Ullal, A and Tombesi, P (2021) Dimensions and correlates of development in construction. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 26(2), pp. 37-64. ISSN 1823-6499
Abstract
In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory and practice, this article discusses the meaning of development as it pertains to construction. The discussion distinguishes between studies addressing construction in developing countries, entailing focus on context and case-based approaches to research, and studies that focus on the process of construction industry development. Progress in research addressing the process of development has been hampered by a lack of data to support the examination of changes in construction industries over time and to compare industries in countries at different stages of economic development. To encourage more process-oriented research, a definition of development in construction is elaborated to include six important dimensions – i.e., important factors affecting construction industry development. Taking into account the lack of relevant statistics, correlates for these dimensions (i.e., statistical proxies) are reviewed. Finally, a manner of graphically presenting these dimensions and correlates is introduced. This graphic format enables visual comparison of conditions affecting construction in different countries. It also provides a frame for relating separate case studies to support comparisons and contributions to theory.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | developing countries; industry development; industrial statistics; case studies |
| Index terms: | construction industry, dimension, statistics, industry development, industrial statistics, construction industry development, case study, meaning, economic development, developing country |
| Subjects: | economic development, development economics, sociology, statistical analysis, industry analysis, mathematical modelling, organization, data collection methods, health monitoring assessment and metrics |
| Topics: | International Construction, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Sustainability |
| 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