This study examines consumer behaviour in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards purchasing household items made from recycled plastics, a critical component of environmental sustainability. Using a survey-based methodology combined with structural equation modelling (SEM), the research investigates the effects of perceived risks, anticipated emotions, and perceived economic, environmental, and social benefits on purchase intentions. Key findings reveal a higher purchase propensity among women (75.3%) and young adults aged 18-30 (86.8%), with educated individuals demonstrating stronger preferences for eco-friendly products. The research identifies environmental concern, attitude, perceived behavioural control, anticipated pride, and environmental benefits as the most significant predictors of purchase intentions across genders. A strong positive correlation between environmental concern and economic benefits highlights their interdependence, while moderate correlations with perceived social responsibility suggest additional underlying complexities. Notably, the study is among the first to explore gender-specific consumer behaviour towards recycled plastic products in the UAE, addressing a critical gap in the behavioural literature of developing economies. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of sustainable consumer behaviour by integrating constructions from the theory of planned behaviour and social learning theory. Practically, the research provides actionable recommendations for businesses and policymakers, emphasising the importance of gender-sensitive strategies, educational campaigns, and product availability to enhance the adoption of recycled plastic products. These insights align with the UAE's sustainability goals and broader global efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote a circular economy.
Material waste in construction projects remains a significant issue, leading to increased costs, environmental impacts, and inefficiencies. This study addressed this challenge by developing a structured decision-support approach to prioritize actions to mitigate material waste aligned with the unique conditions of each construction site. Causes and mitigation actions were initially identified through a literature review, expert interviews, and a survey analysis. Next, principal component analysis simplified the dataset's complexity by grouping related causes and mitigation actions into distinct categories. These categories served as the structured inputs for the quality function deployment (QFD) model. Mitigation actions were then prioritized using this model, with the results validated by experts to assess the method's appropriateness for material wastage. The study effectively introduced a process to prioritize the mitigation actions, aligning with identified causes and other actions. Additionally, a set of causes and actions was identified in this study. Major causes included fire and explosion incidents, defective materials, and material theft. Key actions were efficient project planning, accurate material management, and the implementation of comprehensive storage and handling procedures. Construction process supervision emerged as the highest priority, while reuse and recycling promotion, although ranked the lowest, remained significant. This study introduced a systematic approach to prioritize actions that address root causes and assess the impact of each action on others, providing practical, cascading solutions to site-specific challenges. In addition, by conducting the research within the context of Vietnam, this study further demonstrated the applicability of this methodological framework in developing economies with similar construction environments.
Women make up less than 15% of the UK construction workforce and continue to face major retention challenges, driven by structural biases that lead to feelings of disrespect, insufficient support, and being undervalued. This study takes a novel approach by applying Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to investigate how digital technologies (as non-human actors) influence the retention of women (as human actors) in the industry- a perspective that has been overlooked in previous research. Utilising data from 23 qualitative interviews with women involved in digitally enabled projects, the research develops a socio-technical framework that connects the functions of digital technology to the concepts of respect, support, and value (RSV). The interviews were analysed thematically using NVivo 13 to identify retention challenges and how women interact with digital technologies. The findings reveal several retention issues, including rigid work practices, a predominantly masculine culture, and occurrences of bullying and harassment. Importantly, the study shows that technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and online mentoring platforms do more than enhance operational efficiency; they actively reshape workplace dynamics to promote inclusivity and improve women's perceptions of respect, support, and value. By employing ANT, this research underscores the strategic potential of digital technologies in addressing systemic challenges within the construction sector. This is the first study to establish a conceptual link between digitalisation and gender equity, and it offers practical strategies for construction firms to improve retention by focusing on respect, support, and perceived value.
Construction industry stakeholders increasingly rely on social media and information and communication technology tools for communication and business operations. To ensure a smooth construction process and support future needs, such as renovations, it is essential to preserve the information generated throughout a project's life cycle. This study examines the influence of data longevity on data management in the South African construction industry. A quantitative research approach was used, collecting data from construction professionals in Gauteng through an online questionnaire survey. Respondents included quantity surveyors; architects; civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers; and construction and project managers. The findings indicate that key factors influencing data longevity in data management include the use of immutable storage, continuous data protection technologies, durable record-keeping devices, and knowledge of data longevity standards. Moreover, the study emphasises the importance of construction stakeholders developing a thorough understanding of data longevity to ensure effective data management throughout a project's execution. By addressing challenges such as data loss due to obsolescence, cyber threats, and environmental factors, this research contributes to establishing best practices for preserving construction project data, ensuring long-term accessibility and compliance. As the construction industry increasingly relies on digital data, prioritising data longevity is essential for maintaining project integrity, enhancing collaboration, and fostering future innovations. It is recommended that professionals receive training and educate all project members on data longevity principles and their implementation.
Fostering sustainable building practices is essential to mitigating the environmental impact of human activity. Education and training play a critical role in this effort. However, developing nations have yet to fully adopt sustainable construction strategies. This study investigates how education and training influence the adaptive capacity of Ghana’s construction sector. A quantitative approach was employed, with data collected from 400 participants. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS (version 26), and structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS (version 24). The analysis revealed two key latent constructs of education and training: adaptive barriers (ADBs) and implementation awareness (IPA). The findings suggest that enhancing education and training is essential to building adaptive capacity within the industry. The study recommends that government agencies and construction stakeholders implement advocacy programmes and workshops to promote sustainable construction practices among contractors and professionals. The novelty of this research lies in its contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 by proposing a structured pathway for integrating sustainability into construction practices. It uniquely highlights the direct impact of targeted education and training initiatives on adaptive capacity in Ghana’s construction industry.
Despite growing global interest in digital innovations for health and safety (H&S) management, the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI) continues to lag in the adoption of such technologies due to persistent barriers and the absence of strategic implementation frameworks. Existing studies have largely focused on individual technologies or general adoption challenges without offering holistic, context-specific strategies tailored to developing countries. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the key barriers and strategies influencing the adoption of H&S technologies in the GCI and to develop a contextualised framework to support their effective implementation. A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted. First, a scoping review identified relevant barriers and global strategies. A quantitative survey of 123 construction professionals then assessed the significance of selected strategies, followed by three rounds of focus group discussions (FGDs) to validate, categorise, and map strategies to barrier themes. The study identified 16 strategies, with "client involvement", "awareness creation", and "technical know-how" ranked highest. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirmed the statistical significance of all strategies, while the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed significant variations in perceptions across professional roles for selected strategies prior to the FGDs. The study offers practical insights for stakeholders in the GCI by linking strategic interventions directly to context-specific challenges, thus supporting the targeted deployment of digital H&S technologies. Theoretically, the study contributes a robust framework grounded in the technology-organisation-environment and diffusion of innovation theories, enhancing the understanding of technology adoption dynamics in developing countries.
In the context of the world facing serious environmental problems, sustainable development has become an inevitable trend in the construction sector. To achieve sustainability in construction, it is essential to integrate environmentally responsible practices from the early planning stages. However, most current earthwork projects focus on improving productivity while overlooking environmental impacts. Developing methods to assess cost, productivity, and environmental aspects in an integrated way remains a major industry challenge. As part of research efforts to promote sustainability in construction, this study develops a methodology for applying Lean construction principles to simultaneously enhance cost efficiency, improve productivity, and reduce environmental impact in earthwork operations in Vietnam. The EZStrobe simulation tool was employed to model earthwork processes under realistic construction conditions, identify bottlenecks, and test Lean interventions through multiple scenarios. After validating the model, four Lean construction principles-flow production, minimization of non-value-adding activities, pull system implementation, and reduction of transported soil volume-were implemented to optimize earthmoving efficiency. The most effective Lean model resulted in significant improvements in construction performance, increasing productivity by 65.5% and reducing costs by 21.7%. Moreover, this model contributed positively to the environment by reducing fuel consumption by 21% and lowering CO2 emissions by 12.7%. These findings emphasize the practical value of Lean construction in enhancing sustainability in earthwork, especially in developing countries where efficient resource use and environmental protection are essential. The study offers actionable insights for construction managers and policymakers seeking to implement sustainable and efficient earthwork practices in developing countries.
Building information modeling (BIM) is increasingly used in construction projects in developing countries like Vietnam. However, many stakeholders still question its effectiveness and feel unprepared to apply it. This challenge is more evident in prefabricated construction, where design and construction occur simultaneously. BIM offers many benefits in this context, but also brings notable difficulties. This study examined the significant barriers to BIM implementation in prefabricated construction projects. A quantitative approach was used, beginning with a literature review to identify potential barriers, followed by a pilot test with three experts to refine and validate them. Eleven barriers were identified and categorized into human-, technological-, and performance-related groups. A structured quantitative questionnaire was distributed to professionals with experience in BIM-based prefabricated projects. Using a non-probability sampling approach, 151 valid responses were collected from stakeholders with diverse roles and backgrounds. The results indicated that human-related barriers are the most significant. The top five barriers are the lack of high-quality human resources, poor coordination among stakeholders, a long time needed to generate detailed models, weak integration between tools, and resistance to changes in work processes. Stakeholders showed strong agreement in their evaluations, with correlation coefficients above 0.3 at the 0.01 and 0.05 significance levels. Factor analysis and evaluation using exploratory factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation confirmed a substantial impact of these barriers, with a score of 3.488 out of 5.0 (69.8%). These findings provide a solid foundation for developing policies and strategies to strengthen BIM adoption and improve project performance.
This study evaluated the quality of construction technology data across four categories- intrinsic, contextual, representation, and accessibility-and examined how these factors influence potential data use. The research adopted a qualitative approach, systematically identifying and assessing publicly available data sources on construction technology from government, academia, industry, and society. Government sources include research databases, technical reports, and patents; academic sources comprise Scopus and the local repository Science and Technology Index; and industry sources encompass annual reports and social media. The evaluation revealed that government data demonstrate the highest credibility and the most complete metadata, but were updated infrequently. Despite limited metadata, industry data remain reliable due to consistent annual publication schedules. Academic data show moderate quality, offering substantial datasets but with irregular update frequencies. Most data sources are available in English or Indonesian and are predominantly open access, except for subscription-based academic journals. In summary, the vast majority of construction technology data sources in Indonesia are either unstructured with limited information or semi-structured large databases from credible institutions with unpredictable or irregular updates, presenting challenges for technology landscape mapping. Government and Scopus databases show significant potential but require greater standardisation and, in the case of Scopus, advanced natural language processing-based extraction methods to maximise their utility for construction technology landscape development.
Collective sensemaking is key to the teams in global construction engineering projects (GCEPs) in order to establish resilience against encountered calamities. Both natural and man-made calamities that occur in these projects influence team performance adversely, and these teams need to develop resilience against them. Therefore, they need to engage in collective sense promptly to know what is going on around the work environment. However, making collective sense is a significant challenge for them because the team members do not have face-to-face interactions in physical proximity due to their virtual team setup. Therefore, knowing how collective sensemaking takes place can facilitate their identification of the best practices for its formation, but the components of collective sensemaking in these projects remain a knowledge gap in the literature. Thus, this paper conceptualizes the model of collective sensemaking with its components by reviewing literature and confirms its model fit through the results of a questionnaire survey among the team members in GCEPs. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis have been applied to confirm this model with its components as the main findings. As a contribution to practice, the teams in GCEPs can use this model to understand what aspects are to be prioritized for the formation of collective sensemaking to become resilient against calamities. These findings can also become an original theoretical contribution to the construction management research domain because future researchers can use the model and associated survey instruments to develop further theories and practices.
Modern construction organizations demand high-performing teams (HPTs) in their projects in order to face increasing performance challenges. On the one hand, they face significant performance challenges due to the competition in the industry in many forms, such as competitive bidding to receive projects. On the other hand, they need to manage the performance challenges posed by the complexities of the uncertain and volatile construction project environment to deliver projects successfully and build up strong organizational profiles to face such issues. At the same time, they must also follow the legislative requirements of their countries, which are focused on the big issues and challenges that exist in the contemporary construction industry. In order to enable HPTs, they need a high-performance work system (HPWS) that can facilitate their projects. However, although literature shows numerous studies on organizational HPWSs that consist of human resource management practices, only limited attention has been given to identifying such a system for the project context. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap through a quantitative research study. The project high-performance work system (PHPWS) was conceptualized using literature and tested using 221 responses to a questionnaire survey among team members in construction projects. The exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to analyze data to conclude this PHPWS. The findings facilitate the construction organizations to create the PHPWS for enabling HPTs in their projects and constitute a significant original contribution to the theory and practice in the construction management research domain.
Natural hazards significantly threaten the built environment and infrastructure, resulting in a sudden and significant increase in reconstruction demand. Such an unforeseen post-disaster demand surge for reconstruction can inflate costs up to 50%, impeding prompt and efficient reconstruction efforts. The current study aimed to quantify the effect of disasters on construction wages in three Gulf Coast states (Louisiana, Texas, and Florida). To accomplish this, spatial Durbin models were utilized with a difference-indifferences specification to allow for feedback and spillover effects across counties. The results show that the impact of a disaster on construction wages works with a lag. Natural disasters caused a decrease in construction wages in the impacted counties during the disaster quarter, compared to counties that were not affected. However, construction wages increased one quarter later in the disaster-affected counties compared to the non-affected counties. The direct, indirect, and total effects of disasters on the counties' wages indicate significant feedback and spillover effects across counties when a county experiences a disaster. The findings of this study carry significant policy implications for the city's policymakers and decision-makers.
The work teams in global construction engineering projects (GCEPs) tend to face various natural and man-made calamities that can catastrophically influence their performance; thus, enabling team resilience becomes vital. The literature shows noteworthy evidence identifying collective sensemaking as a key enabler to achieving team resilience, but this has still not been empirically confirmed and creates a knowledge gap. The global construction organizations also argue whether these teams actually need collective sensemaking for this purpose since team members will not have face-to-face interactions during times of calamities as they reside in different countries and work via virtual mode. With the results of a questionnaire survey among 52 GCEP teams, this paper concludes the positive and significant relationship between collective sensemaking and team resilience, confirming that the teams need collective sensemaking to become resilient. This finding makes an original contribution to the theory and practice in the GCEP sector and highlights the importance of much-needed attention from these teams to create collective sensemaking to become resilient against calamities. A recommendation is made for revealing practical ways of achieving this in a future study.
Variation orders (VOs) contribute to time and cost overruns in Nepalese road projects and often trigger disputes. This mixed-methods study examined the causes of VOs on rural roads in Karnali Province using a targeted literature review, field observations, document review, case studies of 11 client-contractor-consultant projects (located for geographic spread, contractor size, and presence/absence of consultant oversight), and a closed-ended census survey of industry professionals across the three stakeholder groups. Quantitative analysis used the Relative Importance Index (RII) and descriptive statistics to compare stakeholder perceptions; qualitative evidence from site observations and documents triangulated the results. The findings identified variations in scope of work (additions, omissions, and alterations in employer requirements) as the primary cause (RIIclients = 812; RII consultants = 780; RII contractors = 791). Secondary causes vary by stakeholder: clients and contractors rank "change in design and drawings by consultant" highly (RII 0.800), while consultants and contractors emphasize "errors and omissions in design" (RIIconsultants = 933; RII contractors = 864). Other contributors include inadequate site investigation, adverse site conditions, government intervention, and client-initiated changes. Stakeholders differ on causes but largely agree on effects and mitigation strategies. The study's originality is its stakeholdercomparative mixed-methods focus on Karnali rural roads, producing empirically grounded, actionable mitigation measures. Improving scope definition, completing designs, and strengthening early site investigation can substantially reduce VOs. The paper recommends coordinated national research led by academic and professional bodies, in partnership with government and industry, to develop standardized guidance and capacity-building.
Given the Ghanaian construction industry's continued reliance on conventional practices, understanding its readiness for digital transformation is essential to enhance productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness. This study investigates the level of awareness and extent of utilization of Industry 4.0 technologies within the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). A quantitative approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire administered to 100 built environment professionals through convenience and snowball sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools, including one-sample t-tests, independent samples t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used to analyze the data. The results revealed low overall awareness and utilization of Industry 4.0 technologies across the GCI. Drone technology showed the highest awareness and usage, while technologies such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics recorded the lowest. Significant differences were observed in utilization based on respondents'awareness, profession, and years of experience. This study fills a critical gap by providing baseline data necessary for understanding the sector's digital maturity. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and educators aiming to promote digital innovation. The study concludes that enhancing awareness through training, curriculum reforms, and supportive policies is vital for driving the digital transformation of the GCI.
This paper aims to investigate the profitability status and cost structure of the construction industry in China, as well as to conduct a case study analysis on the profit gap and differences between industries for cost drivers and strategies for taking returns. Using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, Monte Carlo simulation, and cluster analysis, this study draws from national statistics, industry reports, and company financial statements to determine the influence labor costs, material prices, and taxes have on earnings. The study finds that there is a substantial return distribution across sub-sectors: residential construction shows shorter projects lives and higher returns, while the long-term nature of civil engineering (and associated infrastructure) results in lower profitability despite large capital outlays. The biggest headwinds appear to be material and labor costs, while tax burdens compound the issues. While Monte Carlo simulations quantify the uncertainty of profitability, cluster analysis is used to detect the cost-profit structure and offers insights for developing focused efficiency strategies. In addition to operational effectiveness and resilience, some measures are encouraged like lean construction, digitalization (BIM and AI), and prefabrication, advancing public-private partnerships. They are actionable insights for policymakers and industry leaders to inform evidence-based cost containment, strategic investment, and sustainable growth in construction.
The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms that explain how burnout mediates the relationship between job demands and turnover intention. Responses on job demands [workload (WOL) and time pressure (TPR)], burnout [exhaustion (EXH) and disengagement (DIS)], and turnover intention (TOI) were sought, employing standard measures. The valid data (N = 199), thus collected, were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The significant mediating effects of TPR, i.e., WOL-*TPR-*DIS (H02) and WOL-*TPR-*EXH (H03), indicate that excessive workload on construction projects enhances time pressure, which in turn leads to disengagement and exhaustion. Similarly, the significant mediating effects of EXH, i.e., WOL-*EXH-*DIS (H04) and TPR-*EXH-*DIS (H05), indicate that workplace demands lead to exhaustion; disengagement sets in later. Furthermore, the significant mediating effects of DIS, i.e., WOL-*DIS-*TOI (H08), TPR-*DIS-*TOI (H09), and EXH-*DIS-*TOI (H10), suggest that in the wake of excessive demands and exhaustion, employees are likely to feel disengaged and eventually consider quitting the organization. With respect to the research implications, this study attempts a multi-theoretic conceptualization following it up with comprehensive mediation analyses. With respect to the practical implications, the study findings call for actionable strategies in the domains of work design, training, and supervisor support.
Construction projects in Ghana lack critical risk management performance benchmarks for success evaluation, and as such, this study was conducted to identify risk management performance metrics for Ghanaian construction projects. Using a confirmatory factor analysis model, this study analyzed responses from construction industry stakeholders in Ghana. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify risk management performance indicators that can be used to calculate the overall performance of construction projects in Ghana. A total of seven grouped critical risk management performance indicators were identified from the literature and through the observation of the outcome of construction projects, which served as a foundation for generating a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed based on the identified risk management performance indicators and distributed to respondents through emails, Google Forms, and in person. Data from the questionnaire responses were analyzed and modeled using descriptive statistics and a confirmatory factor analysis model. The study revealed that all the seven identified risk management performance indicators discovered affect how well Ghanaian construction projects perform. Nevertheless, the most critical ones are "main stakeholders (clients, consultants, contractors, customers, end-users, investors, etc.) satisfaction (FCRMPI2)", "completion within budget (cost) and schedule (time) (FCRMPI3)", "satisfaction with environmental sustainability, quality, scope, and health and safety requirements (FCRMPI6)", and "contractors'employees' job satisfaction (FCRMPI7)". Contribution to knowledge has been made by identifying the key metrics of performance for risk management that Ghanaian construction projects could use to measure their success.
The construction sector has undergone significant evolution with the widespread adoption of public-private partnership (PPP) models in various countries. The appeal of PPP lies in its ability to balance risk, improve efficiency through strategic bundling or unbundling of responsibilities, and enhance access to affordable private financing. For emerging economies such as Iraq, examining the experiences of more advanced implementers like Malaysia is essential to adapt best practices and avoid common pitfalls. This research employed a systematic literature review, using predefined inclusion criteria that focus on policy documents, empirical case studies, and peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2024, sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, and governmental databases. The comparison between Iraq and Malaysia is guided by key performance indicators, including risk allocation, regulatory frameworks, private sector participation, and institutional readiness. The findings reveal stark contrasts in governance structures, policy consistency, and institutional capacity that influence PPP outcomes. While Malaysia demonstrates a mature, centralised framework with proactive private engagement, Iraq exhibits fragmented governance, regulatory gaps, and a cautious policy environment. These results highlight the importance of legal reform, capacity building, and investment incentives in the Iraqi context. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature by framing a context-sensitive model of PPP readiness for emerging economies, integrating institutional theory with procurement practice. The implications emphasise the need for Iraq to strategically enhance its legal and institutional frameworks, stimulate private sector confidence, and adopt adaptable PPP models to foster sustainable infrastructure development.
Traditional procurement practices in public sector construction often lead to inefficiencies, cost overruns, and delays due to fragmented collaboration. This study investigated supply chain integration (SCI) adoption and barriers in public sector construction projects in Nigeria's Southern region, specifically Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. Employing a survey research design, 354 questionnaires were distributed to construction professionals, yielding 272 valid responses (76% response rate), and analyzed using mean item score (MIS) and the Kruskal-Wallis H-test. Findings indicate moderate SCI adoption (MIS = 2.53), with information sharing (MIS = 3.48), customer relationships (MIS = 3.46), leadership management (MIS = 3.25), long-term networking (MIS = 3.14), and just-in-time delivery (MIS = 2.80) as top practices. Key barriers included low innovation (MIS = 4.02), late material delivery (MIS = 3.99), lack of top management support (MIS = 3.89), poor stakeholder attitudes (MIS = 3.83), and inadequate resources (MIS = 3.75). Grounded institutional theory, transaction cost economics, and stakeholder theory, this study provides empirical evidence from a developing context, offering actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners to enhance project efficiency and sustainability through training, logistics improvements, and leadership commitment. Limitations include the regional focus, suggesting future research on digital tools and broader geographic contexts.
