Research on Personal Skills That Architects Should Focus on Improving in Professional Career Development

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The employment crisis for architects addresses the saturation of the labour market in the construction industry and the employment crisis facing architects in China. I would transfer the problem to the global context, possibly the solutions, if they exist, could be the same.

The use of the KANO model, so far removed from its use in architecture. I would ask to focus more on the model in general and why the decision to use a model so far removed from the architectural context.

Analysis of empirical data. I would ask to develop this analysis further in order to bring it closer to anyone interested in the problems of architects' work situation, who may not necessarily be able to read data as presented in the article.

The article suggests the need to adjust architectural education and training to better align with the demands of the labour market, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary and practical skills. Emphasis should be placed on the integration of skills such as writing and research, something that should be done from the beginning of architectural studies, not only in the postgraduate context. Also emotional stability, something that was rarely worked on in the conventional academic context.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The topic of training architects to meet the demand for efficiency, environmental friendliness and decarbonisation of the construction market is  of great interest. The research is detailed and transparent. The study includes a well-structured questionnaire, divided into direct and reverse questions, and uses robust statistical tests (e.g. Cronbach's alpha, KMO analysis) to check its reliability and validity. Although the methodological approach is coherent, it lacks an explicit emphasis on research hypotheses, which could have improved the clarity of the objectives and direction of the study. In the development of the text, the introduction is long and repetitive. A reorganisation by relevant subject areas closely related to the KANO method could be of great benefit. The content adequately contextualises the employment crisis of Chinese architects, providing detailed references to the theory of the KANO model and the needs of the sector. However, some sections are redundant in explaining the theoretical context and lack key references to comparable international studies.

In paragraph 2.1, the usefulness of the reference to ‘El-Sayed who examined the quality characteristics needed to optimise the training system for nursing trainees’ is unclear.

In paragraph 2.2 it is stated (175-176): ‘an empirical indicator system for assessing skills that is generally adapted to the employment of construction students has not yet been established’, so it is unclear how the indicators were defined.

The research design and methods are well described, including the questionnaire, statistical analysis and validity/reliability tests. However, the research hypotheses are not explicitly stated, which may weaken the overall understanding.

The arguments are generally consistent and data-driven, but some interpretations of the results seem forced, particularly those related to the relevance of soft skills versus other skills.

The results are presented with clear tables and graphs, however, tables contain data that are not fully analysed in the text.

The study is original in its application of the KANO model to analyse skills needs in the Chinese construction sector, but lacks a comparison with alternative approaches or studies of markets other than China, as the importance of the exportability of the architect's professionalism is stated in the introduction. This innovative approach represents a significant contribution to academic knowledge, although the absence of direct comparison with other markets limits the generalisability of the results.

The contribution is relevant to architectural education and professional development in China, but could be expanded with a greater focus on global implications.

The structure of the contribution is well organised into paragraphs and sub-paragraphs, but some parts are verbose and could benefit from more concise writing aimed at demonstrating a specific thesis that should be clearly stated in the introduction.

The logical consistency is satisfactory, but the strength of the argument is sometimes weak due to the lack of critical discussion of the limitations of methods and results that could be integrated.

The article is adequately referenced with relevant sources, especially regarding previous studies on the KANO model and the training of architects. However, the bibliography is largely limited to Chinese studies, with insufficient integration of international literature, which could have broadened the perspective of the paper.

The conclusions are in line with the results of the analysis, although some statements could be better supported by more detailed data or secondary references. The absence of a critical discussion of the possible limitations of the KANO model or alternative approaches slightly limits the depth of the analysis.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf