“Exit barrier” means the obstacle keeping enterprises from competing even though their profits may be negative. This paper presents quantitative research on the exit barrier’s effect on the Chinese construction ind...“Exit barrier” means the obstacle keeping enterprises from competing even though their profits may be negative. This paper presents quantitative research on the exit barrier’s effect on the Chinese construction industry using questionnaire investigation. The exit barrier was classified into six categories, and then the categories were ranked and analyzed according to the respondents from the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non state-owned enterprises (NSOEs), respectively. The main obstacles related to the exit barrier in SOEs and NSOEs were revealed. Finally, suggestions were provided to diminish the exit barrier effect on the construction industry.展开更多
Based on the theory that the management is about dynamic "relations", this paper analyzes the relationship between the construction industry and the "peasant laborer" in different stages, different contents and di...Based on the theory that the management is about dynamic "relations", this paper analyzes the relationship between the construction industry and the "peasant laborer" in different stages, different contents and different aspects. It establishes the three-dimensional model for these relations and points out that a good relationship between the construction enterprise and the construction employees in this crucial time of construction industry is a very crucial link of the achievements, as well as the well-being of the construction enterprises.展开更多
Malaysia has long been involved in the initiative of becoming a high income country by the year 2020. In this essence, fighting and eliminating any means of corruption in the public and private companies have been one...Malaysia has long been involved in the initiative of becoming a high income country by the year 2020. In this essence, fighting and eliminating any means of corruption in the public and private companies have been one of the key challenges in the long run. The globalization of businesses has somehow led to an increase in the number of unethical conduct and hazardous corruption. In the urge to enliven ethics and integrity in a company and among employees, the whole business processes and stakeholders should position code of ethics and integrity at its highest standard. However, can ethics and integrity really increase the company's reputation, strengthening its business operations and sustainability, and deliver trust amongst employees and employers? The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of employees on issues pertaining ethics and integrity. The study has been conducted in one of the giant telecommunication companies in Malaysia where a sample of 7,056 employees were the participants involved in the survey. The study has used questionnaires to collect data. The data have then been analysed using the SPSS data analysis software. The findings explained that employees view the company as an ethical place to work where the finance department is deemed to have the highest level of integrity. While in matters of corruption risk areas, there are still practices of bribery. It is also founded that a majority of respondents about 93% agree that the company's initiatives are effective in building business integrity and that the level of business ethics and integrity has improved over the last two years. Running a business with ethics and integrity while selecting the fight business partners will create a corporation of ethics, integrity, and anti-corruption.展开更多
Construction companies face threats from competition and must be able to adjust to modem technology and changes in customer expectations. These issues require efficient risk management techniques. The success of const...Construction companies face threats from competition and must be able to adjust to modem technology and changes in customer expectations. These issues require efficient risk management techniques. The success of construction companies running projects in international markets depends on how the risks arise from the host country conditions as well as the project specific risk factors. Successful management of risks requires identification of risks, construction of a risk model which can be used to assess the magnitude of risks, and implementation of response strategies so that an acceptable risk-return balance can be achieved. The project success usually depends on the combination of all risks, response strategies used to mitigate risks, and a company's ability to manage them. There exists a need to develop risk models containing the risks of doing business in international markets and factors that affect manageability of these risks. One of the market's critical challenges is scheduled management and the understanding and application of program management. This paper uses systematic risk identification, classification and analysis, and measurement and response methodologies to help international contractors quantify the risks of project development and accomplishment.展开更多
The aim of this study is to investigate the current status and feasibility of achieving Level 2 BIM (building information modeling) usage that is to be made mandatory by the UK govermnent on its projects by the year...The aim of this study is to investigate the current status and feasibility of achieving Level 2 BIM (building information modeling) usage that is to be made mandatory by the UK govermnent on its projects by the year 2016. This study assesses the level at which organizational and practitioner knowledge of BIM is currently positioned. The UK government, being the largest public stakeholder client, has realized the benefits and advantages of BIM when used in procuring projects across their lifecycle in the built environment. A critical review of the BIM literature was carried out and the evidence base was created in relation to government targets for 2016. At the current stage, Level 2 BIM adoption is achievable by 2016 for large construction firms but not for SMEs (small medium enterprise). Also, from evidence in this study, the technology needs to be properly tailored to meet SME variables if Level 2 status is to be achieved for the entire industry.展开更多
Many organizations have now adopted Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) as an architectural style to help them with architecture, design and implementation of their core services and systems. Most of these organizat...Many organizations have now adopted Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) as an architectural style to help them with architecture, design and implementation of their core services and systems. Most of these organizations are challenged in integrating SOA style with their overall Enterprise Architecture work. This framework links an SOA style with the Enterprise Architecture (EA) methodologies to help organizations organize their SOA effort as a key part of their Enterprise Architecture. The case study demonstrates the implementation of architecture goal with organization vision in service oriented organizational structure using services that align Business with Technology. The framework is validated and has reserved the privileges of SOA and EA.展开更多
More than two decades ago, object-oriented representation of AEC (architecture engineering and construction) projects started to offer the promise of seamless communication of semantic data models between computer-b...More than two decades ago, object-oriented representation of AEC (architecture engineering and construction) projects started to offer the promise of seamless communication of semantic data models between computer-based systems used from the design stage to the operation of the facilities. BIM (building information modelling) emerged and appeared as a means to store all relevant data generated during the life-cycle of the facilities. But this upstream view of the built environment, arising from the design and construction stages, extended to the downstream operations where building and industrial facilities appeared more and more as huge dynamic data producers and concentrators while being operated. This created new challenges leading to what is referred to as ISCs (intelligent and smart constructions). The current state of the art is that final constructions still contain various and increasingly versatile control and service systems, which are hardly standardised, and not interconnected among themselves. Monitoring, maintenance and services are done by specialised companies, each responsible of different systems, which are relying on customised software and techniques to meet specific user needs and are based on monolithic applications that require manual configuration for specific uses, maintenance and support. We demonstrate in this paper that the early promises of integration across the actors and along the life-time of facilities have gone a long way but will only be delivered through enhanced standardisation of computerized models, representations, services and operations still not yet fully accomplished 25 years after work started.展开更多
This paper addresses a research question on why construction companies fail in their business. Starting with the concept of growth and capacity underinvestment archetype, a new and operational systems thinking model i...This paper addresses a research question on why construction companies fail in their business. Starting with the concept of growth and capacity underinvestment archetype, a new and operational systems thinking model is developed. The conceptual systems thinking model includes a set of causal structure that can explain various modes(including the growth and failure modes) of business performance of small and medium construction companies. Mainly the three components – projects,finance and capacity – and the understanding of their nexus(or causal inter-relationships) are found to be sufficient to reveal different performance modes in construction business. Further, the three operational aspects, namely, the business growth or decline process;the situation of financial and other capacity resource consumption; and the management of projects, finance and other capacity resources have been identified as the interrelated core and integral aspects of construction business.The three inter-related core aspects could actually include and explain different possible range of business situations,policies and practices in a construction company.展开更多
文摘“Exit barrier” means the obstacle keeping enterprises from competing even though their profits may be negative. This paper presents quantitative research on the exit barrier’s effect on the Chinese construction industry using questionnaire investigation. The exit barrier was classified into six categories, and then the categories were ranked and analyzed according to the respondents from the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non state-owned enterprises (NSOEs), respectively. The main obstacles related to the exit barrier in SOEs and NSOEs were revealed. Finally, suggestions were provided to diminish the exit barrier effect on the construction industry.
文摘Based on the theory that the management is about dynamic "relations", this paper analyzes the relationship between the construction industry and the "peasant laborer" in different stages, different contents and different aspects. It establishes the three-dimensional model for these relations and points out that a good relationship between the construction enterprise and the construction employees in this crucial time of construction industry is a very crucial link of the achievements, as well as the well-being of the construction enterprises.
文摘Malaysia has long been involved in the initiative of becoming a high income country by the year 2020. In this essence, fighting and eliminating any means of corruption in the public and private companies have been one of the key challenges in the long run. The globalization of businesses has somehow led to an increase in the number of unethical conduct and hazardous corruption. In the urge to enliven ethics and integrity in a company and among employees, the whole business processes and stakeholders should position code of ethics and integrity at its highest standard. However, can ethics and integrity really increase the company's reputation, strengthening its business operations and sustainability, and deliver trust amongst employees and employers? The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of employees on issues pertaining ethics and integrity. The study has been conducted in one of the giant telecommunication companies in Malaysia where a sample of 7,056 employees were the participants involved in the survey. The study has used questionnaires to collect data. The data have then been analysed using the SPSS data analysis software. The findings explained that employees view the company as an ethical place to work where the finance department is deemed to have the highest level of integrity. While in matters of corruption risk areas, there are still practices of bribery. It is also founded that a majority of respondents about 93% agree that the company's initiatives are effective in building business integrity and that the level of business ethics and integrity has improved over the last two years. Running a business with ethics and integrity while selecting the fight business partners will create a corporation of ethics, integrity, and anti-corruption.
文摘Construction companies face threats from competition and must be able to adjust to modem technology and changes in customer expectations. These issues require efficient risk management techniques. The success of construction companies running projects in international markets depends on how the risks arise from the host country conditions as well as the project specific risk factors. Successful management of risks requires identification of risks, construction of a risk model which can be used to assess the magnitude of risks, and implementation of response strategies so that an acceptable risk-return balance can be achieved. The project success usually depends on the combination of all risks, response strategies used to mitigate risks, and a company's ability to manage them. There exists a need to develop risk models containing the risks of doing business in international markets and factors that affect manageability of these risks. One of the market's critical challenges is scheduled management and the understanding and application of program management. This paper uses systematic risk identification, classification and analysis, and measurement and response methodologies to help international contractors quantify the risks of project development and accomplishment.
文摘The aim of this study is to investigate the current status and feasibility of achieving Level 2 BIM (building information modeling) usage that is to be made mandatory by the UK govermnent on its projects by the year 2016. This study assesses the level at which organizational and practitioner knowledge of BIM is currently positioned. The UK government, being the largest public stakeholder client, has realized the benefits and advantages of BIM when used in procuring projects across their lifecycle in the built environment. A critical review of the BIM literature was carried out and the evidence base was created in relation to government targets for 2016. At the current stage, Level 2 BIM adoption is achievable by 2016 for large construction firms but not for SMEs (small medium enterprise). Also, from evidence in this study, the technology needs to be properly tailored to meet SME variables if Level 2 status is to be achieved for the entire industry.
文摘Many organizations have now adopted Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) as an architectural style to help them with architecture, design and implementation of their core services and systems. Most of these organizations are challenged in integrating SOA style with their overall Enterprise Architecture work. This framework links an SOA style with the Enterprise Architecture (EA) methodologies to help organizations organize their SOA effort as a key part of their Enterprise Architecture. The case study demonstrates the implementation of architecture goal with organization vision in service oriented organizational structure using services that align Business with Technology. The framework is validated and has reserved the privileges of SOA and EA.
文摘More than two decades ago, object-oriented representation of AEC (architecture engineering and construction) projects started to offer the promise of seamless communication of semantic data models between computer-based systems used from the design stage to the operation of the facilities. BIM (building information modelling) emerged and appeared as a means to store all relevant data generated during the life-cycle of the facilities. But this upstream view of the built environment, arising from the design and construction stages, extended to the downstream operations where building and industrial facilities appeared more and more as huge dynamic data producers and concentrators while being operated. This created new challenges leading to what is referred to as ISCs (intelligent and smart constructions). The current state of the art is that final constructions still contain various and increasingly versatile control and service systems, which are hardly standardised, and not interconnected among themselves. Monitoring, maintenance and services are done by specialised companies, each responsible of different systems, which are relying on customised software and techniques to meet specific user needs and are based on monolithic applications that require manual configuration for specific uses, maintenance and support. We demonstrate in this paper that the early promises of integration across the actors and along the life-time of facilities have gone a long way but will only be delivered through enhanced standardisation of computerized models, representations, services and operations still not yet fully accomplished 25 years after work started.
文摘This paper addresses a research question on why construction companies fail in their business. Starting with the concept of growth and capacity underinvestment archetype, a new and operational systems thinking model is developed. The conceptual systems thinking model includes a set of causal structure that can explain various modes(including the growth and failure modes) of business performance of small and medium construction companies. Mainly the three components – projects,finance and capacity – and the understanding of their nexus(or causal inter-relationships) are found to be sufficient to reveal different performance modes in construction business. Further, the three operational aspects, namely, the business growth or decline process;the situation of financial and other capacity resource consumption; and the management of projects, finance and other capacity resources have been identified as the interrelated core and integral aspects of construction business.The three inter-related core aspects could actually include and explain different possible range of business situations,policies and practices in a construction company.