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Smart city strategies have been developed in several cities worldwide to improve the well-being of residents, social life and economic welfare through digital transformation and technology-based interventions. The need for cities to supply assistive services and inclusive strategies for all people has also increased with the increasing urban population and smart city applications. Although technology offers several benefits for more inclusive and liveable environments, there are also drawbacks due to difficulties in adapting to digitalization and due to limited accessibility. The present study aims to explore smart city strategies from an inclusiveness perspective by analysing the London smart city strategy as a case study using a qualitative research methodology. Qualitative data analysis was conducted based on secondary data from London smart city strategy documents and semi-structured interviews with domain experts. Although inclusiveness is embedded in the London smart city strategy, there is still room for improvement. The results of this study indicate that spatial inclusion is the major focus of the London smart city policy where inclusive housing, transport and health management systems are promoted with a variety of assistive technologies with some scope on social and economic inclusion. This study proposed ways of boosting inclusiveness by improving citizen engagement through collaborations, increased transparency, and measures for preventing data misuse and misinterpretation. Using London as a case study, potential barriers in implementing inclusive strategies for smart cities in practice are highlighted, which may provide valuable learned lessons for other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is highly probable to encounter disputes in construction projects and construction disputes are detrimental as they may lead to cost overruns and delays. Knowing the compensation with some certainty can avoid parties from extending inconclusive claims. Decision support systems can be helpful to understand the aspect of the compensation, if any compensation can be acquired. Within this context, the primary objective of this research is to predict the associated compensations in construction disputes by using machine learning (ML) techniques on past project data so that in new projects, decision support can be provided with some certainty via forecasts on the aspect of the compensation. To do this, a conceptual model identifying the attributes affecting compensations was established based on an extensive literature review. Using these attributes, data from real-world dispute cases were collected. Insignificant attributes were eliminated via Chi-square tests to establish a simpler classification model, which was experimented via alternative single and ensemble ML techniques. The Naïve Bayes (NB) classifier generated the highest average classification accuracy as 80.61% when One-vs-All (OvA) decomposition technique was utilized. The conceptual model can guide construction professionals during dispute management decisionmaking and the promising results indicate that the classification model has the potential to identify compensations. This study can be used to mitigate disputes by preventing parties from resorting to unpleasant and inconclusive resolution processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project portfolio management requires a systematic process that comprises assessment of portfolio risk and expected profitability, as well as strategic fit of individual projects with company objectives. After a needs analysis based on literature findings and surveys with experts, in this study, a process model and a tool, COPPMAN (COnstruction Project Portfolio MANagement), were developed to support project portfolio decisions in construction companies. COPPMAN was developed in collaboration with construction professionals. Different from previous studies, it incorporates a portfolio risk and strategic fit assessment model considering project dependencies and integrates knowledge of previous, on-going and potential projects to estimate value of alternative project portfolios. COPPMAN was implemented in a construction company and evaluated as a useful tool due to its features such as knowledge integration, forecasting of portfolio profitability and recommendation of strategies as well as its visualization features. Research design and findings can be used for development of similar tools in other project-based industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant narrative of project risk management pays homage to scientific rationality while conceptualizing risk as objective fact. Yet doubts remain regarding the extent to which the advocated quantitative techniques are used in practice. An established counternarrative advocates the importance of intuition and subjective judgment. New insights are developed by conceptualizing risk as a narrative construct used for the purposes of identity work. Project-based practitioners are seen to mobilize resources from competing narratives to meet the transient expectations of those with whom they interact. Ultimately, they tend to emphasize approaches that sustain their ascribed identities as custodians of rationality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International joint ventures (IJVs) have become popular because of their importance as a strategic alternative in global competition. The measurement of the performance of IJVs has been an important research topic for a few decades, however there is no consensus on an appropriate definition and measurement of IJV performance. In this study, a model is proposed to assess IJV performance in construction. The validity of the proposed drivers and measures of performance is investigated and relationships between them are analyzed. The effects of interpartner fit/relations, structural IJV characteristics, host country factors, and project- related factors on IJV performance are examined through a questionnaire survey. IJV performance is defined by a four-dimensional construct that considers the performance of the project, the IJV partners, the IJV organization itself, and the perceptions of the IJV partners. The results point out the significance of the interpartner fit and the quality of partner relations for a successful IJV operation. The findings of the study also suggest that project-related factors have a moderate influence on IJV performance. In a properly designed IJV structure, partners with compatible skills, resources, and cultures are found to maintain good relations and are expected to achieve greater IJV success. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000022 CE Database subject headings: Joint ventures; Construction industry; Performance characteristics; Construction management; International factors. Author keywords: Joint ventures; Construction industry; Performance characteristics; Construction management.

Globalized competition and customer needs forced construction companies to measure their performance beyond the financial measures such as profitability, turnover, etc. As qualitative determinants were added to measurement systems, their investigation and evaluation became a major area of research. In this study, the impact of 'resources and capabilities,' 'strategic decisions,' 'project management competencies,' and 'strength of relationships with other parties' on 'company performance' was investigated. A questionnaire survey was administered to 73 Turkish contractors and the results of the survey were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that, as expected, resources and capabilities and strategic decisions have an important and direct impact on company performance, whereas project management competencies and strength of relationships with other parties impact company performance only indirectly, through their impact on companies' resources and capabilities and strategic decisions. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2010)26:1(9) CE Database subject headings: Construction management; Measurement; Resource management; Productivity. Author keywords: Company performance measurement; Resources and capabilities; Project management competencies; Strategic decisions.

In this study, an analytic network process (ANP), which can handle the interrelations between risk related factors, is proposed as a reliable technique for measuring the level of risk associated with international construction projects. Within this context, ANP is used to derive the relative priorities of risk factors as an input to a decision support tool, which can be utilized during bidding decisions. The decision support tool may help a decision maker to estimate the level of risk so that alternative projects may be ranked with respect to their risk levels and appropriate contingency values may be defined after a bid decision is given. The tool has a database in which risk information of the rated projects can be stored for future use. The reliability of the tool was tested on eight real cases and satisfactory results were achieved in estimating the risk level. Key words: analytic network process, international construction, risk assessment. Dans cette etude, un reseau analytique (<< ANP >>) qui peut traiter des relations entre les divers facteurs relies aux risques est propose comme technique fiable pour mesurer le niveau de risque associe aux projets internationaux de construction. L'ANP sert donc a deriver les priorites relatives des facteurs de risques en tant qu'intrant pour un outil d'aide a la decision qui peut etre utilise lors des prises de decisions concernant les appels d'offres. L'outil d'aide a la decision peut aider les decideurs a estimer le niveau de risque de maniere a classer les plans de rechange selon leur niveau de risque et des valeurs appropriees de contingence peuvent etre definies apres une prise de decision concernant un appel d'offre. L'outil possede une base de donnees dans laquelle l'information sur le risque des projets cotes peut etre sauvegardee pour utilisation future. La fiabilite de l'outil a ete testee sur huit cas reels avec des resultats satisfaisants dans l'estimation du niveau de risque. Mots-cles : reseau analytique, construction internationale, evaluation des risques. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Construction projects are getting more complex and activities of construction companies are becoming more diverse. Globalization has provided opportunities for the local construction organizations that are planning to diversify [...]

The aim of strategic group analysis is to determine whether clusters of firms that have a similar strategic position exist within an industry or not. Findings of strategic group analysis may further be used to investigate the performance implications of strategic group membership. The objective of this paper is to identify the possible strategic groups that could exist within the Turkish construction industry by using a theoretical framework applicable for the construction industry and alternative statistical cluster analysis techniques. The achieved results pinpoint the existence of three clusters and significant differences between the performances of firms in each cluster. All of the firms in the strategic group that have the highest average performance utilize a quality differentiation strategy and have the necessary resources and capabilities that give them the opportunity to differentiate their services from others. Also, they use a systematic approach and have a collaborative environment for strategic decision making. Findings of strategic group analysis can be used by professionals to understand the current strategic position of a firm within the competitive environment and formulate strategies to shift to a better performing cluster. CE Database subject headings: Construction industry; Statistics; Decision making; Competition.

Joint ventures have become popular because of their importance as a strategic alternative in global competition. One of the reasons why international joint ventures (IJVs) are difficult to manage is because the cultural distance between IJV partners has significant impact on alliance performance. Since construction projects are highly sensitive to external risks, the effect of the culture in the location in which the IJV operates is also significant. In this study, the effect of cultural similarity/difference relative to the national and organizational characteristics of partner companies on IJV performance is examined through a questionnaire survey. The impact of the cultural similarity/difference between an IJV partner and the host country is also assessed. The results of the study suggest that differences in organizational culture have a greater impact on IJV performance than differences in national and host country culture. The findings also reveal that similarity between the national cultures of IJV partners has a negative effect on IJV performance. The analysis of the data failed to provide evidence that IJV performance is affected by differences between the culture of the host country and the culture of an IJV partner. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2008)134:5(361) CE Database subject headings' Joint ventures; International factors; Construction industry; Performance characteristics; Foreign countries; Construction management.

Managing knowledge effectively is critical to the survival and advance of a company, especially in project-based industries such as construction. However, capturing knowledge in construction projects is a tedious task, as knowledge is usually experience based, tacit, and hard to pass on to others. In this study, a survey was carried out among eight leading Turkish construction contractors that are operating within the international construction market. The specific objectives of this survey are to find out how the tacit and explicit knowledge are captured, stored, shared, and used in forthcoming projects, as well as major drivers and barriers for knowledge management. Based on the survey, it was determined that most of these finns do not have a knowledge management strategy and a systematic way of capturing and storing tacit knowledge. A conceptual framework is proposed to formalize the knowledge-capturing process within construction companies. To demonstrate how the conceptual framework can be implemented in practice, a Web-based system, namely, Knowledge Platform for Contractors (KPfC) is presented. It is hypothesized that KPfC can be used to manage both tacit and explicit knowledge effectively in construction projects. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2008)24:2(87) CE Database subject headings: Construction industry; Construction companies; Contractors; Project management; Knowledge-based systems.

Joint ventures have been an important research topic over the last few decades primarily because of their importance as a strategic alternative in global competition. Due to the inherent complexities of international joint ventures (IJVs), involving a mixture of different managerial systems, attitudes, and business strategies, such entities are very difficult to manage. In this study, the effect of strategic, organizational, and cultural fit between IJV partners and of interpartner relations on IJV performance is examined through a questionnaire survey. IJV performance is measured by means of two constructs: 'project performance' and 'performance of IJV management.' The results point out the significance of the quality of partner relations for a successful IJV operation. Findings of the study also suggest that the level of organizational fit between the partners has a moderate influence on IJV performance. It was observed that strategic fit between IJV partners affects interpartner relations extensively, which in turn affects IJV performance. IJV partners with compatible technical and managerial skills, financial resources, organizational size, workload, and project experiences are expected to achieve greater IJV success. CE Database subject headings: Joint ventures; Organizations; Construction management; Partnerships; International factors.

Strategic collaborations such as joint ventures (JWs) have become an important way of exploiting business opportunities for construction companies. However, such entities are difficult to manage due to their composite structures, which entail diverse organizational cultures, styles, and objectives. Therefore, measurement of JV performance has been an interesting research topic although there is no consensus on the definition, measures, and variables of performance yet. Considering the inherent complexities of the construction projects, only an adequate combination of criteria allows assessing the international construction joint venture (ICJV) performance. Within this study, an analytic network process model is developed to examine the links between the determinants of performance and to observe the influences of these factors on the ICJV performance. As a result, interpartner relations, structural factors and interpartner fit are found to be the most important determinants of ICJV success. Effectiveness of conflict resolution and control mechanisms contribute significantly to ICJV performance. Cultural fit is the most important fit that should be attained between the partners. The performance of the model is tested on eight real construction projects and satisfactory results are obtained. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2007)23:3(156) CE Database subject headings: Joint ventures; Performance characteristics; Network; Construction management.

Abstract: Where prioritization and selection process of large-scale construction projects is concerned, governments should consider various quantitative and qualitative criteria when choosing the best project alternative. The traditional benefit-cost (B/C) [...]