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This study examined the relationship between organizational capabilities and resilience of small and medium-sized construction firms in Ghana. It emphasized that innovation would mediate the relationship between organizational capabilities and construction firms' resilience, and environmental factors would moderate the relationship between organizational capabilities and construction firms' resilience. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study consisted of management members of construction firms. The convenience sampling technique was used for selecting and reaching out to the sample respondents. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to elicit data from the respondents. Data from 261 respondents were collected and analyzed. The study found a significant positive relationship between organizational capabilities and firms' resilience; a significant positive relationship between organizational capabilities and firms' innovation; and a significant positive relationship between innovation and firms' resilience. Furthermore, it was found that innovation wholly mediates the relationship between organizational capabilities and firms' resilience; and environmental factors partially moderate the relationship between organizational capabilities and firms' resilience. It was concluded that for small and medium-sized construction firms to grow and become resilient to various turbulences, there is a need for them to strengthen their capabilities, innovativeness, and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction industry enterprises involve many stakeholders and are highly vulnerable to systemic risk. Whether managers can pay attention to the implementation of social responsibility in construction enterprises and achieve the synergistic development of stakeholders and organizational resilience is crucial to the future of their enterprises. However, how construction companies can achieve a resilient organization by fulfilling social responsibility is still a "black box problem". Based on a fixed effects model that eliminates time trends from influencing the results, this study explores the role of the mechanism in the relationships among CSR performance, disclosure, and organizational resilience in the construction industry. This study finds that the disclosure of CSR reports enhances organizational resilience in the construction industry, making companies more resistant and resilient. Subdividing the different dimensions of CSR reveals that the fulfillment of social responsibility to shareholders, society, and employees has a significant effect on the organizational resilience of construction firms. This study deepens the understanding of the relationship between CSR activities and the organizational resilience of construction firms, contributing to the theoretical foundations and managerial references for achieving sustainable corporate development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of China's carbon emission trading (CET) framework on the green development of the construction sector, a topic that has been underexplored. Utilizing annual data from 107 publicly listed construction companies from 2007 to 2022, we apply green total factor productivity (GTFP) as a metric for green development. Our findings reveal that GTFP increased by 0.36 during this period. Using the Difference-in-Differences (DID) methodology, we account for factors such as market dimensions, ownership structure, financial stability, geographical location, and state financial aid. The interaction term coefficient in our model is 0.0089, significant at the 1% level, indicating that CET implementation has significantly improved GTFP in construction enterprises. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the CET's impact is more pronounced in large-scale, state-owned, highly indebted enterprises, those located in the eastern region, and those receiving government subsidies, with coefficients of 0.112, 0.0108, 0.0092, 0.0133, and 0.0099, respectively, all significant at the 1% level. These results underscore the importance of unified market development and tailored governance strategies. The study concludes with policy recommendations and calls for further research to explore CET's nuanced impacts across different sectors and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engagement of construction firms in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained strategic importance in facilitating the long-lasting transformation of the construction industry, particularly in light of the proliferation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). While previous studies have acknowledged the influence of regulative and normative pressures on CSR engagement, the impact of mimetic pressures, namely peer effects, on a construction firm's CSR engagement remains unexplored. In the diffusion of peer effects, limited information on CSR-related activities of peer firms hampers the observation and learning from each other, where the interconnections between firms through directors serving on multiple boards come into play as a valuable resource in presenting opportunities for mutual learning and knowledge sharing. Therefore, drawing on the neoinstitutional theory, this study seeks to address this research gap by conducting a multiple regression analysis using secondary data from 35 Chinese-listed construction firms between 2010 and 2020. Specifically, this study investigates how and to what extent peer effects shape a construction firm's CSR engagement through board interlocking ties and examines the moderating role of corporate governance mechanisms, such as ownership concentration and board independence. The results reveal the positive and significant influence of peer effects on the CSR engagement of construction firms through board interlocking ties. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that both ownership concentration and board independence serve as positive moderators in the relationship between peer effects and CSR engagement. This study contributes to the expanding body of research on the environmental, social, and governance practices of construction firms and provides novel insights into the role of board interlocking ties in promoting CSR imitation in the context of construction industry transformation. The findings not only broaden the understanding of CSR imitation among construction firms but also provide practical guidance for aligning the governance mechanisms of construction firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIM use has proved to be inevitable in construction project phases, starting from the project initiation phase and ending with the project closeout phase. Through the use of 4D/5D/6D models in processes of the construction project such as scheduling, bills of quantities (BoQs), and environmental analysis, BIM provides massive assistance to all project participants. In addition, BIM has been utilized in facility management through the use of 7D models. These well-established benefits positively impact construction project variables: cost, time, and quality. Despite these invaluable contributions in construction projects, BIM is not extensively applied in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of Arab countries, especially in small/medium-scale construction projects. BIM use at these project scales is mainly exclusive to the design phases. The present use of BIM in GCC construction projects leads to the missing of numerous opportunities, which negatively affects project delivery methods, project timelines, and, consequently, project budgets. To shed more light on this subject, this research paper attempts to answer emerging questions, such as the following: How do BIM and other software programs support the technical team of construction projects? Do these software programs have a direct impact on construction project management, in terms of project timelines and work changes? Does BIM add unnecessary cost to the project budget? This research paper proposes four technical task groups used in construction project phases to evaluate the use of BIM and the associated software programs, namely technical work, Time and Accuracy, budget, and BoQ. These four task groups, moreover, have been ratified and are the subject of consensus by project managers and senior engineers in GCC construction projects, who provided the research primary data through interviews and field surveys. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to investigate and analyze the present status of BIM use in construction projects, and subsequently, to establish a basis to propose improvements to support the technical team of construction projects. Two approaches are proposed to overcome the obstacles that hinder BIM adoption in GCC countries. The first one is a top-down approach, in which BIM use and BIM documents are mandatory in construction projects. The second approach is a bottom-up approach, where having more BIM professionals in the GCC market will facilitate the transformation to BIM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical evidence on the external knowledge search behaviour of construction firms and its effects on innovation ambidexterity (IA) and performance is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of external knowledge sources on IA and the mediating role of IA in the relationship between external knowledge sources and financial performance (FP) in construction firms. It tests the hypotheses developed using survey responses from management personnel in Hong Kong construction firms. The results indicate that knowledge from clients or suppliers has a significant effect on IA. Similarly, knowledge sourced from universities and research institutions has a significant positive impact on IA. However, only knowledge from clients directly affects FP. IA fully mediates the relationships between knowledge from clients, suppliers or universities and research institutions with FP but not the other three sources. While partly validating some existing studies, these findings also extend the current knowledge on the connection between external knowledge sources and IA. This shows how IA can translate external knowledge into financial outcomes, revealing the value of different knowledge sources for firms. The findings provide insights into how construction firms can direct their knowledge searches to enhance ambidexterity and financial outcomes. This study showed the importance of external collaborators for construction firms in achieving IA and FP. It contributes to the theory and practice on the antecedents and outcomes of IA in construction firms and the path-dependent processes to enhance FP through the use of external knowledge to simultaneously pursue exploratory and exploitative innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many, the business environment is regarded as the main factor determining changes in construction productivity. However, changes in a country's institutional regulation can contribute to the productivity changes of construction firms over the long term but are often overlooked in construction productivity research. To study the impact of institutional regulation on construction productivity, a sample of 55 public-listed construction Malaysian firms (2009–2020) is used as a case study to estimate total factor productivity (TFP) based on the Geometric-Young Index (GYI). Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) is then used to decompose the TFP-GYI into the technological, environment, technical, scale-mix, and statistical noise components. This is followed by the Generalized Method Moments (GMM) to model the impact of different institutional regulations on TFP and decomposed productivity components. The results indicate that the institutional regulation framework influences construction firms' TFP. Property rights and the rule of law (PRRL), and budget balance and change in wages (BBCW) have a positive impact on TFP, which largely influences technical efficiency. In addition to uncovering the impact of institutional regulation on construction productivity, namely capital availability and regulatory environment, it is concluded that institutional regulation plays a vital role in determining long-term construction firm productivity and needs to be considered by policymakers in formulating supporting incentives and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the challenges of innovation and adaptation to change, Construction 4.0 (C4.0) is triggering a revolution within construction and industry firms from automation to a greater level of digitalization. Despite the plethora of advantages and growing research interest in certain aspects of C4.0 technology implementation (C4.0TeIm), previous discourses have been largely fragmented and lack a comprehensive investigation of the factors influencing C4.0TeIm. To this end, this study aims to holistically investigate the influencing factors of C4.0TeIm and propose guidelines for future research directions. Informed by the United Nations twin green and digital transition perspectives, this study initiated its exploration in the background by delving into the potential intersections between C4.0 and sustainability. To achieve the aim, this study (i) reviewed 77 relevant articles and discerned a comprehensive list of factors influencing C4.0TeIm; (ii) outlined and quantified the influence and importance of the identified factors using social network analysis and validated results against the simplified analysis; and (iii) revealed gaps in the literature and proposed a research roadmap directing future research needs. The results show that 60 factors could collectively influence construction firms' C4.0TeIm; they can be categorized into the external environment, technology competence, organizational factors, project-based factors, and technology challenges. The findings also reveal that further endeavors should emphasize those understudied factors such as "perceived overall organizational performance improvement", "corporate strategy and management policy", and "availability of resources". Practically, the proposed research guidelines provide valuable references to accelerate C4.0TeIm in both academics and the business world and offer strategies for the top management of firms to maximize potential benefits and gain competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost management refers to the procedures that must be followed to ensure that the project is accomplished on time and on budget. The goal of this study is to identify the main factors that affect cost compliance and to assess how relevant these factors are from the perspectives of clients, contractors, and consultants in construction firms in Iraq. For the purpose of this study, 100 structured questionnaires were distributed to clients, contractors, and consultants on building sites throughout the study area by using the survey approach. The Relative Importance Index (RII) technique was used for the analysis. It has been determined that the factors potentially affecting cost management in construction firms should be taken into consideration during the planning, design, tendering, and construction stages to accomplish the project within the specified time and cost. Twenty factors that affected the performance of construction firms in Iraq were identified. The results revealed the most affecting factor was poor management/poor coordination between the contracting company and the authorities involved, followed by the nationality of workers, structural materials damaged during storage, the absence of places designated for storing materials, lack of personnel specializing in devices and equipment, changing labor and material prices as a result of political changes, lack of technical staff, length of the project period, mismatch designs with execution works in site, and changes in orders. The study concludes by stating that there is not an efficient procedure in Iraq to control cost management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIM use has proved to be inevitable in construction project phases, starting from the project initiation phase and ending with the project closeout phase. Through the use of 4D/5D/6D models in processes of the construction project such as scheduling, bills of quantities (BoQs), and environmental analysis, BIM provides massive assistance to all project participants. In addition, BIM has been utilized in facility management through the use of 7D models. These well-established benefits positively impact construction project variables: cost, time, and quality. Despite these invaluable contributions in construction projects, BIM is not extensively applied in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of Arab countries, especially in small/medium-scale construction projects. BIM use at these project scales is mainly exclusive to the design phases. The present use of BIM in GCC construction projects leads to the missing of numerous opportunities, which negatively affects project delivery methods, project timelines, and, consequently, project budgets. To shed more light on this subject, this research paper attempts to answer emerging questions, such as the following: How do BIM and other software programs support the technical team of construction projects? Do these software programs have a direct impact on construction project management, in terms of project timelines and work changes? Does BIM add unnecessary cost to the project budget? This research paper proposes four technical task groups used in construction project phases to evaluate the use of BIM and the associated software programs, namely technical work, Time and Accuracy, budget, and BoQ. These four task groups, moreover, have been ratified and are the subject of consensus by project managers and senior engineers in GCC construction projects, who provided the research primary data through interviews and field surveys. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to investigate and analyze the present status of BIM use in construction projects, and subsequently, to establish a basis to propose improvements to support the technical team of construction projects. Two approaches are proposed to overcome the obstacles that hinder BIM adoption in GCC countries. The first one is a top-down approach, in which BIM use and BIM documents are mandatory in construction projects. The second approach is a bottom-up approach, where having more BIM professionals in the GCC market will facilitate the transformation to BIM.

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of working capital management (WCM) through and its components (Days Sales Outstanding—DSO, Days Inventory Outstanding—DIO, and Days Payable Outstanding—DPO and Net Working Capital) on firm profitability in consumer goods and construction firms by applying Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The independent samples t-test was used to study the difference of WCM between the two groups of firms. The data were collected from 21 consumer goods firms and 41 construction firms listed on Vietnam Stock Market in the period 2011–2020. This study indicates that WCM components impact differently on firm profitability of selected firms in the sample. The results provided empirical evidence supporting financial management theory and implied that WCM is a critical factor explaining firm profitability, and industry specificity is a factor explaining the difference in WCM and its influence on firm profitability in the study sample. The results recommend that financial managers should focus on managing working capital and consider industry characteristics as developing working capital management policy to improve firm profitability.

This study aims to examine construction firms' awareness and implementation of various aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and ascertain whether the level of CSR awareness and implementation would vary across firms with different ownership and control. An online questionnaire survey was undertaken across extra-grade construction firms in China. The results show that respondents' CSR priorities are built around the aspects of quality, safety, and environment. They tend to adopt a more integrated approach to managing the interests of diverse stakeholders. It is notable that there are positive correlations between the firms' CSR awareness and implementation and that listed firms tend to exhibit a higher level of CSR awareness and implementation than their counterparts. In conclusion, the findings inform policymakers and practitioners of the status quo of CSR, thus enabling them to configure targeted strategies to improve the overall CSR awareness and implementation in China's construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology mergers and acquisitions are some of the most important ways to introduce technology into a company. The study reveals the impact of technology mergers and acquisitions on the innovation capability of core developers in construction companies. Among core developers are those who have deep professional knowledge accumulation and strong ability to digest and innovate external knowledge. The social network analysis method is used to measure the relevant indicators of the core Research and Development (R&D) personnel cooperation network. Bridge Group Co Ltd with Chongqing Beixin Yuchang Expressway Construction Co Ltd are used as examples where the changes in the network structure before and after the merger were investigated using quantitative analysis. These changes were investigated from two perspectives: the individual center cooperation network and the overall cooperation network of core R&D personnel. The results show that the density and centrality indicators of the core developers' cooperation network have a positive effect on their innovation capability after the merger whereas the structural hole indicators have a negative effect on their innovation. The study broadens the thinking of social networks in the field of technology Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and provides directions for enhancing the innovation capability of core developers, as well as serving as a theoretical guide and reference for M&A activities in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprise risk management (ERM) is known to be an important internal component within companies for identifying, evaluating, and managing various risks for the achievement of organizational objectives. The after-effect of the global financial crisis in 2008 as well as continued rising inflation in various countries in recent times has led to a drastic change in the management of risks by organizations. In spite of the benefits of ERM, several factors seem to influence its implementation in construction companies. This study aims to examine the factors influencing ERM implementation of construction contracting firms with the purpose of providing answers to the following research questions: what is the categorization of the factors inhibiting ERM implementation in construction contracting firms? Does the type of ownership of construction contracting firms influence the factors promoting ERM implementation within the respective firms? The study adopted survey research. A purposive sampling technique was used to administer 96 questionnaires to registered contracting organizations involved in the planning and subsequent execution of construction contracts in Lagos state, Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that top management related and organizational related factors are the significant factors inhibiting ERM implementation. It was also highlighted that there is no significant difference among construction contracting companies on the factors promoting ERM implementation. The study concluded that awareness of the concept by top management aids implementation and supports as a business strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A megatrend in the business environment poised at practically entrenching sustainability while ensuring global business competitiveness is viewed as a circular economy. At the firm level, circular economy practices distinguish firms for excellent product and service delivery, thus ensuring competitive advantage. The construction firm of the future will practice circular economy while adopting sustainable technology. This study is focused on assessing organisational growth transition among small and medium construction enterprises. A quantitative approach was adopted and structured questionnaires were administered among SME construction firms. The findings reveal the critical factors affecting organisational growth and transition in achieving a circular economy include availability of logistics infrastructure and firm's market share, among others. Factor analysis indicated PCA extractions showing the component's rotation indicating four structure components in the variables. The study named the four clusters required for achieving organisational growth transition as: firm positioning for competitive advantage, personnel management, service delivery and government policy and support. The study provides a foundation for other organisational growth transition studies stemming from circular economy adoption among construction industry SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the challenges of innovation and adaptation to change, Construction 4.0 (C4.0) is triggering a revolution within construction and industry firms from automation to a greater level of digitalization. Despite the plethora of advantages and growing research interest in certain aspects of C4.0 technology implementation (C4.0TeIm), previous discourses have been largely fragmented and lack a comprehensive investigation of the factors influencing C4.0TeIm. To this end, this study aims to holistically investigate the influencing factors of C4.0TeIm and propose guidelines for future research directions. Informed by the United Nations twin green and digital transition perspectives, this study initiated its exploration in the background by delving into the potential intersections between C4.0 and sustainability. To achieve the aim, this study (i) reviewed 77 relevant articles and discerned a comprehensive list of factors influencing C4.0TeIm; (ii) outlined and quantified the influence and importance of the identified factors using social network analysis and validated results against the simplified analysis; and (iii) revealed gaps in the literature and proposed a research roadmap directing future research needs. The results show that 60 factors could collectively influence construction firms’ C4.0TeIm; they can be categorized into the external environment, technology competence, organizational factors, project-based factors, and technology challenges. The findings also reveal that further endeavors should emphasize those understudied factors such as “perceived overall organizational performance improvement”, “corporate strategy and management policy”, and “availability of resources”. Practically, the proposed research guidelines provide valuable references to accelerate C4.0TeIm in both academics and the business world and offer strategies for the top management of firms to maximize potential benefits and gain competitiveness.

The innovations of the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) encouraged the application of 3D printing technology to complement and subsequently replace the conventional construction method. This study assessed the awareness, application, drivers and barriers to the adoption of 3D printing technology for construction with a view to enhancing faster and sustainable construction process. Primary data were obtained with the use of structured questionnaires which were self-administered to medium and small-sized construction firms/contractors in Lagos State. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that the awareness and application levels of the technology are still very low. The findings showed that there exist statistically significant differences (0.039 ≤ p ≤ 0.017) in 6 drivers for the adoption of 3D printing technology, which is influenced by the client’s demand and desire. The study further established that inadequate power supply limits the adoption of 3D printing in the Nigerian construction industry. Implications are indicated by the findings on drivers and barriers of the technology which could help the construction industry in developing countries towards capability improvement for better adoption of 3D printing innovation and enhanced sustainable construction process.

A key problem of construction firms' management and economy is organization of effective participation in public tenders. The direct executor, who determines the price of the contract, may be interested in obtaining as many contracts as possible. It means that his strategic behavior in tender may be to undervalue each individual offer. At the same time, such a strategy can be a source of risk of project loss because the actual costs may be lower than the price of the contract won. The management of the construction organization is not interested in this. On the other hand, overpricing strategy may lead to a reduction in the number of contracts won, which may not seem effective either for the head or for the executor of such an organization. The article discusses whether the profits of a construction firm can increase by using a more precise method of calculating the estimated cost. The second question is—which staff of a construction firm will benefit from using such methods? The aim of this work is to test these hypotheses with the instrumentality of agent-based modeling. Profit values of construction firms were obtained by the computer simulation of the construction firms' strategic behavior in public tenders. Results of 1500 computer experiments are presented as a decision tree. It can be seen that when using a more precise method, construction firms win tenders almost two times less often. However, they incur losses many times less than with an inaccurate method. If a construction firm made a profit from the contracts won, the profit margin was almost always greater when using the more precise method. Moreover, the results of game-theoretic modeling are given. Values of the objective functions of the executor and head of the construction firm were obtained, taking into account the reward for contracts won and penalty for miscalculating the cost of work. It has been proved that using more precise methods for calculating the estimated cost is beneficial to both the head and the executor. It can be concluded that both hypotheses were confirmed and a precise method for calculating the cost increases the efficiency of a construction firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is plagued with projects that are often complex, involve numerous risks and require the input of several stakeholders. Therefore, there is a need to help organisations identify, assess, and manage these risks, reducing the likelihood of project delays, cost overruns, and other problems faced in the industry through effective Knowledge Management (KM). Previous studies on knowledge management and its practices in construction firms have dealt extensively with identifying these practices, how KM practices are carried out, and their importance to better construction performance and service. However, these studies have yet to recognise and discuss the innovative ways knowledge is managed. The practices of knowledge creation, acquisition, transfer, storage and use have seen recent developments in how they are being carried out, and this is primarily a result of the application of Information Technology (IT) to construction. The study sought to assess the innovations in KM practice in construction firms in Lagos state, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to assess innovative KM practices carried out by construction firms and examine the innovative tools and techniques for managing knowledge in construction firms. A quantitative research method was used in this study. The targeted population was construction professionals in construction firms. Data collection was through a structured questionnaire administered to the targeted population, and a response rate of 62% was achieved. The data was analysed using statistical tools. The study revealed that knowledge management is particularly important to the construction industry, and there is a need to improve and invest in knowledge management practices through adopting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve project delivery and performance. The study recommended that construction firms be open to learning and adopting innovative ideas, tools and techniques to ensure that knowledge is properly managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of the sophisticated doctrine of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasing, given the perennial environmental concerns and social demands in the construction industry worldwide. Firms' CSR implementation has been influenced by a broad spectrum of external impetuses and internal motives, yet fragmented assessments of such influences make the prediction and implementation of CSR in construction problematic. This study aimed to validate and apply mathematical models for predicting CSR practices in construction firms. Mobilizing integrated institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and self-determination theory, a questionnaire survey within the top-tier construction contractors was undertaken. Eight mathematical models were developed to predict the key dimensions of CSR practices, such as "government commitment" and "environmental preservation", and validated by five subjective matter expert interviews. The results demonstrated the comprehensiveness, practicality, and robustness of the CSR prediction models in the construction industry. The results also highlighted the perceived importance of CSR practices; external coercive and normative forces, together with internal organizational culture, were the most influential factors directly enhancing construction firms' CSR implementation. Conceptually, the findings refined CSR practice prediction in a construction management context. The proposed CSR assessment checklists can help practitioners improve the often-tenuous overall CSR performance and spur competitiveness in the construction market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the productive efficiency (also called technical efficiency) of real estate and construction firms (RECFs) is essential to tackle the sustained shortage of housing supply and the increasing unaffordability of housing in developing countries. However, there are few studies that focus on this issue in the context of developing countries; and available literature focuses mainly on firms listed on stock markets. Our study employs the meta-frontier framework to measure the efficiency of 832 small, medium, and large RECFs across Indonesia from 2012 to 2016, using a data envelopment analysis technique. The meta-frontier framework allows for different production technologies and different business environments operated by firms of different sizes. Under the specification of group-specific production frontiers, large firms obtain the highest average efficiency scores (0.694), followed by medium firms (0.529), and small firms (0.479). The technology gaps between the meta-frontier and the group-frontiers for small and medium firms are relatively large, suggesting that the overall industry would be able to achieve remarkable efficiency improvement if firms could access technologies used by more efficient firms. Our results also show that determinants of the efficiency vary across firm groups, suggesting that policy and managerial interventions tailored to each group would have more impact on the overall productive efficiency of the entire industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the restructuring of the cities today, economic growth and its reflective trend multi-centred, urban development pattern made business enterprises shifted its locational choice in a decentralized way. As the focus of this paper, construction firms expended their market areas as well. The present study investigates the spatial distribution of construction firms according to the variables of socio-economic characteristics of districts and total construction sizes within the concept of multi-centre development in Istanbul. The paper describes the growth of the city and the construction firms through time according to the concentric zones and districts, firstly. Then descriptive figures and results of regression analysis are given by taking the number of construction firms as dependent variable and population, income per capita, average household size and amount of construction activity as the independent variables. Main hypothesis of this paper is that socio-economic indicators and total size of construction in building permits can explain the variance of number of construction firms in Istanbul district. Overall results from the multiple regression model indicate that the role of socio-economic indicators and total size of construction in building permits on the distribution of construction firms is proved on a large scale in the study. The spatial distribution of the construction firms has been figured out that the sub-central, peripheral districts of Istanbul have sustained the significant role in a way that responds to the construction supply, and housing sub-markets. However, the intense construction trends in the periphery reveal a fact that these firms preserve the location of their management offices in the sub-centre with relatively higher economic attraction, in central districts.

This article aims at studying the empirical evidence of the impacts of human resource management (HRM) on knowledge management (KM) and on non-financial OP of infrastructure construction firms in Thailand. We used structural equation modeling (SEM), a hybrid of factor analysis and path analysis, to investigate the relationship among these three construct. Once a conceptual model was developed, we then employed confirmatory factor analysis to verify the factor structure of a set of observed variables. Then, SEM was used to test the three proposed hypotheses. Results supported the theorized model, indicating that a positive and direct relationship exists between HRM and KM; between knowledge and non-financial OP; and between HRM and non-financial OP in Thai infrastructure construction firms. Additionally, KM was found to be a mediator between HRM and non-financial OP. This study provides additional empirical evidence of the importance of improving non-financial OP through people and their valuable knowledge.

Malaysian construction firms have increasingly gained investment opportunities in foreign countries pushed by the competitive and saturated domestic market. However, the entry location decision involves complex factors to be considered by these firms prior to their international operations. Currently, based on a secondary data obtained from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, there are twelve (12) firms that are actively operating in international markets. The main objective of this preliminary study is to develop an entry location assessment criteria (ELAC) model based on the performance of Malaysian construction firms in international markets. The ELAC formula was derived through a development of taxonomy criteria from previous studies. The construction firms’ performance was analyzed and ranked using a weightage score characterized under three (3) dimensions of country with the taxonomy criteria. First dimension involves entry location decision to countries in ASEAN, Non-ASEAN and both regions, while the second dimension involves entry location decision to ASEAN, Asia, Africa, United States of America and Europe while the third dimension involves entry location decision to countries categorized as Developing Countries (DLC); Least Developed Country (LDC); Newly Industrialized Countries (NIC); Developed Countries (DC); and Highly Developed Countries (HDC). The ELAC score shows that three (3) construction firms which are, Sapura Energy Berhad (66%), Gamuda Berhad (53%) and Sime Darby Berhad (50%) have sustained international operations in various locations by obtaining an ELAC score of more than 50% by venturing to ASEAN countries, developing countries and developed countries. Even though his study is limited to Malaysian construction firms, it provides significant information and contributes to the current knowledge in international market expansion. This ELAC model is useful especially for construction firms that are just beginning to explore foreign business opportunities or for the global players that are expanding geographically to new international markets.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a crucial issue for firms seeking to achieve sustainable development. To achieve transparent CSR, firms usually publish their environmental initiatives and accomplishments—otherwise known as an environmental information disclosure (EID). There is a growing interest in the incentives behind EID and the implications for firms' market capitalization and profitability. However, existing EID studies are mainly rooted in the manufacturing industry; there is a dearth of research related to the construction industry. It is still unclear whether construction engineering firms with superior financial conditions (i.e., doing well financially) have the incentives to signal and distinguish themselves from others by making more extensive EID (i.e., doing good environmentally). Therefore, this study conducts a secondary data analysis of 60 listed construction firms. The results reveal that the financial leverage (i.e., liabilities to assets ratio) is negatively correlated with the level of EID, whereas the relationship between financial performance (i.e., return on equity) and EID is not significant. Furthermore, the ownership structure (i.e., the proportion of state-owned equity) yields a negative moderating effect on the relationship between financial leverage and EID, i.e., the ownership structure buffers firms from (rather than binds firms to) institutional pressures. This study contributes to extending the influencing mechanism of financial conditions and shedding new light on governing environmental responsibility in construction firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for construction firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been growing in response to the different expectations and needs of organizational stakeholders. Given the complexity of the CSR connotation, it is a significant challenge for practitioners to configure their considerations and enact strategic management plans to implement CSR practices based on their constrained resources. Hitherto, little study has been conducted to classify various aspects of CSR practices (ACSRs) based on firms' management priorities, thereby proposing paths of improvement toward CSR (PICSR). This study investigated the potential PICSR for construction firms through importance–performance analysis (IPA) of various ACSRs. Based on a review of the literature and a multiple-case study, an online questionnaire was designed and used to collect data from top-tier construction firms after a pilot study. Cluster analysis was employed to classify firms into different groups based on their CSR implementation scores, followed by the IPA to categorize the ACSRs among different firm clusters and thereafter the establishment of the potential PICSR. The results indicate that although all ACSRs that focus on the employees' interests and CSR organizational arrangement generally are categorized as Keep up the good work and Low priorities, respectively, dispersive distributions exist in the perceived importance and implementation of most ACSRs across different firm clusters, resulting in the diversity of PICSR. The findings contribute to the current CSR knowledge by proposing potential PICSR for construction firms and provides a useful reference for practitioners to evaluate, configure, and optimize their resources toward achieving organizational social responsibility goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of the sophisticated doctrine of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasing, given the perennial environmental concerns and social demands in the construction industry worldwide. Firms’ CSR implementation has been influenced by a broad spectrum of external impetuses and internal motives, yet fragmented assessments of such influences make the prediction and implementation of CSR in construction problematic. This study aimed to validate and apply mathematical models for predicting CSR practices in construction firms. Mobilizing integrated institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and self-determination theory, a questionnaire survey within the top-tier construction contractors was undertaken. Eight mathematical models were developed to predict the key dimensions of CSR practices, such as “government commitment” and “environmental preservation”, and validated by five subjective matter expert interviews. The results demonstrated the comprehensiveness, practicality, and robustness of the CSR prediction models in the construction industry. The results also highlighted the perceived importance of CSR practices; external coercive and normative forces, together with internal organizational culture, were the most influential factors directly enhancing construction firms’ CSR implementation. Conceptually, the findings refined CSR practice prediction in a construction management context. The proposed CSR assessment checklists can help practitioners improve the often-tenuous overall CSR performance and spur competitiveness in the construction market.

Demands for environmentally sustainable construction are driving firms towards the adoption of environmental sustainability practices, and the rising regulatory burden to reduce impacts on the intending users and other stakeholders may demand firms re-strategising their internal factors and level of compliance towards environmental sustainability in project delivery. Using a cross-sectional data collection method, 185 respondents from Malaysian G7 construction firms participated in this research. We utilised partial least squares path modelling for data analysis. Our findings established strong empirical evidence for the hypothesised positive effects of company culture, managerial attitudes and coercive pressure on environmental sustainability performance. However, social responsibility is revealed to have no effect on environmental sustainability performance. This is not unconnected with the fact that most Malaysian firms incur more social responsibility expenditure in the social sector than the environment. Our findings also established that coercive pressure is a positive mediator and a catalyst that plays a complementary role between managerial attitudes, company culture and social responsibility, and environmental sustainability performance. Policy implications and future study's directions are equally discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented huge losses for construction companies in terms of capital, labor, and project construction, highlighting a significant lack of organizational resilience (OR) within the construction industry. How to improve the OR of construction companies has become the key to resolve the crisis. However, there is a lack of systematic insights into the structure and dimensions of OR, as well as a gap in empirical evidence to explain how construction firms systematically construct OR. Therefore, this paper systematically identifies 19 resilience topics and their language descriptions by mining the resilience-related information in 1572 annual reports and expert interview data of listed companies in the Chinese construction industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a combination of the topic model and language model. Following the basic concept of OR, a framework of OR dimensions in the construction firms that integrates actions, resources, and capabilities is developed to uncover the complex resilience characteristics of construction firms. The results show that OR sought by listed companies in the construction industry consists of resilient actions, resilience resources, and resilience capabilities. Resilient actions stem from motivating, restraining, protecting, and exploring actions. The resilience resources include the resource reserves of organization, technology, and knowledge, while the resilience capabilities are dynamic capabilities that integrate prevention, response, adaptation, monitoring, perception, and recovery. The findings not only deconstruct the OR framework for construction companies to cope with crises, but also provide new paths for construction managers to cultivate the OR of companies in practice. • The organizational resilience of construction firms is systematically deconstructed. • Text mining was applied to explore resilience information of listed construction firms. • The language model is embedded in the topic model to identify resilient topics. • Primary dimensions are resilient actions, resilient resources, and resilient capabilities. • Organizational resilience of construction firms is composed of 18 sub-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theaim of this empirical study is to explore the factors that affect the capital structure of construction firms and to investigate whether the capital structure models derived from Western settings provide convincing explanations for capital structure decisions of the Malaysia firms. This study focuses on Shariah compliant construction companies since this industry has been contributing significantly towards Malaysia economic growth. In addition, this study also includesthe impact of financial crisis towards firms’ capital structure decision. Panel data from 11 Shariah compliant construction companies in Malaysia were analyzedfor duration of 17 years (2001-2017). Different conditional theories of capital structure are reviewed i.e.trade‐off theory, pecking order theory,agency theory, and theory of free cash flow,in order to formulate testable propositions concerning the determinants of capital structure of the construction firms. The dependent variable that being used is debt ratio, while independent variables are firmsize, profitability, tangible asset, growth opportunity, liquidity, and crisis respectively. Finding indicates that firm size, profitability and tangible asset are significant towards debt ratio. However, other variables including financial crisis did not have any significant impact on capital structure decision. The results of this study provide important implication to investors and manager of firms in making best decision on capital structure. This study also adds values to the existing knowledge regarding determinants of capital structure and financial crisis.