ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4161-5592
Current Organisation
University of Melbourne
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-08-2014
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 19-12-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-05-2020
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 22-05-2023
Abstract: This paper aims at identifying the main contributions of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to the enhancement of knowledge management (KM). A scoping review based on two stages was carried out. In the first stage, a numerical and descriptive analysis was conducted. In the second stage, the latent content of those papers was explored through a qualitative analysis, in which papers were assessed regarding the outcome of the implementation of ten I4.0 technologies on 14 KM abilities and 6 KM processes. Six technologies (e.g. Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, simulation, visualisation and industrial robot) were claimed to have a significant contribution on KM, especially for creation, organisation, dissemination and application processes. Overall, results indicated that technologies can significantly contribute to KM, although the extent of such contribution varies across technologies, learning levels, KM processes and abilities. Existing studies in I4.0 fall short in exploring how embodied knowledge is articulated in practice, especially regarding opportunities to use new technological alternatives in favour of knowledge and learning development. This study complements the existing literature on I4.0 by identifying which technologies can contribute to KM. Also, a framework was proposed to examine the contribution of I4.0 technologies to KM at in idual, team, and organisational levels.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 15-03-2020
Abstract: Lean has been adopted in various industries (i.e. construction, health care and service) over the years the level of lean adoption in facility management is relatively unknown. The purpose of this study is to analyze the 14 lean management principles (LMPs) and seek to develop an understanding as to whether LMPs, which are most commonly used by the manufacturing companies, are relevant to the facility personnel’s scope of work. The research scope focuses on international schools located in Singapore. For the purpose of this study, a conceptual framework that focuses on connecting the 14 lean production principles to facility management has been developed. Questionnaire survey and interviews were used. A total of 30 facilities professionals from eight international schools participated in the survey. Six interviews were followed up to gain deeper insights into the extent of lean importance and implementation in the work of facility personnel in a school environment. The survey findings revealed that P8 “use of reliable technology”, P9 and P10 relating to leadership and people development, P12 “go and see for yourself” and P14 “continuous improvement” are generally perceived more important than the other LMPs and are also well implemented. On the contrary, P3 “use the ‘pull’ system” is considered the least important principle. The interview findings also offer insights into modifications of some LMPs for the facilities management (FM) sector. There are several limitations affecting this study. First, the research s le size was small. Only 30 respondents participated in this study. Second, as this study is one of the first to explore the applicability of lean in FM, there is no consensus on how to define lean, which means that the LMPs could be interpreted in many ways. The adoption of lean in FM can potentially optimize the value of the school organization. It is recommended that more research be conducted, resulting in a more holistic and representative study of the applicability of lean FM.
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 16-04-2018
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-01-2016-0016
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify the soft skills of construction project management and second, to investigate the influence of these soft skills on project success factors in the Vietnamese construction industry. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 108 project management professionals from the Vietnamese construction industry. Partial least square structural equation modelling was employed in data analysis. Four-dimensional structure of project success factors was confirmed in this study. Results also showed that soft skills of project managers significantly contributed to project success factors and hence the project success. There may be geographical limitation on the conclusions drawn from the findings. Similarly, the s le size was still small, despite a relatively high response rate. In addition, the majority of the respondents were contractors and clients as other project players were reluctant to respond to the survey. This study provides an understanding of the relationship between soft skills and project success factors. Although there have been studies focused on soft skills of project management and project success factors, few have attempted to analyse the effects of these soft skills on critical success factors. Thus, this study adds significantly to the existing research on both project management skills and project success factors.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2013
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 13-11-2017
DOI: 10.1108/IJDRBE-10-2015-0050
Abstract: Singapore’s health-care infrastructure is suffering from increasing pressure due to population growth and a rapidly ageing population. This paper aims to assess the resilience of hospital facilities in Singapore’s health-care industry. The main attribute of resilience is adaptive capacity, which is also associated with vulnerability. Vulnerability is defined as the system’s susceptibility to threats that cause damage and affect its normal performance, while resilience is defined as the ability to anticipate and the capacity to change before a setback becomes obvious. A questionnaire survey was adopted for the study, with respondents drawn randomly from both the health-care professionals as well as the public. The questionnaire survey results from 83 respondents, consisting of 31 health-care professionals and 52 members of the public, are analysed in this pilot study. Ninety-one per cent of the respondents perceived bed shortage as an indication of vulnerability. The survey results showed that bed shortages, high bed-occupancy and long waiting hours were perceived as indications of vulnerability. The top three vulnerabilities identified were Singapore’s ageing population, the fast-growing population and the increasing trend of chronic diseases in its population. From the results, respondents appeared doubtful about the resilience of Singapore’s public hospitals. On a positive note, Singapore residents are still, relatively speaking, confident of the quality of Singapore’s health-care delivery system, which can be translated as one with relatively strong community resilience. In conclusion, it appears fair to say that the public perceive hospital facilities in Singapore’s health-care industry to be reasonably resilient, but expect further improvements to ensure continuous delivery of quality health-care services.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 08-2016
Abstract: The building sector is one of the main contributors to carbon dioxide emissions in Singapore. Over 90 per cent of life-cycle carbon emissions are due to the operations phase of buildings, and 90 to 98 per cent of the building cost is associated with operation, maintenance and personnel costs. Hence, occupants have a major role in achieving environmental sustainability objectives. This study aims to understand the awareness level of potential homeowners and real estate agents concerning environmental sustainability issues in the built environment, to identify the types of green features required by potential homeowners and to understand real estate agents’ perceptions of the types of green features required by the homeowners in a green condominium. The features of the Green Mark (GM)-awarded buildings, as well as the benefits derived by homeowners were identified from the literature. A survey of a group of potential homeowners and real estate agents was carried out in Singapore to analyse the gap, if any, between the potential homeowners’ needs and expectations and real estate agents’ perceptions of these needs and expectations with respect to the green features in the homes. The results indicate that potential homeowners are more aware of environmental sustainability issues in the built environment than are real estate agents potential homeowners seem to be more supportive of environmentally sustainable development than the real estate agents are aware of, despite the fact that the price of the apartment remains an important deciding factor and potential homeowners are more concerned about the ease of maintaining green homes and paying greater attention to green features in the areas most heavily promoted by the government. However, green features do not constitute the main considerations of potential homeowners when making the decision to buy a green home. To close the gaps identified in the analysis, recommendations are suggested, including having public education and awareness c aigns to emphasize the long-term energy savings of green homes, conducting GM courses for real estate agents and involving real estate agents in the developers’ project consultancy team. As there has been no prior research in this area, this study serves to provide fresh perspectives on how developers can better select the types of green features to be included in the green homes, so as to meet the potential homeowners’ needs and expectations and, at the same time, balance mandatory GM requirements with such demands. Choosing the right type of green features to incorporate in a residential development for homeowners to utilize increases the owners’ satisfaction level and allows them to reap the intended benefits of green features.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-08-2016
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-04-2018
Abstract: There have recently been an increasing number of scientific studies exploring the effectiveness of practising Chinese geomancy or feng shui in the built environment. However, these are rather generic studies focusing mainly on urban planning, architecture and interior design. The impetus for this present research stems from the lack of understanding relating to the practice of feng shui in Facilities Management (FM). Bridging these two disciplines, this study examines the relevance of and relationship between feng shui and FM principles. A questionnaire survey was conducted, the results of which affirm the validity of the assimilated relationships between the two disciplines. Interviews with three groups of experts – the feng shui practitioners, facilities managers and feng shui practitioners who are also building professionals – were also conducted to verify the assimilation of the two disciplines with a view to draw new perspectives for better understanding. The principles of feng shui and FM were studied, and the validity of the relationships between 15 feng shui principles and three FM activities were examined. The latter relates specifically to building fabric cleaning, routine external site/lot cleaning and road and pavement cleaning. It was found that specific feng shui principles and scenarios appear to influence the three FM activities. The statistical analysis shows that the means of specific feng shui scenarios in relation to FM activities were consistently higher than those of the feng shui principles. The one-s le t -test indicates that all the feng shui principles were significant in affecting the three FM activities. This study provides a better understanding of the relevance of feng shui principles influencing FM principles. It also revealed the challenges and limitations in bridging the relationships between these two disciplines. This study is the first investigation to examine the relevance and relationship between feng shui and FM practice. This serves to encourage further research to determine how feng shui design implementation will affect the ease of conducting FM activities. If the relationship is established, as is the case from this study, then the implementation of feng shui principles in building design can be encouraged to positively influence the ease of conducting FM activities downstream in the occupancy stage. This can serve to contribute to the improvement of sustainable building design. It can also contribute to the scientific investigation of feng shui, which has so far been largely overlooked in built environment studies. Such studies can help to demystify and provide logical and scientific interpretations of how feng shui principles actually work.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1108/20450621111127395
Abstract: Manufacturing, Western management theories and Japanese management practices. This case can be used in project management or management-related courses at tertiary institutions at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. This case provides students with an opportunity to find out what make Toyota so successful in manufacturing through its famous production system as well as the underlying Toyota Way principles. All students are expected to understand the Toyota Way model with a balanced view that goes beyond a set of lean tools such as just-in-time. This case opens a historical account for the Toyota Way model by connecting with possible Western management theories and Japanese management practices. It is expected to significantly benefit students with industry experience with the intention of initiating appropriate changes in their own industry and/or organization by applying what they have learnt from the Toyota Way, through bridging with Western management theories. Teaching notes.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 12-04-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-08-2023
DOI: 10.1108/SASBE-02-2023-0040
Abstract: Traditional construction materials and methodologies are often perceived to be unproductive, labour-intensive and detrimental to the environment. Mass-engineered timber (MET) is a new structural material that is capable of overcoming numerous issues that otherwise affect the built environment. This study was formulated to assess the current attitude and perception of young Singaporeans towards the concept of Engineered Timber Residential Buildings (ETRBs). The study employs the mixed-method approach. Questionnaires were used as the primary mode of data gathering. These were disseminated to Singaporeans between the age of 18 and 35 years. A total of 179 valid responses were gathered. Semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with six in iduals with different demographics in order to gain further insightful opinions and to allow cross validation of responses. Statistical analysis revealed that 80% of respondents were willing to accept ETRBs, but a lack of awareness and knowledge of MET and the presence of misconceptions, such as an association with deforestation, may present concerns. The study also revealed that in idual acceptance of ETRBs is not affected by demographics. The production of MET involves lower overall carbon emissions than that of conventional materials, and this also allows adoption of the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) concept and offers the benefit of carbon sequestration. Residential buildings are the second most common building type in Singapore significant benefits can be gained if MET is used as the primary material for residential buildings. In general, young stakeholders in Singapore welcome the concept of ETRBs, despite possessing uncertainties about ETRBs—understandable given that the material lacks a track record of usage. Public authorities are thus advised to explore the feasibility of materialising the concept of ETRBs as an option for public housing.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-03-2022
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 21-08-2020
Abstract: Due to the fragmented and complex nature of the construction industry, many countries, including Singapore, have progressively encouraged greater collaboration amongst major stakeholders in the industry. It is hoped that doing so will result in an increase in the quality of construction projects. Given the long duration of typical construction projects, it is plausible for collaborating parties to develop close and personal relationships. In recent years, corruption cases arising from familiar collaboration have caught the public's attention. This study seeks to better understand familiar collaboration and its adverse impacts on the quality of construction projects. A mixed research method was adopted, with a questionnaire survey distributed to 32 respondents representing client and contractors. This was followed by interviews to validate the survey findings. The findings suggest that, when there is a lack of surveillance, familiar collaboration is likely to lead to favouritism and dishonesty, which can have an adverse impact on the quality of construction projects. The findings additionally suggest that value for money, conformance to specifications and fitness for purpose are the main aspects of quality that are likely to be adversely affected by corrupt practices bought about by familiar collaboration. In this paper, these relationships are described using the term familiar collaboration. Strong and intimate relationships of this type may lead to a danger of parties committing corrupt practices. This study is one of the very attempts seek to better understand familiar collaboration and its adverse impacts on the quality of construction projects.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 20-06-2023
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-12-2022-0195
Abstract: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and differing attitudes towards its adoption in the building and environment (B& E) industry has an impact upon whether companies can meet changing demand and remain relevant and competitive. The emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, coupled with the repercussions of COVID-19, increases the urgency and opportunities offered that companies must react to, as disruptive technologies impact how project management (PM) professionals work and necessitate acquisition of new skills. This paper attempts to identify the drivers of and barriers to, as well as the general perception and receptiveness of local PM professionals towards, AI adoption in PM and thereby propose potential strategies and recommendations to drive AI adoption in PM. This study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the findings gathered. A survey questionnaire was used as the primary method of gathering quantitative data from 60 local PM professionals. Statistical tests were performed to analyse the data. To substantiate and validate the findings, in-depth interviews with several experienced industry professionals were performed. It is found that top drivers include support from top management and leadership, organisational readiness and the need for greater work productivity and efficiency. Top barriers were found to be the high cost of AI implementation and maintenance and the lack of top-down support and skilled employees trained in AI. These findings could be attributed to the present state of AI technologies being new and considerably underutilised in the industry. Hence, substantial top-down support with the right availability of resources and readiness, both in terms of cost and skilled employees, is paramount to kick-start AI implementation in PM. Little research has been done on the use of AI in PM locally. AI's potential to improve the productivity and efficiency of PM processes in the B& E industry cannot be overlooked. An understanding of the drivers of, barriers to and attitudes towards AI adoption can facilitate more intentional and directed oversight of AI's strategic roll-out at both the governmental and corporate levels and thus mitigate potential challenges that may hinder the implementation process in the future.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-09-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-01-2022
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 08-2020
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 07-2014
DOI: 10.1108/JTMC-12-2013-0043
Abstract: – This study aims to build on previous research into lean practices and the associated barriers reported in various contexts to empirically address the question of what possible barriers exist to hinder the implementation of lean practices in the construction industry in China. Despite the potential that lean practices have to improve quality and productivity while reducing costs, successful stories of lean deployment are not frequently heard of. – A large-scale survey of Chinese building professionals is used to identify these barriers. – The results suggest that the most crucial barriers to implementation of lean practices, as perceived by Chinese building professionals, include “their lack of a long-term philosophy”, “the absence of a lean culture in their organizations”, “the use of multi-layer subcontracting” and others. This study also reports the findings using a factor analysis that shows the six underlying factors hindering the implementation of lean practices in the Chinese construction industry, namely, people and partner issues, managerial and organizational issues, lack of support issues, culture and philosophy issues, government issues and procurement issues. – This study offers a thorough overview of the barriers to implementing lean practices in various contexts, with a focus on construction. This study also contributes to the knowledge by recommending the measures that can be taken to appropriately overcome the barriers identified.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-11-2014
Abstract: – With pressing issues of climate change, greening buildings have emerged as a viable solution for meeting the increasing demand for buildings with minimal environmental impacts. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to establish the possibility of achieving this goal by investigating the drivers, challenges, and critical success factors (CSFs) involved in greening existing buildings. Since most of the relevant literature focuses on only acknowledging CSFs for new building projects in general, this study seeks to distinguish CSFs that are particularly related to the greening of existing buildings. – Based on a review of past literature, 28 selected factors were identified and were categorised into five main groups, namely pre-project-related factors, project management-related factors, client-related factors, project team-related factors, and external factors. Because older buildings have more constraints than new buildings, a comparison of the CSFs for greening new and existing buildings was also made. Surveys and interviews were conducted to validate the CSFs identified. – The top CSFs in each building category (new vs existing) were then further examined and analysed. These are “top management support”, “effective planning and control”, “building owner's involvement”, “cost management”, “responsiveness of building owners”, “clear scope and priorities of stakeholders”, and “legislation”. Furthermore, there was a strong consensus on the rankings of most factors between new and existing buildings. – By understanding the factors that are crucial for managing and delivering successful green projects in the Singaporean context, these CSFs can be used to direct an organisation's efforts in identifying critical issues and tackling them to achieve high performance. – An ambitious goal of greening 80 per cent of Singapore's building stocks has been set by the government in the Second Green Building Master Plan. To help achieve this goal, this study contributes to the knowledge of project management issues that would determine the success of managing new green building projects and retrofitting existing ones.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-09-2020
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-05-2020
DOI: 10.1108/IJPPM-07-2019-0332
Abstract: Sluggish performance in construction productivity (CP) is a common occurrence worldwide. This phenomenon is also observed in Singapore. In this context, the role of trade unions (TUs) has also been mentioned but appears to be little understood. Hence, this study evaluates the role of TUs in contributing to CP. The key issue is to determine whether TUs have a role to play in contemporary society in improving CP. This study takes on multiple research methodologies more specifically, the mixed-method of survey questionnaires and interviews is used. Firstly, a survey questionnaire was employed to obtain broad viewpoints on the general understanding of the target groups towards the CP issues in Singapore. The survey questionnaire also attempts to study the TUs in greater depth by examining their existing strategies of and hindrances to improving CP. Once findings were gathered from the survey questionnaire, the interviews were carried out to probe deeper into the phenomena in the results. The research findings showed there is a generally positive outlook that TUs have the ability to contribute to CP. The study finds that the TU respondents possess strong attributes within the normative pillar, but weak attributes in the regulative and cultural–cognitive pillars. This study uses the Institutional Theory as a general framework, which identifies a union's functions and activities in three pillars that underpin the institutional theory and defines its impact on construction productivity.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 12-2023
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-12-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AOS.14727
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between retinal laser burden and vascular oxygen saturation in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) treated with different extent of retinal laser. The study was a prospective, interventional study of patients with treatment‐naïve PDR. Patients were treated with navigated retinal laser (Navilas ® , OD‐OS GmbH, Teltow, Germany) in different doses. Retinal oximetry was obtained at baseline (BL) prior to laser and after 6 months (M6). Patients were ided into three groups according to total laser spots applied: spots (Group 1), 1500–2000 spots (Group 2), and spots (Group 3). We included 33 eyes of 28 patients with treatment‐naïve PDR. The groups did not differ according in BL characteristics. Between BL and M6, retinal arteriolar oxygen saturation did not change but retinal venular oxygen saturation (median with interquartile range) decreased in Groups 1 and 2 (1: 65.5 ± 8.8% versus 60.5 ± 9.5%, p = 0.04 2: 65.3 ± 7.3% versus 63.0 ± 13.5%, p = 0.04). Focal retinal venular oxygen saturation, located to quadrants with retinal neovascularization, decreased in Group 2 from BL to M6 (67.5 ± 13.3% versus 61.5 ± 8.8%, p = 0.04). Retinal venular diameter decreased from BL to M6 in Group 1 (174.5 ± 15.3 μm versus 165.1 ± 28.7 μm, p = 0.01). In this study of patients with treatment‐naïve PDR, we showed that a less extensive laser treatment caused a reduction in retinal venular oxygen saturation and diameter 6 months after treatment. Our results suggest that less extensive laser treatment may be sufficient to improve the retinal metabolic environment conducive to PDR regression.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 13-07-2015
DOI: 10.1108/IJPPM-02-2014-0018
Abstract: – As with many other procurement management concepts, the early contractor involvement (ECI) strategy provides an opportunity to tap on contractors’ specialist knowledge in the design stage, in order to address and forestall problems before moving onto the construction stage. Such practices have been shown to be quite successful, and are also advocated in the lean construction practice. Following this benefit, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the operations of ECI and the principles of lean construction for productivity enhancement. – Based on the literature review of 11 principles of lean construction and ECI, various relationships were proposed seeking to integrate the two domains. A questionnaire survey was conducted with different stakeholders in Singapore’s construction industry to measure the strength of the relationships. Interviews were also conducted to gain an understanding of the constraints, reluctance, and possible methods for implementing ECI in Singapore with a convergence with lean construction principles. – The results revealed that, when employing lean construction principles as a yardstick, ECI does contribute to elevating the productivity outcomes of some lean construction principles – in particular, for reducing variability, reducing cycle time, minimizing steps, and increasing output flexibility. – It is promising to marry ECI with lean construction, and that the former does appear indeed able to aid in the productivity improvements of a construction project by embracing the latter. However, it requires the building professionals to raise their awareness of both lean and ECI, so that the implementation of ECI can be carried out in a more effective manner. – In the context of the Singapore construction industry’s push for improvements in productivity, this study posits that productivity benefits in particular can be realized through establishing the linkage between ECI and lean construction principles. The lessons from this study can likewise be adopted by other countries.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-07-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-10-2020
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 12-04-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 07-04-2015
Abstract: – This study aims to examine how lean production principles (LPP) can be incorporated in the context of r -up factories to improve future r -up factory designs. The application of LPP to the facilities design of r -up factories can help to reduce waste and achieve higher-quality products. However, the traditional design philosophy of “design follows function” has not considered the application of LPP during the early design development stage to more effectively meet tenants’ operational needs at the occupation stage. – Based on a review of past literature, a set of LPP-driven facilities design features is presented, which seek to integrate traditional design principles and LPP. A survey was subsequently carried out with tenants operating in r -up factories to determine the relevance of the proposed LPP-driven facilities design features from their perspectives. – It is found that generally most of the proposed LPP-driven facilities design features can help to improve tenants’ operational needs after the building is occupied. The study found that the significant LPP-driven facilities design features for r -up factories include: large span, clear floor-to-ceiling height, rectangular bay, wide frontage area, mezzanine floor system, evenly distributed lighting, white or light colour surfaces, private parking spaces, private loading/unloading bay, clearly defined car park entrance, wide vehicular r , wide driveway, sheltered loading/unloading bay and multi-storey car park embedded in the complex. The reasons for their significance are explained in the study. – The LPP design model for r -up factories provides a useful checklist of important tenants’ requirements for the designers of r -up factories. This research also suggests that it is desirable to apply LPP in the design stage to improve the facilities design of r -up factories that is beneficial to tenants at the occupation stage. – This research formulated a design model integrated with LPP for r -up factories. It extends the traditional design approach of “design follows function” to encompass LPP to transform the approach to a new LPP-driven facilities design philosophy. This new approach serves to better meet tenants’ requirements at the occupation stage. It is recommended that architecture schools incorporate the LPP-driven facilities design approach as one of their educational outcomes.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 12-04-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-04-2013
DOI: 10.1108/JTMC-03-2013-0018
Abstract: Kaizen or continuous improvement is a renowned Japanese management philosophy implemented in many industries all over the world. It is geared towards the everyday worker and management, and aims to continually improve the workplace, even on a small scale. The extent of implementation in China is unknown. This paper seeks to discuss this issue. This study has the objective of filling a gap by addressing the implementation issues facing kaizen in a project setting, and employs qualitative methods to investigate the application of kaizen within large Chinese construction firms. The material for this study is taken from interviews of 27 Chinese building professionals from 16 large Chinese firms in 2011. The interview results indicate that different types of activities associated with kaizen have been adopted by Chinese construction firms at the project level. There are considerable challenges identified in this study. This includes the lack of a supporting culture, compressing schedules, limited resources and especially the lack of professionals with sufficient understanding of kaizen . In order to put Chinese construction firms in a better position to implement kaizen , this study concludes with a number of strategies for overcoming these challenges. The respondents' perceptions of kaizen, as well as its possible applications in real life projects, were sought. In addition, the infrastructure of kaizen within the Chinese construction project setting was also investigated in this study.
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 17-12-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-08-2018-0322
Abstract: The disparity between employers’ expectations and the ability of graduates to meet them is an issue for employment. Industry 4.0, represented by technologies like big data and automation, permeate the construction industry, exacerbating the rift of changing expectations that future graduates must bridge. As sophisticated forms of technology emerge, the ways in iduals work are also expected to change. Soft skills are needed to support, materialise, and enhance the workforce’s existing technical skills. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of Industry 4.0 on employability in the local construction industry from the viewpoint of employers and future graduates. This study adopts mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, quantitative followed by qualitative. The questionnaire survey crosschecked the needs and expectations of employers in the local construction industry, regarding these nine soft skills and the extent to which students currently possess them, to determine whether students from the construction industry are Industry 4.0-ready. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with employers in the construction industry and PFM students to further understand the disparity between the survey results of the two parties. Gap analyses and t -test results found six significant ides in nine soft skills – resilience, curiosity, adaptability, entrepreneurial thinking, pursuing convictions and vision – showing a significant difference between the mean expectations of employers and the soft skills capabilities of graduate students. Future graduate students thus lack the soft skills needed by Industry 4.0. The reasons for this significant difference and the barriers to improving soft skills are explored through interviews with employers and future graduates. Three parties – government, educational institutions and industry – were identified as crucial partners in change. Little has been researched about the future strategies and mindsets required by the workforce to prepare for the changes brought by Industry 4.0. Likewise, the government’s and companies’ one-sided focus on promoting skill-upgrading leaves many to wonder about the soft skills needed to stay competitive. Hence, it is timely to examine the readiness of Singapore’s future graduates in the construction industry in adapting to Industry 4.0’s requirements in terms of soft skills.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-10-2020
DOI: 10.3390/SU12218996
Abstract: Compared with the conventional cast-in-situ method, prefabricated construction (PC) is a sustainable construction method. In China, the sustainable performance qualities of PC—such as its improved quality, lower cost and shorter turnaround—have barely been achieved. This is likely attributable to the weak sustainable construction capability of construction enterprises in undertaking PC projects. This study observed that there is relatively scant research on critical influencing factors relating to this capability, after investigating the most recent literature about PC development obstacles. Without a clear understanding of this knowledge, construction enterprises are unlikely to formulate effective measures to enhance their sustainable construction capability to tackle efficiency, cost, risk, and broader performance issues in PC. Therefore, this study identified 27 factors from the literature and interviews, ranked these factors using the Entropy method and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), examined the top five critical factors, and discussed the problem-solving measures. This study drew the conclusion that construction enterprises should focus on PC business scope expansion, project delivery quality improvement, and technology investment and innovation, as well as the return on investments in technology. It is also suggested that incentivised strategies be formulated by the Chinese government in order to improve industry practitioners’ capability of implementing sustainable PC projects. This will eventually expedite the industry’s transformation towards leaner, more efficient and sustainable practice.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 12-04-2023
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Shang Gao.