Purpose: Offsite construction (OC) is an efficient method to reduce waste in the construction industry from a circular economy perspective. Yet, its uptake is subdued by the ambiguities around its supply chain. Hence, the purpose of this study is twofold: to identify the OC project delivery models, the limitations in their procurement approach to facilitate the resilience of the supply chain and interventions to promote supply chain resilience (SCR) and to identify the gaps in the existing procurement process and propose further research areas that implement strategies to improve SCR. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted as a systematic literature review. In total, 41 peer-reviewed research papers published between 2013 and 2023 were shortlisted through the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. A descriptive analysis was conducted, followed by a thematic analysis. Findings: The descriptive analysis reveals that the emphasis on digitising OC has shifted to transforming the business model, procurement and supply chain with a human-centric view. In thematic analysis, the predictability of the SC partners and the probabilities of evaluating the prospects are revealed as arbitrary characteristics in the current procurement strategies. Rewarding collaborative relationships among SC partners and incorporating provisions to postpone the module delivery are some interventions to promote flexibility. Drafting comprehensive and effective contracts that address transparency issues and facilitating the need for continuous development of capabilities through procurement are among the further research avenues proposed. Originality/value: This study is a precursor demonstrating the potential of the procurement process to implement the decrees of SCR for better goal congruence of the OC supply chain.

Purpose: The lack of a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between transaction cost determinants (TCDs) and supply chain resilience (SCR) has concerned the effective and efficient management of supply chain uncertainties in the offsite construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of TCDs, namely asset specificity, transaction frequency, transaction uncertainty, bounded rationality and opportunism, on SCR, grounded in transaction cost theory (TCT). Furthermore, it investigates the mediating role of governance in the relationship between TCDs and SCR. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 97 Australian offsite construction supply chain partners via a questionnaire survey through a purposive sampling process. Data analysis was conducted quantitatively using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The results revealed that asset specificity, transaction frequency and transaction uncertainty were significantly associated with SCR constructs. Governance confirmed a significant mediating effect on these relationships. Interestingly, opportunism did not have a significant negative relationship with the SCR constructs, suggesting the need to explore its behaviour in enhancing SCR. Bounded rationality demonstrated a significant direct association with SCR constructs regardless of the mediating effect of governance. Originality/value: This study provides novel insights by empirically testing the mediating effect of governance on the relationship between TCDs and SCR. It highlights the importance of promoting SCR with a minimum impact on the cost-effectiveness of offsite construction projects.

Purpose: Many work-related factors particularly affect the mental well-being of young construction workers and subsequently affect their productivity at work. Young construction workers in South Australia are more vulnerable than other workers because they consider the distress arising from work-related factors to be part of adapting to a new work life. Therefore, this study seeks to draw out the work-related factors that affect the mental well-being of young construction workers. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a sequential mixed method approach including a preliminary qualitative case study and a quantitative survey. Around 20 interviews across two organisations were conducted in the initial case study and content analysis was used to contextualise the factors and identify new factors. Then, the outcome of the case study was fed into a questionnaire survey for further analysis. The survey received 43 valid responses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the survey outcome to assess and categorise the work-related factors. Findings: The findings indicate ten prominent work-related factors contributing to poor mental well-being of young construction workers related to three main categories of factors, namely “nature of work”, “task-related stress” and “unsupportive behaviour”. The work-related factors that have the greatest impact on mental well-being are the machoism culture of industry, work overload and workplace bullying. Originality/value: The outcome from this study enhances the understanding of key work-related factors affecting the mental well-being of young construction workers. Research findings would also help inform the development of clear, industry-informed initiatives tailored to protect and support young construction workers.

The concept of livable communities has become increasingly significant in regional planning, aiming to improve the quality of life for residents. Despite continued investment in critical infrastructure in developing countries, the enhancement of livability has not kept pace with infrastructure development. This study investigates the impact of crucial infrastructure on community livability, utilizing a holistic single case study approach with Colombo as the case study. The relationship between critical infrastructure development and urban livability serves as the unit of analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten subject matter experts and analyzed using manual content analysis. The research finds that the availability of essential services—education, healthcare, transportation, energy, and communication—constitutes the foundation of a livable community. However, compared to its availability, inadequate attention to the quality and proximity of critical infrastructure is a fundamental reason for not achieving livability objectives in developing nations. The study identifies four aspects of proximity (residential, workplace, transportation, and emergency services) and seven aspects of quality (reliability, timeliness, safety and security, accessibility, efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction) as crucial for attaining livability standards. A key insight is the lack of consideration for community perceptions of critical infrastructure development in developing countries, hindering urban livability efforts. The study suggests Community-Driven Needs Assessment (CDNA), Participatory Budgeting, Community Infrastructure Committees, Crowdsourced Design Challenges, and Knowledge Sharing Platforms as strategies to enhance community involvement in planning critical infrastructure. It recommends further empirical research in similar contexts to evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches.