Ernest Ameyaw - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ernest Ameyaw

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Factors Influencing Adoption of Blockchain-Enabled Smart Contracts in Construction Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Construction projects are premised upon contractual arrangements, and contracts constitute the ba... more Construction projects are premised upon contractual arrangements, and contracts constitute the basis of their success. A contract enables execution of work and transfer of payments, tracking of key performance indicators and facilitation of collaboration between project stakeholders. Historically, construction projects have faced critical challenges due to poor alignment between clients' expectations, contract terms and contractor performance. The advent of advanced digital technologies under the concept of Industry 4.0 has the potential to benefit construction projects through application of blockchain-enabled smart contracts. However, the adoption of smart contracts in construction projects is at its early stage and what factors will influence its adoption remain unclear. Therefore, this study seeks to explore and establish the critical factors influencing adoption of smart contracts in construction contractual arrangements. Drawing on an international questionnaire survey of experienced construction practitioners with involvement in smart contract initiatives and activities, the results obtained from descriptive statistics and fuzzy set-based analysis show that trialability, relative advantage, competitive advantage and compatibility of smart contracts are the important predictors of their adoption. The findings suggest that practitioners share a view that technological characteristics of blockchain-enabled smart contracts are critical to its adoption, regarding the technology's perceived practicality in improving effectiveness and efficiency of construction projects. This study contributes to technology diffusion research in construction and highlights drivers that require practitioners' and

Research paper thumbnail of Management control structures and performance implications in international construction joint ventures: critical survey and conceptual framework

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2021

PurposeManagement control is needed in international joint ventures (IJVs) for successful managem... more PurposeManagement control is needed in international joint ventures (IJVs) for successful management and performance. While IJV management control and performance concept has been widely explored, in the construction sector, the core understanding of the design of the two concepts is still lacking. This has resulted in the neglect of important questions and directions for research and practice improvement. This study aims to conduct a critical survey of prior studies addressing the conceptualization of management control and performance in IJVs and to propose a framework for studying the performance implications of management control in international construction joint ventures (ICJVs).Design/methodology/approachUsing Scopus database and search terms, a systematic desktop search was conducted to retrieve empirically related peer-reviewed papers for this study.FindingsDrawing on the transaction cost, institutional and relational logic, the first inclusive hypothetical model for study...

Research paper thumbnail of Modelling Risk Allocation Decisions in Public–Private Partnership Contracts using the Fuzzy Set Approach

Fuzzy Hybrid Computing in Construction Engineering and Management, 2018

Allocating risk in public–private partnership (PPP) projects based on public–private parties’ ris... more Allocating risk in public–private partnership (PPP) projects based on public–private parties’ risk management (RM) capabilities is a condition for success of these projects. In practice, however, risks are allocated to these parties beyond their respective RM capabilities. Too much risk is often assigned to the private or public party, resulting in poor RM and costly contract renegotiations and terminations. This chapter proposes a methodology based on fuzzy set theory (FST) in which decision makers (DMs) use linguistic variables to assess and calculate RM capability values of public–private parties for risk events and to arrive at risk allocation (RA) decisions. The proposed methodology is based on integrating RA decision criteria, the Delphi method and the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique. The application of FSE allows for the introduction of linguistic variables that express DMs’ evaluations of RM capabilities. This provides a means to deal with the problems of qualitat...

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy synthetic evaluation of moral hazard and adverse selection of public private partnership projects

International Journal of Construction Management, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Evaluation of the Factors Contributing to the Success of External Stakeholder Management in Construction

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2021

AbstractThe study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stake... more AbstractThe study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stakeholder management (SM) at the project planning stage from the perspective of developing countries. Q...

Research paper thumbnail of A Case Study of a Negotiated Tender within a Small-to-Medium Construction Contractor: Modelling Project Cost Variance

Buildings, 2021

This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction indu... more This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction industry to procure the most suited contractor(s) to conduct the works. Such work may have equal relevance for other developed nations globally. This research seeks to teach clients and their representatives that “lowest price” does not mean “best value”, by presenting a case study of a successfully negotiated tender undertaken by a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) contractor; SME studies are relatively scant in academic literature. By applying the “lessons learnt” principle, this study seeks to improve future practice through the development of a novel alternative procurement option (i.e., negotiation). A mixed philosophical stance combining interpretivism and pragmatism was used—interpretivism to critically review literature in order to form the basis of inductive research to discuss negotiation as a viable procurement route, and pragmatism to analyse perceptions of tendering and procureme...

Research paper thumbnail of Artificial intelligence in the AEC industry: Scientometric analysis and visualization of research activities

Automation in Construction, 2020

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is fraught with complex and difficu... more The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is fraught with complex and difficult problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a powerful tool to assist in addressing these problems. Therefore, over the years, researchers have been conducting research on AI in the AEC industry (AI-in-the-AECI). In this paper, the first comprehensive scientometric study appraising the state-of-the-art of research on AI-in-the-AECI is presented. The science mapping method was used to systematically and quantitatively analyze 41,827 related bibliographic records retrieved from Scopus. The results indicated that genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy sets, and machine learning have been the most widely used AI methods in AEC. Optimization, simulation, uncertainty, project management, and bridges have been the most commonly addressed topics/ issues using AI methods/concepts. The primary value and uniqueness of this study lies in it being the first in providing an up-to-date inclusive, big picture of the literature on AI-in-the-AECI. This study adds value to the AEC literature through visualizing and understanding trends and patterns, identifying main research interests, journals, institutions, and countries, and how these are linked within now-available studies on AI-in-the-AECI. The findings bring to light the deficiencies in the current research and provide paths for future research, where they indicated that future research opportunities lie in applying robotic automation and convolutional neural networks to AEC problems. For the world of practice, the study offers a readily-available point of reference for practitioners, policy makers, and research and development (R&D) bodies. This study therefore raises the level of awareness of AI and facilitates building the intellectual wealth of the AI area in the AEC industry.

Research paper thumbnail of Modelling capability-based risk allocation in PPPs using fuzzy integral approach

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 2019

Appropriate risk allocation and sharing are significant critical success factors for public-priva... more Appropriate risk allocation and sharing are significant critical success factors for public-private partnership projects, but evidence suggests that poor risk allocation practices prevail. This signifies the need to develop a robust model for assisting stakeholders in risk allocation decision-making. A non-additive fuzzy integral based multiple attribute risk allocation decision approach is proposed to effectively aggregate each stakeholder’s risk management capability assessment on accepted risk allocation principles that are derived from qualitative judgements and experience based knowledge of experts. Data collected from privately financed and developed power and transport infrastructure projects in Pakistan are used to demonstrate and validate the model for key risk factors that exhibit variable risk allocation preferences. Comparison of results with an additive aggregation approach confirms suitability of the adopted methodology as it performs better when modelling risk allocat...

Research paper thumbnail of Toward a cleaner project procurement: Evaluation of construction projects’ vulnerability to corruption in developing countries

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019

While the measurement and predictability of corruption are reported to be difficult due to its cl... more While the measurement and predictability of corruption are reported to be difficult due to its clandestine nature, this paper attempts to develop a measurement model for evaluating the proneness of the procurement process of construction projects to corruption. The model is developed using a soft computing approach (i.e. the Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation technique) to assess the levels of vulnerability with respect to the stages of corruption and their corresponding activities within the procurement process of construction projects. A review of related literature produced a 21-activity list encapsulated within the four stages of the procurement process. The list was evaluated by procurement and construction practitioners through an expert survey. The analysis of the survey results revealed an overall project vulnerability index which suggests that construction projects executed in developing countries are relatively susceptible to corrupt practices. The main stages of the process that were identified to be vulnerable were the contract stage (CTS) and the post-contract phase (PCP). The developed model is, possibly, the first measuring tool that evaluates and predicts a project's susceptibility to corruption and provides useful insights that can inform project parties, policymakers and anti-corruption activists in their efforts to implement necessary actions aimed at curbing the incidence of corrupt practices in construction projects in the developing countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Integral–Based Risk-Assessment Approach for Public–Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2018

Adequate assessment of risk is essential to assist the stakeholders in planning for efficient ris... more Adequate assessment of risk is essential to assist the stakeholders in planning for efficient risk allocation and mitigation and to ensure success in business and projects. However, it is problematic due to difficulty in quantification of certain risks, existence of interactions, and multi-attribute structure of the project risk assessment task. This paper reports research in which relevant risks were identified for power and transport infrastructure public-private partnership (PPP) projects, which are globally the most active infrastructure sectors for private investment. It further proposes, demonstrates, and validates a novel multi-attribute risk assessment model that supports both sectoral and project risk analysis to assist stakeholders in risk management decision making. A 45 factor risk register, established based on literature review and PPP experts' interviews, was administered to solicit industry-wide perceptions for risks assessment. Application of fuzzy set theory to risk analysis revealed 22 critical risk factors (CRFs) that were categorized into seven critical risk groups (CRGs) of correlated factors using factor analysis. Risk factors that achieved a linguistic assessment of high impact reflect issues related to institutional capacity and local economy. Further analysis based on fuzzy measure and non-additive fuzzy integral combined with arithmetic mean helped to obtain an overall risk index (ORI) which indicated a moderate risk outlook for both power and transport infrastructure sectors. Whereas, public sector maturity was assessed as a high impact CRG in the power sector, project planning and implementation, project finance, and project revenue were additionally rated as high impact CRGs in the transport infrastructure sector. Demonstration of the developed methodology for a build-operate-transfer (BOT) motorway case study project showed that the private sector stakeholders viewed the project at high risk with all the CRGs evaluated as high impact CRGs except the political situation CRG, which was assessed as moderately risky. Test results show that the methodology performed satisfactorily in approximating experts holistic project risk assessments. The developed framework can be used to assess a country's condition or overall project risk at the initial project stage with little input of time and resources, thus facilitating an efficient and robust risk assessment. Application of fuzzy measure based non-additive fuzzy integral combined with arithmetic mean for sectoral and project risk assessment, and comparison of sectoral risk analysis from a developing country perspective are some of the key features of this study.

Research paper thumbnail of Review of application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in construction

International Journal of Construction Management, 2018

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has gained increasing attention in construction management (... more The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has gained increasing attention in construction management (CM) science as a technique to analyze complex situations and formulate appropriate decisions. However, AHP per se or its potential application on CM problems are ill-defined within extant literature. Consequently, this paper reviews 77 AHP-based papers published in eight selected peer-reviewed CM journals from 2004 to 2014 to better define and delineate AHP application areas and typical decision-making problems solved within CM. The thematic groups of 'risk management' and 'sustainable construction' were identified as the most popular AHP application areas albeit, the technique may also be useful in quality management and knowledge management. The findings also revealed that AHP: i) is flexible and can be used either as a stand-alone tool or used in conjunction with other tools to resolve decision-making problems; and ii) is widely used throughout Asian higher education institutions (HEIs). Notably, the most prominent justifications for using AHP include small sample size, high level of consistency, simplicity and availability of userfriendly software. This paper provides a useful reference for researchers and practitioners interested in the application of AHP in CM. Future research is however needed to compare and contrast between AHP and other multicriteria decision-making (MCDM); such work could reveal which technique provides an optimized solution under various decision-making scenarios.

Research paper thumbnail of Critical barriers to green building technologies adoption in developing countries: The case of Ghana

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service... more This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights  The most critical GBTs adoption barriers in Ghana are higher costs of GBTs, lack of government incentives, and lack of financing schemes (e.g., bank loans).  Higher costs of GBTs remains a top barrier not only in Ghana, but also in the US, Canada, and Australia.  The underlying barriers for the critical barriers are government-related, human-related, knowledge and information-related, market-related, and cost and risk-related barriers.

Research paper thumbnail of Critical success criteria for public-private partnership projects: international experts’ opinion

International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 2017

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects success is the ultimate goal of practitioners and gover... more Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects success is the ultimate goal of practitioners and government organizations. In this regard, the last decade has seen considerable research into the critical success factors (CSFs) for PPP projects. However, a very important subject which has received very little attention in the normative literature is the success criteria for PPP projects. This paper examines the general perception of purposively sampled international PPP experts on a set of 15 PPP projects success criteria derived from literature. The survey results show that all the success criteria are critical; however seven are very critical. These include: effective risk management; meeting output specifications; reliable and quality service operations; adherence to time; satisfying the need for public facility/service; long-term relationship and partnership; and profitability. The findings of this study are impactful because they inform practitioners on the key measures to consider when evaluating the success of PPP projects. More research should be conducted to further develop a composite success index that could be used to objectively assess the success levels of different PPP projects. In addition, the perceptions of different stakeholders on PPP projects success criteria and the causal relationship between CSFs and success criteria for PPP projects should be investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of A fuzzy synthetic evaluation analysis of operational management critical success factors for public-private partnership infrastructure projects

Benchmarking: An International Journal, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factor groupings of a set of 19 critical suc... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factor groupings of a set of 19 critical success factors (CSFs) associated with managing public-private partnership (PPP) projects at the operational stage and examine the most significant factor grouping using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature and an empirical questionnaire survey geared towards targeted international PPP experts. Survey responses were analysed using factor analysis and FSE modelling. Findings The results from factor analysis show five CSF groupings (CSFGs) for managing operational PPPs. These are proficient service delivery and adequate legal structures, simplified payment mechanism and consistent project monitoring, effective contract variations management, suitable stakeholder management mechanism and environmental health and safety control. The FSE modelling shows that “simplified payment mechanism and c...

Research paper thumbnail of A Fuzzy-Based Evaluation of Financial Risks in Build–Own–Operate–Transfer Water Supply Projects

Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 2017

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the p... more This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Research paper thumbnail of Corrupt Practices in the Construction Industry: Survey of Ghanaian Experience

Journal of Management in Engineering, 2017

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the p... more This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it. Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript JME Revised Manuscriptrevised file.docx

Research paper thumbnail of Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green building experts’ perspectives

Energy and Buildings, 2017

Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green buildi... more Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green building experts' perspectives. Energy and Buildings, 144, pp. 320-332.

Research paper thumbnail of A survey of critical success factors for attracting private sector participation in water supply projects in developing countries

Journal of Facilities Management, 2017

Purpose Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer governments an opportunity to access private cap... more Purpose Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer governments an opportunity to access private capital and skills to build or upgrade, operate and manage public water infrastructure services hitherto provided and run by the public sector. Access to private finance speeds up the provision of public water services in developing countries, where many governments face budgetary constraints. However, the water sector attracts the least investment flows in developing countries, well below other infrastructure sectors. This paper aims to present the results of an investigation of critical success factors (CSFs) required for attracting the private sector in water supply projects. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire survey of international PPP expert opinions was conducted. Findings Analysis results show that the CSFs for attracting the private sector to water PPPs include political commitment from elected leaders toward PPPs for water supply; existence of a dedicated PPP u...

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers for implementing green building technologies: An international survey of experts

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017

In recent years, green building technologies (GBTs) have gradually been implemented to minimize n... more In recent years, green building technologies (GBTs) have gradually been implemented to minimize negative impacts of the construction industry on the environment, economy, and society. In order to encourage widespread adoption of GBTs, a better and deeper understanding of the drivers for implementing GBTs is necessary. This study aims to identify the major drivers of GBTs implementation. The methodological framework used consists of a comprehensive literature review and a questionnaire survey of international green building (GB) experts, rather than experts in a particular country. The results of statistical analyses of 104 expert responses indicate that the top five drivers for implementing GBTs are energyefficiency, reduced environmental impact, water-efficiency, occupants' health and comfort and satisfaction, and company image/reputation. Results from t-test analysis confirm that out of the 21 drivers examined, 13 are perceived to be significant. The Kendall's concordance test shows that though the experts were from different countries and with diverse backgrounds, a good consensus was reached in their rankings of the drivers. The Mann

Research paper thumbnail of Barriers Affecting the Adoption of Green Building Technologies

Journal of Management in Engineering, 2017

AbstractGreen building (GB) is gaining increased acceptance in the construction industry as a via... more AbstractGreen building (GB) is gaining increased acceptance in the construction industry as a viable solution for meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly or healthy buildings. Howev...

Research paper thumbnail of Critical Factors Influencing Adoption of Blockchain-Enabled Smart Contracts in Construction Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Construction projects are premised upon contractual arrangements, and contracts constitute the ba... more Construction projects are premised upon contractual arrangements, and contracts constitute the basis of their success. A contract enables execution of work and transfer of payments, tracking of key performance indicators and facilitation of collaboration between project stakeholders. Historically, construction projects have faced critical challenges due to poor alignment between clients' expectations, contract terms and contractor performance. The advent of advanced digital technologies under the concept of Industry 4.0 has the potential to benefit construction projects through application of blockchain-enabled smart contracts. However, the adoption of smart contracts in construction projects is at its early stage and what factors will influence its adoption remain unclear. Therefore, this study seeks to explore and establish the critical factors influencing adoption of smart contracts in construction contractual arrangements. Drawing on an international questionnaire survey of experienced construction practitioners with involvement in smart contract initiatives and activities, the results obtained from descriptive statistics and fuzzy set-based analysis show that trialability, relative advantage, competitive advantage and compatibility of smart contracts are the important predictors of their adoption. The findings suggest that practitioners share a view that technological characteristics of blockchain-enabled smart contracts are critical to its adoption, regarding the technology's perceived practicality in improving effectiveness and efficiency of construction projects. This study contributes to technology diffusion research in construction and highlights drivers that require practitioners' and

Research paper thumbnail of Management control structures and performance implications in international construction joint ventures: critical survey and conceptual framework

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2021

PurposeManagement control is needed in international joint ventures (IJVs) for successful managem... more PurposeManagement control is needed in international joint ventures (IJVs) for successful management and performance. While IJV management control and performance concept has been widely explored, in the construction sector, the core understanding of the design of the two concepts is still lacking. This has resulted in the neglect of important questions and directions for research and practice improvement. This study aims to conduct a critical survey of prior studies addressing the conceptualization of management control and performance in IJVs and to propose a framework for studying the performance implications of management control in international construction joint ventures (ICJVs).Design/methodology/approachUsing Scopus database and search terms, a systematic desktop search was conducted to retrieve empirically related peer-reviewed papers for this study.FindingsDrawing on the transaction cost, institutional and relational logic, the first inclusive hypothetical model for study...

Research paper thumbnail of Modelling Risk Allocation Decisions in Public–Private Partnership Contracts using the Fuzzy Set Approach

Fuzzy Hybrid Computing in Construction Engineering and Management, 2018

Allocating risk in public–private partnership (PPP) projects based on public–private parties’ ris... more Allocating risk in public–private partnership (PPP) projects based on public–private parties’ risk management (RM) capabilities is a condition for success of these projects. In practice, however, risks are allocated to these parties beyond their respective RM capabilities. Too much risk is often assigned to the private or public party, resulting in poor RM and costly contract renegotiations and terminations. This chapter proposes a methodology based on fuzzy set theory (FST) in which decision makers (DMs) use linguistic variables to assess and calculate RM capability values of public–private parties for risk events and to arrive at risk allocation (RA) decisions. The proposed methodology is based on integrating RA decision criteria, the Delphi method and the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique. The application of FSE allows for the introduction of linguistic variables that express DMs’ evaluations of RM capabilities. This provides a means to deal with the problems of qualitat...

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy synthetic evaluation of moral hazard and adverse selection of public private partnership projects

International Journal of Construction Management, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Evaluation of the Factors Contributing to the Success of External Stakeholder Management in Construction

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2021

AbstractThe study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stake... more AbstractThe study focuses on evaluating the factors contributing to the success of external stakeholder management (SM) at the project planning stage from the perspective of developing countries. Q...

Research paper thumbnail of A Case Study of a Negotiated Tender within a Small-to-Medium Construction Contractor: Modelling Project Cost Variance

Buildings, 2021

This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction indu... more This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction industry to procure the most suited contractor(s) to conduct the works. Such work may have equal relevance for other developed nations globally. This research seeks to teach clients and their representatives that “lowest price” does not mean “best value”, by presenting a case study of a successfully negotiated tender undertaken by a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) contractor; SME studies are relatively scant in academic literature. By applying the “lessons learnt” principle, this study seeks to improve future practice through the development of a novel alternative procurement option (i.e., negotiation). A mixed philosophical stance combining interpretivism and pragmatism was used—interpretivism to critically review literature in order to form the basis of inductive research to discuss negotiation as a viable procurement route, and pragmatism to analyse perceptions of tendering and procureme...

Research paper thumbnail of Artificial intelligence in the AEC industry: Scientometric analysis and visualization of research activities

Automation in Construction, 2020

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is fraught with complex and difficu... more The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is fraught with complex and difficult problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a powerful tool to assist in addressing these problems. Therefore, over the years, researchers have been conducting research on AI in the AEC industry (AI-in-the-AECI). In this paper, the first comprehensive scientometric study appraising the state-of-the-art of research on AI-in-the-AECI is presented. The science mapping method was used to systematically and quantitatively analyze 41,827 related bibliographic records retrieved from Scopus. The results indicated that genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy sets, and machine learning have been the most widely used AI methods in AEC. Optimization, simulation, uncertainty, project management, and bridges have been the most commonly addressed topics/ issues using AI methods/concepts. The primary value and uniqueness of this study lies in it being the first in providing an up-to-date inclusive, big picture of the literature on AI-in-the-AECI. This study adds value to the AEC literature through visualizing and understanding trends and patterns, identifying main research interests, journals, institutions, and countries, and how these are linked within now-available studies on AI-in-the-AECI. The findings bring to light the deficiencies in the current research and provide paths for future research, where they indicated that future research opportunities lie in applying robotic automation and convolutional neural networks to AEC problems. For the world of practice, the study offers a readily-available point of reference for practitioners, policy makers, and research and development (R&D) bodies. This study therefore raises the level of awareness of AI and facilitates building the intellectual wealth of the AI area in the AEC industry.

Research paper thumbnail of Modelling capability-based risk allocation in PPPs using fuzzy integral approach

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 2019

Appropriate risk allocation and sharing are significant critical success factors for public-priva... more Appropriate risk allocation and sharing are significant critical success factors for public-private partnership projects, but evidence suggests that poor risk allocation practices prevail. This signifies the need to develop a robust model for assisting stakeholders in risk allocation decision-making. A non-additive fuzzy integral based multiple attribute risk allocation decision approach is proposed to effectively aggregate each stakeholder’s risk management capability assessment on accepted risk allocation principles that are derived from qualitative judgements and experience based knowledge of experts. Data collected from privately financed and developed power and transport infrastructure projects in Pakistan are used to demonstrate and validate the model for key risk factors that exhibit variable risk allocation preferences. Comparison of results with an additive aggregation approach confirms suitability of the adopted methodology as it performs better when modelling risk allocat...

Research paper thumbnail of Toward a cleaner project procurement: Evaluation of construction projects’ vulnerability to corruption in developing countries

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019

While the measurement and predictability of corruption are reported to be difficult due to its cl... more While the measurement and predictability of corruption are reported to be difficult due to its clandestine nature, this paper attempts to develop a measurement model for evaluating the proneness of the procurement process of construction projects to corruption. The model is developed using a soft computing approach (i.e. the Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation technique) to assess the levels of vulnerability with respect to the stages of corruption and their corresponding activities within the procurement process of construction projects. A review of related literature produced a 21-activity list encapsulated within the four stages of the procurement process. The list was evaluated by procurement and construction practitioners through an expert survey. The analysis of the survey results revealed an overall project vulnerability index which suggests that construction projects executed in developing countries are relatively susceptible to corrupt practices. The main stages of the process that were identified to be vulnerable were the contract stage (CTS) and the post-contract phase (PCP). The developed model is, possibly, the first measuring tool that evaluates and predicts a project's susceptibility to corruption and provides useful insights that can inform project parties, policymakers and anti-corruption activists in their efforts to implement necessary actions aimed at curbing the incidence of corrupt practices in construction projects in the developing countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Integral–Based Risk-Assessment Approach for Public–Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2018

Adequate assessment of risk is essential to assist the stakeholders in planning for efficient ris... more Adequate assessment of risk is essential to assist the stakeholders in planning for efficient risk allocation and mitigation and to ensure success in business and projects. However, it is problematic due to difficulty in quantification of certain risks, existence of interactions, and multi-attribute structure of the project risk assessment task. This paper reports research in which relevant risks were identified for power and transport infrastructure public-private partnership (PPP) projects, which are globally the most active infrastructure sectors for private investment. It further proposes, demonstrates, and validates a novel multi-attribute risk assessment model that supports both sectoral and project risk analysis to assist stakeholders in risk management decision making. A 45 factor risk register, established based on literature review and PPP experts' interviews, was administered to solicit industry-wide perceptions for risks assessment. Application of fuzzy set theory to risk analysis revealed 22 critical risk factors (CRFs) that were categorized into seven critical risk groups (CRGs) of correlated factors using factor analysis. Risk factors that achieved a linguistic assessment of high impact reflect issues related to institutional capacity and local economy. Further analysis based on fuzzy measure and non-additive fuzzy integral combined with arithmetic mean helped to obtain an overall risk index (ORI) which indicated a moderate risk outlook for both power and transport infrastructure sectors. Whereas, public sector maturity was assessed as a high impact CRG in the power sector, project planning and implementation, project finance, and project revenue were additionally rated as high impact CRGs in the transport infrastructure sector. Demonstration of the developed methodology for a build-operate-transfer (BOT) motorway case study project showed that the private sector stakeholders viewed the project at high risk with all the CRGs evaluated as high impact CRGs except the political situation CRG, which was assessed as moderately risky. Test results show that the methodology performed satisfactorily in approximating experts holistic project risk assessments. The developed framework can be used to assess a country's condition or overall project risk at the initial project stage with little input of time and resources, thus facilitating an efficient and robust risk assessment. Application of fuzzy measure based non-additive fuzzy integral combined with arithmetic mean for sectoral and project risk assessment, and comparison of sectoral risk analysis from a developing country perspective are some of the key features of this study.

Research paper thumbnail of Review of application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in construction

International Journal of Construction Management, 2018

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has gained increasing attention in construction management (... more The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has gained increasing attention in construction management (CM) science as a technique to analyze complex situations and formulate appropriate decisions. However, AHP per se or its potential application on CM problems are ill-defined within extant literature. Consequently, this paper reviews 77 AHP-based papers published in eight selected peer-reviewed CM journals from 2004 to 2014 to better define and delineate AHP application areas and typical decision-making problems solved within CM. The thematic groups of 'risk management' and 'sustainable construction' were identified as the most popular AHP application areas albeit, the technique may also be useful in quality management and knowledge management. The findings also revealed that AHP: i) is flexible and can be used either as a stand-alone tool or used in conjunction with other tools to resolve decision-making problems; and ii) is widely used throughout Asian higher education institutions (HEIs). Notably, the most prominent justifications for using AHP include small sample size, high level of consistency, simplicity and availability of userfriendly software. This paper provides a useful reference for researchers and practitioners interested in the application of AHP in CM. Future research is however needed to compare and contrast between AHP and other multicriteria decision-making (MCDM); such work could reveal which technique provides an optimized solution under various decision-making scenarios.

Research paper thumbnail of Critical barriers to green building technologies adoption in developing countries: The case of Ghana

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service... more This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights  The most critical GBTs adoption barriers in Ghana are higher costs of GBTs, lack of government incentives, and lack of financing schemes (e.g., bank loans).  Higher costs of GBTs remains a top barrier not only in Ghana, but also in the US, Canada, and Australia.  The underlying barriers for the critical barriers are government-related, human-related, knowledge and information-related, market-related, and cost and risk-related barriers.

Research paper thumbnail of Critical success criteria for public-private partnership projects: international experts’ opinion

International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 2017

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects success is the ultimate goal of practitioners and gover... more Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects success is the ultimate goal of practitioners and government organizations. In this regard, the last decade has seen considerable research into the critical success factors (CSFs) for PPP projects. However, a very important subject which has received very little attention in the normative literature is the success criteria for PPP projects. This paper examines the general perception of purposively sampled international PPP experts on a set of 15 PPP projects success criteria derived from literature. The survey results show that all the success criteria are critical; however seven are very critical. These include: effective risk management; meeting output specifications; reliable and quality service operations; adherence to time; satisfying the need for public facility/service; long-term relationship and partnership; and profitability. The findings of this study are impactful because they inform practitioners on the key measures to consider when evaluating the success of PPP projects. More research should be conducted to further develop a composite success index that could be used to objectively assess the success levels of different PPP projects. In addition, the perceptions of different stakeholders on PPP projects success criteria and the causal relationship between CSFs and success criteria for PPP projects should be investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of A fuzzy synthetic evaluation analysis of operational management critical success factors for public-private partnership infrastructure projects

Benchmarking: An International Journal, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factor groupings of a set of 19 critical suc... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factor groupings of a set of 19 critical success factors (CSFs) associated with managing public-private partnership (PPP) projects at the operational stage and examine the most significant factor grouping using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature and an empirical questionnaire survey geared towards targeted international PPP experts. Survey responses were analysed using factor analysis and FSE modelling. Findings The results from factor analysis show five CSF groupings (CSFGs) for managing operational PPPs. These are proficient service delivery and adequate legal structures, simplified payment mechanism and consistent project monitoring, effective contract variations management, suitable stakeholder management mechanism and environmental health and safety control. The FSE modelling shows that “simplified payment mechanism and c...

Research paper thumbnail of A Fuzzy-Based Evaluation of Financial Risks in Build–Own–Operate–Transfer Water Supply Projects

Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 2017

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the p... more This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Research paper thumbnail of Corrupt Practices in the Construction Industry: Survey of Ghanaian Experience

Journal of Management in Engineering, 2017

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the p... more This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it. Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript JME Revised Manuscriptrevised file.docx

Research paper thumbnail of Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green building experts’ perspectives

Energy and Buildings, 2017

Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green buildi... more Examining issues influencing green building technologies adoption: The United States green building experts' perspectives. Energy and Buildings, 144, pp. 320-332.

Research paper thumbnail of A survey of critical success factors for attracting private sector participation in water supply projects in developing countries

Journal of Facilities Management, 2017

Purpose Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer governments an opportunity to access private cap... more Purpose Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer governments an opportunity to access private capital and skills to build or upgrade, operate and manage public water infrastructure services hitherto provided and run by the public sector. Access to private finance speeds up the provision of public water services in developing countries, where many governments face budgetary constraints. However, the water sector attracts the least investment flows in developing countries, well below other infrastructure sectors. This paper aims to present the results of an investigation of critical success factors (CSFs) required for attracting the private sector in water supply projects. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire survey of international PPP expert opinions was conducted. Findings Analysis results show that the CSFs for attracting the private sector to water PPPs include political commitment from elected leaders toward PPPs for water supply; existence of a dedicated PPP u...

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers for implementing green building technologies: An international survey of experts

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017

In recent years, green building technologies (GBTs) have gradually been implemented to minimize n... more In recent years, green building technologies (GBTs) have gradually been implemented to minimize negative impacts of the construction industry on the environment, economy, and society. In order to encourage widespread adoption of GBTs, a better and deeper understanding of the drivers for implementing GBTs is necessary. This study aims to identify the major drivers of GBTs implementation. The methodological framework used consists of a comprehensive literature review and a questionnaire survey of international green building (GB) experts, rather than experts in a particular country. The results of statistical analyses of 104 expert responses indicate that the top five drivers for implementing GBTs are energyefficiency, reduced environmental impact, water-efficiency, occupants' health and comfort and satisfaction, and company image/reputation. Results from t-test analysis confirm that out of the 21 drivers examined, 13 are perceived to be significant. The Kendall's concordance test shows that though the experts were from different countries and with diverse backgrounds, a good consensus was reached in their rankings of the drivers. The Mann

Research paper thumbnail of Barriers Affecting the Adoption of Green Building Technologies

Journal of Management in Engineering, 2017

AbstractGreen building (GB) is gaining increased acceptance in the construction industry as a via... more AbstractGreen building (GB) is gaining increased acceptance in the construction industry as a viable solution for meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly or healthy buildings. Howev...