| Published by Universiti Sains Malaysia Press |
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| Print ISSN: 1823-6499 Online ISSN: 2180-4222 Frequency: Biannually Current Issue: Volume 17, No. 2, 2012 Abstracting/Indexing: EBSCO, MyAIS, Google Scholar, DOAJ, Scopus Journal of Construction in Developing Countries is listed in ERA Ranked Journal List. |
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The Journal of Construction in Developing Countries (JCDC) is a scholarly peer-reviewed international publication, invaluable to those who are interested in the issues relevant to the built environment of developing countries. The bi-annual journal is published by Universiti Sains Malaysia Press in cooperation with the working Commission 107 (W107) of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building Construction (CIB). It is building upon the work of the former Journal of Housing Building and Planning by expanding its scope. From the 11th volume onwards, the Journal of Housing Building and Planning is renamed the Journal of Construction in Developing Countries. It is a multi-disciplinary effort involving scientists, professionals and practitioners and it will specifically provide a unifying basis bringing together architects, landscape designers, engineers, project managers, construction managers, quantity surveyors, town planners, sociologists, property managers, facilities managers and designers, among others.
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| :: Aims and Scope | |
The Journal of Construction in Developing Countries seeks to provide a central vehicle for the exchange and dissemination of knowledge on issues relevant to the built environment of developing countries. The journal provides a wide range of original research an application papers on current developments and advances in the built environment as well as the economic, social, cultural and technological contexts of developing countries. It also publishes detailed case studies, as well as short communications and discussions. Topics covered include, but are not restricted to planning, urban economics, rural and regional development, housing, management and resource issues, sustainability, knowledge and technology transfer, construction procurement, facilities management, information an communication technologies, strategies and policy issues, design issues, conservation and environmental issues.
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| :: Current Issue |
| Volume 17, No. 2, 2012 | |
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| Title: | Culture of Architectural Firms in Nigeria: An Exploratory Study |
| Author: | Adedapo Adewunmi Oluwatayo and Dolapo Amole |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 1–18, 2012 |
- Abstract
 What is the culture of an architectural firm, and what are the organisational characteristics that shape this culture? These are the questions addressed by this paper that surveys 92 Nigerian architectural firms. The study investigated the culture of these architectural firms using the response of the firms' principals to a questionnaire of value statements regarding innovation, stability, people orientation, outcome orientation, team orientation, and aggressiveness. The culture types were determined using a two-step cluster analysis of the data. Categorical regression was also used to determine the factors that shaped a firm's culture. The study revealed that the architectural firms did not have either market or hierarchical cultures. The findings also challenged the notion that larger firms tend to be more impersonal. However, the predominance of responsive and staff-oriented cultures confirmed the notion that service sector organisations are more people-oriented than outcome-oriented confirms. The leadership style of the principals best predicted a firm's culture. Keywords: Culture, Architectural firms, Organisational culture, Values, Culture types |
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| Title: | Design Changes in Residential Reinforced Concrete Buildings: The Causes, Sources, Impacts and Preventive Measures |
| Author: | Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad, Mohammad Ali Nekooie and Amur B. Salim Al-Harthy |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 19–40, 2012 |
- Abstract
Design changes are common in building projects. Design changes are almost inevitable during the lifecycle of a project; however, design change can be minor or major according to the result. Identifying the source and impact of each design change in the construction lifecycle could help manage all of the design changes associated with a project. Furthermore, such management of changes could help to define preventive measures and actions. A complete survey was conducted using interviews and questionnaires with professionals in three main groups involved in reinforced concrete building projects; all of the sources, causes and impacts were defined by their level of importance. Corrective and preventive actions were measured to avoid as many design changes as possible in this research. The results of this research encourage the implementation of preventive actions by the professionals involved in low-rise reinforced concrete building projects. Keywords: Design changes, Delay in construction, Modification in design, Residential buildings, Consultancy |
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| Title: | Public-Private Partnerships for Tollway Construction and Operation: Risk Assessment and Allocation from the Perspective of Investors |
| Author: | Djoen San Santoso, Tri Basuki Joewono, Andreas Wibowo, Harlan P.A. Sinaga and Wimpy Santosa |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 41–62, 2012 |
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This study aims to assess and allocate the key risk events for public-private partnerships in Indonesian tollway construction and operation. The data were collected from a risk assessment survey of tollway companies in Indonesia based on two perspectives: the degrees of occurrence and impact. The top-ranked risk events (18 out of 55 risks) generated from the value-of-risk index are the focus of this study and the relationships among risk events are analysed and explained using risk mechanism models. Risks related to land acquisition were identified as the major risk events in the Indonesian tollway business and ten out of the 18 top-ranked risk events were judged as suitable for assumption by the government. The weather risk should be shared by both parties with the remaining risks borne by the investor. The findings are expected to be useful for government review of regulations and practices and for private sectors interested in investing in tollway projects. Keywords: Developing countries, Risk, Assessment, Infrastructure, Cooperation, Indonesia |
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| Title: | Leader Influences on Training Effectiveness of Construction Professionals: The Case of Nigeria |
| Author: | Onukwube Henry N. |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 63–75, 2012 |
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The purpose of this study is to examine how the relationship between leaders and employees under them (leader–member exchange, LMX) impact training transfer, training maintenance and training generalisation of employees that has been trained on various continuous professional development programmes. Using a survey research, 160 construction professionals that have attended continuous professional development (CPD) programmes of their respective professional bodies were asked to respond to the structured questionnaires. Direct supervisors of sampled respondents were also interviewed to corroborate the responses of their followers. The data generated were subjected to both inferential and descriptive statistics. The findings in this study indicates that LMX, training motivation and outcome expectancy are positively related to training effectiveness The practical contributions of this study are twofold: The first has to do with leadership. The professional who has a good relationship with his or supervisor stands a much better chance of benefitting from the training. Secondly, leaders can directly influence their employees' training motivation and this has a positive impact on how they transfer new skills, maintain them over time and how they use them in other domains of their jobs. Keywords: Leader influences, Motivation, Training effectiveness, Construction professionals, Nigeria |
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| Title: | Influence of Project Plans on the Outcome of Construction Projects Procured by Design-Build (DB) in Nigeria |
| Author: | Godwin Iroroakpo Idoro |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 77–99, 2012 |
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This study evaluates the influence of project plans on the outcome of design-build projects. The purpose is to ascertain whether the level of use of project plans can be utilised to improve the outcome of projects procured by the design-build method. To achieve this purpose, a field survey of 42 projects procured by the design-build method and selected by stratified random sampling was conducted. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaires and analysed using percentage, mean and the Spearman correlation test. The results of the study indicate that the level of use of project plans has significant influence on some parameters of the design-build projects' outcome. The results also indicate that the inception, design, tendering and construction plans are not prepared in many of the projects sampled. The study concludes that the level of use of project plans can be used to reduce the high time and cost overruns recorded in design-build projects and that there is room for stakeholders to increase the level of use of project plans in design-build projects. The study suggests that stakeholders should ensure that the required project plans are prepared when projects are procured by design-build. Keywords: Nigeria, Procurement method, Project planning, Project outcome |
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| Title: | Behavioural Observation of Human Stationary and Sustained Activities in Pedestrian Priority Streets of Johor Bahru |
| Author: | Amir Ghahramanpouri, Hasanuddin Lamit and Sepideh Sedaghatnia |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 101–112, 2012 |
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Streets are considered to be major public spaces in the urban fabric. A pedestrian street is a street in which the carriageway space has been prioritised for pedestrian use. In Malaysia, due to enhancements of the streetscape and the promotion of the qualities of urban spaces, "pedestrianisation" has been suggested as a solution to recover space for pedestrian and non-traffic activities. A review of the literature has revealed that when people engage in a variety of activities, the streets become livelier. However, few empirical studies have addressed stationary and sustained activities in pedestrian streets. This research focused on pedestrian activities in Meldrum Walk and Segget Walk in Johor Bahru. Through behavioural observation, data on pedestrians of diverse age groups and genders, along with different types of activities and postures, were analysed. This study recommended that policy makers initiate conscious attempts to create diverse environments to attract a varied group of people to reside near pedestrian streets or attract visitors to frequent these streets. In addition, policy makers need to focus on interest groups, including children, senior citizens and/or disabled people, to make it easier for these groups to participate in activities in pedestrian streets. Keywords: Human activity, Pedestrian street, Stationary and sustained pedestrian |
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| Title: | Quality of Life of Residents in Urban Neighbourhoods of Pulau Pinang, Malaysia |
| Author: | Abdul Ghani Salleh and Nurwati Badarulzaman |
| Source: | Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 17(2), 113–119, 2012 |
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Residential neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing neighbourhood quality which affects individuals' quality of life. This paper aims to examine social, economic and physical features of urban neighbourhoods that contribute to the overall satisfaction of with the neighbourhood which in turn affects positively the overall feelings toward life. Data for the study come from primary source collected through personal interview of households randomly selected using the systematic sampling procedure from households living in middle income residential neighbourhoods in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics of the mean scores of satisfaction based on a Likert scale. The findings of the study indicate the residents were generally satisfied with the overall quality of life. However, the satisfaction level was low for public transport, political activities and cost of living from physical, social and economic aspects respectively. Keywords: Quality of life, Neighbourhood satisfaction, Housing satisfaction |
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