Sarhan, J; Xia, B; Fawzia, S; Karim, A and Olanipekun, A (2018) Barriers to implementing lean construction practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry. Construction Innovation, 18(2), pp. 246-272. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to implementing lean construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry and to prioritise the principal factors that constitute these barriers. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review was initially used to reveal the global barriers to implementing lean construction. Subsequently, these barriers were incorporated into a structured questionnaire, and a convenience sample of 282 construction professionals in the KSA construction industry was surveyed. The results were analysed using mean item score (MIS), Mann–Whitney U test and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: The findings revealed 22 barriers to lean construction implementation in the KSA construction industry. Principal factors that constitute these barriers were found to be traditional practices, client related, technological, performance and knowledge and cost-related barriers in descending order of pervasiveness. The study also proposes solutions to overcome these principal barriers. Originality/value: This study provides a global overview of the barriers to implementing lean construction. It contributes to the body of knowledge, as it uncovers for the first time the barriers to implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry with reference to the socio-cultural, economic and operational context of the KSA. Thus, it is relevant to other countries in the Middle East because of their shared similarities to the KSA. Furthermore, the solutions proposed to overcome these barriers in the KSA construction industry can be applied in other countries where similar barriers are identified.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | barrier factors; barriers; implementation; lean construction; principal component analysis; Saudi construction industry |
| Index terms: | literature review, Middle East, lean construction, body of knowledge, questionnaire, methodology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, construction industry, implementation, principal component analysis, construction professional |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, knowledge management, data analysis and analytics, data collection methods, building construction, industry analysis, statistical analysis, physical geography and landforms, research methods, Geography, professional development |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Research Practice, Information Management, Procurement, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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