ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5682-8710
Current Organisation
The University of Hong Kong
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2004
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 13-09-2011
DOI: 10.1108/17538371111164056
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine trust relationships in managing construction projects to determine the trust situations, the psychological perception of trust relationship, and the underlying value of trust. Association is made to project management, project team and strategy implementation for managing construction projects. A case study approach is adopted to collect qualitative data from ten projects. The collected data are analysed with content analysis and discussed with a flow model and interactive model approach. Using the real‐life evidence, the findings revealed a ersified meaning of trust, which subsequently confirm the multi‐faceted nature of trust with qualitative data analysis. Further research is necessary for multi‐party working as this working style dominates the construction industry and greatly affects the overall project performance, and the effect of such is particularly obvious when managing differences among people. For a better understanding of trust, the moral and social dimensions of trust need to be studied separately. The study offers a direction for implementation of relational contracting in project management, project teamwork and strategy implementation. Implications in practice include: project management – time, cost and quality are greatly affected by people implementation and therefore a balance of control and trust is required project team – trust needs to be cultivated with rules and norms in a multi‐party working team because trust is not self‐generated and strategy implementation – both interpersonal and inter‐firm trust have to be considered, particularly at the middle management level. The paper is of value to both practitioners and academics/researchers in the management development of construction projects by providing a different perspective from the human side.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-05-2014
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 12-01-2010
DOI: 10.1108/09699981011011285
Abstract: Empowerment is a concept that means different things to different in iduals. The factors that engender feelings of empowerment are thus multifarious. The purpose of this paper is to focus on to the factors that empower in iduals and teams in projects settings. Using the critical incident technique (CIT), 122 critical incidents comprising 69 empowering and 53 disempowering experiences of 30 purposively selected construction professionals are elicited and analysed. Adopting a broad frame of reference on the premise that empowerment of in iduals and teams in project settings is associated with drivers and barriers related to: the in idual the team context the organisation and the project – mutually exclusive and exhaustive contextual influences within each frame of reference are identified. At the in idual‐level, cultural values and factors related to the quality of relationships with leaders and colleagues emerged. At the team‐level, team context and leadership style are the key factors. At the organisation‐level, factors related to structure and culture emerged. At the project‐level, project characteristics, organisation, environment and technology‐related factors impacted the empowerment of in iduals and teams. Practically, the paper provides targets of concrete interventions by leaders and organisations desirous of fostering empowerment in project teams. This paper adds to previous research in demonstrating the practicality of the CIT in construction specific research and the credibility and trustworthiness checks employed are exemplary of measures researchers using qualitative methodologies can take to assert the credibility of their findings and conclusions.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2016
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 14-09-2010
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-2000
DOI: 10.1108/EB021138
Abstract: This paper identifies the critical factors that influence the attitudes of construction workers towards safe behaviour on construction sites. It studies these attitudes by using a research model that links three themes: safety management implementation strategies, attitudes of workers about safety and behavioural factors displayed by construction workers. This model is used to frame the responses of 126 directly employed construction workers in 10 companies. Some 56 variables were identified as having a potential influence upon attitudes to safety. The initial data analysis found that 12 technical factors significantly correlated to the development of strong positive attitudes towards safety management. Second‐order analysis, using factor analysis, isolated five variables that had a major influence on safety attitudes. The five factors were: organizing for safety supervision and equipment management, industry norms and culture, attitudes to risk taking and management behaviour.
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2001
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 31-10-2007
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-1994
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.APERGO.2015.08.008
Abstract: The study presented in this paper aims to identify prominent risks leading to heat illness in summer among construction workers that can be prioritised for developing effective interventions. S les are 216 construction workers' cases at the in idual level and 26 construction projects cases at the organisation level. A grounded theory is generated to define the climatic heat and psychosocial risks and the relationships between risks, timing and effectiveness of interventions. The theoretical framework is then used to guide content analysis of 36 in idual onsite heat illness cases to identify prominent risks. The results suggest that heat stress risks on construction site are socially constructed and can be effectively managed through elimination at supply chain level, effective engineering control, proactive control of the risks through in idual interventions and reactive control through mindful recognition and response to early symptoms. The role of management infrastructure as a base for effective interventions is discussed.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-03-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 12-2009
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 14-01-2017
Abstract: This paper aims to review the development of building information modelling (BIM) and integrated project delivery (IPD) in recent years and the process changes that BIM and IPD require. A qualitative research methodology was applied which involved a comprehensive review of relevant literature leading to a better understanding of the history and development of BIM and IPD. A way forward is suggested for the future development of BIM and IPD. The research revealed that the IPD approach is already ingrained within certain organisations and their supply chains. The issues of political will and business desire to change the existing procurement systems are examined. The need for fit with regional and national economic and cultural characteristics is a pre-requisite for successful change. Collaborative working, information exchange and trust only exist within the context of a trusted and reliable building information model that all can access, understand and manage. This research pointed out that there is a need to overcome the institutional inertia that besets governments and their agencies and suggested that exemplar institutions and their projects are needed to lead the industry by integrating BIM into IPD through process change.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-04-2121
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2006
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-2006
DOI: 10.1108/09699980610659616
Abstract: The adoption of computer technology by the construction industry has been driven by the competitive advantages offered by the available technology. The continuing evolution of information technology (IT) in the construction industry has led to widespread e‐mail use for informal project communications but, as yet, only limited use of IT for formal communications. This study aims to address this issue An industry survey was conducted to assess the improvement towards IT literacy and increased competitiveness through the use of IT in Hong Kong, by comparison with previous surveys in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong. The research found that the Hong Kong construction industry's IT technical maturity and technical infrastructure are well advanced and remain at about the same level as Australia and the UK. Construction professionals commonly perceived benefits in migration to formal electronic communications. The perceived obstacles to the industry's adoption of formal IT‐based communications were found to be additional cost and security/confidentiality concerns, but there are underlying obstacles in the industry's structure and lack of incentive (and budget) at project level.
Publisher: AIP
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1063/1.3452236
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-2000
DOI: 10.1108/02656710010371191
Abstract: Subcontractors and suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in project construction – it is not uncommon for as much as 90 per cent of a project to be undertaken by subcontractors. The result of this increased involvement is that main contractors are now concentrating their efforts on managing subcontractors rather than employing direct labour. Outlines an approach to partnering developed by a European conglomerate which is being employed throughout the UK. Commences with an overview of recent studies into the UK construction industry concentrating on partnering, quality and lean production. The second part discusses the context of these points from a quality, general and construction project management perspective. A form of benchmarking is described and the actual partnering approach is detailed. Finally, the paper identifies the main points relating to quality as perceived by the project participants, as well as some of the overall advantages of adopting this approach to partnering.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 08-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2003
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 08-06-2012
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2009
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Date: 14-07-2023
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 25-09-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2007
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-1993
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 21-06-2011
DOI: 10.1108/17538371111144184
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine, by means of case studies, the mechanisms by which relationships can be managed and by which communication and cooperation can be enhanced in sustainable supply chains. The research was predicated on the contention that the development of a sustainable supply chain depends, in part, on the transfer of knowledge and capabilities from the larger players in the supply chain. The research adopted a triangulated approach in which quantitative data were collected by questionnaire, interviews were conducted to explore and enrich the quantitative data and case studies were undertaken in order to illustrate and validate the findings. Handy's view of organisational culture, Allen and Meyer's concepts of organisational commitment and Van de Ven and Ferry's measures of organisational structuring have been combined into a model to test and explain how collaborative mechanisms can affect supply chain sustainability. It has been shown that the degree of match and mismatch between organisational culture and structure has an impact on staff's commitment level. A sustainable supply chain depends on convergence – that is the match between organisational structuring, organisation culture and organisation commitment. The study is a proof of concept and three case studies have been used to illustrate the nature of the model developed. Further testing and refinement of the model in practice should be the next step in this research. The concept of relationship management needs to filter down to all levels in the supply chain if participants are to retain commitment and buy‐in to the relationship. A sustainable supply chain requires proactive relationship management and the development of an appropriate organisational culture, and trust. By legitimising in iduals' expectations of the type of culture which is appropriate to their company and empowering employees to address mismatches that may occur, a situation can be created whereby the collaborating organisations develop their competences symbiotically and so facilitate a sustainable supply chain. The culture/commitment/structure model developed from three separate strands of management thought has proved to be a powerful tool for analysing collaboration in supply chains and explaining how and why some supply chains are sustainable, and others are not.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-03-2010
DOI: 10.1108/09699981011024696
Abstract: This paper aims to examine the use of the increasingly important virtual concept to deliver value in projects, focusing on the manifest, critical issues which can enhance value delivery in virtual construction projects. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative triangulated methods to examine the concepts in the study. Triangulated data analysis is also used to give insight. The study disentangles 16 manifest, independent variables as being crucial in enhancing value delivery in virtual construction projects. Also the research gives a fresh view, by differentiating between influential and necessary crucial variables in virtual construction project value delivery. The study demonstrates the use of triangulation in critical variables research. It also gives integrated insight on rigorous, triangulated, data analysis to enhance understanding in the critical variables research domain. The research gives insight to managers on the issues which need attention in the design and implementation of virtual construction projects to deliver value. The research adds value to the literature on the virtual construction project delivery concept, where little knowledge exists. Based on empirical evidence, the study also gives a fresh insightful lens, for the examination of critical variables from the perspective of influential and necessary items.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
Date: 14-02-2000
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-12-2014
Abstract: Existing heat stress risk management guidelines recommended by international standards are not practical for the construction industry which needs site supervision staff to make instant managerial decisions to mitigate heat risks. The ability of the predicted heat strain (PHS) model [ISO 7933 (2004). Ergonomics of the thermal environment analytical determination and interpretation of heat stress using calculation of the predicted heat strain. Geneva: International Standard Organisation] to predict maximum allowable exposure time (D lim) has now enabled development of localized, action-triggering and threshold-based guidelines for implementation by lay frontline staff on construction sites. This article presents a protocol for development of two heat stress management tools by applying the PHS model to its full potential. One of the tools is developed to facilitate managerial decisions on an optimized work-rest regimen for paced work. The other tool is developed to enable workers' self-regulation during self-paced work.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 04-2004
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-2005
DOI: 10.1108/14714170510815203
Abstract: Safety planning in construction project management is separated from other planning functions, such as scheduling. This separation creates difficulties for safety engineers to analyse what, when, why and where safety measures are needed for preventing accidents. Another problem occurs due to the conventional practice of representing project designs using two‐dimensional (2D) drawings. In this practice, an engineer has to convert the 2D drawings into three‐dimensional (3D) mental pictures which is a tedious task. Since this conversion is already difficult, combining these 2D drawings with safety plans increases the difficulty. In order to address the problems, 4DCAD‐Safety is proposed. This paper discusses the design and development of 4DCAD‐Safety application and testing its usefulness in terms of assisting users in analysing what, when, where and why safety measures are needed.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-2003
DOI: 10.1108/09699980310466523
Abstract: In total, 69 foremen from 13 Hong Kong construction companies were invited to participate in a study designed to investigate foremen’s opinions regarding 27 safety supervisory tasks. These fell into six categories, including handling new workers, training, safety, discipline, coordinating, and motivating. Results of the survey and subsequent follow‐up interviews showed that over two thirds of foremen claimed that they had the responsibility to perform certain tasks but only half said that they had the authority to perform these tasks. Further interviews and on‐site observations of foremen were then conducted in order to validate the findings by way of case study material. It is concluded that foremen play a key role in ensuring that safety management systems operate effectively. It appears, from the results of the study, that this role is not being performed properly and that the key interface between worker and management, the role of the foreman, is not paid sufficient attention by senior management and is an area requiring urgent attention if Hong Kong’s poor site safety record is to be improved.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-1994
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-2002
DOI: 10.1108/EB021230
Abstract: Recent trends in the provision of infrastructure development indicate that the private sector is playing an increasingly important role in the procurement process. This trend has partly arisen out of a necessity for the development of infrastructure to be undertaken at a rate that maintains and allows growth. This has become a major challenge for many countries where it is evident that these provisions cannot be met by government alone. The emergence of Build‐Own‐Operate‐Transfer (BOOT) schemes as a response to this challenge provides a means for developing the infrastructure of a country without directly impacting upon the government's budgetary constraints. The concepts of BOOT are without doubt extremely complex arrangements, which bring to the construction sector risks not experienced previously. This paper examines perceptions of BOOT schemes in order to develop a framework of critical success factors. The developed framework is then tested against a case study of Stadium Australia, and the outcomes of the comparison are discussed.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-2004
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-05-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SU13105375
Abstract: The construction industry in Hong Kong has adopted relational contracting (RC) as a way forward to address frequent conflicts in construction projects and to promote sustainable development. Despite this effort, adversarial behavior of project team members is still prevalent, stemming from conflicting agendas, which hinders the successful implementation of RC. There is a need to improve collaborative attitudes and behavior among project team members in RC projects, but there is still a lack of understanding of factors that can promote this inter-organizational collaboration. Therefore, using the theory of planned behavior, this research investigates factors that form relational attitudes, collaborative intentions, and collaborative behavior, and their relationships in RC projects in Hong Kong. Quantitative data were collected from experienced practitioners in RC projects and were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that senior management commitment and relational norms are needed to nurture relational attitudes, which in turn influence the development of collaborative intentions. These intentions can eventually promote collaborative behavior, which is expressed by teamwork, affective trust, and extra-role behavior (striving beyond roles to maintain collaboration). The findings advance knowledge and contribute to practice by providing a structured process to nurture collaboration in RC projects for sustainable development.
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
Date: 24-05-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-12-2009
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-01-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2007
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2002
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 1991
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 19-06-2009
DOI: 10.1108/17538370910971018
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine different categories of building project procurement routes based on organisational, contractual, financial and technical issues. The paper is based on review of literature and conditions of contracts. The UK construction industry serves as a general frame of reference. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors survey of Contracts in Use from 1985 to 2004 is used to probe the share and value of contracts along different procurement routes and across different conditions of contracts in the UK. The logic is that the value and the share of contracts will indicate the behaviour of different procurement routes in the UK construction market while the in‐depth analysis of conditions of contracts will show the gaps and relationships between the general definition/categorisation and contractual context (conditions of contracts) of each of the procurement routes. The preliminary result of the analysis shows that traditional routes remain the main type of procurement route for the construction project industry sector, within which different management and incentivisation systems are applied for greater efficiency. The conditions of contracts in the UK support this assertion by aligning different procurement routes to different conditions of contracts and additionally specifying different forms of agreements, special provisions and incentivisation in order to increase performance, reduce risks and improve compensation methods. The study can serve as a learning opportunity for construction project stakeholders internationally, and clients in particular, to differentiate between procurement routes, management‐oriented systems, relational contracting and incentivisation. The research provides an original assessment of construction procurement which can be used as intervening tool in different levels of private and public procurement strategies.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-1999
DOI: 10.1108/EB021123
Abstract: The philosophy that underpins this paper is that partnering needs the partners to set mutual objectives — these objectives are agreed upon and stipulated within a project charter. Objectives within the charter should be regularly reviewed and performance assessed. The question addressed is — can this mechanism, which has proved successful in a commercial context, assist in applying safety legislation, rules and management systems to a construction project? Also, partnering advocates an open and trusting relationship between all parties — can this ‘philosophy’ be used to assist the management of site safety? Implementing the partnering concept in the construction project environment provides an opportunity for the continuous improvement of safety performance. This paper addresses partnering as a concept and draws from ex les of partnering in the UK and Hong Kong. A number of characteristics of partnering agreements have been identified that can all assist in promoting safety. These characteristics are: continuous evaluation, the project charter, mutual objectives and team building. The context in which partnering in safety can be undertaken is reviewed and a discussion takes place of how the global trend to move away from prescriptive legislation towards performance‐based legislation in the regulation of safety provides an ideal opportunity to adopt partnering as a methodology for safety improvement.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.AAP.2011.03.020
Abstract: Existing initiatives in the management of construction project safety are largely based on normative compliance and error prevention, a risk management approach. Although advantageous, these approaches are not wholly successful in further lowering accident rates. A major limitation lies with the approaches' lack of emphasis on the social and team processes inherent in construction project settings. We advance the enquiry by invoking the concept of social capital and project organisational processes, and their impacts on project safety performance. Because social capital is a primordial concept and affects project participants' interactions, its impact on project safety performance is hypothesised to be indirect, i.e. the impact of social capital on safety performance is mediated by organisational processes in adaptation and cooperation. A questionnaire survey was conducted within Hong Kong construction industry to test the hypotheses. 376 usable responses were received and used for analyses. The results reveal that, while the structural dimension is not significant, the mediational thesis is generally supported with the cognitive and relational dimensions affecting project participants' adaptation and cooperation, and the latter two processes affect safety performance. However, the cognitive dimension also directly affects safety performance. The implications of these results for project safety management are discussed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-07-2013
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-03-2012-0008
Abstract: Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative procurement mechanisms are frequently used to deliver both an asset and a public service over a protracted period. The value streams to the parties involved can be complex, but generally arise from the satisfactory provision of infrastructure that is fit for purpose throughout its life. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the facility management (FM) function in delivering long‐term value to both the client and consortium. This paper describes a case study of a PPP in Australia that delivered social infrastructure in multiple locations to a state government. Drawing upon multiple perspectives from within the consortium, it utilises inductive principles to identify the influences on value generation through innovation by the FM function. The ability of an Australian FM contractor to provide value within a PPP context has been shown to reflect some of the attributes described in literature. However, the extent of innovation, especially in the design and construction phases, has been limited by organisational history and capability, and relational and contextual issues. This research highlights a flaw in the rhetoric relating to PPP delivery, namely the disconnection between the asset delivery and service delivery phases, which stifles the consortium's capacity to innovate and maximise value. It reveals a set of influences that both resonate with the literature and plausibly explain the suboptimal performance of the FM function within an Australian PPP. By using highly iterative analysis leading to within‐case generalisability, it provides a robust basis for wider investigation of the problem.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2008
No related grants have been discovered for Steve Rowlinson.