University College of Estate Management

Purpose The study investigates stakeholder engagement in public procurement of works within tertiary institutions in Ghana, emphasizing its role in advancing environmental sustainability. It aims to determine the present level of stakeholder engagement, assess stakeholders' understanding of environmental sustainability and explore barriers hindering effective engagement. Design/methodology/approach Structured questionnaires were administered to procurement professionals, stakeholders and institutional representatives. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test, and mean score ranking to identify patterns, levels and barriers to stakeholder engagement. Findings The results highlight that stakeholder engagement is most prominent at the preparation and planning stage, while later procurement phases, such as tendering and contract implementation, experience reduced participation. Stakeholders demonstrated a generally high understanding of environmental sustainability. However, significant barriers were identified, including difficulty in identifying representatives, lack of clear benefits and financial constraints. These systemic and resource-related challenges limit comprehensive stakeholder involvement across procurement phases. Practical implications The findings emphasize the need for tertiary institutions to adopt comprehensive stakeholder mapping, implement structured engagement frameworks and promote transparency. Tailored training programs and adequate resource allocation are necessary to overcome identified barriers and ensure sustainable procurement practices. Originality/value This study offers new insights into stakeholder engagement in Ghana's tertiary institutions, providing a localized understanding of the interplay between procurement practices and environmental sustainability. It proposes practical strategies to enhance participation and sustainability outcomes, aligning procurement processes with global best practices.

Purpose The paper presents the major barriers to Offsite Construction (OSC) adoption in Jordan from a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) sustainability framework. It also recommends steps to enhance OSC implementation in the Jordanian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was used to generalise findings and draw conclusions. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was applied to establish relationships between variables and group them into the proposed components based on 208 valid responses from construction professionals in Jordan. EFA and descriptive statistics using SPSS developed a hierarchy of barriers to OSC adoption. Findings The lack of regulations, standards, and incentives, the lack of adequate labourers, and long lead times and time certainty issues were identified as the three most important variables. At the same time, the uncertainty of energy performance was considered the least important variable affecting the Jordanian OSC sector. Research limitations/implications Given that the research focused on OSC adoption in the Jordanian construction industry, and the data was collected from Jordan only, the findings are applicable to the Jordanian context only. This exploratory study highlights implications for further investigations into the barriers to OSC adoption in Jordan. Practical implications The anticipated outcome is to help practitioners understand the challenges associated with the low adoption of OSC in Jordan. The identified variables and recommendations can guide strategic decisions, including assessments and benchmarking, fostering OSC development in Jordan. Originality/value This research identifies barriers to OSC adoption in Jordan and offers unique insights into the variables that hinder OSC uptake from a sustainability perspective.

Space management is crucial in supporting the academic mission of universities. This study assessed strategies and challenges of space management practices in public tertiary educational institutions in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods research design was used. A case study approach was also adopted. Data collection was done by the use of open-ended and unstructured interviews with participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Universities in the study area adopted diverse strategies and techniques to manage their space, and various factors influenced space management decisions. However, universities faced significant challenges in meeting the National Universities Commission (NUC) minimum space requirements. The findings contribute to the understanding of space management issues in Nigerian universities and provide valuable insights for developing context-specific solutions to optimize space utilization and support the academic mission and vision of universities.

ABSTRACT Flexible workspace (FW) providers as tenants usually occupy office spaces on longer leases. Anecdotally, by taking longer leases, FW tenants can achieve lower effective rents, which is highly relevant to their long-short business model. However, the relationship between lease term and effective rent is not always downward-sloping and previous studies show that lease term structure depends on the demand for spaces, supply in the pipeline and risk considerations. Existing studies show that FW providers pay lower rent in UK and US markets. To understand the dynamics of FW providers further, in this paper, we analyse the lease term structure of FW providers in different economic cycles and compare it with that of conventional office tenants in New York City between 2011 and 2022. Our findings reveal that FW providers have a distinctive lease term structure compared to conventional office tenants: they secure lower rents for longer leases but face higher rents for shorter terms. Additionally, the FW lease term structure has shifted upward in recent years, reflecting increased perceived risk associated with their business model.

Efficient and sustainable human resources are crucial for promoting development in emerging nations. Brazil’s education policy provides its citizens with widespread educational opportunities, resulting in high literacy rates. However, women with academic qualifications and skills often encounter significant barriers when transitioning from higher education to positions of empowerment, leading to an underutilisation of human capital. This study, conducted in 2024, gathered data from female students and staff at three Brazilian universities (the State University of Maranhãoo, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and the University of São Paulo) using a survey methodology to ascertain the barriers impeding women’s transition from higher education to empowerment. The data were analysed using Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE), a soft computing technique, and it was identified that the most significant barriers revolve around women’s freedom and mobility. Additional challenges include gender norms, family responsibilities, violence and harassment, socio-cultural constraints, and financial limitations. The study offers practical recommendations such as organising awareness programmes and integrating digital technology to enhance workplace safety, thereby addressing these barriers. The findings contribute both practically and theoretically to the more effective utilisation of human resources in Brazil. These insights are particularly valuable for stakeholders, including government bodies, managers, and academic institutions, in fostering gender equality and empowering women in the workforce.

Offsite construction (OSC) has been increasingly adopted in the construction industry, especially with increased practical interest in digital transformation in construction, automated production, assembly, and delivery. The uptake of OSC has not however been consistent internationally, and the adoption rate of modular and prefabricated construction is still poor in many developing and developed countries. This review aims to detect and classify the barriers for adopting OSC by assimilating previous research studies. This paper systematically analyses 75 research articles, published in the past decade spanning between 2012 and 2022 inclusive. A total of 47 barriers were identified through this review and the five most frequent barriers were: lack of skills and expertise in OSC within the organization, poor cooperation and integration between stakeholders in the value chain, higher project costs, higher capital cost, and lack of a national standards and design codes for prefabricated components. The analysis offers insights into gaps that exist that could support greater OSC activity globally. Barrier trends by publication year and country are reported to highlight changes in research activity to delineate recommendations for future work to ensure greater uptake.

The construction industry accounts for approximately one-third of the total waste generation globally. With the United Nations projecting a population increase of 2 billion within the next three decades, there is a heightened demand for building stock, generating unprecedented volumes of construction and demolition waste (CDW). To combat this, circular economy strategies are purported to help alleviate the prevailing situation. But a number of challenges are jeopardizing their implementation in the construction industry and preventing from achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, net zero carbon and zero avoidable waste targets. This paper systematically analyzes 54 research articles, published in the past decade within major peer-reviewed English-language scholarly publications in the form of a systematic research review. In doing so, it aims to identify and classify the challenges that prevent improved CDW management by assimilating previous research results in support of a circular economy. The classification and analysis using a PESTLE model offers insights into gaps and differences between categories, as well as regions and countries. This initial step could contribute to a better understanding of these barriers, along with associated solutions, which could result in a significant reduction on the impact of construction activities, therefore facilitating the development of an effective circular economy in the sector.

Gender equality is a concept that is synonymous with debates towards economic and societal advancement, as manifested through the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5. This study sets out to identify the key indicators driving gender equality in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and employment in Jordan. This area is both critical and timely in light of emerging challenges facing technological advancement, progressive economies, and wider societal inclusion strategies within the professional environment. This study predominantly employs a quantitative methodology, utilising a survey to evaluate and rank a comprehensive set of indicators/challenges associated with gender equality in the published literature. Feedback is gathered from both male and female participants. The findings of this study reveal certain categories and indicators that are highly ranked compared with others, with practical aspects such as workplace conditions and professional treatment, societal norms and gender stereotypes, and professional perceptions and underlying gender bias being more predominant in Jordan. This study also revealed differing challenges facing gender equality in employment compared with the ones faced in education. This finding resonates with the historical trajectory of academic progress in STEM fields in Jordan, and its divergence emphasises the need for a nuanced exploration to advance gender equality in STEM effectively.