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This paper examines the managerial skills and role perceptions between the design leader and the client's in‐house professional staff which affect corporate communications. It also examines the consequential factors that influence the time taken to finalise the design for commercial building projects. Whilst all aspects of the design should be discussed to achieve a good product, the time spent on the development of design should not be so long that it affects the overall construction time and the achievement of the client's desired financial objectives. Each specialist in the design team will have something to contribute to the project which may consequently increase the complexity of conventional design development for commercial properties. The research methodology adopted in this study involves in‐depth case studies of two building projects which fundamentally seek to determine the organisational change, leadership and communication factors that influence effective design development of commercial building projects.

Sluggish performance in construction productivity (CP) is a common occurrence worldwide. This phenomenon is also observed in Singapore. In this context, the role of trade unions (TUs) has also been mentioned but appears to be little understood. Hence, this study evaluates the role of TUs in contributing to CP. The key issue is to determine whether TUs have a role to play in contemporary society in improving CP.

This study takes on multiple research methodologies; more specifically, the mixed-method of survey questionnaires and interviews is used. Firstly, a survey questionnaire was employed to obtain broad viewpoints on the general understanding of the target groups towards the CP issues in Singapore. The survey questionnaire also attempts to study the TUs in greater depth by examining their existing strategies of and hindrances to improving CP. Once findings were gathered from the survey questionnaire, the interviews were carried out to probe deeper into the phenomena in the results.

The research findings showed there is a generally positive outlook that TUs have the ability to contribute to CP. The study finds that the TU respondents possess strong attributes within the normative pillar, but weak attributes in the regulative and cultural–cognitive pillars.

This study uses the Institutional Theory as a general framework, which identifies a union's functions and activities in three pillars that underpin the institutional theory and defines its impact on construction productivity.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/02632779410071704. When citing the article, please cite: Low Sui Pheng, (1994), “Lessons from Lao Tzuʼs Tao Te Ching for the Facilities Manager“, Facilities, Vol. 12 Iss: 12, pp. 6 - 14.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the micro-level variables contributing to political risks in international construction projects.

A total of 25 micro-level variables were identified from the literature review, and a questionnaire survey was performed with 138 professionals from both academia and industry. Then, the Spearman rank correlation was used to test whether there was agreement on ranking between the two respondent groups. Furthermore, the 25 variables were grouped into six underlying factors through the exploratory factor analysis.

The results indicated that the most critical variables were “project desirability to the host country,” “relationship with governments,” “misconduct of contractors,” “public opposition to the project,” “experiential knowledge of political risks” and “advantageous conditions of contract.” In addition, the opinions within each group were consistent and there was no significant disagreement on the rankings of variables between academics and practitioners. However, the academic and practitioner groups held different opinions on some individual variables. The impact direction of the variables was associated with confusion among the respondents.

The findings presented in this paper can help international construction enterprises effectively manage political risks in international construction projects.

Manufacturing, Western management theories and Japanese management practices.

This case can be used in project management or management-related courses at tertiary institutions at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.

This case provides students with an opportunity to find out what make Toyota so successful in manufacturing through its famous production system as well as the underlying Toyota Way principles. All students are expected to understand the Toyota Way model with a balanced view that goes beyond a set of lean tools such as just-in-time. This case opens a historical account for the Toyota Way model by connecting with possible Western management theories and Japanese management practices.

It is expected to significantly benefit students with industry experience with the intention of initiating appropriate changes in their own industry and/or organization by applying what they have learnt from the Toyota Way, through bridging with Western management theories.

Teaching notes.

Construction works, which contributed to the built environment of the primitive, slave and feudal societies in ancient China, constitute an important component of Chinese history. This paper discusses the nest and cave dwellings as well as the tools used in the primitive society (before 2100 BC) of China. Construction works in the Slave Society (2100‐500 BC) encompassed the construction of city walls as well as wood and earth structures, covering roofs, wall and floor facing, and drainage facilities. The invention of new building materials and construction tools as well as standardization in working procedures and material consumption are discussed in “Feudal society” (221 BC‐AD 1840). The paper suggests that the more than 5,000 years of rich history of construction works in China should not be ignored.

Construction productivity issues have constantly surfaced in Singapore's construction industry. To push for productivity, the Government has implemented various initiatives to encourage industry players, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and to adopt more productive construction technologies. One of these technologies is prefabrication prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC), a concept of the design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) approach. This exploratory study sheds lights on PPVC adoption and its issues in Singapore in the context of the launch of the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM).

The methodology used here is mainly a quantitative approach in the form of a survey. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a pool of about 100 contractors, randomly chosen as part of a stratified sample. The questionnaire survey helps gain further insights into the industry's perceptions of PPVC and its adoption.

The study succeeded in identifying and analysing a list of drivers of and barriers to the adoption of PPVC. The top three most important potential drivers were “increase efficiency,” “technological change” and “changing nature of composition of workforce”. The three most important barriers were “ineffective on-site storage,” “high up-front payment” and “transportation issues”.

This study also looked into the organizational change management theory. Various theories were considered to help understand and implement change. It is understood that it is not only important for an organization to focus on the steps of these frameworks and models when the change is initiated but also for the organization to acknowledge and be mindful of the emotions of employees and take measures to overcome their emotions as part of organizational change management.

To enhance and promote quality construction, the Construction Quality Assessment System (CONQUAS) was introduced in Singapore in 1989 to evaluate the quality performance of building contractors using numerical scores. Apart from the CONQUAS system, the ISO 9000 quality management standards were also introduced in the Singapore construction industry in 1991. Is there a relationship between certification to ISO 9000 standards and the achievement of higher construction quality standards as indicated by CONQUAS scores? As several years have passed since the introduction of the CONQUAS system and ISO 9000 in the Singapore construction industry, this paper aims to ascertain if the implementation and certification of quality management systems to ISO 9000 standards in construction firms has helped them to achieve higher construction quality standards through higher CONQUAS scores.

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical non-value adding (NVA) building information modeling (BIM) implementation activities in current building project delivery process, develop a BIM implementation readiness (BIMIR) evaluation model, and assess BIMIR statuses in building projects in Singapore.

A questionnaire survey and four post-survey interviews were conducted in Singapore. A fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach was adopted in the model development.

In total, 38 out of 44 NVA BIM implementation activities were deemed critical and used in the proposed model, among which “lack of involvement by contractors to contribute site knowledge” in the design development phase was ranked top. This model was validated in five projects. It was found that most of 73 surveyed building projects were in a low BIMIR status and the assessment results were consistent with current industry practices of BIM implementation in Singapore.

There may be geographical limitation on the identification of the critical NVA BIM implementation activities. However, because BIM mandate spreads globally, the findings can help overseas project teams customize their own NVA activities and evaluation models.

As BIM implementation is mandated in Singapore, BIMIR evaluation helps local project teams identify weak areas of their BIM implementation activities and prioritize resources to enhance those areas.

No tool has been developed for evaluating BIMIR at the project level in the construction industry in Singapore or at large in Asia. Four BIMIR statuses are defined, which are consistent with Singapore’s BIM guidelines and standards.

Traditional construction materials and methodologies are often perceived to be unproductive, labour-intensive and detrimental to the environment. Mass-engineered timber (MET) is a new structural material that is capable of overcoming numerous issues that otherwise affect the built environment. This study was formulated to assess the current attitude and perception of young Singaporeans towards the concept of Engineered Timber Residential Buildings (ETRBs).

The study employs the mixed-method approach. Questionnaires were used as the primary mode of data gathering. These were disseminated to Singaporeans between the age of 18 and 35 years. A total of 179 valid responses were gathered. Semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with six individuals with different demographics in order to gain further insightful opinions and to allow cross validation of responses.

Statistical analysis revealed that 80% of respondents were willing to accept ETRBs, but a lack of awareness and knowledge of MET and the presence of misconceptions, such as an association with deforestation, may present concerns. The study also revealed that individual acceptance of ETRBs is not affected by demographics.

The production of MET involves lower overall carbon emissions than that of conventional materials, and this also allows adoption of the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) concept and offers the benefit of carbon sequestration. Residential buildings are the second most common building type in Singapore; significant benefits can be gained if MET is used as the primary material for residential buildings. In general, young stakeholders in Singapore welcome the concept of ETRBs, despite possessing uncertainties about ETRBs—understandable given that the material lacks a track record of usage. Public authorities are thus advised to explore the feasibility of materialising the concept of ETRBs as an option for public housing.