Green 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. However, the uptake of GB technologies is not as apparent as it should have been. This paper aims to examine the criticality of various barriers preventing the wider adoption of GB technologies. Results from statistical analyses of 104 questionnaire survey responses from GB experts around the world are presented. The results validated the criticality of 19 of the 26 barriers used for the survey. Respondents from different countries and with diverse backgrounds displayed broad consensus on the criticality levels of the barriers. Resistance of stakeholders to change and higher cost are identified as the most critical barriers to implementing GB technologies. Generally, the various groups of respondents shared similar views on the number of barriers affecting the industry; however, respondents with more than 15 years of...

Across the globe, corruption presents a major risk that reduces construction project performances by inflating costs and reducing the quality of the infrastructure commissioned. In developing countries, corruption stifles economic development and engenders social inequality. Using a structured questionnaire survey to elicit direct knowledge and lived experiences of construction practitioners, this study uncovered the prevalence and forms of corrupt practices within the developing country of Ghana. Research findings illustrate that habitual corruption and unethical behavior prevail among public officials, contractors, and construction professionals during the bid evaluation, tendering, and contract implementation stages of a construction contract. This research proffers that corruption is driven by a toxic concoction of high political connections, excessive and reckless sole sourcing of public construction projects, lack of commitment by construction companies in addressing corruption, and the inherently idiosyncratic operational environment of the construction sector. The top five forms of corruption frequently encountered, in descending order, are kickbacks (extortion), bribery, collusion and tender rigging, conflict of interest, and fraud. This research presents a rare glimpse of construction industry corruption in a developing country and provides polemic clarity geared to intellectually challenge readers in government and industry. Future work is required to explore and develop appropriate countermeasures to address corrupt practices and behaviors.

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the impact of infrastructure development on Ghana’s economic growth.Design/methodology/approach: Using data obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, the United States’ (US) International Energy Statistics and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Factbooks from 1980 to 2016, an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) framework is used to determine the long- and short-run impact of the selected infrastructure stock and quality indices on Ghana’s economic growth.Findings: Findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between infrastructure development and economic growth. Additionally, electricity-generating capacity is identified as the infrastructure stock index that has the greatest positive impact on Ghana’s economic growth. The study reveals that electricity-distribution loss has a significant negative effect over both long- and short-run periods.Research limitations/implications: Commercial petroleum export from Ghana since 2010 has been a key contributor to economic growth. Although its aggregate effect is included in the annual GDP figures adopted for the study, the authors would have wished to assess its impact on GDP as an independent standard growth determinant. However, because of a lack of available data over this study period, petroleum exports could not be adopted as an independent standard growth determinant. Additionally, an aggregated index of infrastructure stock and quality could not be derived because of the small size of data available. Hence, this study did not assess its impact on Ghana’s economic growth.Practical implications: The research provides pragmatic guidance to policymakers to focus their efforts on expanding electricity-generating capacity while simultaneously taking steps to curb electricity transmission and distribution losses. These two related actions offer the greatest positive impact on infrastructure development and, as a consequence, Ghana’s economic growth.Originality/value: This paper represents the first attempt to empirically study the relationship between infrastructure development and Ghana’s economic growth. A key contribution to the existing body of knowledge includes strong evidence of a positive effect of infrastructure development upon Ghana’s economic growth. Results also reveal that the greatest positive impact on economic growth is derived from electricity-generation capacity. However, the study also uncovers a negative, but statistically significant, relationship between road and economic growth.

This study reviews the anti-corruption measures (ACMs) developed to mitigate the pervasiveness of corruption in construction project management (CPM). Using a two-stage methodological process to identify the relevant publications needed, 39 unique ACMs were identified in 38 selected publications. The leading ACMs identified are ethical codes, transparency mechanism, training, and development initiatives. A conceptual framework constituting six thematic constructs was developed to facilitate easy identification of ACMs and categorization of future developments of ACMs. They are regulatory, managerial, probing, compliance, promotional, and reactive measures. The findings contribute in-depth understanding of ACMs in CPM and are useful for further empirical research.

Purpose: Construction firms worldwide are increasingly taking pragmatic steps towards addressing environmental problems arising from their activities. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of studies focused on the nexus between green construction and environmental performance. Hence, this study aims to examine the linkages between green construction practice and environmental performance.Design/methodology/approach: An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the relevant dimensions of green construction practice and indicators for measuring environmental performance. Variables collated were then subjected to pre-assessment and pre-testing processes. The pre-assessment was used as a preliminary content validation where experts assessed the various dimensions of green construction practice and indicators for measuring environmental performance proposed and determine if indeed the variables represent what the study set out to measure. Data were collected from construction professionals within the Ghana's Kumasi Metropolis. The sample size for the study was 100 experts in sustainable construction methods in the construction industry. A total of 63 responses were received out of the 100 target respondents, accounting for a 63% response rate. Data generated was analysed using mean score analysis and one-sample t-test to determine the level of significance of the various green construction practices and indicators for measuring environmental performance. A Pearson correlation analysis was undertaken to ascertain the relationships that exist among the various dimensions of green construction practice and indicators for measuring environmental performance. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis was utilised to ascertain the effect of the adoption of green construction practice on environmental performance.Findings: The results indicate that all the green construction practices and the indicators of environmental performance identified from the literature were significant at p = 0.05. The study's findings revealed that energy management is the most significant construct of green construction practice followed by storm-water management. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the preservation of water is the most significant environmental performance indicator followed by sanitation. The regression model developed also explained that 75% of the variations in environmental performance are explained by green construction practice.Research limitations/implications: Notwithstanding the study's achievements, one major limitation the research faced was the relatively small sample size.Practical implications: This study provides sufficient data for construction professionals to identify the various green construction practices that could enhance environmental performance. The study's results showed that environmental performance could be improved by adopting the key green construction practices identified in this study. Pragmatic directions are also provided to stakeholders in the construction industry to take a critical look at the environmental performance indicators that were significant.Originality/value: This pioneering research attempts to investigate the linkages between green construction practice and environmental performance in Ghana. Key results provide a critical evidential influence of green construction on environmental performance and make a crucial contribution to the current body of knowledge.

Buildings inevitably deteriorate with time. Schools buildings are no exception and require refurbishment at times. Despite the UK Government announcing the £1 billion funding for rebuilding 50 schools over 10 years starting 2010–2021, it is common practice for builders and designers to, upon completion of a building project, move on to the next development without considering how the completed building performs. This research undertakes a post occupancy evaluation (POE) of three schools in the West Midlands, UK with specific focus on building services, viz., heating, lighting, and air conditioning and ventilation. The research adopted a mixed philosophical approach of interpretivism and post-positivism to conduct inductive reasoning. A questionnaire that collected both quantitative and qualitative primary data was distributed to the end-users of the schools. Data was analysed using the Cronbach’s alpha, one sample t-test and Kruskal–Wallis test to identify any differences between the questionnaire responses. Findings revealed that building users demanded greater control of the internal environment thus contradicting the current trend for automated ‘intelligent systems’ approaches. This research represents the first work to consider the contractor’s perspective towards developing a better understanding of client satisfaction with the school buildings. Moreover, the POE result represents a notable pragmatic advancement to knowledge that will influence the contractor’s knowledge and understanding of client satisfaction, and where to improve upon these.