scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Journal Article•DOI•

Lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19 on the global construction industry

Mercy Ogunnusi, Temitope Omotayo, Mansur Hamma-adama, Bankole Awuzie, Temitope Egbelakin 
04 Oct 2021-Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology (Emerald)-
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors collated a global qualitative perspective (survey interviews) on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for future-proofing the construction sector.
Abstract: Purpose: The construction industry represents most of every country’s finances and vital to continued economic growth and activities, especially in developing countries. The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 disease (COVID19) on the government’s income resulted in the expectation of many public projects being cancelled or delayed providing little opportunity for the emergence of new public projects. This study collated a global qualitative perspective (survey interviews) on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for future-proofing the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 76 respondents from five continents excluding South America responded to the online open-ended structured questionnaire. Data collected were analysed through artificial inteligence analytics tool – Zoho analytics. Findings: The themes indicating the positive impact obtained from the interview were overhead cost reduction, remote working environment, focus on health and safety, improved productivity and sustainability goals while the themes signifying the negative impact were low business turnover, delays in construction payment and output, difficulties working from home and job losses. Supply chain management, construction project management improvement, concentration on health and safety and effective virtual working environment were collated as themes on lessons learned. Social implications: The major findings of this study emphasise on the need to improve the occupational health and safety and onsite safety measures for future proofing of the construction industry. Originality/value: The findings from the analyses made clear the imperativeness of the built environment research, with a focus on novel framework and strategies for future proofing the construction industry. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Summary (3 min read)

Jump to: [Introduction] – [2.2 Positive impacts] – [2.3 Negative impact] – [2.4 Research gap] – [3.1 Participant profile] – [4. Qualitative analysis and discussion of findings] – [4.1 The positive impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the construction industry] – [4.2 The negative impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the construction industry] – [4.3 Lessons learned for future-proofing the construction industry] – [5. Implications of findings: future-proofing the construction industry.] – [5.1 Implications for further research] and [6. Conclusion and limitations of the study]

Introduction

  • The construction industry represents most of every country's savings and vital to continued economic growth and activities, especially in developing countries.
  • In total, seventy-six (76) respondents from 5 continents excluding South America responded to the online open-ended structured questionnaire.
  • Supply chain management, construction project management improvement, concentration on health and safety and effective virtual working environment were collated as themes on lessons learned.
  • The construction industry can categorically identify the positive and the negative impact in the industry as detailed below. >>>.

2.2 Positive impacts

  • Ogunnusi et al., (2020), and Kshirsagar, Mansour and Metakis (2020) identified ‘opportunity to improve on virtual alternatives’ as a positive side of the COVID 19.
  • Some staff in some contracting industries were offered relevant technology such as laptops and mobiles to continue working from home.
  • Remote working has significantly saved a company per month paper printing from 35,000 sheets to 1000 sheets (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020).
  • Identifying new opportunities created with the pandemic, Alsharef et al., (2021) noted new opportunities experienced in the construction industry to recruit skilled workers; demand in the transportation, medical and residential sectors; and lower interest rates.
  • Industry 4.0 is set to proceed rapidly, describing the movement of the construction industry in the UK towards an automated digital environment (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020; Lepore, Micozzi and Francesca, 2021; The University of Cambridge, 2020; Melluso et al., 2020).

2.3 Negative impact

  • The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry largely stem from the UK Governments ‘Construction 2025 report’, two-thirds of construction contracting firms are not innovative and consequently freezing technological progress within the sector.
  • Companies experiencing site delays and considerable cash flow issue, skill shortage.
  • Remote working with home-schooling for staff with children was a serious challenge (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020; Arup, 2020).
  • Ogunnusi et al., (2020) considered the negative side of COVID-19 as delays in the completion of projects, hardship encountered by daily paid labourers, budget delays, properly scheduled project disruption, real estate sector revenue slowdown (PWC, 2020).
  • Increase rate of mental health issues due to people not having physical contact, especially those who are not used to working from home (King & Lamontagne, 2021; Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020).

2.4 Research gap

  • The research gap derived from the review of focal literature in this study, is the lack of considerable article on the impact of COVID-19 on other construction industries outside the scope of the UK, United States, and European Union countries which represent the sources of references in the review of focal literature.
  • This investigation delves into the lives of the respondents from a qualitative outlook.
  • Survey interviews were employed in inducing new theories surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on the global construction industry.
  • The structured interview questions were designed to extract information from the wider construction industry through the random sampling technique.
  • Zoho Analytics is data visualisation for quantitative and qualitative data.

3.1 Participant profile

  • Figure 2 illustrates the 76 participants around the world, which were distributed across five (5) continents excluding South America.
  • Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, it was difficult to extract responses from South America.
  • 4<<< Figure 3 displays the breakdown distribution of the participants along the professional lines.
  • The educational qualification is essential in understanding the nature and quality of responses. >>>.
  • The architects (ARC) involved in this study mainly act as contractors (1) and designers (11).

4. Qualitative analysis and discussion of findings

  • The analysis was of the responses in terms of the positive, and negative impacts along with lessons learned through Zoho AI analytics web-based platform.
  • The respondents’ professions and years of experience were mainly used to outline the key responses.
  • The content analysis of the findings necessitated the convergence of similar responses generated from the professional and years of experience viewpoints were collated and compiled in Tables to further strengthen the discussion of the merging themes.

4.1 The positive impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the construction industry

  • From the qualitative analysis as presented in Figure 6 and Table 2, the positive impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry were derived from the respondents based on their years of experience.
  • Insert Figure 6<<< >>>Insert Table 2<<< Table 2 presents the themes which emerged from combining the common contents.
  • In the COVID-19 pandemic, construction overheads such as the cost of travelling to construction sites and office reduced.
  • Stride, Suresh and Renukappa (2020) and Arup (2020) have previously identified remote working as a key benefit that may facilitate the reduction of overhead costs in the construction industry.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has now made construction organisations prepare for the worst-case scenarios; provide a clear vision on how construction businesses can be managed in the instance of another epidemic whilst understanding how to manage businesses in times of crises.

4.2 The negative impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the construction industry

  • Following the consistent pattern of categorising the comments of the respondents in this study, themes were developed from Figure 7 cluster maps.
  • Insert Figure 7<<< >>>Insert Table 3<<< Respondents with 5-10 years of experience in this section of the study were mainly drawn from Europe, Africa, and Asia.
  • Construction businesses just like every other business around the world had to absorb the financial shock of delays in delivering construction materials; downtimes on construction sites; and suspension in cash flow from the client.
  • BE1 from the United Kingdom identified “…Distrupted socialisation, job loss and redundancy…”, as the major negative impacts COVID-19 had on the construction industry.
  • The challenges of working from home and mental health are evident in the fact that some construction professional may decide to work when they should be sleeping.

4.3 Lessons learned for future-proofing the construction industry

  • The responses on lessons learned were mainly from Europe and Africa.
  • Respondents with over 15 years of experience provided more of the clustered lessons learned from COVID-19.
  • CSE10 was suggesting an opportunity to enhance the supply chain system of Nigeria with new technology such as BIM.
  • Hence the need to improve construction crisis and risk management responses in project plans.
  • CPM12 from Canada suggested that “health and safety has now become more important in the construction industry”.

5. Implications of findings: future-proofing the construction industry.

  • The ability to continue to provide the programmes of work that are needed to reinforce the world's economic growth and recovery shortly requires that the consultants, clients and contractors come together and proffer a common solution to the challenges encountered during the pandemic (Mace, 2020).
  • Page (2020) also categorically states that “force majeure” is not the best solution.
  • This may depend on the contract content whether it is with or without relief provisions.
  • As project resumes and site reopens, existing contracts may be modified to reflect the “new normal”, that is, COVID 19-specific provisions such as Health and Safety, Site Management, Materials and Supplies Shortages, Performance Security and Step-in Rights.

5.1 Implications for further research

  • The qualitative analysis in this study was conducted to provide an opinionated overview of how COVID-19 has impacted the lives of people in the construction industry around the world.
  • The impact of BIM in the COVID-19 epidemic.
  • Enhancing standard form of contract suite to meet the needs of epidemics.
  • Considering the enormity of influence COVID-19 have had on the global construction industry, there is a need to further study the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry.

6. Conclusion and limitations of the study

  • The positive, negative and lessons learned impacts of COVID-19 on the global construction industry were felt in the areas of the construction supply chain; contract administration; construction project management; changes to the working environment; health and safety management; and the finances of construction organisations and individual employees of the construction industry.
  • In all, 76 respondents provided feedback from 5 continents excluding South America.
  • In so doing, this study’s limitation is evident in the lack of responses from South American construction professionals.
  • The implications of the lessons learned for construction project management; construction occupational health and safety; supply chain management; and virtual working environments; all necessitate advanced in construction information technology and research.

Did you find this useful? Give us your feedback

Figures (12)

Content maybe subject to copyright    Report

Citation:
Ogunnusi, M and Omotayo, T and Hamma-Adama, M and Awuzie, BO and Egbelakin, T (2021)
Lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19 on the global construction industry. Journal of Engi-
neering, Design and Technology. ISSN 1726-0531 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/jedt-05-2021-0286
Link to Leeds Beckett Repository record:
https://eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/id/eprint/8045/
Document Version:
Article (Accepted Version)
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0
The aim of the Leeds Beckett Repository is to provide open access to our research, as required by
funder policies and permitted by publishers and copyright law.
The Leeds Beckett repository holds a wide range of publications, each of which has been
checked for copyright and the relevant embargo period has been applied by the Research Services
team.
We operate on a standard take-down policy. If you are the author or publisher of an output
and you would like it removed from the repository, please contact us and we will investigate on a
case-by-case basis.
Each thesis in the repository has been cleared where necessary by the author for third party
copyright. If you would like a thesis to be removed from the repository or believe there is an issue
with copyright, please contact us on openaccess@leedsbeckett.ac.uk and we will investigate on a
case-by-case basis.
Lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19 on the global
construction industry
Abstract
Purpose - The construction industry represents most of every country's savings and vital to
continued economic growth and activities, especially in developing countries. The impact of
the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 disease (COVID -19) on the government’s income
resulted in the expectation of many public projects being cancelled or delayed providing
little opportunity for the emergence of new public projects. This paper aims to collate a
global qualitative perspective (survey interviews) on the lessons learned during the COVID-
19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for future-proofing the construction
sector.
Design/Methodology - In total, seventy-six (76) respondents from 5 continents excluding
South America responded to the online open-ended structured questionnaire. Data
collected were analysed through AI analytics tool – Zoho analytics.
Findings - The themes indicating the positive impact obtained from the interview were
overhead cost reduction, remote working environment, focus on health and safety,
improved productivity and sustainability goals while the themes signifying the negative
impact were low business turnover, delays in construction payment and output, difficulties
working from home and job losses. Supply chain management, construction project
management improvement, concentration on health and safety and effective virtual
working environment were collated as themes on lessons learned.
Social implications – The major finding of this study emphasis on the need to improve the
occupational health and safety and onsite safety measures for futureproofing of the
construction industry.
Originality/value - The findings from the analyses made clear the imperativeness of the
built environment research focusing on novel framework and strategies for future proofing
the construction industry.
Keywords: Construction industry, Countries, COVID-19, epidemic
Paper type – Research paper
1.0 Background of the study
Stasiak-Betlejewska and Potkany (2015) considered the construction industry as a complex
sector of the economy that encompasses a wide range of stakeholders and has broad-
ranging connections with other extents of activity such as manufacturing and energy usage,
finance, materials, equipment, and labour. This signifies that the construction industry
represents most of every country's savings and vital to continued economic growth and
activities, especially in developing countries (Rangelova, 2015; Oladirin, Ogunsemi and Aje,
2012). The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 disease (COVID -19) on the
government’s income resulted in the expectation of many public projects being cancelled or
delayed providing little opportunity for the emergence of new public projects
(FinancialNigeria, 2020). This paper aims to collate a global qualitative perspective on the
lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for
future-proofing the construction sector.
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
2.0 Literature
2.1 The future direction of the global construction industry for the post-COVID-19 era.
Stride, Suresh and Renukappa (2020) relayed the immediate exceptional changes that
COVID-19 has brought to many construction workplaces and companies. The pandemic has
significantly changed work, communication and socialisation patterns associated with daily
living. It has resulted in drastic changes within construction. Indications abound that
productivity and regular (non- COVID-19 related) health and safety performance might have
progressed as a result of these changes (Jones et al., 2020). Victor, Mmusi and Belinda
(2020) described the COVID 19 pandemic as a universal societal shock that is distinctive in
our lifetime. Many construction organsiations instituted business continuity capacities to
meet the challenges of COVID-19 distruptions. Babu and Sudhakar (2016) affirmed that if a
construction company appraises a crisis well and effectively implements crisis management
strategies, they can undermine crises with minimal or zero damage.
>>>Insert Figure 1<<<
Uchehara et al. (2020) undertook a review on the impacts of COVID-19 on the UK real estate
supply chain. Uchehara et al. (2020) described how the UK construction projects suffered
from delay, temporarily closed, and cancellations. Considering a similar investigation on the
impacts of COVID-19 on the construction sector, Ogunnusi et al. (2020) empirical study
revealed partial and complete stoppage of work generally aided by authorities that resulted
in a complete disruption of the procurement process and the industry at large. Written
evidence on the impact of the pandemic tendered by Stride, Suresh and Renukappa (2020)
recommended 5C’s – that is, create culture, control systems, courageous decisions, combat
mental health and care for employees. In short, an investigation conducted in Los Angeles in
the United States of America concluded that the construction workers were reporting the
utmost number of positive cases of COVID 19 as compared to workers in other industries
such as healthcare, transportation and manufacturing (Alsharef et al., 2021). The UK
construction industry had to implement changes to be productive while adhering to the
rules set for the lockdown (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020).
Long-term strategies need to be set to future proof the workplace, and the construction
sector will need to be planned to develop industry 4.0 employee welfare and knowledge
management (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020). Despite the unannounced advent of the
pandemic created by COVID 19, the construction industry can categorically identify the
positive and the negative impact in the industry as detailed below.
>>>Insert Table 1<<<
The contents of Table 1 were discussed along the lines of the positive and negative impact
of COVID-19 on the construction industry.
2.2 Positive impacts
Ogunnusi et al., (2020), and Kshirsagar, Mansour and Metakis (2020) identified ‘opportunity
to improve on virtual alternatives’ as a positive side of the COVID 19. Some staff in some
contracting industries were offered relevant technology such as laptops and mobiles to
continue working from home. Remote working has significantly saved a company per month
paper printing from 35,000 sheets to 1000 sheets (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020).
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
Identifying new opportunities created with the pandemic, Alsharef et al., (2021) noted new
opportunities experienced in the construction industry to recruit skilled workers; demand in
the transportation, medical and residential sectors; and lower interest rates. Industry 4.0 is
set to proceed rapidly, describing the movement of the construction industry in the UK
towards an automated digital environment (Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020; Lepore,
Micozzi and Francesca, 2021; The University of Cambridge, 2020; Melluso et al., 2020).
2.3 Negative impact
The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry largely stem from the UK
Governments ‘Construction 2025 report’, two-thirds of construction contracting firms are
not innovative and consequently freezing technological progress within the sector.
Companies experiencing site delays and considerable cash flow issue, skill shortage. Remote
working with home-schooling for staff with children was a serious challenge (Stride, Suresh
and Renukappa, 2020; Arup, 2020). Alsharef et al., (2021) also noted the challenges
experienced from this pandemic as permitting delays, material delivery delays, lower
productivity rates, shortage of materials, potential conflicts and disputes, cash flow-related
challenges, price escalations and project suspension. Ogunnusi et al., (2020) considered the
negative side of COVID-19 as delays in the completion of projects, hardship encountered by
daily paid labourers, budget delays, properly scheduled project disruption, real estate sector
revenue slowdown (PWC, 2020). Increase rate of mental health issues due to people not
having physical contact, especially those who are not used to working from home (King &
Lamontagne, 2021; Stride, Suresh and Renukappa, 2020). Considering the dearth of
literature providing details on the positive and negative impact of COVID-19 on the
construction industry, this study will conduct an exploratory study on the global impact of
COVID-19 on the construction industry.
2.4 Research gap
The research gap derived from the review of focal literature in this study, is the lack of
considerable article on the impact of COVID-19 on other construction industries outside the
scope of the UK, United States, and European Union countries which represent the sources
of references in the review of focal literature. Furthermore, there is a lack of information on
lessons learned for managing future crisis in the construction industry. This investigation
will bridge this gap by studying the perception and influence the COVID-19 pandemic have
made in Africa, Asia, and Australia continents to document implications for construction
practice and academia. Although Ogunnusi et al. (2020) conducted a similar quantitative
study on a global scale, this investigation delves into the lives of the respondents from a
qualitative outlook. Additionally, this study is furtherance of Ogunnusi et al. (2020)’s
quantitative findings, in this regard a qualitative study.
3.Methods and materials
Flick (2009) and De Vaus (2013) identified the mutual features of the quantitative and
qualitative interview in the survey strategy. In exploratory studies where the nature of the
knowledge is unknown in a social phenomenon, the interpretivist epistemological stand can
form a foundational basis for gaining more knowledge about new trends. In this regard,
survey interviews were employed in inducing new theories surrounding the impact of
COVID-19 on the global construction industry. The structured interview questions were
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
designed to extract information from the wider construction industry through the random
sampling technique. The random sampling technique provides an unbiased representation
of the total population (Cornish, 2007). The nature of the questions asked during the
structured data collection which was shared on construction forums and professional social
networks such as LinkedIn have centred around:
Lesson learned from this disruption because of COVID-19 on the construction
industry.
The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry.
The positive impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry.
Benefit from government intervention.
Unique lessons learned from the pandemic situation
Suggestions on how the construction business or industry should respond to such a
pandemic now or in the future. In total, seventy-six (76) respondents responded to the
online open-ended structured questionnaire. The anonymity in the process of collecting the
data ensured that responses were collected without interfering with the context of the
textual data. An AI analytic tool, Zoho analytics was used to analyse the responses and
present the data as shown in the next sections. Zoho Analytics is data visualisation for
quantitative and qualitative data. This form of qualitative analytics was chosen over NVivo
because of the depth of analysis it provides using AI.
The first step in using the Zoho AI analytics tool began with the sorting of the qualitative
data in a spreadsheet format. Responses from the 76 respondents were reviewed for
similar content, errors and a new spreadsheet summarising the key comments along with
the respondents’ details and questions were created. The spreadsheet was imported into
Zoho analytics were the dashboard for creating common contents in a graphical and visual
representation were automatically developed. The visualisation dashboard explored the
geographical location of each data in terms of continents, the years of experience of each
respondent and their educational qualifications. The final content analysis was categorised
according to the years of experience, profession, and geographical location. Thus, there was
a reduction of the content in the final visualisation based on cluster mapping of responses.
In presenting the outcome of the analyses, the sections below cover the participant profiles
and results showing the positive, negative and lessons derived from the COVID-19 pandemic
around the world.
3.1 Participant profile
Figure 2 illustrates the 76 participants around the world, which were distributed across five
(5) continents excluding South America. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, it
was difficult to extract responses from South America. However, two (2) responses were
received from North America, thirteen (13) from Europe, sixteen (16) from Asia, forty-four
(44) from Africa, and one (1) from Australia. The range of years of experience in this study
are <5 years; 5-10 years; 11-15 years and over 15 years. The location and years of
experiences were used in the Zoho analytics platform to filter interviewee comments
bothering around the ideas of positive impact, negative impact and lessons learned. A
breakdown of each participants’ professiona, country of residence, years of experience and
specialiations can be found in Appendix A.
Citations
More filters
Peer Review•DOI•
Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on the United States Construction Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

[...]

Esra Eken Dobrucali, Emel Sadikoglu, Sevilay Demirkesen, Chengyi Zhang, Algan Tezel 
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
TL;DR: In this article , the challenges and opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic were listed and a questionnaire survey was designed to evaluate them using principal component analysis (PCA).
Abstract: The construction industry is one of the leading industries in the economy of any country. However, the industry is vulnerable to changes and uncertainties, either external or internal, due to its fragmented and dynamic nature. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019, is considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 has quickly spread all over the world resulting in significant social and economic consequences. The main objective of the study is to determine the challenges and opportunities due to the pandemic in the construction industry and to categorize them. Through a review of the existing literature and interviews with construction experts, the challenges and opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic were listed. A questionnaire survey was designed to evaluate them. The principal component analysis (PCA) was utilized to group the identified challenges and opportunities. PCA was conducted with SPSS Version 25.0 software. The most critical challenges of the pandemic were determined as “the requirement of COVID-19 protocols,” “restriction on movement and travel,” “additional safety equipment use,” where the most important opportunities were found as “hygiene programs,” “use of technological tools effectively,” and “BIM-enabled construction.” The research contributes to the body of knowledge in terms of making construction practitioners beware of the main challenges and opportunities along with leading them to act toward change and uncertainty. This study further provides general guidelines and implications for practitioners and policymakers in case of similar outbreaks.

13 citations

Peer Review•
Construction Industry from Perspective of Force Majeure and Environmental Risk Compared to the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Systematic Literature Review

[...]

Mohammad Omar Alfadil, Mukhtar A. Kassem, Kherun Nita Ali, Wa'el Alaghbari
TL;DR: In this article , an integrative review of articles published across Scopus and Web of Science journals and compiled using the systematic review methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement and VOSreview (visualization of similarities) software is presented.
Abstract: : The COVID-19 pandemic represents a type of force majeure that significantly and unex-pectedly affected all human lifestyles. This study includes an integrative review of articles published across Scopus and Web of Science journals and compiled using the systematic review methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement and VOSreview (visualization of similarities) software by defining keywords that include “construction industry” and “force majeure” and “environmental risks” as a starting point. Moreover, the research years and the countries covered by this research were determined in a second stage. Finally, the abstracts of selected studies were reviewed in order to extract factors similar to the pandemic conditions of COVID-19 along with the brief results of the research. Out of 6384 publications identified and 56 publications reporting, 20 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria with full text. Based on our findings, there has been a continuous growth of publications on construction risk and environmental research since 2010. Malaysia had the greatest contribution to the research topic of the countries covered by the study, followed by Egypt. The Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management journal published the greatest number of publications related to the research topic. In this review, the most important previous studies are classified according to their handling of force majeure and environmental risks and the most important factors mentioned in these studies are identified. In addition, recommendations are made for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and for mitigating its effects on the construction industry in the Arab world and Malaysia. The results of this review will benefit researchers and construction companies alike in furthering research on reducing the risks of COVID-19 to construction projects and avoiding the significant economic loss that results from stopping these projects.

12 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Construction Industry from Perspective of Force Majeure and Environmental Risk Compared to the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Systematic Literature Review

[...]

Mukhtar A. Kassem1•
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia1
19 Jan 2022-Sustainability
TL;DR: In this article , an integrative review of articles published across Scopus and Web of Science journals and compiled using the systematic review methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement and VOSreview (visualization of similarities) software by defining keywords that include “construction industry” and “force majeure, and environmental risks” as a starting point.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a type of force majeure that significantly and unexpectedly affected all human lifestyles. This study includes an integrative review of articles published across Scopus and Web of Science journals and compiled using the systematic review methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement and VOSreview (visualization of similarities) software by defining keywords that include “construction industry” and “force majeure” and “environmental risks” as a starting point. Moreover, the research years and the countries covered by this research were determined in a second stage. Finally, the abstracts of selected studies were reviewed in order to extract factors similar to the pandemic conditions of COVID-19 along with the brief results of the research. Out of 6384 publications identified and 56 publications reporting, 20 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria with full text. Based on our findings, there has been a continuous growth of publications on construction risk and environmental research since 2010. Malaysia had the greatest contribution to the research topic of the countries covered by the study, followed by Egypt. The Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management journal published the greatest number of publications related to the research topic. In this review, the most important previous studies are classified according to their handling of force majeure and environmental risks and the most important factors mentioned in these studies are identified. In addition, recommendations are made for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and for mitigating its effects on the construction industry in the Arab world and Malaysia. The results of this review will benefit researchers and construction companies alike in furthering research on reducing the risks of COVID-19 to construction projects and avoiding the significant economic loss that results from stopping these projects.

10 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Construction 4.0 Organisational Level Challenges and Solutions

[...]

Orsolya Nagy, Ilona Papp, Roland Zsolt Szabó
08 Nov 2021-Sustainability
TL;DR: In this article, the authors asked experienced company executives for their opinions on the digital transformation in the construction industry and found that it is not just a technology but primarily a management and strategic challenge.
Abstract: The construction industry (CI) is ancient and has evolved along with humanity, yet it has become increasingly inefficient due to fragmentation, the use of traditional solutions and the lack of innovative technologies and methodologies which are no longer sustainable. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has started to transform this industry, and Construction 4.0 (C4) can advocate this change to become a more efficient cyber-physical ecosystem. However, technology alone will not solve all challenges. While research on C4 focuses mainly on technology, management also plays a key role. We asked experienced company executives for their opinions on the digital transformation in the CI. Research proves that it is not just a technology but primarily a management and strategic challenge.

9 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Modeling COVID-19 Impacts and Response Strategies in the Construction Industry: PLS–SEM Approach

[...]

A. R. Radzi, Rahimi A. Rahman, Saud Almutairi
27 Apr 2022-International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
TL;DR: In this article , the causal relationships between COVID-19 impacts and response strategies in the construction industry, using Malaysia as a case study, were modeled using a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with forty industry professionals.
Abstract: Policymakers are developing response strategies to reduce the impacts of COVID-19. However, developing response strategies without considering their relationships with the impacts of COVID-19 is ineffective. This study aims to model the causal relationships between COVID-19 impacts and response strategies in the construction industry, using Malaysia as a case study. To achieve this, a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with forty industry professionals were conducted, yielding 12 impacts and 22 response strategies. The impacts and strategies were inserted into a survey, and 107 valid responses were received. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to group the impacts and strategies. Then, partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) was employed to identify the causal relationship between the impacts and strategies. The EFA results indicate that the underlying impacts are project- or material-related, and the underlying strategies are market stability and financial aid, supply chain and project support, and information and legislation. The PLS–SEM results indicate that supply chain and project support are required to address material-related impacts, and market stability and financial aid are required to address project-related impacts. This is the first paper that models the relationships between COVID-19 impacts and response strategies in the construction industry.

8 citations

References
More filters
Journal Article•DOI•
Minimising the present and future plastic waste, energy and environmental footprints related to COVID-19

[...]

Jiří Jaromír Klemeš1, Yee Van Fan1, Raymond R. Tan2, Peng Jiang3•
Brno University of Technology1, De La Salle University2, Institute of High Performance Computing Singapore3
01 Jul 2020-Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews
TL;DR: In this paper, a prospective outlook on how the disruption caused by COVID-19 can act as a catalyst for short-term and long-term changes in plastic waste management practices throughout the world is given.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had growing environmental consequences related to plastic use and follow-up waste, but more urgent health issues have far overshadowed the potential impacts. This paper gives a prospective outlook on how the disruption caused by COVID-19 can act as a catalyst for short-term and long-term changes in plastic waste management practices throughout the world. The impact of the pandemic and epidemic following through the life cycles of various plastic products, particularly those needed for personal protection and healthcare, is assessed. The energy and environmental footprints of these product systems have increased rapidly in response to the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide, while critical hazardous waste management issues are emerging due to the need to ensure destruction of residual pathogens in household and medical waste. The concept of Plastic Waste Footprint (PWF) is proposed to capture the environmental footprint of a plastic product throughout its entire life cycle. Emerging challenges in waste management during and after the pandemic are discussed from the perspective of novel research and environmental policies. The sudden shift in waste composition and quantity highlights the need for a dynamically reponsive waste management system. Six future research directions are suggested to mitigate the potential impacts of the pandemic on waste management systems.

602 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach.

[...]

Rubén Aldaco1, Daniel Hoehn1, Jara Laso1, María Margallo1, J. Ruiz-Salmón1, Jorge Cristóbal1, Ramzy Kahhat2, Pedro Villanueva-Rey3, Alba Bala, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Pere Fullana-i-Palmer, Angel Irabien1, Ian Vázquez-Rowe2 •
University of Cantabria1, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru2, University of Vigo3
10 Nov 2020-Science of The Total Environment
TL;DR: The main hypothesis of this study is to consider that the “strong fluctuations and short-term changes” on eating habits may have major consequences on potential FLW generation and management, as well as on GHG emissions, all taking into account the nutritional and the economic cost.

200 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Globalization and construction industry development: implications of recent developments in the construction sector in Asia

[...]

John Raftery1, Bernie Pasadilla1, Yat Hung Chiang1, Eddie C.M. Hui1, Bo-sin Tang1 •
Hong Kong Polytechnic University1
01 Jan 1998-Construction Management and Economics
TL;DR: In this article, the authors attribute the trends to the globalization and deregulation of markets necessitated by fiscal, technological and managerial constraints, and illustrate the dilemma of importing construction services at the expense of the indigenous sectors of the developing countries.
Abstract: Recent developments in the construction sector in the Asian region demonstrate three trends: (1) larger private sector participation in infrastructure projects, (2) increasing vertical integration in the packaging of construction projects, and (3) increased foreign participation in domestic construction. This paper attributes the trends to the globalization and deregulation of markets necessitated by fiscal, technological and managerial constraints. Although these trends present intra-Asian opportunities, there are also areas of concern. The trends have helped polarize the financial and technical superiority of the developed countries and the corresponding inferiority of the developed countries in the region of the developing ones. In the long term, this gap could be filled through technology transfer. In the short term, however, there are concerns that imported construction services could grow at the expense of the indigenous sectors of the developing countries. This paper illustrates this dilemma with t...

175 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
A Pandemic within the Pandemic? Physical Activity Levels Substantially Decreased in Countries Affected by COVID-19.

[...]

Jan Wilke1, Lisa Mohr1, Adam S. Tenforde2, Pascal Edouard, Chiara Fossati3, Marcela González-Gross4, Celso Sánchez Ramírez5, Fernando Laiño, Benedict Tan6, Julian David Pillay7, Fabio Pigozzi3, David Jiménez-Pavón8, Bernhard Novak9, Johannes Jaunig9, Mandy Zhang6, Mireille N M van Poppel9, Christoph Heidt10, Steffen Willwacher11, Gustavo Yuki, Daniel E. Lieberman12, Lutz Vogt1, Evert Verhagen13, Luiz Hespanhol, Karsten Hollander12 •
Goethe University Frankfurt1, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital2, Sapienza University of Rome3, Technical University of Madrid4, University of Santiago, Chile5, Changi General Hospital6, Durban University of Technology7, University of Cádiz8, University of Graz9, University of Basel10, University of Queensland11, Harvard University12, VU University Amsterdam13
24 Feb 2021-International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of pandemic-related confinements on physical activity (PA) levels was examined in a multinational survey performed in 14 countries and found that PA levels have substantially decreased globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract: Governments have restricted public life during the COVID-19 pandemic, inter alia closing sports facilities and gyms. As regular exercise is essential for health, this study examined the effect of pandemic-related confinements on physical activity (PA) levels. A multinational survey was performed in 14 countries. Times spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as well as in vigorous physical activity only (VPA) were assessed using the Nordic Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). Data were obtained for leisure and occupational PA pre- and during restrictions. Compliance with PA guidelines was calculated based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). In total, n = 13,503 respondents (39 ± 15 years, 59% females) were surveyed. Compared to pre-restrictions, overall self-reported PA declined by 41% (MVPA) and 42.2% (VPA). Reductions were higher for occupational vs. leisure time, young and old vs. middle-aged persons, previously more active vs. less active individuals, but similar between men and women. Compared to pre-pandemic, compliance with WHO guidelines decreased from 80.9% (95% CI: 80.3-81.7) to 62.5% (95% CI: 61.6-63.3). Results suggest PA levels have substantially decreased globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key stakeholders should consider strategies to mitigate loss in PA in order to preserve health during the pandemic.

166 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Impact of Organizational Culture Values on Organizational Agility

[...]

Carmen M. Felipe, José L. Roldán, Antonio L. Leal-Rodríguez
17 Dec 2017-Sustainability
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a model that presents an exhaustive analysis of two relevant research gaps: (i) the underlying relationships that determine the impact exerted by each of the four organizational culture typologies, comprised in Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework on organizational agility and, (ii) the contingency effect exerted by a key environmental factor, the industry's technology intensity.
Abstract: To remain competitive within the current, uncertain business scenario, it is vital for firms to develop capabilities that lead them to adapt and offer quick responses to market changes. Under the dynamic capabilities view of the firm, this paper proposes a model that presents an exhaustive analysis of two relevant research gaps: (i) the underlying relationships that determine the impact exerted by each of the four organizational culture typologies, comprised in Cameron and Quinn’s Competing Values Framework on organizational agility and, (ii) the contingency effect exerted by a key environmental factor, the industry’s technology intensity. An empirical study is performed to test the relationships proposed, using data collected from 172 Spain-based companies. To examine the contingency effect of technology intensity, the sample is divided into two subsamples, high and medium tech companies. This work uses partial least squares path-modeling, a variance-based structural equations modeling technique, in order to test and validate the research model and hypotheses posited. In addition, thorough analyses are carried out to assess the predictive performance of our model.

126 citations

Related Papers (5)
Managing the risk and challenges of COVID-19 on construction sites in Lagos, Nigeria

[...]

24 Aug 2021-Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
Patricia Omega Kukoyi, Fredrick Simpeh, Oluseyi Julius Adebowale, Justus Ngala Agumba 
Strategies and challenges in Kerala's response to the initial phase of COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative descriptive study.

[...]

09 Jul 2021-BMJ Open
Kannamkottapilly Chandrasekharan Prajitha, Arya Rahul, Sujatha Chintha, Gopakumar Soumya, M. Suresh, Anjana Nalina Kumari Kesavan Nair, Mathew J Valamparampil, Aravind Reghukumar, Sriram Venkitaraman, T S Anish 
The First Intra-Action Review of Indonesia's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, August 2020.

[...]

12 Oct 2021-Health security
Endang Widuri Wulandari, Endang Budi Hastuti, Vivi Setiawaty, Vensya Sitohang, Sudarto Ronoatmodjo 
Rapid Response to COVID-19 in Agriculture: A Model for Future Crises.

[...]

08 Sep 2020-Journal of Agromedicine
Heather E. Riden, Kara Schilli, Kent E. Pinkerton
Implementing Smart Working in Public Administration: a follow up study.

[...]

20 Apr 2021-Medicina Del Lavoro
Cristina Di Tecco, Matteo Ronchetti, Simone Russo, Monica Ghelli, Bruna Maria Rondinone, Benedetta Persechino, Sergio Iavicoli 
Frequently Asked Questions (14)
Q1. What are the contributions in "Lessons learned from the impact of covid-19 on the global construction industry" ?

The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 disease ( COVID -19 ) on the government ’ s income resulted in the expectation of many public projects being cancelled or delayed providing little opportunity for the emergence of new public projects. This paper aims to collate a global qualitative perspective ( survey interviews ) on the lessons learned during the COVID19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for future-proofing the construction sector. The major finding of this study emphasis on the need to improve the occupational health and safety and onsite safety measures for futureproofing of the construction industry. 

The following headings are areas of future research. Considering the enormity of influence COVID-19 have had on the global construction industry, there is a need to further study the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry. The abovementioned research areas may be studied from a micro-perspective of national, geographical, organisational, project, economic, social and technological inclinations. 

Positive impacts of COVID 19 in construction industry were virtual alternatives, lower interest rate while negative impacts were site delays, cash flow issues, skill shortages, project suspensions amongst others. 

Other lessons learned for the future of the construction industry were aimed at improving the management of COVID -19 risk at work; improved supply chain relationships and responsibility; workers engagement; efficient site induction processes; increase in remote meetings using communication technologies. 

Remote working environment Opportunities to work from home as a new flexible work-from-home model in the construction industry had been identified as a benefit of the construction from the qualitative analysis. 

BE1 from the United Kingdom identified “…Distrupted socialisation, job loss and redundancy…”, as the major negative impacts COVID-19 had on the construction industry. 

The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry largely stem from the UK Governments ‘Construction 2025 report’, two-thirds of construction contracting firms are not innovative and consequently freezing technological progress within the sector. 

Improved productivity may also result from flexibility in the workplace as noted by African and Australian respondents who were able to return to work at their convenience when the epidemic situation was better. 

60.5% of the participants hold Master of Science (MSc) degrees, 31.6% have first degrees, 7.5 % have a higher education or college degree and the remaining population, 0.4% have Ph.Ds. 

construction output declined during the pandemic because the global construction industry experienced a shortage of construction materials, and material delivery delays (Alsharef et al., 2021). 

Improved productivity was identified by Pirzadeh and Lingard (2021) as a key benefit of working flexibly in-office setting or at home. 

When employees of the construction industry work from home, all overhead costs associated with office-related activities such as printing, electricity, waste and water usage are eliminated. 

The implications of the lessons learned for construction project management; construction occupational health and safety; supply chain management; and virtual working environments; all necessitate advanced in construction information technology and research. 

A recommended limit of working hours can be designed for virtual environments because it is likely construction professionals may want to finish a weeks’ work in a day.