Al-Mhdawi, M K S; Brito, M; Onggo, B S; Qazi, A; O'Connor, A and Namian, M (2023) Construction risk management in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges to implementation and efficacy of practices. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 149(9): 04023086, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The main challenges and barriers facing the effective implementation of risk management (RM) practices in the construction industry have increased the ceiling of challenges associated with the implementation of construction projects during the COVID-19 era. The aim of this paper is to assess the level of significance of risk management implementation challenges and barriers (RMICB) and the level of efficacy of construction RM practices during COVID-19 by considering the case of Iraq. A multistage research methodology was adopted, including semistructured interviews with construction experts to identify the main RMICB and RM practices indicators; surveys to assess the identified RMICB and RM practices indicators; analytical hierarchy process-based and fuzzy-based models to quantify RMICB level of significance, and RM practices level of efficacy. Based on the adopted methodology, the authors identified a total of 34 RMICB grouped under four categories, namely analytical approach-related, behavior-related, management-related, and team-related RMICB. Moreover, the assessment of the current construction RM practices during the COVID-19 era indicated a low level of RM practices efficacy. This study significantly contributes to the body of knowledge by helping construction practitioners and researchers to better understand the RMICB that are hindering effective implementation of RM strategies for construction projects during the COVID-19 era. Furthermore, it provides valuable information to decision-makers regarding the current construction RM practices efficacy during extreme conditions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | challenges and barriers; COVID-19; Iraq; risk management; risk management practices |
| Index terms: | methodology, construction project, body of knowledge, COVID-19, interview, survey, construction practitioner, strategy, risk management, research methodology, implementation, construction industry, analytical hierarchy process, low level, pandemic |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, knowledge management, risk assessment, data collection methods, research design and methodology, industry analysis, decision-making and optimization, measurement and scaling, production management, professional development, health risk and incident analysis, management, research methods |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Procurement, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Information Management, Project Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here