This paper aims at examining a customized model of construction partnering in order to highlight the relationships between the critical success factors and individual partnering process stages. It used two surveys (a simple rating method and the analytic hierarchy process) to produce empirical evidence for identifying the critical success factors and the partnering process stages. Results suggest that this study is consistent with previous findings that a general partnering process consists of three stages (formation, application, and completion/reactivation). In addition, it reaffirms that there are critical common factors affecting the whole partnering process and critical functional factors influencing individual process stages. Specifically, the four critical common factors are top management support, open communication, effective coordination, and mutual trust. Also, the critical functional factors at the stage of partnering formation are team building, facilitator, and partnering agreement; those of...

This article reviews some major studies that were conducted in the past decade (1989‐1998) on the transfer of what employees learned from training programmes back to their jobs. A conceptual framework is developed for this article to better present the “popular” constructs that have been tested empirically. The achievement is twofold. First, this review paper highlights that some individual, motivational and environmental factors are related to transfer of training. Second, some directions for further studies have been suggested. For example, longitudinal study was highly recommended for measuring transfer outcomes. Some new individual (e.g. achievement striving), motivational (e.g. trainee‐control‐over‐training) and environmental (e.g. transfer climate) constructs are recommended to be incorporated in newly created models. These models can then be examined using structural equation modelling. After extensive testing and refinement of these models, a set of critical constructs can be distilled. By that time, convergence of research efforts focusing on major themes can be achieved.

Aims to commend SEM (structural equation modeling) that excels beyond multiple regression, which is a popular statistical technique to test the relationships of independent and dependent variables, in expanding the explanatory ability and statistical efficiency for parsimonious model testing with a single comprehensive method. SEM is employed to find the real “best fitting” model. This article also presents an incremental approach to SEM, which is a procedural design and sounds workable for testing simple models and presents an example to test a parsimonious model of MBA knowledge and skills transfer using SEM and multiple regression. The results indicate that only one significant relationship can be justified by multiple regression. SEM, on the other hand, has helped to develop new relationships based on the modification indexes, which are also theoretically accepted. Finally, three relationships are shown to be significant and the “best fitting” structural model has been established.

This paper discusses the use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in assigning weights to a group of elements. The weighting of elements has two major functions. First, it is employed to prioritize (rank) elements so that the key elements can be determined. This may for example help to establish the key measures for business performance. Second, assigning weight to selected measures (or criteria) may provide a more accurate judgement. It is, therefore, useful in making business decisions, such as the evaluation of alternative marketing strategies, the selection of candidates for jobs, etc. In addition, AHP employs a consistency test to purify the usable questionnaire responses and an iterative process to improve consistency, which differentiate it from other research methods. Comments and discussions regarding the AHP method are also provided.