The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, including India, especially in the construction sector. The study aims to identify, compare, and analyze the critical pandemic impacts (CPI) on construction projects in India. To achieve this, 40 interviews with industry professionals, are followed by a systematic review to identify the CPI. The data collected was used to develop a survey, sent to industry professionals all over India, with a return of 92 valid responses. The data were analyzed using reliability analysis, mean score ranking, overlap analysis, agreement analysis, and correlation analysis. The overall critical pandemic impact includes ‘labor scarcity,’ ‘supply chain disruption,’ ‘decreased construction productivity,’ ‘increased project financing rejection rate,’ and ‘reduced foreign investment in the construction industry.’ The findings could aid authorities and policymakers in taking suitable actions toward solving the current CPI in India. Project managers and owners could consider the current CPI in order to formulate better plans. Overcoming CPI could lead to an economic leap in India.

Purpose: This study aims to empirically analyze the symmetries and asymmetries among the critical factors affecting building information modeling (BIM) implementation between countries with different income levels. To achieve that aim, the study objectives are to identify: critical factors affecting BIM implementation in low-, lower-middle-, upper-middle- and high-income countries; overlapping critical factors between countries with different income levels; and agreements on the critical factors between countries with different income levels. Design/methodology/approach: This study identified potential BIM implementation factors using a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals. Then, the factors were inserted into a questionnaire survey and sent to AEC professionals in Afghanistan, India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. The collected data was analyzed using the following techniques and tests: mean, standard deviation, normalized value, Kruskal–Wallis, Dunn and Mann–Whitney. Findings: Five critical factors overlap between all countries: “availability of guidelines for implementing BIM,” “cost-benefit of implementing BIM,” “stakeholders’ willingness to learn the BIM method,” “consistent views on BIM between stakeholders” and “existence of standard contracts on liability and risk allocation.” Also, the criticality of the factors often differs between income levels, especially between low- and high-income countries, suggesting a significant gap between low- and high-income countries in BIM implementation. Originality/value: This study differs from prior works by empirically analyzing the symmetries and asymmetries in BIM implementation factors between countries with different income levels (i.e. low-, lower-middle-, upper-middle- and high-income countries).

The objective of this paper is to explore the dynamic factors of the work–family interface (WFI) of construction professionals in South India. It also aims to develop a model of the factors that influence the WFI. This study identified seven factors from the literature: work environment, family, stress, personal satisfaction, work culture, top-level acceptance, and work–family balance. Data were collected using questionnaires distributed among the construction professionals in South India. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. The mean standard deviation and shape measures (skewness and kurtosis) revealed that personal satisfaction (3.55) was rated the top factor for WFI, followed by work–family balance (3.15), stress (2.91), and work culture (2.83). The study found that the work culture was not significantly correlated with work environment, family, stress, personal satisfaction, or top-level acceptance. The developed SEM model emphasises the need to pay keen attention to the work environment and the work–family balance among the construction professionals in India. Management should consider these factors to design standard policies to improve the WFI and design work–life balance strategies to create stability in the lives of construction professionals. The current research is limited to only two cities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in South India. More studies must be carried out for more states in India to better understand the current situation of WFI as there is limited evidence of studies on the WFI of construction professionals in India. Therefore, the findings of this study fill the existing knowledge gap and provide a clear insight into improving the mental and social well-being of construction professionals in the Indian construction industry and construction professionals in other developing countries.

Limited research exists on safety leadership and safety climate in developing countries, despite their established importance in the construction industry. This study addresses this gap by investigating how immediate superiors’ safety leadership behaviours influence safety climate perceptions among construction professionals in southern India. Using a quantitative approach, the study collected valid questionnaire surveys among 279 construction professionals by convenience sampling across various construction sites. The survey revealed that safety leadership significantly and positively predicts five key safety climate factors: management’s commitment to safety, safety equipment and procedures, safety training, communication and openness, and group dynamics and safety culture. These findings highlight the critical role immediate superiors play in shaping safety climate perceptions through their commitment, communication, and employee involvement. This research underscores the importance of investing in safety leadership development to improve safety outcomes, reduce accidents and injuries, and enhance regulatory compliance within the Indian construction industry.

This study investigates the most effective leadership style for enhancing safety performance in the construction industry. Through a scientometric analysis of 114 research papers and a meta-analysis of 13 studies involving 7220 participants, it uncovers a growing body of research on safety leadership in construction and identifies safety-specific transformational leadership as the most impactful style for improving safety outcomes. The research highlights the increasing importance of safety leadership in the construction sector and reveals a trend towards safety-specific transformational leadership as the preferred approach. This leadership style emphasizes empowering and motivating employees to prioritize safety through shared values, vision, and goals. The study also emphasizes the need for enhanced collaboration among researchers and institutions, and advocates for the inclusion of studies from developing countries to ensure a comprehensive understanding of safety leadership practices globally. Additionally, the findings align with the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 8, and 11, underscoring the significance of fostering safe and secure working environments and promoting sustainable urbanization. This research serves as a valuable resource for construction industry stakeholders seeking to implement effective safety leadership strategies, and it lays the groundwork for further exploration in this critical area.

One of the vital assets of any industry is human resources. In general, the majority of works are carried out by humans in the construction industries. Study on the assessment of quality of civil engineering construction professionals’ lifestyle is very limited and hence the motto of this study is to understand the lifestyle of construction professionals and to assess the various factors affecting the lifestyle of them. To analyze the effects of societal behavior and to develop a model to study the impact of various factors in a construction professional’s lifestyle; a mixed approach had been adopted in this study. The instrument used in the study was a questionnaire survey conducted from 180 construction professionals working in different firms in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of India and these were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques. Factors affecting the construction professional’s lifestyle are: financial factors, organizational factors, quality, health and environmental factors, work-related factors, and social factors. Hence by foreseeing the factors and adopting favorable changes in a construction professional’s life, they may attain a better lifestyle. This study recommends the strategy to be considered for the improvements of lifestyle of the construction professional especially for “Civil Engineers”.