articles by Akila P Rathnasinghe
Construction Innovation , 2023
Purpose: Quality management barriers have been discovered in construction small and medium-sized ... more Purpose: Quality management barriers have been discovered in construction small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), determining their long-term survival. Despite the recognition of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a valuable quality management technique for addressing the barriers faced by SMEs, LSS implementation within the construction SME context is alarmingly low. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the barriers for implementing LSS within construction SMEs and to determine the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was employed, and data was collected in two stages: a questionnaire survey with forty-four construction professionals and an expert opinion survey with twelve LSS specialists. The collected data was then analysed using the fuzzy TOPSIS method, achieving a higher degree of sensitivity. Findings: The findings revealed the fifteen most significant LSS barriers that need to be addressed. In addition, the ten most important strategies to be implemented in overcoming the identified barriers prior to LSS implementation were discovered and thematised, most notably the hiring of LSS specialists for project monitoring and the formation of a committee for strategic planning through LSS. Originality: Previous research on LSS examined barriers and strategies for SMEs in general, but this study is the first of its kind, focusing especially on the construction SME context and involving the unique fuzzy TOPSIS approach.
Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, 2022
urpose:
Most developing countries, such as Sri Lanka (SL), are now looking for the support of for... more urpose:
Most developing countries, such as Sri Lanka (SL), are now looking for the support of foreign construction companies for large-scale infrastructure projects in return for expertise and resources. Thus, foreign companies may enter into agreements with local contractors through joint ventures (JVs). However, the priorities of construction project stakeholders may differ, which may ultimately end up in conflicts. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the most suitable conflict management strategies for international construction JVs (ICJVs) considering the SL context.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
The mixed method was used for the research choice by selecting a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. Completed questionnaires (n = 78) were analysed using statistical techniques. The expert interviews with six industry practitioners were piloted to increase the validity and credibility of survey findings through a triangulation process where the collected data was analysed through content analysis.
Findings:
The findings confirm that JV parties should first seek collaborative solutions in a conflict and seek legal redress only when those efforts are unsuccessful. Collaborating and compromising were recommended as the most appropriate tactics if an informal approach to conflict management was chosen. Alternative dispute resolution and litigation were identified as formal conflict management strategies.
Originality/Value
This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, will be the first of its kind in SL, which will lead to a better understanding of conflict management in IJCVs and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.
Benchmarking: an International Journal, 2023
Building Information Modelling (BIM) claims to be spearheading the modern technological revolutio... more Building Information Modelling (BIM) claims to be spearheading the modern technological revolution in the global construction industry. While scholars have emphasised the cruciality of BIM, associated costs have been identified as one of the major barriers to successful BIM implementation, as is the case in Sri Lanka. Besides, Lean Principles (LP) are known for increasing efficiency, quality and eliminating waste, thereby reducing overall costs. Hence, this research aims at addressing the BIM implementation barrier associated with costs by applying suitable LP, enhancing overall value by minimising value-insignificant activities. Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative research approach. 10 experts with expertise in both BIM and LP were targeted for the primary data collection through semi-structured interviews. The collected data was analysed using manual content analysis. Findings: Research findings discovered the cost centres that can be applied to the LPs and the effective LPs that can be applied with the cost centres of BIM implementation. The theoretical implication of the study is to provide insights into a potential application of LP for BIM cost centres. Whereas practical consequences include the identification of LP's potential to minimise BIM cost centres, ergo, achieving a successful BIM implementation. Originality: This study will be the first of its kind in the Sri Lankan construction industry, intending to apply LP with BIM implementation cost centres to achieve a successful implementation. This research also has paved the way forward for further research on the application of both the BIM and LP concepts for similar construction industries in developing 1 countries across the world and in addressing other BIM implementation barriers.
Post Disaster Reconstruction (PDR) projects are currently facing many issues. The highly demandin... more Post Disaster Reconstruction (PDR) projects are currently facing many issues. The highly demanding construction process of PDR projects that involves a number of different and well-coordinated courses of action can be simplified through integrating lean construction. Hence, Lean Iceberg Model (LIM) implementation for PDR projects will eventually minimise the issues in PDR projects. However, there is lack of research on implementation of lean construction to PDR projects. Therefore, this study aims to develop a framework to minimise PDR issues through LIM. This research adopted interpretivism stance and uses the qualitative survey strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten experts, selected based on purposive sampling. The code-based content analysis was used to data analysis, which was supported by NVivo12. The findings of the study revealed that lack of quality, lack of budget and delays as the main issues in PDR projects. The essential part, therefore, was to identify invisible elements which were most of the times neglected rather than the visible elements of LIM. Finally, a framework was developed by systematically mapping the identified PDR issues for both visible and invisible elements of the LIM. In addition, the "LIM for PDR" mobile application has been developed as part of the framework which deals with educating and guiding users on a successful implementation of lean in a PDR project through LIM. The results of this research contribute to overcome the PDR issues which can be derived from the LIM. Hence, industry practitioners can use the outcomes to successfully implement lean in PDR projects.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology in the orthodox cons... more Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology in the orthodox construction and procedures in conventional Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry which is stressed upon for its delay on embracing new technologies. The strength of BIM has been disvalued in the eyes of many professionals, to think of BIM as just another ‘software’ which is in reality, a ‘process’ of attaining an outstanding collaboration among each and every stakeholder throughout a project’s life cycle. Hence, the philosophy of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in a construction project can be achieved effectively with the BIM’s promise of flexible and transparent interaction among Construction Supply Chain (CSC) contributors. However, the complexities in CSC of a conservative setup has been more composite with the intervention of BIM. Consequently, the BIM project stakeholders have encountered complications on the effective application of BIM on CSC while reaching the envisioned goals of BIM. Thus, the intention of this study is to develop a foreseeable information flow model related to construction supply chain in a BIM aided project. In order to attain the aim, an extensive literature synthesis was piloted to develop a conceptual informational flow model among CSC stakeholders of a BIM project. This contemporary research outlines that the CSC of a BIM project is much interactive and flexible with its collaborative effort of stakeholders when compared to the clashes among professionals in traditional setups. In a practical context, the roles and duties of BIM project stakeholders identified in BIM standards, have slightly differed due to real-world complications in construction industry. Besides that, BIM standards have laid down charismatic arrangements on information flows among BIM project stakeholders, which is in reality, a complex and random setup. Hence, the research outcome has successfully answered the complications by laying down guidelines for any outsider to the BIM field to recognise what would be the contribution of each stakeholder throughout the BIM project’s life cycle. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology towards the orthodox... more Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology towards the orthodox construction and procedures in conventional Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. The strength of BIM has been undervalued on the eyes of many professionals as to think of BIM as just another ‘software’ which is in reality, a ‘process’ of attaining an outstanding collaboration among every stakeholder throughout a project's life cycle. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a foreseeable information flow model related to the Construction Supply Chain (CSC) of a BIM aided project. This study administered a qualitative approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 experts, due to the lack of expertize with actual implementation experiences in the subject matter. The data were analysed using manual content analysis. The outcomes revealed that BIM standards have laid down charismatic arrangements on information flows among BIM project stakeholders, which is, in reality, a complex and random setup. The research outcome has successfully answered the complications in complex information setup of a BIM project by laying down guidance for any outsider to the BIM field as to recognize on what would be the contribution of each stakeholder throughout its BIM project's life cycle. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
By raising performance, Total Quality Management (TQM) transforms any industry that is in a state... more By raising performance, Total Quality Management (TQM) transforms any industry that is in a state of substantial structural change and facing increased competition. However, Iraq as one of the main global oil suppliers is still lagging on the TQM journey due to decreasing quality levels, particularly in management systems. Thus, this study aims to facilitate TQM in Iraqi Oil Companies by reviewing the TQM practices and the significance of Top Management Commitment (TMC) towards eliminating the barriers for implementation. To achieve this aim, the study utilises a mixed research approach and a single holistic case study strategy by triangulating literature and data collected from one of the leading Iraqi oil companies. The research identified TMC as the most influential factor for effective TQM implementation and six barriers. Furthermore, the research reveals the relationship between the top management commitment required for successful TQM implementation and barriers in that journey. This study will be the first of its kind in the Iraqi oil industry which will lead to a better understanding of TQM practices in Iraq and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work. © 2021, The Author(s).
conferences by Akila P Rathnasinghe
The construction industry is one of the leading economic sectors in any country yet is renowned f... more The construction industry is one of the leading economic sectors in any country yet is renowned for its reluctance to adopt novel innovations. Meanwhile, research has found that the decision of any industry on the adoption or rejection of innovations depends on its positive or negative perception, which is stipulated by industry professionals' knowledge. Therefore, this research aims to disclose how the professionals' knowledge affects successful innovation adoption specific to the construction industry. A qualitatively based extensive literature synthesis has been conducted concerning three concepts to provide a holistic view of innovation decisions. Namely, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology-Organisation-Environment framework (TOE), and Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI). The findings revealed that the "existing knowledge" of professionals was a key factor in innovation decisions. Accordingly, five main perceived attributes (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability) have been identified through Roger's innovation-decision model, and decisively common measurement items have been documented under each perceived attribute that comprehensively endorses the "existing knowledge" of construction professionals. Furthermore, this contemporary study found that all the recognised measurement items extensively affect innovation-decision. In the absence of a pragmatic decision framework, this article provides a clear impression for both technology developers and their users/stakeholders on crucial elements of innovation adoption that have been concerned via decision makers' technological perception.
The epoch of big data is evolving new possibilities for Disaster Management (DM). The concept of ... more The epoch of big data is evolving new possibilities for Disaster Management (DM). The concept of Big Data has been constantly scrutinised in terms of data creation, storage, retrieval, and analysis where professionals have identified its significance upon the volume, velocity and variety. Big Data provides the opportunity to gather more information in less time. Hence, analysis of Big Data can substantially enhance various disaster resilience activities such as issuing early warnings for evacuations; help emergency response personnel to identify areas that need urgent attention; coordination of disaster management activities; and to identify the most effective response methods for various situations. Therefore, Big Data is identified as a great catalyst for disaster response and, for better understanding of the damage situation and decision-making. Moreover, Big Data has the potential to improve disaster resilience by connecting people, processes, data and technology. However, it is essential to understand the type of Big Data that needs to be generated, to develop the data analysis as in necessary to help with real time responses, decision making and tracking of disaster victim. In order to accomplish the aim, a qualitative research approach was followed. This topical study marked the importance of big data in predicting human behavioral patterns during a disaster. Accordingly, the effective management of human and physical resources in habitual disaster territories was appraised through existing case studies in developed countries. Further, the research has successfully identified the challenges in employing Big Data upon its legal and technological barriers. © 2019, Ceylon Institute of Builders. All rights reserved.
The construction industry plays a major role in the economy of a country. Therefore, the developm... more The construction industry plays a major role in the economy of a country. Therefore, the development of the construction industry mainly depends on the effect of the legal system of the country as well. The Environmental and Physical Planning Laws are the main two types of legal areas that affect the construction industry. Further, the problems or conflicts in the aforementioned law areas had become a reason to create disputes in the construction industry. Accordingly, the main aim of this research is to evaluate the applicability of the specific Laws and Regulations which are considered under by Environmental Law and Physical Planning Law relating to the Construction Industry of Sri Lanka. To attain the aim, an extensive literature synthesis was conducted to identify the problematic and conflicting areas in the existing Environmental and Physical Planning Law. Moreover, literature sources related to international Environmental and Physical Planning Law context were brought into the picture to recognize the potential solutions and the recommendations for the proper implementation of said Laws. Accordingly, problematic areas in the construction project licensing process, review of the power factor of the UDA regulations were identified as critical factors for a successful legal implementation. Conclusions had presented the impression that how the existing said law areas would affect the construction issues related to the Sri Lankan context. © IEOM Society International.
The successful completion of a construction project involves the collaboration of various stakeho... more The successful completion of a construction project involves the collaboration of various stakeholders which generates extremely exhaustive and varied information. Consequently, the effectiveness of the information flows ominously impact the strong work relationships between project stakeholders. Even though various adversarial effects to the construction project management threshold; cost, quality and time, are triggered by disordered information trails, numerous barriers for the effective information transfusion stay as a grey area. As an innovative tide towards overpowering the information management barriers in a conventional construction project, execution of Augmented Reality (AR) has been highlighted by scholars. Even though AR is already being incorporated in industries like automobile and aviation, it has not yet been considerably executed in the construction industry. Therefore, to exploit the potential of AR to improve information management, a qualitative research approach was incorporated. The extensive literature synthesis revealed the sustainability to adopt AR in the construction industry while highlighting the associated barriers in its pathway. In conclusion, the AR implementation for mitigating the barriers was evaluated and it indicated on AR's promising nature for such mitigation. This study will be an initiative to integrate the conventional construction environment with AR to enrich the efficiency of project information management. © 2020 and published by the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA).
The introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the manufacturing industry changed the trajec... more The introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the manufacturing industry changed the trajectory to Industrial Revolution 4.0. Accordingly, it consists of various technologies, where the IoT is the basis of this revolution. However, there is an increasing gap between traditional Construction and digitalised data-driven Construction. In such context, the adoption of IoT applications in construction projects shall increase the productivity and better performance of construction activities. Consequently, IoT concepts, developments, applications, and potential benefits of IoT in the construction industry need to be acknowledged by industry practitioners before the implementation can take place. Hence, the purpose of this research is to outline such needs, thus provide an understanding on the potential of the IoT in the construction industry. Subsequently, a comprehensive literature synthesis revealed the expression IoT is best understood as a metaphor that encapsulates the immersion of almost anything and everything within the communications and connectivity space. The development is at an embryonic stage of development but proliferating in measuring, tracking, modelling, and prediction stages such as smart wearables, sensors attached to the structures and machinery, IoT linked Building information modelling (BIM) models, usage of drones. As a result, potential benefits are entertained by the construction industry practitioners towards sustainability. Ultimately, the study provides a starting point for raising awareness to facilitate and implement IoT applications in construction projects. In the absence of empirical literature on the implementation of the IoT paradigm in general, this paper presents a valuable contribution to the growing body of knowledge. © 2021, Ceylon Institute of Builders. All rights reserved.
The pressing human needs caused due to post-disaster effects may force donors to provide a roof a... more The pressing human needs caused due to post-disaster effects may force donors to provide a roof above the heads of the displaced communities than focusing on fulfilling the references of a ‘home,’ which is a step toward restoring a certain sense of stability embedded with social, cultural, economic, and other interactions. And several displaced communities around the world continue to live in their temporary housing on a long-term basis. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating methods to consider a second life for the post-disaster temporary housing which may ensure long-term sustainable performance. A comprehensive literature survey has been carried out in attaining the aim. Many studies have found that the rapid post-disaster housing re-construction strategies through universal working standards have become unsustainable and culturally unacceptable in the long term. Furthermore, in various instances, the real-life post-disaster temporary housing has been simply dismantled or abandoned due to the end of usage and cultural incompatibility, without giving any concern for future disasters. This could be minimised by transforming the donor initiated temporary housing into a permanent basis. To achieve this, scholars have identified the need of considering the socio-cultural and related physical needs through active involvement of affected communities. Therefore, to achieve prolonged use of temporary housing, the findings suggest that the social and cultural needs of communities and associated physical transformations need to be considered by the donors. The findings serve as a way forward to explore a transformational space that can accommodate social and physical transformations in post-disaster housing reconstruction. © 2021, Ceylon Institute of Builders. All rights reserved.
Papers by Akila P Rathnasinghe
Urban design international, Feb 24, 2024
Proceedings of International Conference on Business Management
The world is witnessing the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution known as Industry 4.0, where... more The world is witnessing the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution known as Industry 4.0, where the ICT-fuelled digital economy is taking off exponentially. In such a context, the essence of the Internet identified as the Internet of Things (IoT) is a revolutionary way of procuring goods and services. IoT refers to scenarios where network connectivity and computing capability extend to objects, sensors, and everyday items not generally considered as computers while allowing them to interact among each other with the least involvement of humans. The application of IoT has already extended to the sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, retail, smart cities, healthcare, and buildings to significantly improve the quality of life by increasing efficiency, productivity, profitability, and innovation. Meanwhile, the construction industry is still suffering from complexity and bottlenecks, whereas IoT has aroused researchers' curiosity to investigate the possibility of ...
Proceedings of International Conference on Business Management
Quantity Surveying is one of the prominent professions in the construction industry which fulfils... more Quantity Surveying is one of the prominent professions in the construction industry which fulfils varied and comprehensive duties to support cost-effective construction and property development. Thus, Quantity Surveyors (QSs) should adorn with competencies to deal with complex situations in the construction industry. The Quantity Surveying profession has become an emerging profession due to the increasing number of Quantity Surveying degree programmes offered by many Sri Lankan institutions. However, many construction professionals claim that Quantity Surveying education in Sri Lanka has not distinguished the actual needs of the profession, thus the graduates are presumed to not being up to the standards expected by the industry. Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL) is the local professional organization that has set out competency standards for QSs under the Act of parliament. Assessment of Professional Competency (APC) is being evaluated by the IQSSL. IQSSL will only ...
Construction Economics and Building, 2021
Sustainability is considered to be a central part of every global policy change because of the li... more Sustainability is considered to be a central part of every global policy change because of the likelihood of negative effects of particular policies on the already endangered environment and on society. Whilst sustainability is receiving significant attention in construction sectors in developed countries, this seems to be less true for developing countries. Thus, this study explores the challenges faced by the construction sector in one such developing country, Libya, in integrating sustainability practices into its common scope of activities. The study adopted a mixed research approach consisting of a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. Completed questionnaires (134 No.) were analysed using statistical techniques. The findings from the survey informed the topics for the interviews with 10 experts where the collected data were analysed through content analysis. The outcomes of the research explained that the awareness of sustainability in construction was weak in the practi...
Construction Innovation
Purpose Quality management barriers have been discovered in construction small- and medium-sized ... more Purpose Quality management barriers have been discovered in construction small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), determining their long-term survival. Despite the recognition of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a valuable quality management technique for addressing the barriers faced by SMEs, LSS implementation within the construction SME context is alarmingly low. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the barriers for implementing LSS within construction SMEs and to determine the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used, and data was collected in two stages: a questionnaire survey with 44 construction professionals and an expert opinion survey with 12 LSS specialists. The collected data was then analysed using the fuzzy TOPSIS method, achieving a higher degree of sensitivity. Findings The findings revealed the 15 most significant LSS barriers that need to be addressed. In addition, the ten most imp...
Uploads
articles by Akila P Rathnasinghe
Most developing countries, such as Sri Lanka (SL), are now looking for the support of foreign construction companies for large-scale infrastructure projects in return for expertise and resources. Thus, foreign companies may enter into agreements with local contractors through joint ventures (JVs). However, the priorities of construction project stakeholders may differ, which may ultimately end up in conflicts. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the most suitable conflict management strategies for international construction JVs (ICJVs) considering the SL context.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
The mixed method was used for the research choice by selecting a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. Completed questionnaires (n = 78) were analysed using statistical techniques. The expert interviews with six industry practitioners were piloted to increase the validity and credibility of survey findings through a triangulation process where the collected data was analysed through content analysis.
Findings:
The findings confirm that JV parties should first seek collaborative solutions in a conflict and seek legal redress only when those efforts are unsuccessful. Collaborating and compromising were recommended as the most appropriate tactics if an informal approach to conflict management was chosen. Alternative dispute resolution and litigation were identified as formal conflict management strategies.
Originality/Value
This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, will be the first of its kind in SL, which will lead to a better understanding of conflict management in IJCVs and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.
conferences by Akila P Rathnasinghe
Papers by Akila P Rathnasinghe
Most developing countries, such as Sri Lanka (SL), are now looking for the support of foreign construction companies for large-scale infrastructure projects in return for expertise and resources. Thus, foreign companies may enter into agreements with local contractors through joint ventures (JVs). However, the priorities of construction project stakeholders may differ, which may ultimately end up in conflicts. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the most suitable conflict management strategies for international construction JVs (ICJVs) considering the SL context.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
The mixed method was used for the research choice by selecting a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. Completed questionnaires (n = 78) were analysed using statistical techniques. The expert interviews with six industry practitioners were piloted to increase the validity and credibility of survey findings through a triangulation process where the collected data was analysed through content analysis.
Findings:
The findings confirm that JV parties should first seek collaborative solutions in a conflict and seek legal redress only when those efforts are unsuccessful. Collaborating and compromising were recommended as the most appropriate tactics if an informal approach to conflict management was chosen. Alternative dispute resolution and litigation were identified as formal conflict management strategies.
Originality/Value
This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, will be the first of its kind in SL, which will lead to a better understanding of conflict management in IJCVs and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.