Purpose: The design for deconstruction (DfD) technique, a contemporaneous solution to demolition by optimizing disassembly activities to enable reuse, has recently emerged with several promises to promote the circular economy. However, little attention has been given to its implementation among design professionals, especially in the Global South. Therefore, this study aims to explore the drivers for DfD implementation among design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a mixed research approach (explanatory sequential design) with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. Data from the survey were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, one-sample t-Test, and normalization value (NV) test after a review of pertinent literature. These data were then validated through semistructured interviews with ten design professionals with in-depth knowledge of DfD.Findings: The findings revealed that although all ten drivers are important, the eight key drivers for the DfD implementation were identified as, in order of importance, “Availability of computer software applications regarding DfD,” “Inclusion of DfD in the formal education of design professionals,” “Increasing public awareness of the concept of DfD,” “Organizing workshops/seminars for design professionals on the concept of DfD,” “Availability of DfD training,” “Regulation regarding DfD,” “Industry guidance regarding DfD” and “Establishing a market for salvaged construction components.”Originality/value: This study's findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in Ghana and offer new and additional information and insights into the current state-of-the-art on the factors that drive DfD implementation.

An ageing population is a global phenomenon. Like other developed economies, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China, also faces a severe ageing problem. One initiative to enhance the safe living and well-being of the growing elderly population is to assist them by building ageing-friendly living environments with the application of smart home technologies (SHTs). Therefore, this study focused on investigating the perception of professionals on the use of SHTs to improve and enhance the “ageing-in-place” (AIP) of elderly residents in HKSAR, China. A questionnaire survey was employed to obtain the perception of professionals with requisite knowledge of the older people facility needs regarding SHTs in achieving AIP for the elderly. The data retrieved were analysed with different statistical analyses. Based on the results of the analyses, all the professionals had similar perceptions of the use of SHTs for the safety and well-being of the elderly, except for the incongruence observed between the government employees, contractors and academic regarding how SHTs may not help to better monitor elderly daily activities. The possible reasons for the inconsistent opinions of the academics with other groups were linked to the knowledge of human behaviours and early dementia symptoms in gerontology. The findings will help care receivers, healthcare professionals, social workers, policymakers, smart home designers and developers to improve and enhance AIP in elderly residences in HKSAR, China.

Purpose: Despite the number of quality management procedures being currently applied, construction defects in the domestic sector are acknowledged to contribute to the energy performance gap of buildings. This paper investigates the limitations and challenges to the implementation of project quality plans (PQPs) and their impact on the achievement of expected thermal performance in the UK social housing projects.Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach, guided by grounded theory, was used in this research. This methodology provided the structure for systematic data analysis iterations, enabling cross-case analysis. An analytic induction process was designed to seek the explanation of the targeted phenomenon and required data collection until no new ideas and concepts emerged from the research iterations. This study collected data from five social housing projects through interviews, site observations and project documentation.Findings: Multiple limitations and challenges were identified in the implementation of PQP to deliver thermal efficient social housing. Generally, there is the need for more objective quality compliance procedures based on required evidence. When investigating the root of the challenges, it was concluded that the adoption of statutory approval as the main quality compliance procedure led to the dilution of the responsibility for prevention and appraisal of defects that compromised the effectiveness of PQP devised by housing associations (HA) and contractors.Originality/value: This study identifies the shortcomings of PQP in addressing quality issues with potential to undermine the thermal performance of social housing projects. The findings could be used by HA, contractors and policymakers as steppingstones to improve the energy efficiency in the domestic sector.

Over the past few decades, numerous efforts have been made to increase the proportion of women in the construction industry, coupled with various calls for legislation and rules to prohibit gender discrimination. Despite these efforts, minimal progress has been noticed in the construction industry. While recruitment remains crucial, the current culture in construction reveals a knowledge gap in recruitment and retention in employment—a concept known as a ‘leaky pipeline’. Lack of awareness of career options and the challenges of working in a male-dominated, occasionally discriminatory workplace are some of the significant barriers to attracting and keeping women in the construction industry. Much of the research in South Africa shows that most construction companies employed few women but only in lower secretarial and administrative positions. Therefore, this study investigated the barriers facing women’s entry and retention in construction-related employment in South Africa using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) to understand and prioritise the barriers. Data were collected through the administration of online and paper-based questionnaires. The results of the analysis show that the barriers in the order of criticality include support and empowerment issues (SEs), educational/academic-related barriers (ABs), barriers from professional conditions and work attributes (BPs), social perception and gender stereotype barriers (SPs), professional perceptions and gender bias (PP), and individual confidence/interest/awareness/circumstance-related barriers (IBs), respectively. Based on the findings of the study, several recommendations, including on-the-job tutoring and flexible work arrangements, amongst others, were provided.

Over the past few decades, numerous efforts have been made to increase the proportion of women in the construction industry, coupled with various calls for legislation and rules to prohibit gender discrimination. Despite these efforts, research reveals that there have been few noticeable changes in the construction industry. While recruitment remains crucial, the current culture in construction reveals a knowledge gap in translating qualifications into employment and employment into retention—a concept known as a ‘leaky pipeline’. Lack of awareness of career options and the challenges of working in a male-dominated, occasionally discriminatory workplace are some of the significant barriers to attracting and keeping women in the construction industry. Much of the research in South Africa shows that most construction companies employed few women but only in lower secretarial and administrative positions. Therefore, this study investigated the barriers facing women’s transition from construction-related higher education to employment in South Africa using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) to understand and prioritise the barriers. Data was collected through the administration of online and paper-based questionnaires. The results of the analysis show that the barriers in the order of criticality include support and empowerment issues (SE), educational/academic-related barriers (AB), barriers from professional conditions and work attributes (BP), social perception and gender stereotypes barriers (SP), professional perceptions and gender bias (PP), and individual confidence/interest/awareness/circumstances related barriers (IB) respectively. Based on the findings of the study, several recommendations, including liaising between construction organisations and higher institutions, amongst others, were provided.

Purpose: This paper examines the barriers constraining women's career choices and progression within the South African construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a mixed-methods research approach, utilizing a questionnaire survey of construction industry workers listed in the Construction Professions Register, the Builders Collective and the Housing Assembly Organization. It also used interviews to validate the quantitative data. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including factor analysis. Findings: The study found that 39 of the 46 barriers identified have normalized values greater than 0.5 and, therefore, are classified as critical. From a ranking perspective, the top five barriers to the career choices and progression of women in the construction industry are male domination in the construction industry careers, gender bias, unfriendly workplace cultures, lack of strategies and policies for gender balance and educational expenses. Furthermore, the KMO score for this study is 0.778, which exceeds the standard threshold, meeting the required standards for principal component analysis. Research limitations/implications: This study draws upon literature from other countries due to the limited literature available, specifically focusing on South Africa. However, such references may overlook the country's distinctive political history of racial segregation, which influences the research findings. Practical implications: This study concludes that women will choose construction as a career and progress in the construction industry if targeted interventions and supportive environments promote gender inclusivity and encourage their professional growth. Originality/value: This research helps shape initiatives to overcome barriers, such as underrepresentation, regarding women's professional aspirations and career progression within the construction sector.