ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3832-0152
Current Organisation
Western Sydney University
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-05-2023
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 12-04-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 23-04-2020
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-02-2019-0111
Abstract: Cultural differences have been frequently cited as a major source of risks for international joint ventures (IJVs). Cultural differences may cause extensive conflicts in technology, norms and emotion among the international joint venture (IJV) partners. The purpose of this study is to explore the interactive effects of national culture differences (NCDs) and conflict management approaches on the performance of international construction joint ventures (ICJV). Data were collected using a questionnaire survey method with 143 valid responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses. It was found that ICJV performance declined with a high degree of NCDs. The negative effect of NCDs on ICJV performance was mitigated by adopting the cooperative conflict management approach while it was aggravated by adopting the competitive conflict management approach. The findings may provide an alternative way (i.e. adopting the cooperative conflict management approach rather than avoiding or competitive approaches) to address the cultural conflicts in the multicultural project management teams. Firstly, as NCD negatively impacts performance of ICJVs, project managers should pay attention to cultural issues and learn how to manage them Secondly, as cooperative and competitive conflict management approaches have different moderating effects on the relationship between NCD and ICJV performance, project managers must choose appropriate conflict management styles in multination teams. Thirdly, as the avoiding approach has no significant moderating effect on the negative relationship between NCD and ICJV performance, it is important for Chinese partners not to employ avoiding approach to deal with conflicts in ICJV. This study uniquely adds to the literature on cultural issues in managing ICJVs by integrating the moderating effects of conflict management approaches. The interactive effects of conflict management approaches and national cultural differences on ICJV project performance may contribute to the theories regarding conflict management theory in the context of cross-cultural management.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2011
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 10-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 10-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 26-06-2018
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 02-2020
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-09-2023
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 19-12-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-02-2023
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 19-03-2018
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-08-2016-0186
Abstract: Construction insurance has been advocated as a useful financial means to transfer risks and mitigate potential project losses. However, there is a general reluctance to purchase construction insurance in China. The purpose of this paper is to develop an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to understand and predict contractors’ construction insurance purchasing intention. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The respondents comprise 130 project directors/managers and contract managers/administrators who were involved in or familiar with the construction insurance purchasing or managing. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. This study developed an extended TPB model to explain the contractors’ intention formation. The results indicated that the insurance purchasing intention was mainly influenced by attitudes and subjective norm, rather than perceived behavioral control. The analyses also revealed that the added variables (risk perception and past experience) had a significant impact on the attitudes and perceived behavioral control. This study identified the factors leading to Chinese contractors’ low willingness to purchase construction insurance by extending the TPB model to the context of construction insurance purchasing. The extended TPB model may serve as a theoretical framework and basis for the Chinese contractors, insurers, and regulators to understand the root causes of contractors’ low willingness to purchase construction insurance and make joint efforts to address the risks and insurance in the construction industry.
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 18-06-2014
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-12-2021
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12010020
Abstract: Offsite construction (OSC) delivers multiple products that vary in design and building complexity. Considering the growing prevalence of OSC, a systematic categorization of OSC types can offer operational and macroeconomic benefits to the construction industry. The purpose of this study is to develop an OSC typology through a systematic process, as existing studies do not present a rigorously evaluated typology that suits the modern OSC context. The research addresses the following research question: what are the distinct characteristics of unique OSC types that have emerged through the adoption of Industry 4.0-based technological advancements? Due to the rapid advancement of production and construction technologies, the existing OSC classifications are becoming outdated. As such, a detailed review of OSC technologies was conducted which enabled the identification of OSC categories: components, panels, pods, modules, complete buildings, and flat-pack (foldable structure). A series of case studies was then reviewed to explore and analyze the relevance of these OSC types in practice. It was then subjected to a Delphi-based multi-level expert forum to develop a modern and future-proof OSC typology. The rigorous process validated, defined, and delineated the boundaries between the OSC types. The research confirmed that OSC types can be broadly categorized as volumetric (pods, modules, complete buildings) and non-volumetric (components, panels, foldable structure). The results indicated that OSC skills vary with the complexity of OSC types, and that lightweight steel and timber are the most common materials.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-09-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-11-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 19-09-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 02-2019
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2018
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2019
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 24-12-2018
DOI: 10.1155/2018/6717964
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-03-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14074163
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought global economies to a standstill and created challenges for a variety of sectors, including housing, building and infrastructure. Many business and government organisations have experienced some form of supply chain disruption—either through suppliers going offline, a sudden spike in demand or both. While embedding sustainability in procurement is a powerful tool for bringing about positive change in an organisation’s supply chains, this global pandemic has had a myriad of impacts on these procurement processes. Through focus group discussions with industrial practitioners and government decision makers from the Australian built environment sector, this study presents their lived experiences related to COVID-19 impacts on sustainable procurement. The emergent themes are: (1) the effects of COVID-19 on sustainable procurement, (2) the rapid development of reactive procurement responses and (3) levers for post-COVID-19 sustainable procurement. In order to learn from the challenges related to COVID-19, both government and industry need to re-assess their supply chain risks and determine the supply chain design that will deliver the most resiliency in the event of another large-scale disruption. There are several key levers, including developing reliable, transparent and local supply chains, leveraging innovative tools and digital engineering approaches, creating a coalition between government and industry and assessing risks at multiple levels. This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the COVID-19 impacts on sustainable procurement in the Australian building and construction industries. Government and industry practitioners can immediately apply these actionable recommendations to overcome the impacts of the pandemic and other disruptions on sustainable procurement activities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-09-2021
Abstract: Traditionally, construction and demolition waste (CDW) materials have been considered to be unwanted, surplus, or wastage materials or materials with zero value. Such a conceptualisation only embraces a negative aspect, which underpins the disposal of reusable and recyclable CDW materials in landfills, thus damaging the circular economy and the environment. The scope of this research was to conceptualise the circular economy potential of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste, which can be used as a resource for advancing the circular economy and sustainability in the built environment. Thus, the abbreviation ‘CEPCDR’ is used for this purpose. The study employs an integrative literature review to understand in depth whether the rationale in the existing CDW definitions advocates for the circular economy. Instead, the literature showed that the current definitions mainly support quantitative, economic, or classification needs, respectively. That is because they lack consideration of the dynamic nature of CDW materials, which embraces the spatial and temporal dimensions. The former involves the geographic context in which the CDW phenomenon eventuates, while the latter concerns the lifecycle of materials. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by conceptualising the CEPCDR using a holistic approach that includes five dimensions: the social, economic, environmental, spatial, and temporal perspectives. Furthermore, the study seeks to drive future research in measuring the CEPCDR.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-12-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 18-06-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 14-06-2014
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1155/2018/3534209
Abstract: This study aims to examine the impact of organizational cultural difference and mutual trust on the contract management of nonequity project alliances in the construction industry. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the quantitative data for this study. The relationships between the variables were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. It was found that the contractual complexity of nonequity project alliances was impacted by the differences in management style, differences in organizational responsiveness, mutual goodwill trust, and mutual competence trust. It was also found that the relationship between differences in organizational responsiveness and contractual complexity was moderated by mutual goodwill trust. The research may provide theoretical basis for the management when making decisions on the selection of project alliance partners and contracts. The findings imply that when the firms seek to form project alliances, they need to recognize the level of organizational cultural differences and then determine the proper contractual complexity of the project alliance. In addition, the establishment of mutual goodwill trust between alliance partners will not only reduce the costs of making contracts but also the costs of implementing the contracts.
Publisher: College Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.3992/JGB.7.1.173
Abstract: The construction industry has considerable environmental impacts through the process of manufacturing building materials and building construction. Many environmental labelling programs have been introduced to the construction industry to measure the environmental impacts, including building up the environmental profiles for building materials. Although absolute measurements of the environmental impacts can be obtained by these labelling programs through detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, relative measurements should not be overlooked to indicate the gap between the current and the “leanest” performance. The term “lean” is often used to describe a process with less wastes, materials, human effort, time, etc. The lean concept originates from the Toyota Production System and has been applied in the automobile industry for decades. This paper therefore aims to investigate the applicability of a relative measurement of the environmental impacts for building materials by introducing the concept of “lean score”. The research aim is narrowed down by choosing the carbon labelling program and the precast concrete products as research objectives. The results indicate that a “lean” benchmark can be built to offer relative measurements of carbon emissions for precast concrete products. The lean score obtained from the benchmarking process provides the improving potential that can help the construction industry move towards sustainability. The results are also useful for regulatory bodies to establish national standards to measure the environmental impacts for building materials.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-10-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-03-2019-0136
Abstract: Although research on prefabricated construction has gained increasing attention in recent years, limited efforts have been devoted to investigating safety issues in the off-site manufacture, especially workers’ behavioral intentions to work safely. Thus, research is needed to identify the motivational factors determining off-site construction workers’ safety behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate workers’ safety behavior by examining the determinants of behavioral intention in the off-site manufacturing plants in China. Theory of planned behavior (TPB) was modified and used in this study to explain how the elements in the hypothesized model interact. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling technique with partial least-squares estimation was used to analyze the data collected. The findings of this study indicated that workers’ tendency to engage in safety behavior is positively related to attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and behavioral habit, among which attitude toward the behavior and behavioral habit have most significant influences on safety behavior. This finding provides a better explanation on the pathways and the impacts of the crucial factors on the safety behaviors for the off-site manufacture. The possible innovation of this research lies in its attempt to understand the antecedents of workers’ safety behavior in the off-site construction environment, which may make original contributions to construction safety research and practice. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge in TPB. Corresponding countermeasures are put forward in order to improve workers’ safety behavior in off-site construction.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-09-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-09-2020
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-12-2021
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS11120662
Abstract: Construction workers are exposed to a range of stressors that lead to mental ill-health. In a multicultural construction workplace, the interactions between workers with different cultural backgrounds may aggravate mental health issues. Existing studies on coping typically focus on a reactive approach to managing stressors in the absence of cultural-related factors. This approach is inadequate in addressing mental health issues in a culturally erse construction workplace. This paper presents a critical review that synthesizes and analyses theories and models of stress and coping, proactive coping, occupational stress, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence to develop a conceptual model for managing mental health in a multicultural construction workforce. The proposed model relies upon a positive coping mechanism, i.e., intercultural coping, to manage stressful events during the entire coping process in a multicultural workplace, towards achieving sustained good mental health. The proposed conceptual model contributes to the development of coping theories and positive psychology approaches and provides effective coping strategies to enhance psychological well-being in a multicultural context.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 08-06-2016
DOI: 10.3846/13923730.2014.914099
Abstract: Efforts have been taken for years to minimize the occupational safety and health (OSH) risk, but the injury records remain a constant reason for worldwide concerns. Many firms often implement technology as an administrative hierarchy of control (HOC). However, technologies may also actively influence safe practices at the managerial level for administrative HOC. This research examines electrical safety hazards in the U.S. construction industry as a basis for, studying the feasibility of using technology to integrate safety culture into the administrative level of OSH risk mitigation. The researchers introduce the concept of “habitus”, which suggests one possibility for establishing a safety culture that increases workers’ safety performance and integrates into workers’ safety practices through cutting-edge information technology. A prototype application for OSH training based on mobile virtual reality (MVR) technology is demonstrated to help establish habitus in workers’ daily practices, and ultimately to mitigate OSH risks at the administrative level of construction projects. Results from a preliminary validation test strongly support human behavior influence and safe work knowledge comprehension by the prototyped application. Although this prototype is demonstrated as a pilot study of electrical safety, the application is not limited to this area and is scalable to other OSH risks.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-05-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12060733
Abstract: A resilient safety culture is characterized by the capability of addressing the changing and unforeseen safety risks associated with the increasingly complex nature of sociotechnical systems, and creating an ultrasafe organization. An assessment of the maturation of resilient safety culture helps organizations to evaluate their capabilities of managing safety risks and achieving a consistently high safety performance. This study aims to present a maturity model developed to measure and improve resilient safety culture in the construction environment. The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage consisted of a review of the literature on the concepts of a resilient safety culture and the capability maturity model for the development of a maturity model. In the second stage, the developed model was evaluated using the Delphi technique. The model defines five maturity levels that can be used to measure resilient safety culture of a construction organization. It presents a set of descriptions of 19 aspects of resilient safety culture at each maturity level. The assessment procedure and the way of using the model are further discussed. Theoretically, this study provides insights into the maturity characteristics of a resilient safety culture. In practical terms, it offers guidance for benchmarking and encouraging the enhancement of organizations’ capabilities to manage safety risks.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-10-2015
DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2013.844714
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test whether the construction workers have the tendency of engaging in risk compensation behaviours, and identify the demographic variables, which may influence the extent to which the construction workers may show risk compensation behaviours. Both quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) approaches were used in this study. A questionnaire survey was conducted with all the construction workers on three building construction sites of a leading construction company in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to validate the findings of the quantitative research. The findings indicate that workers tend to show risk compensation behaviours in the construction environment. The workers with more working experience, higher education, or having never been injured at work before have a higher tendency to show risk compensation in their activities than the others. The implication is that contractors need to assess the potential influence of workers' risk compensation behaviours when evaluating the effect of risk control measures. It is recommended that supervisors pay more attention to the behavioural changes of those workers who have more experience, higher education, and have never been injured before after the implementation of new safety control measures on construction site.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-04-2023
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS13051182
Abstract: Construction workplaces are experiencing rapid changes as a result of digitalization, globalization, industrialization, and sustainability [...]
No related grants have been discovered for Yingbin Feng.