketing
No full textThis study aimed to explore the influence of virtual reality and closed-loop marketing as data-driven strategies for optimizing real estate sector performance. It focused on identifying the factors that influenced the level of awareness of these technologies in the real estate sector. This study explored the perspectives of key stakeholders, namely, developers and agents, in both the commercial and residential sectors. Four latent variables and measures were identified through an extensive literature review. Based on this, a survey instrument was developed, distributed online, and 209 responses were received, including from developers and real estate agents. Exploratory factor analysis was used to validate the latent variables, and covariance-based structural equation modelling was used to measure their influence on the level of awareness. Information accessibility (β = 0.626) strongly influenced awareness of VR and CLM. Other factors, such as interactive experience quality (β = 0.322), social influence (β = 0.291), and system integration complexity (β = 0.207), had moderate influences. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a validated scale and latent variables that real estate practitioners can use to develop change management strategies
An Analytical Study of Critical Factors Affecting Contractor Efficiency in Construction Projects in Indian Scenario
No full textPurpose: Recent studies show that lowest bidder technique is mainly used in developing countries such as India to award a contract. It has been demonstrated that the lowest bid is not always the accurate one and can lead to cost overruns and time extensions amongst other problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the critical factors impacting contractor’s efficiency in Indian construction projects. Research approach: A survey was sent to participants of construction projects awarded by the government with the lowest bidder technique in Uttar Pradesh, India. For further research, snowball sampling was used, and structured interviews were conducted amongst experienced managers and engineers of these projects on both client’s and contractor’s side.Findings: It was observed that, to a greater extent, the delays were caused due to contractor’s opportunistic behaviour. The main findings are that new bidding methodologies are to be tested as they can lead to the choice of a more accurate and realistic bidder. In addition, subjective evaluation components, such as schedule and workforce, should be reflected in contract award methods in addition to the cost criteria. Further studies should be performed on the choice of contract awarding methodology based on the project size and type. Originality value: The researcher’s focus was to analyze the influence of contracting methodologies and factors affecting contractor’s performance in lowest bid award project, where this is an area of least focus amongst researchers in the Indian subcontinent
