Search Results (135)

In a three-tier construction supply chain consisting of the owner, the general contractor, and subcontractors, early project completion offers the owner additional operational benefits but also introduces potential quality risks. This study develops a game-theoretic principal–agent model to investigate the owner’s optimal quality control and supervision strategies under symmetric, asymmetric, and incomplete information. The model explicitly incorporates the quality control and schedule-compression effort levels of both the general contractor and subcontractors, together with the quality supervision intensity of both the owner and the general contractor. Early completion incentives are captured through a reward-sharing mechanism tied to schedule-compression benefits. Using optimization theory and backward induction, we derive the optimal strategies of all participants under each information scenario. The results show that information asymmetry substantially undermines incentive compatibility among stakeholders and alters the owner’s optimal quality supervision level. Furthermore, appropriately designed incentive and penalty mechanisms can effectively enhance overall supply chain performance by simultaneously safeguarding construction quality and schedule-compression benefits. Numerical simulations indicate that the owner’s optimal supervision level P_a decreases as the general contractor’s quality-control level P_b increases, whereas it increases with a higher schedule-compression effort P_e1. Under the symmetric information condition, when P_b rises from 0.3 to 0.9, the owner’s supervision intensity decreases monotonically. Under incomplete information, uncertainty about subcontractor behavior forces the owner to maintain a strictly higher supervision level P_a than in the symmetric information benchmark. Full article

Fiscal shocks in post-land-finance China are weakening the funding basis of capital-intensive metro public-private partnership (PPP) projects, but the system-level mechanism through which public fiscal stress becomes subcontractor-level financial viability pressure remains underexplained. This study examines a section-level metro PPP project ecosystem in a sub-provincial Chinese city to trace this transmission mechanism and its financial implications. The analysis combines de-identified audit evidence and interviews with a scenario-based structural NPV model and 800,000 model-generated Monte Carlo realizations under calibrated institutional scenarios. The evidence indicates that quasi-bureaucratic SPV internal capital-market arrangements convert fiscal shortfalls into vertical and horizontal cross-subsidization practices, preserving short-term project continuity while shifting cash-flow pressure downstream. This condition is defined as a strategic resilience trap: practices that preserve short-term project continuity while potentially eroding the project ecosystem’s long-term adaptive capacity. Under calibrated assumptions, improving the contract-payment channel reduces model-generated losses by approximately 4%, suggesting that payment punctuality addresses only one part of the wider internal capital-market mechanism. Full article

Construction management, from the contractor’s perspective, is led by the Construction Manager (CM). The work motivation and leadership style of the CM are critical variables for the successful execution of construction projects. The scientific literature identifies participative leadership as the most effective style for mitigating conflicts among various stakeholders. However, analyzing the specific variables that influence a CM’s conflict resolution capacity remains an underexplored area. Furthermore, while the CM must act as a leader for their team (subcontractors, suppliers, etc.), they remain accountable to the contractor’s senior management. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the mediating role of CM motivation in the relationship between leadership and conflict resolution capacity using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). In the construction industry, conflict resolution is not merely a situational fix but a critical process of capturing and externalizing tacit knowledge. Knowledge management and the ability to resolve conflicts in the construction sector are directly linked, critical, and strategic in nature. Construction is an industry characterized by fragmentation, the temporary nature of its projects, diversity of stakeholders (developers, builders, subcontractors, engineering firms) and a high level of uncertainty. In this environment, conflict is virtually inevitable. However, the way in which a CM handles a conflict determines whether it becomes a destructive dispute or an opportunity for improvement. Full article

The construction sector operates under conditions of high capital intensity, project complexity, cost uncertainty, fragmented supply chains, and increasing pressure to improve efficiency, sustainability, and long-term competitiveness. Although prior research has emphasized the importance of organizational resources and knowledge-based capabilities for competitive advantage, fewer empirical studies have examined how internal capacities, intellectual capital, and knowledge sharing jointly explain sustainable competitive advantage in construction companies. Drawing on the resource-based view, the knowledge-based view, and the dynamic capabilities perspective, this study examines the effects of marketing capacity, financial capacity, innovative capacity, management capacity, human capacity, human capital, structural capital, relational capital, and knowledge sharing on sustainable competitive advantage in the construction sector. Survey data were collected from 306 employees working in construction companies in the Republic of Serbia and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and covariance-based structural equation modeling. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural results indicate that financial capacity is the only significant internal capacity predicting sustainable competitive advantage, while relational capital is the only significant dimension of intellectual capital. Marketing capacity, innovative capacity, management capacity, human capacity, human capital, structural capital, and knowledge sharing did not show significant direct effects. The study contributes to research on sustainable competitive advantage by showing that, in construction companies, competitiveness is most strongly associated with financial robustness and stakeholder-based relational strength. For managers, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening liquidity, investment capacity, risk absorption, and long-term relationships with clients, suppliers, subcontractors, and institutional stakeholders. Full article

The progress made in several fields after 2023 is rather significant. Attenuation achieved by the best HCFs was reduced to 0.05–0.10 dB/km at 1550 nm, while the lowest attenuation achieved in a single-mode fiber with a pure silica core equals 0.14 dB/km. Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) has been reduced to a level typical of SMFs, through fiber spinning. In November 2024, Microsoft announced a 2-year plan to install 15,000 km of HCF cables between and within data centers processing data for Microsoft Azure cloud services. Furthermore, several HCF manufacturers have emerged: UK-based Microsoft Azure Fiber and two Microsoft subcontractors, namely Corning Inc. and Heraeus Covantics, plus two major HCF manufacturers in China, YOFC and Linfiber. Additionally, extensive work was carried out on optical amplifiers to enable new transmission bands in HCFs, both at short wavelengths (≈1300–1500 nm), with bismuth-doped active fibers, and long wavelengths (≈1700–2100 nm), with thulium- and holmium-doped fibers. On the other hand, progress in HCF standardization, splicing and elimination of loss bands introduced by contaminants, has been marginal. Standardization is blocked by multiple fiber designs being tried, with no clear winner emerging yet. Despite this, hollow-core fibers have been successfully debuted in large-scale commercial data centers and are also used in low-latency data links. Full article

Healthy building concepts are increasingly recognized as important for improving occupant health and well-being, yet empirical evidence on their understanding and implementation in sub-Saharan African contexts remains limited. This study provides an exploratory assessment of construction professionals’ awareness and self-reported application of healthy building concepts in Gabon. Using a structured questionnaire survey of 45 construction professionals, including architects, engineers, and contractors, the study examines sources of awareness, patterns of application across project stages, and health-related dimensions prioritized in practice. The results indicate high levels of conceptual awareness within the surveyed group, but uneven and context-dependent application. Implementation is strongly concentrated at the design stage, while continuity during construction and operation remains limited. Professionals tend to prioritize tangible and measurable dimensions such as lighting, materials, air quality, and thermal comfort, whereas psychosocial and community-related aspects receive less attention. Based on these empirical patterns, the study proposes an empirically informed and context-sensitive framework structured around six strategic pillars to support the gradual integration of healthy construction practices in Gabon. Rather than offering a prescriptive model, the framework serves as an analytical reference to inform future research, professional capacity building, and policy dialog. Given the exploratory nature of the study and its reliance on self-reported data, the findings should be interpreted as indicative rather than generalizable. Full article

This study focuses on the argument that greenwashing behavior (GWB) among key stakeholders leads to the degradation of governance networks in large-scale construction projects. Grounded in opportunism theory, a cross-scale computational model is developed by integrating a four-party evolutionary game with differential dynamics to capture the co-evolution of stakeholder strategies and network states. The results indicate that GWB exhibits free-riding and herd-like characteristics, and that governance networks possess a degradation equilibrium. Sensitivity analysis based on 50,000 Monte Carlo simulations shows that the frequency of GWB by subcontractors has the greatest impact on network degradation (sensitivity range: 0 to −0.98), followed by general contractors (0 to −0.38), while the influence of supervisory roles is relatively weaker. In contrast, contractual penalties demonstrate limited effectiveness (sensitivity range: −0.08 to 0.06), whereas reputational loss exerts a stronger inhibitory effect (up to −0.5 during the mid-stage evolution). These findings suggest that contract-based governance alone is insufficient to constrain GWB, thereby challenging the conventional assumption of its effectiveness. The results highlight the necessity of shifting from contract-centric governance toward reputation-based and market-oriented mechanisms to effectively mitigate GWB and enhance the resilience of green construction governance. Full article

This study investigates critical research gaps in procurement management challenges faced by Chinese contractors in international engineering–procurement–construction (EPC) projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with a particular focus on sustainability-oriented outcomes. It examines the following: (1) prevalent procurement inefficiencies, such as communication delays and material shortages, encountered in international EPC projects; (2) the role of supply chain INTEGRATION in enhancing procurement performance; (3) the application of social network analysis (SNA) to reveal inter-organizational relationships in procurement systems; and (4) the influence of stakeholder collaboration on achieving efficient and sustainable procurement processes. The findings demonstrate that effective supply chain integration significantly improves procurement efficiency, reduces delays, and lowers costs, thereby contributing to more sustainable project delivery. Strong collaboration and transparent communication among key stakeholders—including contractors, suppliers, subcontractors, and designers—are shown to be essential for mitigating procurement risks and supporting resilient supply chain operations. SNA results highlight the critical roles of central stakeholders and their relational structures in optimizing resource allocation and enhancing risk management capabilities. Evidence from case studies further indicates that Chinese contractors increasingly adopt sustainability-oriented practices, such as just-in-time inventory management, strategic supplier relationship management, and digital procurement platforms, to reduce inefficiencies and environmental impacts. Overall, this study underscores that supply chain INTEGRATION, combined with robust stakeholder collaboration, is a key enabler of sustainable procurement and long-term competitiveness for Chinese contractors in the global EPC market. The purpose of this study is to identify critical procurement management challenges and propose evidence-based solutions for Chinese contractors. It further aims to develop a sustainability-oriented framework integrating supply chain integration and stakeholder collaboration to enhance competitiveness. Full article

As cities pursue smarter, more resilient infrastructure, conventional contractor selection focuses narrowly on cost, which often neglects holistic sustainability. This study addresses a critical gap by introducing a novel, sustainability-oriented contractor evaluation model within Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). While IPD enables early collaboration, its integration with structured sustainability metrics remains underutilized. We develop a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) framework that operationalizes the three pillars of sustainability, economic, social, and environmental sustainability, with the inclusion of the technical pillar through an expanded environmental, social, and economic model incorporating sub-criteria such as constructability, workforce competence, collaborative readiness, etc. The innovative inclusion of technical sustainability deepens contractor assessment and enhances alignment with smart urban priorities. The model is embedded in a custom Decision Support System (DSS), combining Fuzzy AHP for weighting and Fuzzy VIKOR for ranking. A real-world IPD scenario, which is a proposed multi-purpose banquet facility, illustrates the tool’s functionality. Nine experts evaluated four contractors across 16 sub-criteria, with the results reflecting structured, priority-weighted decision logic. The DSS offers a transparent, replicable framework for aligning procurement with smart city goals. Its novelty lies in advancing sustainability through sustainability-oriented contractor selection, supporting policymakers, project teams, and cities in meeting integrated infrastructure objectives. Full article

Understanding the causal relationships between safety factors is essential for successful intervention in industries with intrinsically high-risk environments such as the construction industry. Therefore, the aim of this study is to employ the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) techniques to analyze and map the interdependencies among various safety-related elements affecting construction safety. According to the results, resource allocation was shown to be the highest-level, most independent element in the analysis, highlighting its function as the primary facilitator of safety initiatives. This strategic commitment directly drives Management Commitment and Competence, which form the core organizational support structure. Mid-level elements that translate management intent into site-level practice include workers’ training, safety motivation, and communication structure. The frequency of safety observations, workers’ involvement in safety decisions, and subcontractor and procurement management—the immediate procedural controls—are then used to assess operational efficacy. Crucially, the most dependent factor was found to be Workers’ Compliance, indicating that frontline safety behavior is the result of efficient management at all higher levels. Therefore, in order to improve overall safety performance in construction, this research emphasizes the importance of improving resource provision and leadership commitment. The outputs of the current study provide an organized, evidence-based roadmap for selecting interventions. Full article

This study maps the maturity of construction safety culture in Indonesia across the design and construction phases and identifies priorities for improving the safety management system in construction. Building on a literature-derived framework of categories and subcategories, we conducted a two-round questionnaire-based expert elicitation (pilot and final rounds) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with a purposive panel of 12 experts representing key stakeholders (government/owners, contractors, consultants, and academia). Expert validation was used to assess alignment with field conditions and refine recommendations. The results show average maturity scores of 3.11 in the design phase and 3.36 in the construction phase, indicating a position between the compliant and proactive levels. Sub-category analysis indicates comparatively stronger performance in regulatory mechanisms and operational controls but persistent weaknesses in early-stage planning competence, time and resource allocation for safety, digitalization of safety management, and hazardous waste management. A cross-phase gap is evident: safety is more institutionalized during execution than it is embedded in upstream design decisions. The findings suggest that advancing beyond compliance requires an integrated approach that links national regulations with international project management guidance and construction-specific practices. We conclude by outlining how these frameworks’ integration can support a transition toward more proactive and ultimately resilient safety culture maturity in Indonesia’s construction sector. Full article

In disaster-prone regions facing chronic housing shortages and growing sustainability demands, modern construction methods are essential to achieving resilience, affordability, and rapid delivery. Modular construction, one of the core components of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), offers significant potential but remains underutilized in developing contexts due to regulatory, managerial, and technical constraints. This study investigates the multi-stakeholder priorities influencing the adoption of modular construction in Indonesia, with a particular focus on Aceh, a province frequently affected by natural disasters. An integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Monte Carlo simulation framework was applied to evaluate six main criteria and sixteen sub-criteria, drawing on expert input from five stakeholder groups: academics, planners, architects, consultants, and contractors. The results indicate that Managerial and Planning (0.181), Quality, Safety and Regulation (0.178), and Human Resources and Knowledge (0.174) are the most influential criteria. Among five modular alternatives, Volumetric Modular ranked highest (0.243) for its rapid deployment and disaster-resilient characteristics, followed by Panelized Modular (0.203). Monte Carlo sensitivity testing validated the robustness of these results under uncertainty. This research represents one of the first probabilistic, multi-stakeholder assessments of modular adoption in a developing-country disaster context. Policy implications highlight the urgent need for regulatory reform to standardize modular practices and workforce training programs to strengthen technical capacity, thereby accelerating resilient housing delivery in Aceh and similar regions. Full article

Metaverse safety training (MST) is popular in highway construction projects (HCPs). While researchers have statically examined the influence of MST, one of the essential gaps is that the interaction among stakeholders on how to improve MST effect is neglected. This paper adopts a game theory approach to illustrate the dynamics among stakeholders, namely, contractors, subcontractors, and construction crews, regarding MST within the framework of HCPs. A tripartite evolutionary game model is developed to analyze the interaction among contractors, subcontractors, and construction crews. The evolutionary stability of the stakeholders’ strategies and the equilibrium point were elucidated by solving the proposed model. A numerical simulation was conducted to validate the rationality of the results. The results show that the choice of behavioral strategies and their evolutionary paths for each stakeholder are closely related to the behavioral strategies of other stakeholders in the game, with significant differences in effects on each other’s initial strategies. The incentive mechanism must match the incentive measures provided to subcontractors and construction crews, ensuring a stable MST. The reward and penalty system implemented by contractors heightens the awareness of subcontractors and construction crews partly. This model provides practical recommendations to enhance training interactions, optimize strategies, increase security awareness, and streamline resource allocation. Full article

Elite capture, a power structure problem involving rent-seeking, hinders sustainable water resources management. Governments play crucial roles in instilling public legitimacy in water governance, a common-pool resource that benefits from cooperative solutions such as pilot competitions, co-monitoring, and inter-agency coordination. A study of South-to-North Water Diversion Projects in China showed how, when governments outsource small projects to local sub-contractors, a method named moderate supervision (ruo jiandu) can enable effective oversight, which is superior to a bidding model with strict supervision (qiang jiandu). The concept of moderate supervision was initiated in 2023, before which most small projects had been left in a risky state with no supervision (ling jiandu). Analysis of a case in Shandong Yellow River Water Diversion Irrigation Area involved semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings revealed that an elite-government-villagers tripartite spiral was composed of 3 dimensions reshaping a positive elite culture: first, a whitelist of qualified local contractors; second, co-monitoring of multiple stakeholders with influence exerted by a three-tier mobilization system; third, inter-agency coordination innovatively enabling smooth functioning between policy entrepreneurs of formal institutions and local social governance of informal ones. Policy implications to underscore real-world applicability are provided. Full article

Environmental management systems (EMSs), such as ISO 14001, are commonplace across the architecture, engineering, construction, operations, and management (AECOM) sectors of advanced economies. However, their uptake remains limited across emerging markets and developing economies. This study explores stakeholders’ perceptions of the benefits and barriers to implementing EMSs within the AECOM sectors of Malaysia. Guided by a positivist stance, the study takes a quantitative approach using an online questionnaire to gather the opinions of AECOM professionals. The findings reveal that participants believe the most significant benefits of implementing EMSs in Malaysia are to improve corporate image and contribute to the environmental standards of the sector, whereas the most significant barriers to implementing EMSs are lack of client support and the difficulty in coordinating environmental performance among multi-tier subcontractors. Based on the evidence collected, the study recommends encouragement by the government of Malaysia to drive forward environmental management and further research into the reasons for the lack of reported support for ISO 14001 within the supply chain. Full article