ORCID Profile
0000-0002-2572-5425
Current Organisation
University of South Australia
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Publisher: University of Moratuwa
Date: 08-11-2019
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2019.43
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 12-11-2018
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-10-2017-0107
Abstract: Cultural differences cause conflicts amongst construction project participants, deterring the success of projects. Understanding such different cultural manifestations could help the removal of the misunderstandings amongst sub-cultural groups and removal of formal irrationalities deterring the progress of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of project cultures in the public sector construction projects. An exploratory case study was selected as the research strategy to achieve the research aim. Three public sector building construction projects were used as case studies. Nine semi-structured interviews and observation of two progress review meetings per case were used for data collection. As per the research findings, contractors believed that construction project culture emerged and transferred through continuous interactions and socialisations with time. Consultants believed that culture was emerged focusing on clearly defined project objectives. In addition, all members assumed that project members at high authority levels were contributing more for the emergence and transfer of cultural aspects. Levels of culture and power existed within the public sector project culture as clients with the highest power, consultants the next and contractors with the least power. Public sector project culture was not leader centred. Shared behavioural norms were not much popular in project culture. Highly differentiated behavioural norms, demonstrating clear professional sub-cultures for the client, contractor and consultant, were available. The research findings are helpful to construction project managers to enhance the level of motivation, productivity, commitment, continuous interactions and socialisations of project participants and to avoid any negative outcomes in behaviours.
Publisher: University of Moratuwa
Date: 08-11-2019
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2019.2
Publisher: Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka
Date: 21-07-2023
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2023.29
Abstract: The construction industry is long perceived as physically demanding, and less consideration has been given to the mental well-being of the construction workers. The increasing number of mental health concerns urges the research to expand their focus from work health, safety and accident prevention to the “physio-social effects” on workers’ well-being. Hence, this research aims to explore the effect of work-related factors on the mental well-being of male and female construction workers. After a thorough literature review to set the background, a qualitative research approach was adopted as the methodology. Sixteen participants across two cases were interviewed, and the s le is an equal representation of male and female construction workers in Australia. Factors affecting mental well-being are recognised under five themes through the content analysis of the case study results, including the machoism characteristics of the industry culture the high-risk and fast-paced work environment financial stability and financial literacy uneven workload and unconventionally long working hours and the involvement of the employer’s management in reassuring the mental well-being. The key implication is that the same inherent machismo cultural characteristics of the Australian construction industry distinctly affect the mental well-being of male and female construction workers. The unpredictability of casual and contract-based appointments causes low job security and financial stability among male workers leading to financial stress. The current study emphasises that a one-stop approach to address the mental health issues of male and female construction workers is ineffective and proposes further in-depth research under the emerged themes of the research.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 08-06-2022
Abstract: Based on the systematic literature review, this paper aims to propose a framework of Construction 4.0 (C4.0) scenarios, identifying Industry 4.0 (I4.0) enabling technologies and their applications in the construction industry. The paper reviews C4.0 trends and potential areas for development. In this research, a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology has been applied, including bibliographic coupling analysis (BCA), co-citation network analysis of keywords, the content analysis with the visualisation of similarities (VOSviewer) software and aggregative thematic analysis (ATA). In total, 170 articles from the top 22 top construction journals in the Scopus database between 2013 and 2021 were analysed. Six C4.0 scenarios of applications were identified. Out of nine I4.0 technology domains, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics had the most references in C4.0 research, while applications of augmented/virtual reality, vertical and horizontal integration and autonomous robotics yet provide le avenues for the future applied research. The C4.0 application scenarios include efficient energy usage, prefabricated construction, sustainability, safety and environmental management, indoor occupant comfort and efficient asset utilisation. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a framework of C4.0 scenarios revealing the status quo of research published in the top construction journals into I4.0 technology applications in the sector. The framework evaluates current C4.0 research trends and gaps in relation to nine I4.0 technology domains as compared with more advanced industry sectors and informs academic community, practitioners and strategic policymakers with interest in C4.0 trends.
Publisher: The Ceylon Institute of Builders - Sri Lanka
Date: 09-07-2021
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2021.44
Abstract: Price fluctuation is a significant risk factor, in every construction project market. It is unavoidable and difficult to forecast. However, it is often argued that there is a difference between the amount calculated with the CIDA price fluctuation formula method and the actual price fluctuation. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the industry opinion on whether there is a difference between price escalations calculated using the CIDA price fluctuation formula and actual price fluctuation. A qualitative research approach was selected to achieve the aim of this research. Through a broad study of literature, it was identified the most critical factors which affected actual price fluctuation deviation. Meanwhile, semi-structured interviews were carried out to identify the reasons affecting fluctuation difference by analysing the data, which was used, and comparing the opinions given by the interviewees. The data was analysed using context analysis. The results of the research confirm that. there is a difference between the amount of price escalation using the ICTAD price fluctuation formula and the actual being used. The main reason behind this difference is the less accuracy of cost indices. To improve the accuracy of the results of this formula, appropriate data collection using an appreciate s le of contractors in producing price indices is recommended as the main.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 24-08-2023
Abstract: This paper aims to synthesise the latest literature on supply chain operations of offsite manufacturing in the construction industry to identify and evaluate the uncertainties at each stage of the offsite construction supply chain (OSC-SC) to compile contributions to knowledge and thereby determine the future research directions to improve supply chain resilience (SCR). The study was conducted as a systematic literature review. In total, 99 peer-reviewed journal papers published between 2015 and mid-2022 were shortlisted and analysed through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The bibliometric analysis revealed that the research focusing on supply chain issues and developing best practices in offsite construction adopt case study approaches to investigate the research problems comprehensively. The content analysis revealed the lack of up-to-date knowledge in the construction workforce regarding OSC low preparedness for the changes brought by the SC uncertainties the lack of a proper procurement model for OSC lack of end-to-end visibility of the supply chain to identify uncertainties and lack of national or government standards on OSC-SC, as some of the key problems instigating the identified the uncertainties. This study clarifies the current knowledge by systematically presenting uncertainties at each stage of the OSC-SC. Moreover, it provides a framework and proposes that future research should focus specifically on in idual/team, organisational, supply chain/network and sector/national/supranational levels to improve SCR.
Publisher: Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), University of Moratuwa
Date: 24-06-2022
DOI: 10.31705/WCS.2022.23
Abstract: Negotiations are required in every stage of a construction project. The process of negotiation involves being able to understand the position and emotions of the other side of the negotiation. A reliable means for understanding cultural basic assumptions on negotiation tactics assist in better predicting how in iduals may act in a negotiation. This research aims to analyse the effect of basic assumptions of consultants and contractors on negotiations in the South Australian construction industry. This was approached through a case study research strategy, utilising semi-structured interviews with two contractors and two consultants each from three large South Australian Road projects followed by a Content Analysis. Findings reveal that both the contractors and consultants believe the nature of human relationships as collaborative and therefore view negotiations as a mean of strengthening the partnership. They negotiate openly to reach win-win outcomes. They view the nature of human nature to be good, therefore more trust and more openness to creative new ideas in negotiation planning. Respondents mostly believe the nature of the human activity to be harmonizing and are more likely to use trade-offs in reaching mutually beneficial negotiation outcomes. The knowledge created in this research will be useful for anyone preparing to negotiate within the South Australian construction industry or similar cultural setups to understand and predict how contractors and consultants would react to different situations and issues within negotiation processes and to achieve effective outcomes. Further research can study the basic assumptions of sub-contractors about negotiations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-04-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 16-11-2023
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-06-2021-0521
Abstract: Irrigation System Management (ISM) poses many issues in terms of social and technical aspects. These can be further elaborated as the issues toward the efficiency of infrastructure, equity of water sharing, environmental integrity and economic acceptability. Water losses and the structural changes of the system caused many issues putting the irrigation system into distress. Hence, this urges the need for sustainable ISM to improve social and technical attributes in ISM. This paper aims to apply the Socio-Technical Systems (STSs) theory for sustainable ISM. The qualitative expert opinion survey method was selected as the research strategy to approach the research aim. Sixteen industry professionals in the ISM sector were selected through the purposive s ling method to conduct semi-structured interviews to collect data in the Sri Lankan context. Code-based content analysis through a directed approach was used to analyse the data. Four main categories of strategies were emerged from the research findings as “engineering strategies”, “operational strategies”, “management strategies” and “regulatory strategies” through STS approach for sustainable ISM. The STS framework was developed by combining engineering and operational strategies into the technical subsystem and the management and regulatory strategies into the social subsystem to approach the aim of achieving contemporary system management in irrigation in a sustainable manner. The research revealed the links between the strategies emerged from various disciplines to minimise the issues in ISM from the perspectives of technical and social subsystems. The study contributes to knowledge by providing a framework for sustainable ISM by applying the socio-technical systems theory by integrating the concepts of sustainability.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 27-08-2021
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-02-2020-0038
Abstract: Sustaining the irrigated agriculture, while conserving the natural eco-system, are the two main objectives of sustainable water management (SWM) in irrigation. Achieving both the objectives simultaneously is a complex task in most developing countries. This requires a holistic approach of understanding the issues in irrigation water management (IWM) from social, economic and environmental perspectives. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the issues towards the SWM of irrigation systems in Sri Lanka to help maintain a stable relationship between the aforementioned two objectives. Qualitative interview survey was selected as the research strategy to achieve the research aim. 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in IWM sector to collect data in the Sri Lankan context. Data were analysed using code-based content analysis, based on directed approach. Findings revealed the issues in SWM in terms of efficiency of irrigation infrastructure equity of water distribution environmental integrity and economic acceptability. Most of the issues were related to the inefficiency towards SWM of irrigation systems. Conflicts among water users, especially the people in downstreams aggravated the problem of equity of water sharing. Depletion of groundwater and waterlogging were the major issues towards environmental integrity. Loss of water happened due to the issues in different irrigation infrastructure components hindering economic acceptability. Theoretical contribution includes an analysis of issues in IWM from a sustainability perspective. Practical implications include an overview of deficiencies in the SWM to generate appropriate strategies to achieve sustainability for decision-makers such as policymakers in the irrigation sector in developing countries similar to Sri Lanka.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/NHS.12812
Abstract: Communal dining offers multiple benefits for hospital patients, yet dining rooms may be underutilized in practice. This study aimed to understand and explore staffs' perspectives and experiences of communal dining in subacute care, and the impacts on staff mealtime practice. Using qualitative, ethnographic methodology, 94 hours of fieldwork were conducted across two subacute care wards. Participants were staff involved in nutrition care or present on the ward at mealtimes. Ninety‐one semistructured and ethnographic interviews were conducted with 59 staff, and 54 episodes of observation captured more than 190 staff. Interviews and field notes were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. Three themes were identified: (i) benefits to patients (ii) logistical and practical challenges and (iii) supportive cultural factors. While staff recognized how communal dining benefited patients, logistical and practical challenges impacted their ability to facilitate it in practice. Healthcare organizations seeking to embed communal dining into the mealtime routine should recognize that clear delineation of staff roles and responsibilities, and cultural change involving normalization, setting expectations, and collective advocacy may be needed to optimize benefits for patients.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 14-09-2017
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-11-2016-0069
Abstract: There is a growing concern that contractors can be motivated for environmental protection through effective fund allocation and proper payment mechanisms. However, an in-depth analysis of environmental hazard-controlling methods and related payments to the contractor in road construction in Sri Lanka is not much popular among the extant literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore different payment mechanisms that are being used with environmental hazard-controlling methods, to achieve better control in such hazards in Sri Lankan road construction projects. This research was approached through a mixed research method. Initially, hazard-controlling methods and relative payment mechanisms for the contractor were identified through three exploratory case studies using interviews, observations and document survey. Next, the relative effectiveness of payment mechanisms for contractors for better environmental hazard controlling was identified through a questionnaire survey with a s le of 45 professionals involved in 15 road construction projects. Based on the findings, a comprehensive list of environmental hazard-controlling methods was derived. Furthermore, four types of payment mechanisms were identified: (A)-payments, where a unit price was assigned (B)-payments, where a provisional sum was established in the contract (C)-payments, where fixed amounts (lump sums) were assigned in the contract and (D)-payments made along with some main work item in the contract. Relative effectiveness of these four mechanisms for better control of environmental hazards was varied for each hazard-controlling method being practiced in a road construction project. These findings would be more beneficial for consultants, project managers, bidders and estimators in the pre-contract stage. This is by identifying cost items for environmental hazard controlling and selecting relatively more effective payment mechanisms to motivate contractors for better control of environmental hazards during project execution.
Publisher: IGI Global
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9639-4.CH005
Abstract: The purpose of this chapter is to provide an approach to build a supportive organizational culture for sustained organizational learning in public sectors and means of extending such learning culture to project level. Changing culture is not an easy task. It involves an in-depth understanding of culture and its relationship with organizational learning. First, this chapter provides a brief introduction to organizational learning, organizational culture and their relationship. Then, characteristics and attributes of a learning culture are identified. Such discussion is then extended to the project culture and the learning culture at project level. Next, using case study research findings of a public sector construction organisation operating in Sri Lanka, an approach is presented in this chapter on how to identify the present culture of the organisation and change it to a learning culture. Finally, possibility of extending such learning culture to project level is discussed at Sri Lankan context.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-08-2021
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-02-2015
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-10-2012-0049
Abstract: – The construction industry mostly adopts teams consisting of a collection of erse professionals in each of its product delivery projects, where normally the construction project manager (CPM) becomes the leader of such a project team. The purpose of this paper is to identify the leadership roles of the CPM across the team development process. – This was approached through a multiple case study research method carried out using three construction projects in Sri Lanka two projects on traditional procurement method and another on design and build procurement method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the respective project managers and with other three distinct team members of each project. – Based on the findings, leadership roles of the CPM across the team development process were revealed with the situational factors that affect these leadership roles in each stage of the team development process. – Even though project leadership is discussed by pervious researchers, concrete evidence has not been provided to show how it should change at different stages of a project. This research addresses this gap and would guide CPMs to change their leadership role appropriately to suit the needs of each team development stage.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-06-2018
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 10-08-2022
No related grants have been discovered for Aparna Samaraweera.