Title:Agency relationships of project based firms

Abstract 1

Throughout the project life cycle, project-based firms (PBFs) rely on various agents, such as subcontractors and consultants, to carry out activities on their behalf. Although a considerable body of literature has discussed when and how PBFs use agents, little is known about the nature of the agency relationships between PBFs acting as principals and their agents and how these relationships may be associated with the practices used by PBFs to govern their agents' behaviour. The purpose of this conceptual study is to provide further insight into the characteristics of PBFs' agency relationships and to identify and describe alternative approaches used for managing them. Our analysis reveals that PBFs' agency relationships differ significantly regarding actor goals, risks, and availability of information across the project life cycle. Based on our findings, we propose a typology of the upstream agency relationships of a PBF consisting of four ideal types: operational, trustful, volatile, and strategic agency relationships. We argue that the development of agency relationships is a dynamic process which is contingent to the temporal orientation of the principal and the agent as well as congruence of goals between the principal and the agent.

Title: Model Ownership and Intellectual Property Right for Collaborative Sustainability on Building Information Modelling

Abstract 2

The concept of building information modelling (BIM) requires multidisciplinary collaboration and generates the problem of intellectual property protection for the creator of the model element. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the model ownership factors and intellectual property rights (IPRs) for collaborative sustainability on BIM practices in Indonesia. This research used the qualitative approach of primary data, and questionnaires were distributed to parties involved and experienced with BIM-based projects in Indonesia. The research adopted descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse data obtained from respondents. The results showed that the party that produces the model element is the main factor that owns the model and the IPRs. Meanwhile, the employer will have the right to own the model of BIM in the form of a license, with limited use only for operations, maintenance, and marketing, and they do not have the right to reuse the model for the construction of future projects. This research is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge and provide recommendations for policymaking in construction contracts to better manage BIM-based projects.

Title: Impact of COVID-19 containment zone built environments on student's mental health and their coping mechanisms

A B S T R A C T 3

The 2nd wave of COVID-19 in 2021 had put several higher educational institutions in India into complete lockdowns and some were converted into containment zones to prevent the further spread of infection. A study was conducted on a student population (N= 432) in one such institute campus across three different hostel complexes to understand the role of containment zone Built Environments in the prevalence of Anxiety and Depression. The results from the analysis revealed that students living in rooms which have access to qualitative Built Environment aspects such as quality window views overlooking greenery and sky in addition to presence of indoor plants and portrait/artworks, are at lower risk of depression and severity of anxiety. The linear regression results of Built Environment Variable (BEV) Score with CES-D and GAD-7 advocated for an inverted relationship. The multinomial logistic regression revealed that with each 1-unit increase in BEV Score there is a significant decrease of 1.3-unit of likelihood of Depression, 0.779, 0.712 and 0.614-unit decrease in the likelihood of mild, moderate and severe levels of anxiety respectively. For Adverse Effect on Productivity, a 1-unit increase in BEV Score increases the likelihood of No-effect on productivity by 1.277 units. In order to precisely predict the effect of individual aspects of University Campus Built environments on the mental health of students during such containment and quarantine situations, further multidisciplinary investigation is required on the spheres of Built Environment, Psychology, and Epidemiology.

Title: Application of Internet of Things in academic building for space use efficiency using occupancy and booking data

A B S T R A C T 4

Environmental sustainability in academic buildings can be improved with management interventions such as improving space use efficiency supported by large data from the Internet of Things (IoT). Due to the potentials, the interest in the use of IoT tools for facility management is high among universities. However, empirical studies on this topic are scarce. To address the knowledge gap in this area, this study proposes and examines a process model with steps to measure space use and to improve space use efficiency by IoT tools in academic buildings. The applicability of the model is investigated in 8 lecture halls in a university building by using occupancy and booking data from IoT tools. Four space use indicators are developed to visualize the data and quantify space use, and based on them, the strategies and interventions for space use efficiency are proposed and discussed.

Title: Correlation analysis between risk measurement and project success of small and medium contractors in Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract 5

Risk measurement (RM) and construction project success (PS) are closely related. Preceding studies highlight the importance of RM in the management of risks without revealing its effect on PS. This study aims to determine the influence of RM on the PS of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A positivist research design was applied using a survey questionnaire circulated to 181 respondents in Gauteng, South Africa (SA). Raw data analysed using inferential statistics extracted one component solution and evinced statistical significance (p=0.000<0.05) between RM and PS. In particular, results revealed that RM significantly influences PS of construction SMEs through delimiting the RM criteria to be adopted, establishing the level of acceptable risk and risk timeframe relevant to risk effect and risk likelihood. It is suggested that the management of SMEs and industry professionals involved in risk management should adopt RM for the management of their project risks to accomplish project objectives effectively. The study renders new empirical evidence of risk management factors that influence PS of SMEs in the context of SA. It remains to be seen whether the current finding could be replicated in other datasets. If indeed that is the case, then this article expands to the discourse and literature on RM of SMEs. However, the current findings cannot be generalised due to the restrictions pertaining to the geographical area and respondents.

Title: Energy Conservation in Buildings -a Review

Abstract 6

The primary function of a building is to provide thermally comfortable environment to its occupants. A good indoor climate is important for the success of any building, not only because it will make its occupants comfortable, but also because it will decide its energy consumption, and thus influences its sustainability. A literature review of over 100 research papers, in four areas in the field of Energy Conservation in Buildings, i.e. (i) Climate Responsive Buildings, (ii) Analysis, Simulation and Modelling, (iii) Zero Energy Buildings and (iv) Thermal Comfort, were conducted in order to obtain a valid research topic. The findings of the literature survey is presented in this paper which include issue wise discussion, solution approaches used by various researchers, strengths, weaknesses and future scope of work in the four issues pertaining to energy conservation in buildings. Out of the several identified lag, it was felt that there was a dearth of field studies based thermal comfort research in India, which is essential for the correct definition of building codes. Proper building codes are required not only for providing comfort condition but also to conserve energy. Hence field studies based thermal comfort study was considered for further research study. Thus, this paper summarizes the researches about Climate Responsive Buildings, Analysis, Simulation and Modelling, Zero Energy Buildings and Thermal Comfort. It also concludes the methodology of these researches in above four fields, and gives further work suggestions.

QUESTION

Topic:Research objective and research framework

Task 1.1:From the six abstracts of articles given with each title use the abstract for each of those six abstracts and formulate a Research Objective for each abstract.

Task 1.2:Read the abstracts, the headings and the most important sections as relevant, of the same six case studies abstract with the titles mentioned. For each of these abstracts, construct a simplified graphical Research Framework. Explain each of the five research perspectives in one, short sentence.

Note:CONCEPTS are important, not the details of each of the abstracts. References need to be included for each section.