Mensah, S; Nani, G and Ayarkwa, J (2022) Contractors' adaptation to environmentally sustainable construction: A micro-level implementation framework. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 11(4), pp. 832-851. ISSN 2046-6099
Abstract
Purpose: There is low adoption rate of existing environmentally sustainable construction frameworks. Contractors have dwindled capability to adapt to environmentally sustainable construction (ESC) towards achievement of SDGs. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework that leverages both theoretical and practical aspects of sustainable construction to enable contractors' adaptation to ESC at the micro level. Design/methodology/approach: Due to the social constructivism orientation of the objectives of this research, abductive approach and qualitative research strategy were adopted. Data were obtained through interviews and validation focus group discussion. Content analysis and thematic template analyses techniques were employed to conduct qualitative data analyses. Findings: There are peculiar ESC barriers that need to be overcome by contractors in the study area. Legislative and financing efforts of stakeholders are key contractors' ESC adaptation drivers. Contractors in less affluent societies, such as Ghana, require high resilience, dense and centralized social network structures and isomorphic and coercive drivers to be able to adapt to ESC. Research limitations/implications: The scope of this research is limited to the data gathered from large construction firms in Ghana, a developing country in the sub-Saharan region. Originality/value: This is one of the first papers that provide guidelines on developing capability of contractors in a developing country to adapt to ESC. The paper addresses the challenge in the ecological modernization theory by adducing empirical evidence to prescribe guidelines on how contractors can increase rate of efficiency through collaborative strategies that engender ESC.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | environmentally sustainable construction; framework; interviews; qualitative research; sustainability; sustainable construction |
| Index terms: | social network, content analysis, strategy, construction firm, developing country, interview, data analysis, focus group, sustainable construction, society, ecological modernization, financing, methodology, qualitative research, evidence, validation, Ghana, adaptation, efficiency, implementation, abductive approach |
| Subjects: | development economics, professional development, sustainable construction, Geography, health safety and environment, research methods, performance management, management, communities and social development, sociology, organization, user focus, research design and methodology, data collection methods, evaluation and assessment methods, economic analysis, contractual arrangements, data analysis and analytics |
| Topics: | International Construction, Quality Management, Design Practice, Sustainability, Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Information Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy |
| 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