ECAM Editorial 18.3

A Fuzzy Approach for Assessing Contractors’ Competitiveness

Yongtao Tan, Li-Yin Shen and Craig Langston

A Comparative Input-Output Analysis of the Construction Sector in Turkey and EU Countries

Bahriye Ilhan, Hakan Yaman,

System Dynamics Modelling of Construction Safety Culture

Sherif Mohamed

Business networks and internationalisation of contractors from developing countries: an explorative study

Abdul-Rashid Abdul-Aziz and Sing Sing Wong

A Conceptual Framework of the Interface between the Design and Construction Processes

Adrian Christoper Mitchell, Ian Frame, Alan Coday and Mike Hoxley

Structural Linear Relationships between Job Stress, Burnout, Physiological Stress, and Performance of Construction Project Manager

Mei-yung Leung and Yee Shan Isabelle Chan

ECAM 18.3 covers the topics of ‘contractors’ competitiveness’, ‘comparison of the Turkish construction industry with the EU’, ‘implementing safety cultures’, ‘contractors expanding into foreign markets using business networks’, ‘the construction /design interface’ and ‘stress in the work place’. The research methods employed include modelling and simulation, analysis of published data, system dynamics’ modelling, interviews, questionnaires and literature. Thus the range of topics is, as usual, wide matched by the range of research approaches which is pleasingly varied.

This issue has taken twelve authors with one single authored paper, two papers with two authors, one with three authors and one with four authors. The international ethos of ECAM is maintained with two authors from Australia, two from Hong Kong, two from Malaysia, two from Turkey and four from the UK. One paper is drawn from two institutions.

The papers in this issue are as follows:

Tan, Shen and Langston offer us an approach for assessing contractors’ competitiveness. This is intended to be useful to contractors for their own internal assessments and for clients in selecting suitable contractors. Based on contractor key competitiveness indicators the study using fuzzy logic presents a competitiveness rating based on linguistic terms used for the assessment process. This is intended to help the contractors understand their competitive advantages and weaknesses and so formulate competition strategies. Sadly there are no real case studies presented to support the approach, these are promised in a later paper. These case studies should be interesting. Every attempt so far at improving the assessment of competitiveness has foundered on the alter of price. Clients seek the best price and contractors seeking work always attempt to offer their best price and their competitive advantage is in the type of work where a particular contractor has the skills, knowledge and experience that their efficiency is such that their best price is also the lowest in the market. This is a field that is worth continuing to explore.

Ilhan and Yaman compare the construction sector in Turkey with EU countries using input-output tables for 1998 to 2002. From these a set of indicators was developed and used for the comparative analysis. The Turkish construction sector is compared with 13 EU countries. This paper is intended to provide a comparative understanding of the Turkish construction industry.

Mohamed aims to help construction companies plan their safety implementation processes so that they achieve their safety goals within a planned time frame. The study is based on investigating the interactions amongst five enablers of construction safety culture. A system dynamics approach was used to develop a causal model which simulates the interactions. An index to measure the maturity level of a company’s safety culture is also presented. The simulations indicate that an organisation with an ad hoc safety culture needs to primarily focus on leadership.

This paper deals with important issues but it needs evidence of application and success. The authors need a case whereby they set an organisations safety goals, say zero accidents, and use the modelling to develop the implementation that delivers the goal(s). Successful application will demonstrate the value of this research.

Abdul-Aziz and Wong explore the expansion of contractors from developing countries into international markets. Underpinned by network theory the authors examine the role and extend of business networks in aiding contractors from Malaysia penetrate foreign markets. The authors establish the importance of these networks but they need to be backed by assets which provide their competitiveness. The data was collected by interviews.

Mitchell, Frame, Coday and Hoxley wish to explore the interface between design and construction and present their results as a conceptual framework. The study was driven by the closer integration of the design construction processes. Primarily using literature the authors review the interface. The authors are arguing for the development of management processes targeted on the managing the interface. They see a lack of specialist knowledge at the optimum time during the design process as inhibiting the process.

Leung and Chan return us to the issues related to the stress that work places upon construction professionals caused by the dynamic, demanding and ruthless industry that we all serve. Time pressures are the greatest cause and project managers are the greatest sufferers. They categorise stress into the categories of job stress, burnout and physiological stress. 108 completed questionnaires was the basis of the study. The authors then use the data to model the relationships between the categories of stress and their relationship and to comment on the impact on the performance of the project managers. The authors are striving towards managing stress. The practical outcome of such studies would be the design of work environments that optimise managers output without stressing them and also the management of stress should that fail.

Ronald McCaffer

www.mccaffer.com