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Adjei, E A (2015) Multi-objective optimisation of building design variables and its impact on office building performance: a case for Ghana, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Al-Jibouri, S H (1985) Cost models for construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Alzahrani, A (2017) The social value of urban design in mixed use developments in London, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Awad, A M (2005) The interaction between project finance of a large-scale construction project and macroeconomic indicators and policies, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Bailey, D (2016) A performance evaluation of mainstream timber framed and traditional masonry housing in the UK, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham.

Bordalo Faustino, P (2017) Public procurement award criteria in the EU member states: a comparative study of the discretionary powers of contracting authorities, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Law, University of Nottingham.

Bresnen, M J (1986) A study of forms of project organisation and matrix management: case studies from the construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Business School, University of Nottingham.

Brown, J D (2012) Corporate responsibility in the UK construction industry: a study of activities and reporting, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Calvert, G S (2021) A multiple defect approach to bridge life cycle modelling, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Capra, M (2010) Collaborative mixed reality environments: an application for civil engineering, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Chen, C (2019) Heterogeneous integration of BIM with low-cost indoor mobile laser scanning method for building fabric maintenance in China, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham.

Colley, J G (2011) An exploration of competitive advantage in the plasterboard industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Business School, University of Nottingham.

Dawson, P J (1997) A hierarchical approach to the management of construction project risk, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Dickens, G (2002) Teamworking, perceptions and communication within construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Fadoul, A (2020) A BIM-based model for constructability assessment of buildings design, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Fahdah, I (2008) Distributed IT for integration and communication of engineering information for collaborative building design, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Hassan, H (2020) Psychosocial risks among migrant workers in the Middle East construction sector, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham.

Hernandez Delgado, O A (1998) Decision-making for the selection of investment projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , The University of Nottingham.

Jaly Zada, A J (2016) Versioning of IFC-based information models for collaborative design, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Jones, C (2014) Assessing safety culture and safety performance in a high hazard industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham.

Langdon, M (2021) Towards a shift of values in rail infrastructure project evaluation, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Long, G (2010) A detailed investigation of the applicability and utility of simulation and gaming in the teaching of civil engineering students, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Mohammad Shamsudin, N A (2021) Perceptions of critical success factors in the management of dilapidated schools' reconstruction projects using Industrialised Building System method in rural areas in Sarawak, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Morgan, D C (1986) Site layout and construction planning, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Nicholson, M P (1995) Architectural management: From Higgin to Latham, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Nunes, M C M (1997) Enabling the use of alternative materials in road construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Osorio-Sandoval, C A (2021) BIM-based construction simulation modelling, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Oti, A H (2014) Building information modelling for sustainability appraisal of conceptual design of steel-framed buildings, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Oussadou, A (1988) Residential satisfaction in the new urban housing projects in Algeria: a case study of Ain-Allah, Algiers, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture and Planning, University of Nottingham.

Pachnou, D (2003) The effectiveness of bidder remedies for enforcing the EC public procurement rules: a case study of the public works sector in the United Kingdom and Greece, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Law, University of Nottingham.

Pantouvakis, J-P (1990) Declarative - configurable estimating systems for the construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Patterson, D E (1997) Earthworks planning for linear construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Roshani, D (2005) Integrated collaborative building design using internet technology, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Siebert, M (2019) Concrete and the barriers to innovation in UK housebuilding, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Stiles, S (2019) Investigation of safety leadership within infrastructure engineering construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

  • Type: Thesis
  • Keywords: motivation; affordable housing; decision making; government; housebuilding; innovation; UK; case studies; interview
  • ISBN/ISSN:
  • URL: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/59418/
  • Abstract:
    The Infrastructure Engineering Sector of the Construction Industry is one of the high-risk sectors of work in the UK (HSE 2009), where engineering and construction activities that either enhance or maintain the rail and public highway infrastructure are undertaken in a hazardous environment. Occupational health and safety performance data is showing that the industry performance has reached a plateau; to achieve the next step change in improved performance it is necessary to tackle behaviours and culture. The work of the Infrastructure Engineering Industry is largely delivered through a small number of Principal Contractors, with procured second and third tier contracting organisations to deliver specialist works. Through the identification of Principal Contractors as leaders of project delivery, a common project organisation structure is developed - referred to as 'Project Delivery Organisation'. The structure of a Project Delivery Organisation may impact on safety culture for various reasons, in particular the organisation and interfaces between these different parties. Whilst there is considerable research on the characteristics of positive and negative safety cultures, research to date does not consider the interfaces and relationships between different organisations that are co-ordinated to work together for a determined period of time forming a quasi-organisation such as a Project Delivery Organisation. With recognition of a multitude of factors that can influence safety culture, the thesis evaluates the factors influencing safety on typical construction projects to understand the impact on overall safety performance and seeks ways to enhance safety through leadership programmes. The thesis aims to investigate safety leadership within the Infrastructure Engineering Sector of the Construction Industry to determine whether safety leadership is important for improving the safety culture of a construction project. The thesis builds upon the areas identified from existing research into safety, safety leadership and safety culture, and applies these theories in specific application to better understand the components, factors and interactions that influence safety, safety culture and safety leadership within a Project Delivery Organisation, and to evaluate the effectiveness of safety leadership interventions within a Project Delivery Organisation making recommendations for industry. This thesis investigates safety leadership within Project Delivery Organisations taking a multi-method approach across four separate studies which: • evaluate perceptions of safety culture (Study 1) • establish the contents of existing Safety Improvement Programmes (Study 2) • evaluate attitudes to safety leadership (Study 3) • deploy a safety leadership intervention tool and identify factors influencing safety leadership interventions on projects (Study 4) Study 1 involved holding a number of workshops were held to establish perceptions of safety culture maturity amongst two groups: Principal Contractors and their Supply Chain. Participants were asked to rank their safety culture maturity and that of the other group on a maturity scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most mature. This study found that there was a significant difference in the perceived safety culture maturity of the Principal Contractor and Supply Chain, with Principal Contractors perceived as more mature that the Supply Chain. Study 2 sought to understand what Safety Improvement Programmes were adopted within the Supply Chain. An anonymous questionnaire survey was issued to Supply Chain organisations posing questions relating to safety improvements, initiatives, their content and purpose. This study found that whilst Principal Contractors were implementing Safety Improvement Programmes on construction projects, their effectiveness was being diluted by the Supply Chain with their non-application of these programmes within their own organisation. Study 3 focused on attitudes to safety leadership within the rail construction sector. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were undertaken with representatives from Client, Principal Contractor and Supply Chain, to identify attitudes to safety leadership and consider how this may impact on safety performance. The level of understanding of safety leadership as a topic was evaluated against how well the study participants could explain the concept, and whether they could provide any examples of real-world application. This study found that there are numerous safety leadership interventions being deployed on these projects. Half of the intervention examples provided were based around communication activities. The likely success of these leadership interventions will be influenced by five themes; context, preparation, communication, leadership behaviour and style, and action. From Studies 1, 2 and 3 a model of a Project Delivery Organisation was established showing the relationships between the different member organisations as well as identifying potential influencing factors. In preparation for Study 4, a Safety Leadership Intervention Tool (SLIT) was developed as part of this research based on existing safety culture, safety performance and leadership research, and the researchers experience within industry. The SLIT was designed to provide consistent resources to participating projects and each Project Management team to achieve a positive change in safety outcomes for the duration of the project, utilising techniques that demonstrate safety leadership. The SLIT design is a particular contribution from this thesis. Study 4 investigated the implementation of a Safety Leadership Intervention Tool (SLIT) across six Project Delivery Organisations, three different Project Delivery Organisations in the Intervention Group and a further three Project Delivery Organisations in the Baseline Group for comparison purposes. A multi-methods approach was undertaken within Study 4 with data collected using interviews, surveys and a review of project safety records. A logic map was used as the evaluation framework for determining the effectiveness of the safety leadership interventions for each project. The same logic map is also used to compare findings for the two groups of case studies - baseline and intervention groups. From this study it can be concluded that Project Delivery Organisations are reluctant to implement new safety interventions as SLIT interventions were only partially implemented. Two main influencing factors have been found to affect safety performance within a Project Delivery Organisation. The influence of the Client representatives and Project Manager can have a positive or negative impact on the safety culture maturity, depending on whether they demonstrate good role model behaviours or not. Situational constraints have also been found to impact on the effectiveness of safety leadership interventions within a project environment. This was particularly evident when there was a greater focus on delivering the project to a specified timescale/deadline. The thesis makes a number of contributions from the research that has been undertaken and builds upon existing research relating to: • safety performance (Mearns et al 2003, DeJoy et al 2004, Grabowski et al 2007, Hale et al 2010, Walters and James 2009, Winkler and Irwin 2003) • safety culture (Fleming 2001, Fleming and Lardner 2008, Cooper 2001, Parker et al 2006, Zohar 1980, 2002) • safety leadership (Hopkins 2006, Fleming and Lardner 2001, Hofmann et al 1995, Shannon et al 1997) The thesis findings are applied to construction projects, as dynamic transient environments where organisations are contracted to work together for a defined and limited period of time forming a quasi-organisation. The main findings relate to: • The importance of safety leadership behaviours on a construction project and identification that there is still further work needed to develop individual safety leadership skills particularly relating to change efficacy. A key finding was that how an intervention is implemented is equally as important as the content of the intervention itself. • Understanding the two main influencing factors that can impact on the effectiveness of safety leadership interventions within a Project Delivery Organisation. These are Client behaviour and situational constraints associated with increased role demands. • Understanding the safety culture maturity within a Project Delivery Organisation, where Principal Contractors are perceived to be more mature than the Supply Chain. The thesis adopted many well-established techniques for data collection and evaluation taking a multi-methods approach. The thesis has made a specific methodological contribution for future studies seeking to evaluate interventions through the use of a logic map for both intervention design and evaluation.

Telles, P (2011) Competitive dialogue in Portugal and Spain, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Tene Nengou, C B (2019) Framework for the effective implementation of building regulations and policies: The case of Sub-Sahara African countries, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Wang, D (2013) Exploring factors associated with workers' safety rule violations in the Chinese construction industry: a multimethod investigation, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham.

Wantanakorn, D (2000) Effects of management errors on construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Wei, Y (2019) Data-driven approaches for analysis of building energy consumption and indoor occupancy behavior, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham.

Zhang, L (2021) Artificial neural network intelligent technique and multiple nonlinear regression for prediction and optimization of the transmittance of lightpipes and implementation in BIM, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Zhang, P (2018) Mapping buried utilities in difficult environments, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham.

Zhang, S (2022) The development of a low carbon prefabricated house, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Nottingham.

Zhou, S (2017) Project learning, knowledge transfer and the adoption of innovation in project-based organizations, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Business School China, University of Nottingham.