scholarly journals Whitewashing state capture: Discursive legitimization of large construction projects in the Western Balkans

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-214
Author(s):  
Ana Marjanović-Rudan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Analytic Model ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Abuse Of Power ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
State Capture ◽  
Public Resources ◽  
The Future

Through the use of language, government institutions and officials in elective democracies try to present particular instances of abuse of power and public resources as legitimate and enable similar practices in the future. This article aims to identify and reveal the strategies used within the Western Balkans' official discourses to legitimize particular cases of suspected state capture and assess their outcomes. The empirical study of six prominent cases of suspected state capture in the construction industry in the period from 2010 to 2020 indicates that a single legitimization strategy is used region-wide, and this article contributes to better understanding it. To assess the strategy outcomes, an original analytic model is proposed. The findings suggest that the deployment of the strategy to legitimize the suspected cases of state capture encourages potential captors in the region to consider engaging in similar practices in the future.

Using structural equation modeling to analyze relationships among key causes of delay in construction

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyh-Bin Yang ◽  
Shen-Fen Ou
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Project Schedule ◽  
Analytical Results ◽  
Proposed Model

Schedule delays frequently occur in construction projects. The first step in resolving delay problems is to identify the main causes of delay. Previous studies identifying significant causes of delay have not examined how different causes work together to influence project schedule delays. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of causes of delay in construction has been developed for describing and quantifying the influence of different causes. Although this empirical study is based on a survey in Taiwan’s construction environment, the proposed model is applicable to construction industries in other countries. The analytical results clearly show the correlations among key causes of delay, which is the basis for resolving future schedule delays. This study proved that SEM is capable of quantifying the comprehensive relationships among investigated factors. Additionally, SEM has a high potential to resolve experience-oriented problems in the construction industry.

scholarly journals Application of direct payment clause 30A.0 of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) Standard Form of Contract (with quantities)

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-50
Author(s):  
Nur Emma Mustaffa ◽  
Hamizah Liyana Tajul Ariffin ◽  
Norazam Othman ◽  
Shahida Shaima Shamsudin
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Standard Form ◽  
Direct Payment ◽  
International Arbitration ◽  
Legal Cases ◽  
The Future ◽  
Scale Down

Conditional payment such as “pay when paid” or “pay if paid” can create negative chain effect on the parties in construction projects, resulting in delay on the completion of a project, adversarialism and may affect a contractor’s reputation. Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) has launched a standard form of contract which is Construction Industry Payment Adjudication Act (CIPAA) compliance with the aim to reduce payment issues. The aim of the research is to identify whether the clause for “direct payment under CIPAA 2012” of the new AIAC standard form of contract can facilitate problems in direct payment.  In achieving the aim of the research, five legal cases were analysed and thirty questionnaires forms were distributed. Legal cases analysis findings highlighted that the major reasons of the direct payment issue being referred to court is due to the validity of the direct payment agreement between the disputant’s parties. Based on the cases heard before CIPAA enactment, the findings show that out of the three cases,  the disputants went to litigation because of the legality of direct payment agreements. Most of the agreements were made orally. For cases analysed after CIPAA was enacted, the findings show that the disputant parties do not opt for adjudication and that the main contractors try to mitigate their responsibilities to the employer. The results from the questionnaires distributed established that,  the direct payment clause could be successfully adopted for future use of the industry. Eventhough the AIAC standard form of contract has been formally introduced to the industry, but it is not widely used. From the findings of the questionnaire, it shows that with encouragement and support from the industry, direct payment clause of AIAC standard form of contract have the potential in reducing payment issues in the future. With the remodeling of standard form of contracts that are available in construction industry to be CIPAA compliance ,  it is hoped that this move may scale down the prevalent payment issues in Malaysian construction industry.

Impact of COVID-19 on project performance in the UAE construction industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Sami Ur Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Tariq Shafiq ◽  
Muneeb Afzal
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the global economy and, thus, the global construction industry. This paper aims to study the impact of COVID-19 on construction project performance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative and exploratory approach to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and its policies on project performance in the UAE construction industry in critical areas of the project management body of knowledge (e.g. schedule, cost, resources and contracts). Semi-structured interview questions were asked from ten construction professional to obtain valuable insights into the pandemic’s effects on the UAE construction industry and the effectiveness of policies implemented to rectify the damage and identify the industry’s new normal. Findings The findings indicate that the construction industry faced several challenges such as schedule delays, disrupted cashflows, delayed permits, approvals and inspections, travel restrictions, serious health and safety concerns, material and equipment shortages, among others which hindered the timely delivery of construction projects. It also indicates that efforts made by the government institutions and the construction industry of the UAE such as economic support programs, digitization of processes, fee and fine waivers, health facilities, among other statutory relaxations proved effective in supporting the construction industry against the adverse effects of the pandemic. Research limitations/implications The research findings are limited to the literature review and ten semi-structured interviews seeking an expert’s opinion from industry professionals working in the UAE construction industry. The research team did not get access to project documents, contracts and project progress reports which may be required to validate the interview findings, and to perform an in-depth analysis quantifying the impact of COVID 19 on construction projects performance, which is a limitation of this research. Practical implications The implication is that, owing to the imposed lockdowns and strict precautionary measures to curb the rapid spread of the pandemic, smooth execution of the construction project across the country was affected. The government institutions and stakeholders of the construction projects introduced and implemented various techniques and solutions which effectively handled the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry of the UAE. Originality/value This study has identified the challenges faced by the construction industry of the UAE in the context of the management of project schedule, project cost, construction contracts, health and safety of construction employees and other related aspects of the construction projects. This study also identified the techniques and solutions adopted by various public and private institutions of the country and their implications on construction projects. Therefore, this study provides guidelines for policymakers and future research studies alike.

scholarly journals Developing a strategic perspective for construction industry of Botswana

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-172
Author(s):  
Joseph Ssegawa
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Group Approach ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
The Future ◽  
Strategic Perspective

The paper discusses the outcome of a study conducted to formulate the strategic perspective of the construction industry in Botswana. The study was sanctioned by the two influential entities namely the Ministry of Infrastructure and BOCCIM Construction Sector. The two entities not only represent the demand and supply side of the construction industry but also represent key professions, trades and interests of the industry. A focus group approach was used based on workshops to formulate the strategic perspective. Workshop participants were drawn from various organisations that play a role in the delivery of construction projects. Individually they also represented the various professions, trades, occupations and interests relating to the construction processes in Botswana. Specific statements for industry’s vision, mission, values and goals were formulated through constructive discussions and debates to describe the future desired state of the construction industry. These are to serve as guiding tools for the industry’s reform process. The paper provides a step by step approach that integrates several scholastic frameworks for developing a strategic perspective for the industry.

Balkan civic protests are not going away

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Development Project ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Abuse Of Power ◽  
Waterfront Development ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
State Capture ◽  
Public Resources ◽  
High Level

Subject The new wave of agitation against government misbehaviour across the Balkans. Significance Between May and July 2016, there were five mass demonstrations against the controversial Belgrade Waterfront development project. The Don't Let Belgrade D(r)own movement has rallied tens of thousands in protest against high-level corruption, abuse of power and misappropriation of public resources. Impacts Protests will enhance accountability and raise awareness of state capture and abuse of power. Civic mobilisation will slow down authoritarian backsliding, but cannot fix dysfunctional regimes. Serbia seems more open than its neighbours to campaigns facilitated by modern social media.

scholarly journals Understanding the fall-related safety issues in concrete formwork

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 ◽  
pp. 02007
Author(s):  
Vigneshkumar Chellappa ◽  
Urmi Ravindra Salve
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
The Future ◽  
Fall Accidents

The construction industry recorded high rates of fatalities and injuries due to falls at the workplace. Among other activities, concrete formwork tends to have more fatal falls. This study aims to understand the fall-related safety issues in the formwork lifecycle of construction projects. To achieve this, the process of formwork activities was mapped, and the safety risks associated with each activity were classified. Method development and risk identification focused on interviews with construction professionals involved in the construction of formwork and site observations of the formwork activities. The overall finding was that pouring, stripping, and erection activities have more issues related to falls. Future research is being carried out to assess the risks of falls from the construction experts’ views to prevent fall accidents in the future.

Increasing Awareness about Contagious Diseases through Information Campaigns in Romania

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86
Author(s):  
Laura Marcu
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
The Future

Abstract The article presents an analysis of the awareness of the population about the kinds of contagious diseases to which it is exposed, as well as ways to prevent known and applied in everyday life. Presentation exposes results of a survey in the Dambovita county of Romania and tries to explain it by reference to information campaigns on contagious diseases. The empirical study reveals the main contagious diseases known and those less known by people, the favourite sources of information, the main measures of prevention known and applied by individuals. Finally some considerations are made regarding the future organization of information campaigns in this area.

Inhibiting Factors of Cost Performance in UAE Construction Projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Salem Ahmed Marey Alhammadi ◽  
◽  
Aftab Hameed Memon ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Index Method ◽  
Cost Performance ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Inhibiting Factors ◽  
Critical Problems ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

UAE construction industry frequently faces poor cost performance which commonly known as cost overrun problem. This problem is resulted from several factors and it is important to identify these cost overrun factors in order to avoid and minimize it. Hence, this paper focused on determined the relevancy of factors affecting cost performance in construction projects of UAE. Through a review of past research works conducted globally, 27 factors of cost overrun were listed and used for developing a structured questionnaire. A survey was conducted with 33 practitioners from client, consultant and contractors organizations involved in handling construction projects in UAE. The respondents were requested to state their perception regarding the relevancy of each of the factors that was perceived in context with cost overrun issue using 5-points Likert scale. The responses were analysed using average index method and the results found that all the 27 factors are relevant with construction industry of UAE in causing cost overrun. These factors can be used for further investigation to uncover critical problems of cost overrun.

The Impact of Terrorism on Construction Industry in Iraq

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-84
Author(s):  
Wadhah Amer Hatem ◽  
Samiaah M. Hassen Al-Tmeemy
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Statistical Procedures ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Suicide Attacks ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

     Suicide attacks, bombings, explosions became the part of daily life in Iraq. Consequently, the threat of terrorism put the Iraqi construction sector in the face of unique and unusual challenges that not seen on other countries. These challenges can have extensive impact on construction projects. This paper seeks to examine the impact of the terrorist attacks on construction industry and determine the extent to which the impact of terrorism on construction projects in terms of cost, schedule, and quality. This study adapted quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data using questionnaire survey and interviews, as well as historical data. The study focused on projects that have been the target of terrorist strikes in Diyala governorate. A variety of statistical procedures were employed in data analysis. The results revealed the extent to which terrorist attacks impact construction projects in terms of cost, time, and quality. The results of this study will enhance the awareness of all construction parties to the impact of the terrorist attacks against construction projects. Eventually, this can develop a risk management assessment and assist contractors to properly protect projects and buildings to minimize injuries and fatalities in the event of terrorism.

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