Purpose: A significant amount of work has been performed in the area of identification of factors affecting construction productivity. Previous studies have tried to determine the most important factors affecting construction productivity in different countries for a long time. As a result of continuous effort in this direction, researchers have identified a wide range of factors. While the subject area has matured, no general agreement could be made on the factors affecting construction productivity. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to undertake a comprehensive systematic review of mainstream studies on factors affecting construction productivity published in the last 30 years (1986–2016). Design/methodology/approach: A total of 46 articles from different sources such as journals, conference proceedings, dissertation and PhD theses were identified and thoroughly reviewed. Findings: Gaps in research and practices are discussed and directions for future research have been proposed. The literature review indicates that despite noticeable differences in the socio-economic conditions across both developed countries and developing countries, an overall reasonable consensus exists on few significant factors impeding productivity. These are, namely, non-availability of materials, inadequate supervision, skill shortage, lack of proper tools and equipment and incomplete drawing and specifications. Nevertheless, implications of technology, site amenities, process studies, project culture, and impacts of physiological and psychological factors were not adequately covered in existing literature. The study also found that traditional construction projects have remained the main focus of these studies while green construction projects have been generally overlooked. Research limitations/implications: The review does not include studies that report productivity at the organisational or industry level as well as total factor productivity. The scope of the review is limited to work on identification of factors affecting productivity at the activity level in construction projects. Practical implications: The outcomes of this study would help researchers and practitioners by providing the findings of previous studies in a concise manner. It is also expected that presenting a deeper and wider perspective of the research work performed until now will direct a more focussed approach on productivity improvement efforts in the construction industry. Originality/value: This review paper undertakes a comprehensive systematic review of studies on identification of factors affecting construction productivity published during the last three decades.

Women are underrepresented in almost all occupations and professions within the construction sector. Consequently, several studies from across the globe have examined different aspects of gender inequality and gender segregation in the context of the construction industry. This study conducted an in-depth inquiry into research on women in construction using a scientometric review approach covering 128 relevant journal articles published over the last $20\mathrm{years}$ (2000–2019). The review found four major research clusters: (1) gender roles and work culture; (2) glass walls and glass ceiling; (3) job satisfaction; and (4) gender diversity initiatives. Research on women in construction is scarce in the context of many developing countries, despite the fact that the majority of women workers and professionals live in these countries. Similarly, research on mentoring and training of women, migrant women workers, women entrepreneurs, women worker’s health and safety, and human resource practices concerning women have received less attention. The review also brings together the recommendations made by various researchers to highlight the need for a more holistic approach to address gender inequality in construction.

Purpose: Although the adverse effects of construction activities on the environment and the need for sustainable construction practices are recognised in both research and practice, any significant shift in the selection and use of construction materials from the sustainability perspective has not taken place in many building projects. Still, conventional construction materials are widely used in building projects in both developed and developing countries. This study attempts to identify the main barriers to the use of sustainable materials in building projects in an advanced economy such as Australia.Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a questionnaire survey approach to examine the main reasons behind the low usage of sustainable materials in building projects. Based on the relative importance index, exploratory factor analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis, the study examined the main barrier measures and barrier factors to the use of sustainable materials in building projects.Findings: The findings reveal that critical barriers to the use of sustainable materials are related to cost and profit considerations, the unwillingness of the key stakeholders to incorporate these materials into building projects, lack of incentives and government policies. The factor analysis reduced the critical barrier measures into three factors: techno-economic considerations, cost and delay concerns and resistance to use. Furthermore, multinomial regression analysis based on the extracted factors identified techno-economic considerations as the main barrier factor to the use of sustainable materials in building projects.Practical implications: The empirical results of this research can inform construction practitioners, organisations and policymakers on how to increase the use of sustainable building materials in the construction industry.Originality/value: Identification of barriers to the use of sustainable building materials is a prerequisite to improve their uptake and use in the construction industry. The study fills a gap in the existing research on the use of sustainable materials in building projects in Australia.

Safety incentive and penalty (I/P) provisions in construction contracts are one of the most common forms of I/P. Contradictory opinions on the effectiveness of these provisions have been expressed in the literature. Statistics on safety provisions were collected from 32 construction projects, which include both types of contracts – those with safety I/P provisions and those without them. Although inclusion of safety I/P provisions in contracts helps in improving the overall safety performance in construction projects, further scope for improvement still exists. Literature review and structured personal interviews, coupled with a survey based on preliminary questionnaire, revealed that successful formulation and implementation of such provisions are dependent on 25 attributes which need the attention of both clients and contractors. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to evaluate these attributes. The six factors extracted by carrying out factor analysis are: incentive distribution method, proper labour training, special attention to risky situations, role of safety committee and sub-contractors, specialised works and safety equipments, and right form of I/P. If taken care of, these attributes have the potential to improve the safety performance in construction projects. The results would be useful to clients and contractors in implementing the safety I/P provisions and thereby improving safety performance.

Purpose: Data from different countries suggest a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression and suicides among manual and trade workers in the construction industry than in the general population. The present review examines the causes and effects of poor mental health and the effectiveness of interventions to improve manual and trade workers' mental health in the construction industry. It also identifies gaps in research and makes several suggestions for practice and future research.Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted to examine and consolidate evidence reported in 54 relevant journal articles published between 2010 and 2021 on the mental health of manual and trade workers.Findings: Three major themes emerged in the review of the 54 journal articles: causes of poor mental health, effects of poor mental health and interventions to improve mental health. The leading causes of poor mental health among construction manual and trade workers are poor work-life balance, high job demand, poor cultural norms and mental health stigma, chronic bodily pain, lack of social support, workplace injustice and job insecurity. The prominent effects of poor mental health are suicidality, drug and alcohol addiction, poor workplace safety and poor work performance. Moreover, the study found that some of the strategies recently implemented in the construction industry to improve mental health are deemed ineffective, or their effectiveness remains inconclusive.Research limitations/implications: The review's scope is limited to research on manual and trade workers, and it did not investigate the mental health of construction professionals and construction management students.Originality/value: The review provides valuable insights into the causes and effects of poor mental health among manual and trade workers and the effectiveness of mental health interventions in the construction industry.

Purpose: The issue of low productivity has remained a very stern and chronic problem in construction projects. Previous studies have found poor communication as one of the leading causes of low-construction productivity. Recent advances in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to enhance communication and access to information in construction projects. However, the implications of the use of mobile ICT on construction productivity have not been investigated in sufficient depth, especially from the perspectives of its users, i.e. construction management (CM) professionals. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: A focus group session involving ten experienced CM professionals from different organisations of the South Australian construction industry was moderated by a group of four researchers to gather data on mobile ICT usage and its implications for construction productivity.Findings: Lack of training and guidelines on effective applications of these technologies to construction projects is a major bottleneck. Results indicate that despite noticeable advances in mobile ICT, differences in usage style and user attitude have limited their overall impact on productivity.Research limitations/implications: This paper is based on data gathered from CM professionals working in the South Australian construction industry.Practical implications: The study highlights the importance of strategising the use of mobile ICT to achieve the desired productivity rates through policy, training, work-life balance, and deeper and wider understanding of these technologies.Originality/value: The study examines the perceptions of CM professionals on the usefulness of mobile ICT in construction projects and its implications for construction productivity.