1,720,970 research outputs found
Modeling performance differentials in large construction organisations in South Africa
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.The research investigates the relationship between the constructs: organisational characteristics, resources, capabilities, competitive strategies, business environment and performance of large construction organisations in South Africa. It examines whether the synthesis of different theoretical views - industrial organisation, contingency approach, resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory situated in the strategic management paradigm can be used in explaining the differentials in construction company performance. The rationale for the study stems from the dearth of literature within construction management and in the context of South Africa on the factors causing differentials in the performance of construction companies
Exploring Feasible Solutions to Payment Problems in the Construction Industry in New Zealand
No full textAs in any commercial activity, cash flow is vital for the survival of construction businesses. Construction activities take a long time, the products are expensive and the fact that payments are usually made for work already done, makes cash flow and financial status highly dependent on timely payments from the principals. Cash flow constraints of contractors not only result in business failures but also create flow-on effects in the supply chain. In recognition of these effects, most countries including New Zealand have established payment-specific construction industry legislation to ensure a steady flow of cash to project participants. However, payment problems persist within culture and practices, suggesting that industry characteristics may make it difficult to mitigate the problems. It is in this context, that this research investigates payment problems in the New Zealand construction industry with the main focus on exploring feasible solutions to secure payments to construction parties.
This research has adopted a sequential mixed-method design consisting of three approaches; preliminary document analyses of liquidators’ reports, and payment disputes heard in the High Court; analysis of a questionnaire survey; and interviews with construction industry practitioners. The data collected through preliminary investigations and an online questionnaire administered to consultants, contractors and subcontractors based in New Zealand was validated and extended using semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs). Data analysis techniques employed include: descriptive, inferential statistics and thematic analysis.
The findings of the study confirm that payment problems are still prevalent though not as widespread and significant as was the situation before the introduction of the Construction Contracts Act (CCA). The prevalence of payment problems is mainly due to failure to comply with the requirements of the CCA, lack of knowledge and understanding of the Act, and financial strength of industry players. The study found that other main causes were cash flow difficulties due to delays and non-payments experienced on other projects, disputes over payment claims and responses, inadequate fund sourcing and management, the easy exit of players from the industry with little/no liability to creditors, and the general payment culture of the industry. The research revealed that the cost consequences of construction insolvencies are significant and very often there is no security for payment losses due to insolvencies. The research finds that the most appropriate forms of securities include: escrow/trust accounts, principal payment bonds, direct payments/tripartite agreements and retention bonds. Amongst, the use of escrow accounts seems the most appropriate/feasible protection mechanism for held funds (e.g. retention monies). Subcontractors and lower tier parties in the construction supply chain are more impacted by payment difficulties and very often are unable to secure payment from the upper tiers. The cost of a financial security and constructors not being able to influence the upper tiers are found to be two major practical obstacles for obtaining security for payment in New Zealand. The research therefore recommends among others, adjustments to provisions within the CCA and other regulatory documents, changes to registration and pre-qualification of project owners and participants, changes to project administration processes, and general attitudinal changes within the New Zealand construction industry
Exploring feasible solutions to payment problems in the construction industry in New Zealand
No full textAs in any commercial activity, cash flow is vital for the survival of construction businesses. Construction activities take a long time, the products are expensive and the fact that payments are usually made for work already done, makes cash flow and financial status highly dependent on timely payments from the principals. Cash flow constraints of contractors not only result in business failures but also create flow-on effects in the supply chain. In recognition of these effects, most countries including New Zealand have established payment-specific construction industry legislation to ensure a steady flow of cash to project participants. However, payment problems persist within culture and practices, suggesting that industry characteristics may make it difficult to mitigate the problems. It is in this context, that this research investigates payment problems in the New Zealand construction industry with the main focus on exploring feasible solutions to secure payments to construction parties.
This research has adopted a sequential mixed-method design consisting of three approaches; preliminary document analyses of liquidators’ reports, and payment disputes heard in the High Court; analysis of a questionnaire survey; and interviews with construction industry practitioners. The data collected through preliminary investigations and an online questionnaire administered to consultants, contractors and subcontractors based in New Zealand was validated and extended using semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs). Data analysis techniques employed include: descriptive, inferential statistics and thematic analysis.
The findings of the study confirm that payment problems are still prevalent though not as widespread and significant as was the situation before the introduction of the Construction Contracts Act (CCA). The prevalence of payment problems is mainly due to failure to comply with the requirements of the CCA, lack of knowledge and understanding of the Act, and financial strength of industry players. The study found that other main causes were cash flow difficulties due to delays and non-payments experienced on other projects, disputes over payment claims and responses, inadequate fund sourcing and management, the easy exit of players from the industry with little/no liability to creditors, and the general payment culture of the industry. The research revealed that the cost consequences of construction insolvencies are significant and very often there is no security for payment losses due to insolvencies. The research finds that the most appropriate forms of securities include: escrow/trust accounts, principal payment bonds, direct payments/tripartite agreements and retention bonds. Amongst, the use of escrow accounts seems the most appropriate/feasible protection mechanism for held funds (e.g. retention monies). Subcontractors and lower tier parties in the construction supply chain are more impacted by payment difficulties and very often are unable to secure payment from the upper tiers. The cost of a financial security and constructors not being able to influence the upper tiers are found to be two major practical obstacles for obtaining security for payment in New Zealand. The research therefore recommends among others, adjustments to provisions within the CCA and other regulatory documents, changes to registration and pre-qualification of project owners and participants, changes to project administration processes, and general attitudinal changes within the New Zealand construction industry
An Examination of Improvements Required to Legislative Provisions for Post Disaster Reconstruction in New Zealand.
Full text linkPrevious disaster management studies allude to the problems of coordination and the
difficulties that may be associated with the implementation of recovery programmes in
New Zealand. These studies have also indicated opportunities for improving the current
recovery and reconstruction framework in advance of a major disaster. They have shown
that much existing legislation were not drafted to cope with wide-scale devastations and
were not developed to operate under the conditions that will inevitably prevail in the
aftermath of a severe disaster.
This thesis therefore explores improvements that could be made to legislative provisions so
that they facilitate large-scale recovery management in New Zealand. Three legislative
documents are in view: Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Act, Resource
Management Act (RMA) and Building Act (BA). The research investigations involved
qualitative research methodology using multi-methods to determine the practical
implication of implementing current reconstruction arrangement under these legislative
documents. The methods employed include: interviews, document analysis, focus group
study, surveys, and the use of subject matter experts for research verification.
Results show that the three legislative documents may become sources of vulnerability in
post disaster reconstruction because of their influence on the timely achievement of
recovery objectives. The impediments posed by these legislative documents are mainly in
the form of procedural constraints; ambiguities in rights and responsibilities for recovery
management; and deficiencies in the intents and purposes of the legislative documents.
More general results show that pre-planning the management of disaster resources; and
collaborative arrangements for response and recovery programmes are a pre-cursor to
effective and efficient management of reconstruction in New Zealand.
The research concludes by providing useful recommendations that are specific to the three
legislative documents and other general recommendations. It is hoped the implementation
of these recommendations could improve the robustness of the current reconstruction
framework so that it is able to cater for the complex needs of rebuilding for resilience in
New Zealand
Insights into Space Heating User Behaviour from Surveys and Temperature Measurements in Single-Occupant Offices at the University of Canterbury
No full textIn naturally ventilated office buildings, occupants’ operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems has an impact on the building energy performance. A greater understanding of the behavioural aspects of energy use may provide opportunities to engineer the transition to resilient energy, achieve carbon emissions objectives, and operating cost targets, as well as to enhance comfort and productivity adaptability for the building occupants. Office worker space heating behaviour was assessed by surveys and temperature measurements in a field study at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Panel radiator use was monitored during thirteen consecutive working days under winter conditions with 122 heating degree-days (HDD at 18 °C). A survey of personal heating habits at the office and perceived control over the thermal environment assessed occupants’ adaptive behaviours for maintaining or recovering productivity and thermal comfort. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data analysis used in this study can be informative for future research about user behaviour in office settings. Identifying behavioural patterns of energy use on a per-case basis is necessary to allow occupant participation in the reduction of building energy consumption through targeted communication programmes.</p
Review of the Critical Success Factors for Stakeholders’ Management in Sustainable Building Projects
No full textIn order to complete construction projects successfully, stakeholder management is crucial. Construction projects are now more complicated and challenging to manage due to dynamic stakeholder interests and potential conflicts. Unless properly managed, the stakeholder-related issues can even lead to project failure. This paper is aimed to present critical success factors (CSFs) of stakeholder management in sustainable building projects. For this purpose, the paper first presents the state of the art in construction stakeholder management and stakeholder management for sustainable projects. Then through a systematic analysis, the critical success factors for stakeholder management that influence the success of sustainable building project identified. It could be concluded that early stakeholder identification, analysis and engagement can improve project team collaboration and help achieve sustainability in construction.</p
Direction Of The Causal Relationship Between Construction And The National Economy Of Sri Lanka
Full text linkCausal relationships between construction and national economies have received
considerable attention in the past. However, the results of research on this topic provide
contrasting views about the nature of the relationship. This paper investigates the direction of
the causal relationship between construction and the economy of a developing country, Sri
Lanka, using empirical data for selected economic and construction indicators for the
period 1990 to 2009. The pattern of the causal relationship was determined using the
Granger causality test. The findings reveal that national economic activities precede
construction activities for all indicators except construction investment. The study therefore
concludes and strengthens the body of knowledge concerning the causal relationship
between the construction sector in Sri Lanka and the national economy tending towards a
uni-directional relationship, with the national economy inducing growth in the construction
sector and not vice versa
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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