Faculty Publications
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Item Body of Knowledge in Developing and Implementing Construction Industry Improvement Programs(World Scientific Publishing Co., 2023) Mahesh, G.; Mengistu, D.G.; Kumaraswamy, M.M.Construction project performance is influenced by industry-wide issues, such as the business environment, sector-specific drivers and challenges, and country-specific issues. Imperatives for addressing such industrylevel issues have led to industry improvement programs formulated and implemented by high-powered government-industry teams across the developed and developing countries. Despite these initiatives, the industry has yet to significantly improve its performance and image. The overarching goal of this chapter is to identify common core components and potentially critical elements of a Body of Knowledge (BoK) in developing and implementing Construction Industry Improvement Programs (CIIPs), with a particular focus on applying it to developing countries. In developing the BoK, CIIPs in Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, and a few other countries are reviewed to identify important BoK themes. Lessons learnt and challenges unveiled from implementation and status reviews in the above jurisdictions are also discussed. The findings are compared with specific improvement programs and requirements of developing countries, with examples from India, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka, so as to initiate development of the targeted BoK, that could hereafter help improve the planning and implementation of construction industry reform programs in developing countries in particular. The identified knowledge areas of CIIPs are: (i) Manpower Development, (ii) Enhancing Capacity, (iii) Institution Building, (iv) Improving Practices, and (v) Planning for Smoother Demand. The status of these knowledge areas and/or their components determines project performance. For example, the availability and competence of manpower in the industry affects productivity and hence the schedule performance of projects. Similarly, the capacity of construction firms affects most of the project performance parameters, such as the schedule, cost, and quality. While the specifics of these issues are addressed in other book chapters, it is clear that enabling optimal project performance and boosting project management maturity at the industry/national level calls for holistic industry improvements and overall, rather than piecemeal, developments. © 2023 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.Item Construction education in Ethiopia: Knowledge and skills level attained and effectiveness of internship program(Emerald Group Holdings Ltd., 2019) Mengistu, D.G.; Mahesh, G.Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate knowledge and skills level of final-year students of undergraduate construction programs in Ethiopia and assess the effectiveness of internship and its coordination under these programs. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach is used in this study. Data were collected through two separate questionnaires, completed by students and company supervisors (professionals having experience in supervising internship students). Interviews were held with university instructors to supplement findings of the questionnaire. Findings: The findings show the students have performance shortfalls in most of the required knowledge areas. A significant correlation was found between students’ self-evaluation and supervisors’ evaluation rankings. It was also found that both students and industry perceive the internship to have benefited them. However, the coordination of internship program was found unsatisfactory. These findings indicate there is a room for improvement in the curricula and coordination of internship program. Originality/value: As performance of the construction industry (CI) is associated with the competence of professionals, it is important to assess the knowledge and skills level of students, and internship coordination for the effective development of CI. Hence, the findings of this paper will help academic institutes to review their curricula and improve their internship coordination mechanism. It has implication for industry organizations in indicating knowledge and skills gap of entry-level professionals which could be filled through training. It may also invite other researchers in the country to focus on construction education for betterment of the CI. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.Item Dimensions for improvement of construction management practice in Ethiopian construction industry(Emerald Group Holdings Ltd., 2020) Mengistu, D.G.; Mahesh, G.Purpose: The state of the different practices in construction industry determines its performance level. Hence, improving performance of construction industry needs assessing state of the practices in the industry and devising improvement intervention. The purpose of this paper is to measure improvement requirement level of different construction management practice areas and to identify the underlying improvement dimensions in Ethiopian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire survey was developed for data collection based on a thorough literature review which yielded 28 construction management practice areas. Purposive sampling method was used to select respondents for the survey. Mean score was used to identify the required improvement level, and one sample T-test was carried out to identify significance of improvement requirement. Factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying dimensions of the construction management practice areas. Findings: Findings indicate 27 areas need significant improvement. This shows the low level of adoption of good construction management practices in Ethiopian construction industry. Factor analysis resulted in the areas being grouped to four broad improvement dimensions, namely, project management, organization management, knowledge and risk management and project development and contract management. Originality/value: The findings provide information for appropriate action by the stakeholders to raise standards of adopted construction management practices. It also show areas of construction management which require more focused research in the context of Ethiopian construction industry. Considering the similarity of nature of construction industry problems in developing countries, the findings can be extended to similar countries. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.Item Concurrent Delay Analysis: Methods, Case Law, and Expert Perception(American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) onlinejls@asce.org 1801 Alexander Bell DriveGEO Reston VA 20191 Alabama, 2020) Munvar, C.; Mengistu, D.G.; Mahesh, G.Concurrent delays in a project schedule are due to two or more independent delay events occurring during the same time period. There arise difficulties in attributing responsibility for these delays and in deciding the manner in which they are to be dealt with, as they are typically complex and intertwined. While various approaches and professional guidelines are followed internationally, a thorough study in the Indian context is lacking. Hence, it is essential to recognize the nature and effects of concurrent delays that the Indian industry is facing. In this regard, cases in India were analyzed to understand the nature of concurrent delays, strategies adopted, and legal issues. Also, a survey of arbitrators and professionals with experience in delay disputes was conducted to (1) identify current approaches to concurrent delays in India and (2) determine the appropriateness of and challenges in applying approaches from the literature. In India, shortfalls exist in project management processes and protocols. Also, documentation and information management systems are poor. These failings act as barriers to adopting advanced global practices. In this regard, the findings of this work are expected to help in standardizing approaches to concurrent delay analysis and in streamlining necessary process protocols in the Indian construction industry. © 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.Item Challenges in developing the Ethiopian construction industry(Taylor and Francis Ltd. michael.wagreich@univie.ac.at, 2020) Mengistu, D.G.; Mahesh, G.To ensure continual improvement in the construction industry’s performance, its challenges must be identified so that integrated solutions that suit the context can be provided. The Ethiopian construction industry, like that in most developing countries, faces challenges that impede its development. This paper assesses four categories of challenges facing the industry, based on their sources: variables emanating from role of government, resource related variables, those related to the nature of the industry and variables emanating from the vision of the industry itself for its own development. Data for the study were collected through a questionnaire survey. Professionals from different background, such as contractors, consultants, clients, regulatory authority and academics were engaged in the survey. Mean score was used to identify the perceived impact level of the variables. Significant variables were identified and factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying dimensions of the different sources. The major challenges are identified as: (i) delay in construction industry development (CID) policy implementation and corruption; (ii) weak capacity of contractors and consultants; (iii) lack of collaboration and professionalism; and (iv) lack of benchmarking CID practice from role of government, resource related variables, nature of the industry and industry’s vision for its own development, respectively. Findings provide information that stakeholders can use to make informed decisions and critical interventions for the effective development of the industry. © 2019, © 2019 African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development.Item Manpower development framework for Ethiopian construction industry(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2022) Mengistu, D.G.; Mahesh, G.Manpower development is one of the key elements for construction industry development and effective manpower development requires concerted effort of different stakeholders. This paper assesses the improvement requirements in manpower development practices in Ethiopian construction industry focusing on the role of government, academic institutes and industry organizations. Factors affecting manpower development were identified through literature review and a framework for manpower development was proposed. Questionnaire survey was used to obtain the perception of professionals on manpower development practices. Improvement requirement levels were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale and one-sample T-test was conducted to identify significance of the improvement requirements. In addition to the questionnaire, curricula of three under graduate construction programs and professionals registration directives were reviewed. The findings indicate current manpower development practices require improvement. Based on implications of the findings and in reference with the proposed framework, improvement suggestions are given to enhance manpower development practices for development of the industry. © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.