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Dr. Alex Opoku is currently an Associate Professor in Project Management and Quantity Surveying at the Bartlett School of Construction & Project Management, University College London (UCL). He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Chartered Quantity Surveyor (MRICS) and Chartered Construction Manager (MCIOB), with many years of teaching and learning experience in the UK higher education sector. He holds a Ph.D. in Construction and Project Management from the University of Salford. His research interest is in the area of the sustainable built environment, and he is currently focusing on the link between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the built environment.
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets and 231 unique indicators as a significant initiative towards socio-economic development. The SDGs provide the construction industry with a new lens through which global needs and desires can be translated into business solutions. This paper explores the role of the construction industry in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The paper uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. Following a comparative review of the literature on the 17 SDGs, a questionnaire was designed and administered among 130 respondents, and 105 responses were received. These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with 16 sustainable construction experts. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through side-by-side comparisons of the qualitative data with the quantitative data. The findings show that the construction industry has a critical role in achieving almost all the 17 SDGs. The roles were, however, prevalent in 10 key SDGs, namely: sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); climate action (SDG 13); clean water and sanitation (SDG 6); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9); life on land (biodiversity) (SDG 15); gender equality (SDG 5); good health and well-being (SDG 3); affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). The study confirmed the role played by the construction industry in achieving these SDGs. The findings from this study provide further insights into the ever-increasing state-of-the-art regarding the construction industry’s role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Wenmei Fei; Alex Opoku; Kofi Agyekum; James Anthony Oppon; Vian Ahmed; Charles Chen; Ka Leung Lok. The Critical Role of the Construction Industry in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Delivering Projects for the Common Good. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9112 .
AMA StyleWenmei Fei, Alex Opoku, Kofi Agyekum, James Anthony Oppon, Vian Ahmed, Charles Chen, Ka Leung Lok. The Critical Role of the Construction Industry in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Delivering Projects for the Common Good. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9112.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWenmei Fei; Alex Opoku; Kofi Agyekum; James Anthony Oppon; Vian Ahmed; Charles Chen; Ka Leung Lok. 2021. "The Critical Role of the Construction Industry in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Delivering Projects for the Common Good." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9112.
(1) Background: Generally, firms are reluctant to report outsourcing failures, no matter what industry they operate within. To eliminate poor performance of outsourced service providers, it is necessary to establish a specific outsourcing relationship model for facilities management (FM). The purpose of this paper is to study the concept of outsourcing relationships in relation to FM and to investigate the design of the critical success factors on sustainable outsourcing strategies through a discussion of four dimensions (ownership of FM assets, control of FM assets, competitive position and long-term plan). (2) Methods: Based on two questionnaire surveys, data were collected from 38 clients and 34 service providers. The study evaluated the FM outsourcing strategies from critical success factors in educational facilities in Hong Kong. (3) Results: This study explains the impact of FM outsourcing strategies on Hong Kong’s four commonly outsourced FM contracts including building maintenance, security, cleaning and catering from the clients’ and service providers’ point of view. (4) Conclusions: This is the outsourcing way forward in order to create a better working environment conducive for all the parties that would result in better sustainability of FM’s future and thus impact the economic objectives of sustainable development, in parallel with adding social and environmental value.
Ka Lok; Andrew Smith; Alex Opoku; Charles Chen. The Challenges of Sustainable Development on Facilities Management Outsourcing Services: An Investigation in Educational Facilities. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8156 .
AMA StyleKa Lok, Andrew Smith, Alex Opoku, Charles Chen. The Challenges of Sustainable Development on Facilities Management Outsourcing Services: An Investigation in Educational Facilities. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8156.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKa Lok; Andrew Smith; Alex Opoku; Charles Chen. 2021. "The Challenges of Sustainable Development on Facilities Management Outsourcing Services: An Investigation in Educational Facilities." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8156.
Purpose Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, with the slowest progress being witnessed mainly on goals that are focused on the environment. This study examines environmental performance indicators for assessing the sustainability of building projects. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of ten environmental sustainability indicators. One hundred and sixty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these indicators from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively, and via inferential analysis. These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with six interviewees who are fellows of their respective professional bodies, a senior academic (professor in construction project delivery) and a government official. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data. Findings The findings from the study suggest that all the indicators were important in assessing building projects' environmental sustainability across the entire life cycle. Key among the identified indicators is the effects of the project on “water quality, air quality, energy use and conservation, and environmental compliance and management”. The interviewees further agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified indicators for assessing the environmental sustainability of building projects in Ghana. Originality/value Compared to existing studies, this study adopts the exploratory sequential design to identify and examine the critical indicators in assessing the environmental sustainability across the entire lifecycle of building projects in a typical developing country setting, i.e. Ghana. It reveals areas of prime concern in the drive to place the local construction industry on a trajectory towards achieving environmental sustainability.
Kofi Agyekum; Seth Yeboah Botchway; Emmanuel Adinyira; Alex Opoku. Environmental performance indicators for assessing sustainability of projects in the Ghanaian construction industry. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 2021, ahead-of-p, 1 .
AMA StyleKofi Agyekum, Seth Yeboah Botchway, Emmanuel Adinyira, Alex Opoku. Environmental performance indicators for assessing sustainability of projects in the Ghanaian construction industry. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. 2021; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKofi Agyekum; Seth Yeboah Botchway; Emmanuel Adinyira; Alex Opoku. 2021. "Environmental performance indicators for assessing sustainability of projects in the Ghanaian construction industry." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.
The Contingency Outsourcing Relationship (CORE) model originated from the Four Outsourcing Relationship Types (FORT) model; the CORE model is used in the globalized Facility Management (FM) industry, while the FORT model is originally used in the global information technology industry. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly analyse the simulated case studies of the four different categories (i.e., in-house, technical expertise, commitment and common goals) of the CORE model from the perspective of the various clients. This study builds on the previous work on the outsourcing relationships between a client and a globalized FM service provider. It further explores the application of this model with the aid of artificial neural networks (ANNs) towards a sustainable future. A quantitative methodology through a survey is used to analyse eight outsourcing strategies for the four outsourcing relationships. A set of revised rules of the CORE is introduced and discussed regarding the approaches to investigate the four simulated outsourcing relationship systems. The study further reveals that an interesting understanding of the four outsourcing categories can be systematically and efficiently implemented into the FM outsourcing relationships through the methodology of scientific Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is concluded that FM outsourcing categorization may help to define the appropriate relationships. This further detailed outcome generated from the ANN can be clearly considered a strong and solid reference to define and explain the existing outsourcing relationships between the stakeholders and the service providers with the aim to assign an outsourcing category to the FM relationship between the client and service provider based on the learnt rules.
Ka Lok; Albert So; Alex Opoku; Charles Chen. A Sustainable Facility Management Outsourcing Relationships System: Artificial Neural Networks. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4740 .
AMA StyleKa Lok, Albert So, Alex Opoku, Charles Chen. A Sustainable Facility Management Outsourcing Relationships System: Artificial Neural Networks. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):4740.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKa Lok; Albert So; Alex Opoku; Charles Chen. 2021. "A Sustainable Facility Management Outsourcing Relationships System: Artificial Neural Networks." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 4740.
Managing the realisation of project benefits in public sector organisations is fundamental in ensuring that value is added by projects and programmes. Project sponsors are charged with championing projects in organisations to create value in line with the organisational strategy. This study examines how the sponsor defines project benefits, aligns them with organisational strategy and ensures that they are delivered. The paper presents the results of a case study involving a major public sector organisation in the UK using qualitative data collection through interviews with 14 sponsors across the business. It also confirms that sponsors must be empowered and held accountable in order to create meaningful value for an organisation. No business organisation can survive without creating value for customers, and therefore project sponsorship is an essential function of organisations. The findings from this research will enable the case study organisation and similar public sector organisations to become a more ‘intelligent client’ and ensure that all investment is aligned with the wider organisational strategy. It contributes to knowledge in the broader research base by building a clearer understanding of how public sector organisations employ the sponsor function to ensure that projects align well with the business strategy.
Alex Opoku; Alexander Tallon; Ka Leung Lok; Charles X L Chen; Tariq Umar. Realising project benefits in the public sector: project sponsor’s perspective. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law 2021, 174, 7 -13.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Alexander Tallon, Ka Leung Lok, Charles X L Chen, Tariq Umar. Realising project benefits in the public sector: project sponsor’s perspective. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law. 2021; 174 (1):7-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Alexander Tallon; Ka Leung Lok; Charles X L Chen; Tariq Umar. 2021. "Realising project benefits in the public sector: project sponsor’s perspective." Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law 174, no. 1: 7-13.
Alex Opoku; Julius Akotia. Special issue: urban regeneration for sustainable development. Construction Economics and Building 2020, 20, 1 .
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Julius Akotia. Special issue: urban regeneration for sustainable development. Construction Economics and Building. 2020; 20 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Julius Akotia. 2020. "Special issue: urban regeneration for sustainable development." Construction Economics and Building 20, no. 2: 1.
Purpose As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper aims to explore the use of standardised school design in addressing the problem of primary school places in the UK. Design/methodology/approach Due to the exploratory nature of this investigation, a pragmatic research philosophy is utilised and mixed-method data collection techniques are used. Quantitative data collection is in the form of a survey involving 306 construction professionals and stakeholders; this has been consolidated using qualitative data collection in the form of nine purposefully selected semi-structured interviews. Findings The research highlighted the influence that people and their perceptions have on the successful implementation of standardisation. The results show that a high level of misunderstanding exists around the concept of standardisation and its definition. Standardised design has shown to have a remarkable influence in reducing the cost and time required for delivering the construction of new schools. Research limitations/implications Due to the exploratory nature of this research, the results obtained have not been wholly conclusive but have instead provided a contribution to the area of standardisation in construction. Originality/value The research has uncovered that, to truly promote and drive standardisation in the delivery of schools, a joint approach is required with designers, contractors, clients and manufacturers, working in partnership to develop successful solutions. The paper will, therefore, help the key stakeholders delivering standardised schools in UK to fully understand the concept and turn the challenges into opportunities.
Alex Opoku; Sarah A. Mills. Exploring the use of standardised design in addressing the shortage of primary school places in the UK. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology 2019, 17, 383 -401.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Sarah A. Mills. Exploring the use of standardised design in addressing the shortage of primary school places in the UK. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology. 2019; 17 (2):383-401.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Sarah A. Mills. 2019. "Exploring the use of standardised design in addressing the shortage of primary school places in the UK." Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology 17, no. 2: 383-401.
Recent major global environmental initiatives toward a more sustainable society are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the Paris Agreement. The built environment has been recognised as a major contributor to loss of biodiversity and should therefore play a major role in a sustainable world where ecological values are enhanced. There should be a smooth interaction between the built environment and the natural environment because humanity and nature are the usual victims of loss of biodiversity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between the Built Environment, Biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals. The paper explores the role of a sustainable built environment towards biodiversity conservation which is central to the realisation of the SDGs in general and SDG 15 in particular. The paper adopts a qualitative research methodology using knowledge generation workshop involving 16 experts from both academia and industry. The results show that, even though the built environment has a negative impact on biodiversity, it also has the greatest opportunity to integrate biodiversity into all development projects. Reducing the impact of the built environment on biodiversity should be an integral part of policies and strategies towards a sustainable built environment. All key built environment stakeholders need to engage in raising awareness of the effects of biodiversity loss as a result of construction activities, on the health and wellbeing of mankind. The value of this paper is to help decision-makers such as government agencies, industry-players and non-governmental organisations to understand the contributions of the built environment towards biodiversity conservation in achieving the SDGs.
Alex Opoku. Biodiversity and the built environment: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2018, 141, 1 -7.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku. Biodiversity and the built environment: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2018; 141 ():1-7.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku. 2018. "Biodiversity and the built environment: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 141, no. : 1-7.
The management problems of Facilities Management (FM) outsourcing relationships occur because of provision of low quality analytical, managerial, cooperative, and professional services. On selection, the ideal service providers for specific FM outsourcing contractual procurement needs is of paramount importance to achieve high quality FM services. This paper aims at reviewing the concept of outsourcing in relation to facilities management and dealing with the importance of outsourcing success. Factors of outsourcing strategies from the perspectives of clients and service providers are examined and analysed through the Delphi technique in Hong Kong. The results reveal four main drivers of FM practice through evaluation of thirty-five outsourcing critical success factors identified by clients and service providers. Evaluation of the critical success factors from FM drivers shows that there is an inclination towards FM competence, measurement of performance, cost effectiveness, etc. from clients, whilst there is an inclination to the core skills, measurement of performance, allocation of human resources, cost effectiveness, customers’ satisfaction, etc. from service providers. The result of the study reveals an interesting understanding that the impact of outsourcing critical success factors can be strategically implemented into the outsourcing strategies in Hong Kong’s FM practice.
Ka Leung Lok; Alex Opoku; David Baldry. Design of Sustainable Outsourcing Services for Facilities Management: Critical Success Factors. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2292 .
AMA StyleKa Leung Lok, Alex Opoku, David Baldry. Design of Sustainable Outsourcing Services for Facilities Management: Critical Success Factors. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (7):2292.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKa Leung Lok; Alex Opoku; David Baldry. 2018. "Design of Sustainable Outsourcing Services for Facilities Management: Critical Success Factors." Sustainability 10, no. 7: 2292.
Purpose The emergence of housing microfinance (HMF) as a response to the low-income groups’ inability to access traditional housing finance is an innovative strategy by creative Microfinance Institutions. Yet, low-income groups’ still face barriers in accessing these innovative products, particularly in Ghana. This paper aims to examine the critical demand barriers and how to develop and improve the design and delivery of HMF interventions in the low-income housing market in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The paper achieves its aim by adopting a focus-group discussion strategy to examine the constraints to the demand for HMF among low-income groups’ in Ghana. Findings Nine factors constrained the design, delivery and demand for HMF – affordability issues; risk; land tenure insecurity; high interest rate; collateralization and insurance challenges; unfavourable HMF loan conditions; lack of social capital; high cost of land and building materials; and ineffective consumer protection. Research limitations/implications Although limited to low-income groups, strategies to stimulate demand for HMF should focus on three broad problems – affordability, macroeconomic management and institutional development and government intervention. Social implications The paper makes significant contributions to the body of knowledge, regarding understanding the low-income housing market and its financing in the context of a developing country. Originality/value The novelty of the paper is founded on the premise of the research methodology adopted to unearthed the barriers to the demand of HMF in Ghana. Future research effort should be directed at exploring the motivations behind low-income groups’ decision to demand HMF and the risk associated with the use of HMF in the context of Ghana.
Francis Kwesi Bondinuba; Alex Opoku; DeGraft Owusu-Manu; Kenneth Appiah Donkor-Hyiaman. Stimulating growth and improving the delivery of housing microfinance interventions. Journal of Facilities Management 2018, 16, 238 -252.
AMA StyleFrancis Kwesi Bondinuba, Alex Opoku, DeGraft Owusu-Manu, Kenneth Appiah Donkor-Hyiaman. Stimulating growth and improving the delivery of housing microfinance interventions. Journal of Facilities Management. 2018; 16 (3):238-252.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancis Kwesi Bondinuba; Alex Opoku; DeGraft Owusu-Manu; Kenneth Appiah Donkor-Hyiaman. 2018. "Stimulating growth and improving the delivery of housing microfinance interventions." Journal of Facilities Management 16, no. 3: 238-252.
Purpose The social housing sector is under increasing pressure to do more with less and provide value for money as part of the UK Government’s public debt reduction strategy. This study aims to explore the current practices towards unlocking social value in the housing sector through the adoption of the Social Value Act 2012. The Social Value Act seeks to ensure that public sector procurement deliver added value in terms of social, economic and environmental outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts quantitative research methodology through a survey with 100 housing professionals charged with the delivery of social value outcomes in the social housing sector in England. Findings The results of the study reveal that there is a low level of understanding of the Social Value Act 2012 among the professionals in the social housing sector. Once again, most organisations in the social housing sector do not have social value strategies or policies and rarely consider social value outcomes during procurement. However, employment skills and training and crime and antisocial behaviour reduction are the most social value priority outcomes/needs identified with organisations currently promoting social value in the social housing sector. Social implications The issue of social value has importance towards the wider society, and the study provides an insight into current practices towards the realisation of social value outcomes in the housing sector. Originality/value The Social Value Act 2012 came into force in January 2013, and little has been written on the impact of the Act on the social housing sector in England. This study identifies current practices in the social housing sector towards the delivery of social value outcomes in the day-to-day business operations.
Alex Opoku; Peter Guthrie. The Social Value Act 2012: current state of practice in the social housing sector. Journal of Facilities Management 2018, 16, 253 -268.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Peter Guthrie. The Social Value Act 2012: current state of practice in the social housing sector. Journal of Facilities Management. 2018; 16 (3):253-268.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Peter Guthrie. 2018. "The Social Value Act 2012: current state of practice in the social housing sector." Journal of Facilities Management 16, no. 3: 253-268.
Alex Opoku; Peter Guthrie; Vian Ahmed. Guest editorial. Journal of Facilities Management 2018, 16, 234 -237.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Peter Guthrie, Vian Ahmed. Guest editorial. Journal of Facilities Management. 2018; 16 (3):234-237.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Peter Guthrie; Vian Ahmed. 2018. "Guest editorial." Journal of Facilities Management 16, no. 3: 234-237.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the key practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. Practitioners’ level of involvement is a major factor that has and continues to determine the delivery of sustainability outcomes of regeneration projects. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted a qualitative study that obtained data from 21 key practitioners through semi-structured interviews in exploring practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. The semi-structured interviews are conducted with seven practitioners, each from the three construction organisations selected through a purposive sampling approach for the study. Findings The findings identify varied levels of involvement of the key practitioners at the three delivery stages – early, construction and post-construction of the projects. The findings further reveal that clients’ representatives, commercial managers and architects are the most frequently involved practitioners during the early stages of the projects. The findings also indicate that practitioners who have sustainability assigned to their roles and their responsibilities, such as sustainability managers, are the least involved in all the three delivery stages of the projects. Research limitations/implications The study involves interview with 21 practitioners from three organisations delivering sustainable regeneration projects; hence, this could limit the generalisation of the research findings. However, the findings of this study could serve as a useful source of information for the further study in this area. Practical implications The paper is of the view that the level of key practitioners’ involvement in the delivery of the projects will have an impact on their knowledge and will determine how sustainability benefits are promoted and delivered from the projects. Originality/value Although some studies have been carried out on practitioners’ engagement in the delivery of “normal” construction projects, none has focussed on practitioners’ levels of involvement in sustainable regeneration projects. Hence, this study has brought to the fore how the key practitioners tasked with the responsibilities of delivering sustainability benefits of regeneration projects have been involved (at various levels of the project life cycle) in the delivery of these projects.
Julius Akotia; Alex Opoku. Sustainable regeneration project delivery in UK. Journal of Facilities Management 2018, 16, 87 -100.
AMA StyleJulius Akotia, Alex Opoku. Sustainable regeneration project delivery in UK. Journal of Facilities Management. 2018; 16 (1):87-100.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulius Akotia; Alex Opoku. 2018. "Sustainable regeneration project delivery in UK." Journal of Facilities Management 16, no. 1: 87-100.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the de/motivation variables in the delivery of housing microfinance (HMF) in the low-income housing market in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe paper relied on a survey of 125 respondents of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to understand the interactions and effects of these variables on HMF delivery in Ghana. Descriptive and bivariate statistical methods were used to analyse the data.FindingsThe findings revealed that both internal and external variables motivate MFIs to engage in the low-income housing market. These variables are: MFIs desire for expansion, the potential size of the low-income housing market, the market potential for MFIs growth, the availability of local resources, unique features and products of the market, low-income housing offering an opportunity for leveraging resources and the preference for homeownership than rental among individuals in the low-income segment of the population. However, variables such as capital lock-up in HMF delivery, high-interest rates in the country, high cost and land prices, high cost and price of building materials, lack of sufficient collaterals and the different interest rates required on HMF loans also served as demotivation in the low-income housing market in Ghana.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper findings are limited in context to Ghana.Practical implicationsThe paper, although limited to Ghana, contributes to the much-needed body of knowledge on low-income housing finance in developing countries.Originality/valueThe paper is the first of its kind in using empirical data to explore the motivational and demotivational variables in the delivery of HMF in a developing country context such as Ghana.
Francis K. Bondinuba; Devine Hedidor; Alex Opoku; Alfred L. Teye. De/motivations in housing microfinance delivery in Ghana. Property Management 2017, 35, 528 -544.
AMA StyleFrancis K. Bondinuba, Devine Hedidor, Alex Opoku, Alfred L. Teye. De/motivations in housing microfinance delivery in Ghana. Property Management. 2017; 35 (5):528-544.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancis K. Bondinuba; Devine Hedidor; Alex Opoku; Alfred L. Teye. 2017. "De/motivations in housing microfinance delivery in Ghana." Property Management 35, no. 5: 528-544.
Julius Akotia; Alex Opoku; Farahat Hafiz. THE EXTENT OF PRACTITIONERS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE DELIVERY OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION PROJECTS IN UK. European Journal of Sustainable Development 2017, 6, 147-164 .
AMA StyleJulius Akotia, Alex Opoku, Farahat Hafiz. THE EXTENT OF PRACTITIONERS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE DELIVERY OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION PROJECTS IN UK. European Journal of Sustainable Development. 2017; 6 (2):147-164.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulius Akotia; Alex Opoku; Farahat Hafiz. 2017. "THE EXTENT OF PRACTITIONERS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE DELIVERY OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION PROJECTS IN UK." European Journal of Sustainable Development 6, no. 2: 147-164.
Alex Opoku; Charles Egbu. Students’ Perspectives on the Relevance of Sustainability Literacy in a Postgraduate Built Environment Program. International Journal of Construction Education and Research 2017, 14, 1 -13.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Charles Egbu. Students’ Perspectives on the Relevance of Sustainability Literacy in a Postgraduate Built Environment Program. International Journal of Construction Education and Research. 2017; 14 (1):1-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Charles Egbu. 2017. "Students’ Perspectives on the Relevance of Sustainability Literacy in a Postgraduate Built Environment Program." International Journal of Construction Education and Research 14, no. 1: 1-13.
Alex Opoku; Peter Guthrie. Education for sustainable development in the built environment. International Journal of Construction Education and Research 2017, 14, 1 -3.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Peter Guthrie. Education for sustainable development in the built environment. International Journal of Construction Education and Research. 2017; 14 (1):1-3.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Peter Guthrie. 2017. "Education for sustainable development in the built environment." International Journal of Construction Education and Research 14, no. 1: 1-3.
In recent years, sustainable regeneration has been recognised as being of major economic and social concern in the world. In the UK for instance, government has initiated a number of policies and evaluation methods to deal with some of the environmental problems associated with regeneration projects. However, the post construction evaluation of these projects has often resulted in them being seen as not achieving their set objectives. Attempts aimed at evaluating the impact of sustainability by built environment practitioners have primarily been limited to their assessment of the projects’ potential environmental impacts, with the associated socio-economic impacts being neglected. There has not been any well-defined built environment research that has been able to deal holistically with the broader issues of sustainability in terms of benefits/impacts of the regeneration projects to the communities concerned. The findings of an exploratory study that adopted a semi-structured interview approach for data collection, to explore the knowledge and understanding of fifteen practitioners who are often involved in the delivery of these projects are presented. The findings reveal a lack of knowledge and understanding of sustainability as well as structured mechanism/practices for evaluating the socio-economic sustainability factors in relation to regeneration projects.
Julius Akotia; Alex Opoku; Charles Egbu; Chris Fortune. Exploring the knowledge ‘base’ of practitioners in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects. Construction Economics and Building 2016, 16, 14 -26.
AMA StyleJulius Akotia, Alex Opoku, Charles Egbu, Chris Fortune. Exploring the knowledge ‘base’ of practitioners in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects. Construction Economics and Building. 2016; 16 (2):14-26.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulius Akotia; Alex Opoku; Charles Egbu; Chris Fortune. 2016. "Exploring the knowledge ‘base’ of practitioners in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects." Construction Economics and Building 16, no. 2: 14-26.
Purpose – Leadership is a significant success factor in promoting sustainability practices in the construction industry. Sustainability is an integral part of the construction industry and affects all aspects of construction business operations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if there is any particular leadership style associated with intra-organizational leaders within UK construction organizations charged with the promotion of sustainability practices. The paper therefore examines the effective leadership style of sustainability professionals responsible for developing sustainable construction strategies. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview with 15 leaders, followed by an industry-wide survey of 200 intra-organizational leaders in contractor and consultant organizations in the UK construction industry. Findings – The results showed that while there is no one best leadership style for all situation, most leaders charged with the role of promoting sustainable construction are strategic in their style or behaviour. Originality/value – Although leadership and sustainability has been widely covered as separate issues, little rigorous research has been done on the link between leadership and sustainability in construction management research. The findings could guide organizational leaders with the responsibility of promoting sustainability practices.
Alex Opoku; Vian Ahmed; Heather Cruickshank. Leadership style of sustainability professionals in the UK construction industry. Built Environment Project and Asset Management 2015, 5, 184 -201.
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Vian Ahmed, Heather Cruickshank. Leadership style of sustainability professionals in the UK construction industry. Built Environment Project and Asset Management. 2015; 5 (2):184-201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Vian Ahmed; Heather Cruickshank. 2015. "Leadership style of sustainability professionals in the UK construction industry." Built Environment Project and Asset Management 5, no. 2: 184-201.
Alex Opoku; Vian Ahmed; Heather Cruickshank. Leadership, culture and sustainable built environment. Built Environment Project and Asset Management 2015, 5, 1 .
AMA StyleAlex Opoku, Vian Ahmed, Heather Cruickshank. Leadership, culture and sustainable built environment. Built Environment Project and Asset Management. 2015; 5 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlex Opoku; Vian Ahmed; Heather Cruickshank. 2015. "Leadership, culture and sustainable built environment." Built Environment Project and Asset Management 5, no. 2: 1.