Charles Egbu

Followers

Following

Public Views

Interests

Uploads

Papers by Charles Egbu

Mechanisms for exploiting construction innovations to gain competitive advantage

The paper reports some findings of a 2-year study on innovation sponsored by the Economic and Soc... more The paper reports some findings of a 2-year study on innovation sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which involved four case studies from four different innovative construction organizations, over 50 ethnographic interviews, company archive documents and video capture of innovative processes and products. The study explored a variety of issues such as types and sources of construction innovations, innovation strategy, climate and culture for innovation, risks in innovation and the formation of internal and external linkages to exploit organizational innovations. This paper, however, focuses on the mechanisms which construction organizations put in place to successfully exploit and benefit from innovations. It also examines the importance of an innovation strategy for the successful management of innovations. The paper shows that the important mechanisms for exploiting construction innovations include collaboration and building capability, novelty, stretching...

Download

The Role of Organizational Culture and Motivation in the Effective Utilization of Information Technology for Teamworking in Construction

This paper is based on an on-going 2-year EPSRC sponsored research project, which, inter-alia foc... more This paper is based on an on-going 2-year EPSRC sponsored research project, which, inter-alia focuses on the utilization and exploitation of IT for team working in the construction, manufacturing and the financial sectors. An important aim of the study is to ascertain and document what the construction industry can learn from other industrial settings. The study employs a combination of research approaches, including case studies, ethnographic interviews, semi-structured interviews, postal questionnaires, the analysis of archive documents, and practitioner and researchers’ workshops. There is a substantial amount of literature in the area of IT in construction teams, many of which are based on anecdotal evidence of the perceived benefits of IT to construction activities. There are also articles based on empirical investigations, which have been conducted on construction IT. However, these mainly tend to look at IT from a wider perspective, with many of these studies failing to captu...

Download

Knowledge Management for Small Medium Enterprise: Capturing and Communicating Learning and Experiences

ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it ... more ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it is necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of knowledg...

Selection Criteria Framework for Choosing Industrialized Building Systems for Housing Projects

An Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been accepted as an innovation strategy to assist in ... more An Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been accepted as an innovation strategy to assist in overcoming key problems in the Malaysian housing sector. The manufacturers and producers of IBS have claimed that their systems have a multitude of advantages and benefits. The selection criteria used to choose the appropriate type of IBS for housing projects have been identified as one the critical issues in the decision-making process at the conceptual stage of using IBS. The criteria such as cost, time and quality play a major role in the selection tasks. Through a literature review, this paper highlights the criteria that have been considered in the adoption of IBS in the UK and in the Malaysian construction industry. It also reviews existing decision-making support and tools associated with choosing types of IBS. It is concluded that a wide perspective and an extensive variety of factors may contribute to the impact of the effectiveness of the decision-making process associated with...

Download

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the UK construction industry and the process of future-proofing business

Construction Innovation

Purpose COVID-19 was officially declared as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organisation... more Purpose COVID-19 was officially declared as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11th March 2020, before the UK was put into lockdown on the 23rd March 2020. Organisations had to reconsider their policies and procedures to allow their businesses to continue. This paper aims to focus on the effects of COVID-19 that the UK construction sector has had to undertake to enable businesses while employees had to adhere to COVID-19 lockdown rules. In addition, how the sector can positively continue once normality has returned within the industry. In doing so, this paper understands the historical issues within the construction sector and has had an effect during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology approach was taken to help obtain live information. In total, 19 semi-structured interviews from 15 organisations related to the construction sector were conducted to collect data. This information was evaluated using thematic analysis to arr...

Investigating the current state of infection control practices in domestic services in the national health service in Scotland - a case study approach

in domestics services in the National Health Service in Scotland a case study approach. In: Khosr... more in domestics services in the National Health Service in Scotland a case study approach. In: Khosrowshahi, F (Ed.), 21st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2005, SOAS, University of London. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, Vol. 1, 401-10. INVESTIGATING THE CURRENT STATE OF INFECTION CONTROL PRACTICES IN DOMESTICS SERVICES IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN SCOTLAND – A CASE STUDY APPROACH

Evaluating building performance of public office buildings

There is general acceptance by Facilities Management practitioners that failure to obtain feed ba... more There is general acceptance by Facilities Management practitioners that failure to obtain feed back on the building performance can expose the facilities to serious consequences. Evaluating building performance is becoming a necessity in effectively observing the overall perspectives of facilities. However, not every FM organisation performs this exercise on a regular basis. There are many obstacles that prevent the evaluation being conducted effectively such as lack of funds, lack of expertise and awareness of the importance of building maintenance. The implementation of various performance levels in planned maintenance requires not only the standardisation of the condition assessment method, but also the related planning methodology. There are different facilities performance evaluation approaches in practice such as post-occupancy evaluation, usability, users journey, post-occupancy review of building engineering (PROBE) and building performance evaluation to mention but a few. T...

Towards a Decision Support System For Health and Safety Management in Refurbishment Projects

The refurbishment project involving structural alterations, facade retentions and demolition are ... more The refurbishment project involving structural alterations, facade retentions and demolition are high risk activities. There is evidence which shows that construction industry lacks appropriate management system to cope up with the risks and hazards on refurbishment. The safe building refurbishment, is quite complex and decision making plays a significant role. The decisions taken during the refurbishment process not only have an impact on the choice of material, level of quality achieved, but also a direct impact on health, safety and environment. The domain of refurbishment works is ideal for the deployment of a decision support system as there are numerous safety problems leading to the conclusion that the management and technical solutions often adopted in these projects are inadequate and refurbishment works require a considerable degree of expertise and experience that is often not present. The involvement of the project team to share the responsibilities and decision making a...

Information technologies for knowledge management: their usage and effectiveness

J. Inf. Technol. Constr., 2002

SUMMARY: Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a vital organisational resource that provi... more SUMMARY: Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a vital organisational resource that provides competitive advantage. Managing knowledge assets can be a challenge, especially in the construction industry, where short-term working contracts and temporary coalitions of individuals can inhibit knowledge sharing. The role of information technology (IT) in knowledge management (KM), is an essential consideration for any company wishing to exploit emerging technologies to manage their knowledge assets. This paper presents research, which has been conducted to identify the technologies that are currently used to manage knowledge in the construction industry. The effectiveness of these technologies has also been explored, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of particular IT for KM. In addition, it attempts to highlight some of the challenges and complexities associated with managing knowledge in a project-based environment. A postal questionnaire was distributed among constructi...

Download

The impact of human resource policies and practices on knowledge management in the construction industry

In recent times, there has been increased awareness that organisational knowledge might be the ke... more In recent times, there has been increased awareness that organisational knowledge might be the key to organisation success. In most construction organisations such knowledge is dispersed and fragmented, since much of it exists in diffuse social networks. To prevent failure, knowledge management (KM) has to be properly implemented in organisations. This invariably implies that construction organisations must address the needs of workers who supply this knowledge if they are to successfully exploit their skills. The extent to which organisations will be willing to co-operate in this process would depend to a great extent on the nature of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices. This paper, which is based on an empirical investigation of the role of HRM in KM, analyses the problems related to KM and the probable solutions through HRM. It argues that since knowledge is the unique human capability of making meaning from information, employees should be the focus of any KM ...

Download

Information technology tools for capturing and communicating learning and experiences in construction SMEs in developed and developing countires

J. Inf. Technol. Constr., 2007

The cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in develo... more The cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in developing countries can be a useful source of knowledge for both foreign companies and local companies. With the increased investments in buildings and infrastructure by developing countries, the cross-boundary knowledge transactions between foreign companies and local companies in developing countries if captured, transferred and reused will bring significant benefit to organisations and potential benefits to the wider construction industry. This paper is based on an 18-month research project funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which aimed at improving knowledge management in small medium enterprises (SMEs). The research project adopts a simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. The obj...

Download

The Role of Culture in Libyan Public and Private Organisations

A critical review of available literature is presented, which relates to the impact of culture on... more A critical review of available literature is presented, which relates to the impact of culture on communication behaviour in public and private organisations. This is in order to identify deficiencies in the area of study as well as to draw some lessons for future research. The focus is primarily on the effect of culture values on communication in Libyan public and private organisations. Key issues associated with definitions of culture, communication behaviours and organisational culture are considered and discussed. In addition, a critical review and synthesis of related studies on the effect of local Libyan cultural values on the communication behaviour of individuals in organisations are addressed. In conclusion, the paper argues that the role of culture in communication behaviour in organisational settings is complex. The paper also points to the fact that Libyan culture reflects ‘high power distance’, ‘masculinity’ and uncertainty avoidance. The implications of these complex i...

Download

The Influence of Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital on Organizational Innovations

This paper is based on an on-going postgraduate research study, which is aimed at investigating t... more This paper is based on an on-going postgraduate research study, which is aimed at investigating the role of knowledge management and intellectual capital assets on organizational innovations in project based industries. The central hypothesis to the study is that by effecting knowledge management (KM) and managing intellectual capital (IC) there is wider scope for the generation, implementation and exploitation of organizational innovations. The study employs a combination of research approaches, including ethnographic interviews, semi-structured interviews, postal questionnaires and the analysis of archive documents. The paper explores the factors that favour effective implementation of KM and IC in organizations, and examines the link between such factors and the generation of ideas for innovation. Innovation is viewed as the successful exploitation of an idea, which is new to the unit of adoption. It can also be viewed as a process dependent on the tacit knowledge of individuals,...

Download

Managing Health & Safety in Refurbishment Projects involving Demolition and Structural Instability

There is consensus among practitioners and academics that refurbishment projects are among the mo... more There is consensus among practitioners and academics that refurbishment projects are among the most complex, risky, dangerous and uncertain to manage. This situation is heightened where the works involve elements of demolition activities and where tenants are in occupation. As a percentage of total construction output, refurbishment works in its many disguises have increased substantially in the last 30 years. In many developed economies, it now accounts for over 50% of output. However, the growth in refurbishment works has not been paralleled by empirical research, especially in the management of health and safety. This paper attempts to improve our understanding and knowledge of health & safety in this very important area of construction work. The paper is based on an on-going study funded by the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE). It investigates, inter-alia, the main risk factors and implications associated with the relatively high level of hazard and poor health & safety incide...

Download

Audio diary and debriefing for knowledge management in SMEs

Site managers meet complex problems in their day-to-day work and have to find solutions promptly.... more Site managers meet complex problems in their day-to-day work and have to find solutions promptly. However, the industry does not capture this valuable experience and may even not realise its significance. If this knowledge is collected, structured and disseminated, there would be significant benefits to the companies as well as the whole construction industry. This research is to test and improve a simple yet robust approach for this purpose. The site managers keep an audio diary of a problemsolving event by Dictaphone each week which contains their personal knowledge and thinking. Then the managers are debriefed about the set of their recorded events each month in order to explicate the significance embedded in these events and to transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. With the participation of site managers from a dozen small and medium sized construction companies across the country, the event recording and debriefing process last for six months. The prelimin...

Title: Gender in the construction industry: Literature review and a comparative 2 survey of men's and women's perceptions in UK construction consultancies

35 For more than two decades, construction industry leaders have made attempts to attract 36 more... more 35 For more than two decades, construction industry leaders have made attempts to attract 36 more women into professional roles to ease skills shortages and diversify the workforce. 37 However, the number of women working in the industry has not improved significantly. 38 This paper reviews previous literature on gender diversity in the construction industry 39 and disseminates findings from a survey which investigated whether there are significant 40 differences in self-perception between men and women in construction consultancies 41 operating in the United Kingdom (UK). The survey questionnaire was completed by 60 42 men and 57 women. Analysis of the result confirmed that women tend to follow ‘zig-zag’ 43 career development paths and that ‘global self-worth’ of women over the age of 40 is the 44 lowest among all ages. However, little variation was found on initiatives to improve 45 retention of women in construction consultancies. The results reveal that both men and 46 women reg...

Download

Proceedings of the CIB W102 - 2005, International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management in a Global Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Construction Organizations, 19-20 May, Lisbon, Portugal

ABSTRACT An Initiative on Knowledge Transfer Between Academia and the Construction Sector in the ... more ABSTRACT An Initiative on Knowledge Transfer Between Academia and the Construction Sector in the West of Scotland This paper reports on the impact of the project the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE)two years after its start in June 2002. CBE was a joint project of the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University, funded by European Regional development Fund and Scottish Government. It delivered continuous professional development activities for the construction sector in the West of Scotland.By the end of November 2004, data on 166 companies (out of 306 members) operating in the construction sector was collected and used to analyse their size, type, employment of women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, investment in IT and R&amp;D, and involvement in research with academic institutions. The paper indicated how the project can be further developed in order to meet the needs of all stakeholders in the construction industry throughout Scotland.

The adoption of the repertory grid technique in capturing knowledge for refurbishment in the construction industry

Refurbishments projects are generally considered to be of higher risk, more complex and in need o... more Refurbishments projects are generally considered to be of higher risk, more complex and in need of greater coordination than new build projects. In refurbishment work, there are many tasks where decisions are shaped not only by external factors but also by experience. In such situations, one is likely to find that experts rely on relatively unstructured methods in arriving at a decision. For the reason that there are proportionately more risks in refurbishment and renovation projects than in new-build, because of the associated degree of uncertainty and complexity, knowledge plays an important part in bringing the project to successful completion. Based on an on-going doctorate study which aims to develop an appropriate methodology to match the project requirements with the knowledge of project team members in refurbishment projects, this paper explores the applicability of a repertory grid technique in capturing knowledge for refurbishment in the construction industry. The need for...

Download

A Systematic Review for the Implementation of Risk Management within Construction of Mega Housing Projects

IABSE Symposium, Nantes 2018: Tomorrow’s Megastructures

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This ... more Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population growth, increased urbanisation, scarcity of land, and due to changes in the way we work and live. This trend is likely to continue for a while. Mega housing projects are characterized by their high construction budget, complexity, and their benefits to the society. Mega housing projects, however, raise a number of different challenges and complexities, which need consideration in order to successfully deliver them within cost, time and specified quality parameters. The paper addresses the main construction challenges and opportunities of mega housing projects. Furthermore, consideration is given to the human resources (HR) challenges and opportunities, as well as the efficiency of risk management processes throughout the construction of mega housing projects. Different Case studies are analysed, and a risk register for the successful deliver...

A Conceptual Risk Management Framework in the Construction of Mega Housing Projects in Egypt

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This ... more Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Mega housing Projects around the world. This increase was to cater for increased population and urbanization. Construction of mega housing projects in Egypt faced a lot of challenges during the construction phase. There is no targeted framework that allows contractors to improve their risk management practice and project success during the construction of mega housing projects in Egypt. The aim of the paper is to design a conceptual Risk Management Framework for Mega Housing Projects in Egypt to improve risk practices and project success during the construction phase. The objective of the paper is to design a conceptual risk management framework to guide contractors to an efficient risk management practice during construction of mega housing projects in Egypt. The study is to review risk standards, to recognize developed risk frameworks, and to design a conceptual risk management framework (CRMF). The framework guide contractors’ i...

Download

Charles Egbu

Uploads

Papers by Charles Egbu

Log In