Adding Value to Constructed Facilities: Facilities Management Hospitality Case Study

This paper discusses recent research on the benefits of facilities management (FM) in the hospitality industry and how the application of FM can contribute to the derivation of value by users, hotel owners, and employees. The paper also discusses the research instrument used, which is comprised of a survey questionnaire and the repertory grid technique. The term, practice and research into FM, has been more prevalent in environments where constructed facilities form part of the non-core activities of the organization. In hotels, a very large proportion of the product relates to the management of the core activities that center on built facilities. There is a need for life cycle planning of these facilities, their capacity, use and proactive maintenance policy, as well as the resources needed to cope with changing demands. Factors such as life cycle costing, productivity, performance values, and legislative change drive FM. This paper argues that owners/owner managers in the hospitality business, who are more proactive in the management of their constructed facilities, achieve higher occupancy rates, profitability, and repeat of business.     

Proactive personality and career success.

This study examined the relationship between proactive personality and career success by surveying a sample of 496 employees (320 men and 176 women) from a diverse set of occupations and organizations. Proactive personality was positively associated with both self-reported objective (salary and promotions) and subjective (career satisfaction) indicators of career success. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that proactive personality explained additional variance in both objective and subjective career success even after controlling for several relevant variables (demographic, human capital, motivational, organizational, and industry) that have previously been found to be predictive of career outcomes. These findings were consistent using both self-report and significant-other ratings of proactive personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contractor Prebid Planning Principles

Planning is an essential function of project management. Yet, many small- and medium-sized contractors do a relatively poor job of operational planning. Better prebid plans will reduce costs, shorten schedules, and improve labor productivity. Unfortunately, the published literature offers little guidance for smaller contractors on what constitutes effective planning. Most papers describe planning as a macrolevel process for owners. Most emphasize scope definition for industrial projects. This paper describes a microlevel planning process for contractors. It consists of eight steps which are: (1) assess contract risks; (2) develop a preliminary execution plan; (3) develop site layout plans; (4) identify the sequences that are essential-to-success; (5) develop detailed operational plans; (6) develop proactive strategies to assure construction input into design; (7) revise the preliminary plan; and (8) communicate and enforce the plan. The entire process is illustrated with a case study project and is fully illustrated with figures which show how to integrate the work of multiple contractors, keep key resources (crews or equipment) fully engaged with no downtime, provide time buffers so the work of follow on crews can be efficiently done, expedite the schedule using multiple work stations and concurrent work, ways to communicate the work plan to the superintendent and foremen, and how to assess the feasibility of various work methods. The steps are easy to understand and implement. They will yield immediate positive results.     

Proactive personality and the successful job search: A field investigation with college graduates.

The current article tests a model of proactive personality and job search success with a sample of 180 graduating college students. Using structural equation modeling, the authors tested a theoretical model that specified the relations among proactive personality, job search self-efficacy, job search behaviors, job search effort, and job search outcomes. Job seekers were surveyed at 2 separate points in time, once 3-4 months prior to graduation and once 2-3 months following graduation. The results suggest that proactive personality (a) significantly influenced the success of college graduates' job search, (b) was partially mediated through job search self-efficacy and job search behavior, and (c) was independent of self-esteem and conscientiousness. The findings are discussed in terms of their general implications for understanding the nature of the process through which distal personality factors, such as proactive personality, affect the nature and success of an individual's job search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contractors in Cyclical Economic Environments

This study investigated how the performance of construction firms during different extremes in the business cycle was impacted by a variety of the firms' characteristics. A performance index for a firm's relative market performance was devised and used with a step‐wise regression technique to model the relationships between operational variables and the performance index. Ten interviews wifh senior construction executives were conducted to guide the development of the model. The results show that a firm's relative market performance can be influenced by: Efforts in planning and control; control at firm level; effectiveness of project planning and control; efforts in marketing; effectiveness of marketing; subcontracting; long‐range planning; safety; geographic diversification; technological competence; and union∕open‐shop construction. Significance varied with cycle point and size. Recommendations are made on how to improve a contractor's performance in cyclical business environments.     

The role of proactive personality in job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior: A relational perspective.

Drawing from a relational approach, the authors conceptualize the quality of leader–member exchange as a mediator and procedural justice climate as a contextual moderator for understanding the role of proactive personality in job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior. Data from a sample of 200 Chinese employees within 54 work groups were used to examine the hypothesized models. Results show that having a proactive personality was associated with employees establishing a high-quality exchange relationship with their supervisors; in turn, the quality of leader–member exchange was associated with greater job satisfaction and more organizational citizenship behaviors. Additionally, the relationship between proactive personality and organizational citizenship behavior was positively moderated by procedural justice climate within the group. Implications for management theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural Equation Model of Construction Contract Dispute Potential

This paper presents the results of a structural equation model (SEM) for describing and quantifying the fundamental factors that affect contract disputes between owners and contractors in the construction industry. Through this example, the potential impact of SEM analysis in construction engineering and management research is illustrated. The purpose of the specific model developed in this research is to explain how and why contract related construction problems occur. This study builds upon earlier work, which developed a disputes potential index, and the likelihood of construction disputes was modeled using logistic regression. In this earlier study, questionnaires were completed on 159 construction projects, which measured both qualitative and quantitative aspects of contract disputes, management ability, financial planning, risk allocation, and project scope definition for both owners and contractors. The SEM approach offers several advantages over the previously employed logistic regression methodology. The final set of structural equations provides insight into the interaction of the variables that was not apparent in the original logistic regression modeling methodology.     

Evaluation of confluence model variables on IQ and achievement test scores in a sample of 6- to 11-year-old children.

The confluence model, proposed by R. B. Zajonc and G. B. Markus (see record 1975-09290-001) as a psychosocial model of cognitive development, was tested on a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 7,060 male and female children born during a period of high and increasing birth rate. Family size, sibling order within family sizes, and hypothesized age-dependent effects were tested. Scores on subtests of the WISC and the Wide Range Achievement Test served as dependent variables. Findings indicate an inverse relationship between family size and the dependent measures, whereas other confluence variables failed to account for a significant proportion of the variance in test scores. Age-dependent effects were also nonsignificant. Obtaining support for family size effects in the absence of other effects predicted by confluence is viewed as a failure to support the model. The need for theoretical refinements of confluence variables is discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managed care: a call for strategic management in the dental office

Strategic management of any business will enable it to prosper in challenging times of change. Strategic planning is not characteristically found only in large corporations. Indeed, small business, such as solo private practices, can gain much from the process. The successful practice is one that is proactive rather than reactive; it has learned to become the beneficiary of change, rather than its victim.     

Developing ERP Systems Success Model for the Construction Industry

Recently, a significant number of major construction companies embarked on the implementation of integrated information technology solutions such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to better integrate various business functions. However, these integrated systems in the construction sector present a set of unique challenges, different from those in the manufacturing or other service sectors. There have been many cases of failure in implementing ERP systems in the past, so it is critical to identify and understand the factors that largely determine the success or failure of ERP implementation in the construction industry. This paper presents the process of developing an ERP systems success model to guide a successful ERP implementation project and to identify success factors for ERP systems implementation. The paper identifies factors associated with the success and failure of ERP systems, and develops a success model to analyze the relationships between key factors and the success of such systems. The proposed ERP systems success model adapts the technology acceptance model and DeLone and McLean’s information systems success model and integrates those with key project management principles. The goal of the ERP systems success model is to better evaluate, plan, and implement ERP projects and help senior managers make better decisions when considering ERP systems in their organization.     

Meditative prayer, hope, adult attachment, and forgiveness: A proposed model.

The present study tested a theoretical model of the relationship between meditative prayer and interpersonal forgiveness with hope and adult attachment as mediator variables. Results supported the proposed multiple mediation model as determined by multiple measures of model fit with the data. Significant direct effects were observed between meditative prayer and hope, hope and adult attachment, and adult attachment and forgiveness. A significant total indirect effect was found between meditative prayer and forgiveness. A significant specific indirect effect was also observed between meditative prayer and adult attachment with hope as the mediator, and between hope and forgiveness with adult attachment as a mediator. The concept of affect regulation is proposed as a possible unifying mechanism of the variables in the proposed model and implications are discussed in terms of existing literature and promoting interpersonal forgiveness in counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting episodic memory performance of very old men and women: Contributions from age, depression, activity, cognitive ability, and speed.

Regression models were developed to explain age-related and total variance in memory and to determine the independent contribution from general processing speed, having taken into account cognitive and noncognitive individual differences. Episodic memory was assessed for 3 tasks in a population-based sample of 951 adults comprising 515 men and 436 women (aged 70–96, M?=?77.6, SD?=?5.5). Correlations between age and memory accounted for 6%–9% of the variance. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed a reduction in this age-related variance by up to 94%, after entering gender, depression, health, cognitive status, activities, and speed. General processing speed was the major mediator of age-related variance in memory. Although both the age-related variance and the speed-related variance in memory were significantly reduced by prior entry of other individual differences variables for all 3 tasks, speed remained a significant mediator of remembering, and negligible differences in the residual age-related variance were observed by inclusion of other background variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Cognitive Predictors of Domain and Life Satisfaction: Exploring the Theoretical Precursors of Subjective Well-Being.

Central variables of social cognitive theory were adapted to forge an integrative model of well-being, which was designed to offer greater utility for therapeutic and self-directed change efforts than the dominant personality view of well-being. The authors present 2 studies using versions of the social cognitive model to predict domain-specific and overall life satisfaction. In both studies--one nomothetic, the other idiographic in measurement approach--findings indicated that satisfaction in particular life domains is predicted by domain-specific social cognitive variables (e.g., self-efficacy, perceived goal progress, environmental resources). Domain satisfaction in valued life domains also explained unique variance in overall life satisfaction, even after controlling for trait positive affectivity or extraversion. Implications for theory, research, and counseling aimed at well-being promotion and maintenance are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mediators of outcome of psychosocial treatments for cocaine dependence.

This study examined endorsement of 12-step philosophy and engagement in recommended 12-step activities as a mediator of the outcomes of individual plus group counseling for cocaine dependence. Assessments of drug use outcomes and the mediator were made at baseline and monthly for 6 months. Engagement in recommended 12-step activities was found to be a partial statistical mediator of drug use outcomes of individual (plus group) drug counseling, but no evidence for change in the mediator preceding change in drug use was found. In addition, a measure of beliefs about addiction developed to test mediation of outcome of cognitive therapy was found to correlate moderately with drug use outcomes in both cognitive therapy and individual drug counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling the antecedents of proactive behavior at work.

Using a sample of U.K. wire makers (N = 282), the authors tested a model in which personality and work environment antecedents affect proactive work behavior via cognitive-motivational mechanisms. Self-reported proactive work behaviors (proactive idea implementation and proactive problem solving) were validated against rater assessments for a subsample (n = 60) of wire makers. With the exception of supportive supervision, each antecedent was important, albeit through different processes. Proactive personality was significantly associated with proactive work behavior via role breadth self-efficacy and flexible role orientation, job autonomy was also linked to proactive behavior via these processes, as well as directly; and coworker trust was associated with proactive behavior via flexible role orientation. In further support of the model, the cognitive-motivational processes for proactive work behavior differed from those for the more passive outcome of generalized compliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive Functioning as a Potential Mediator of Age-Related Cognitive Decline in Normal Adults.

Critical requirements for the hypothesis that executive functioning is a potential mediator of age-related effects on cognitive functioning are that variables assumed to reflect executive functioning represent a distinct construct and that age-related effects on other types of cognitive functioning are reduced when measures of executive functioning are statistically controlled. These issues were investigated in a study involving 261 adults between 18 and 84 years of age. Although age-related effects on various cognitive abilities were substantially reduced after statistical control of the variance in measures hypothesized to represent executive functioning, there was only weak evidence for the existence of distinct constructs corresponding to executive functioning or to aspects of executive control concerned with inhibition, updating, or time sharing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proactive Personality and Job Performance: A Social Capital Perspective.

This study of 126 employee-supervisor dyads examined a mediated model of the relationship between proactive personality and job performance. The model, informed by the social capital perspective, suggests that proactive employees reap performance benefits by means of developing social networks that provide them the resources and latitude to pursue high-level initiatives. Structural equation modeling suggested that the relationship between proactive personality and job performance is mediated by network building and initiative taking on the part of the employee. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trade-off between Safety and Cost in Planning Construction Site Layouts

Planning construction site layouts involves identifying the positions of temporary facilities on site, and accordingly it has a significant impact on the safety and efficiency of construction operations. Although available models are capable of minimizing the travel cost of resources on site, they do not consider safety as an important and separate objective in the optimization of site layouts. This paper presents the development of an expanded site layout planning model that is capable of maximizing construction safety and minimizing the travel cost of resources on site, simultaneously. The model incorporates newly developed concepts and performance criteria that enable the quantification of construction safety and travel cost of resources on site. The present model is developed in three main phases: (1) formulating decision variables and optimization objectives in this site layout planning problem; (2) identifying and satisfying all practical constraints in this optimization problem; and (3) implementing the model as a multiobjective genetic algorithm. An application example is analyzed to illustrate the use of the model and demonstrate its capabilities in optimizing construction site layouts and generating optimal trade-offs between safety and travel cost of resources on site.     

Mechanisms of health behavior change in persons with chronic illness or disability: The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA).

Objective: The present article presents an overview of theoretical constructs and mechanisms of health behavior change that have been found useful in research on people with chronic illness and disability. A self-regulation framework (Health Action Process Approach) serves as a backdrop, making a distinction between goal setting and goal pursuit. Risk perception, outcome expectancies, and task self-efficacy are seen as predisposing factors in the goal-setting (motivational) phase, whereas planning, action control, and maintenance/recovery self-efficacy are regarded as being influential in the subsequent goal-pursuit (volitional) phase. The first phase leads to forming an intention, and the second to actual behavior change. Such a mediator model serves to explain social–cognitive processes in health behavior change. By adding a second layer, a moderator model is provided in which three stages are distinguished to segment the audience for tailored interventions. Identifying persons as preintenders, intenders, or actors offers an opportunity to match theory-based treatments to specific target groups. Numerous research and assessment examples, especially within the physical activity domain, serve to illustrate the application of the model to rehabilitation settings and health promotion for people with chronic illness or disability. Conclusions/Implications: The theoretical developments and research evidence for the self-regulation framework explain the cognitive mechanisms of behavior change and adherence to treatment in the rehabilitation setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analyzing Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation Success Factors in the Engineering–Construction Industry

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems offer many benefits to the engineering–construction industry. Many construction firms recognize the benefits of ERP system implementation; however, they still hesitate to adopt these systems due to high cost, uncertainties, and risks. This study identifies and analyzes critical factors that need to be considered to ensure successful ERP system implementation in the construction industry. First, this paper identifies the factors associated with the success and failure of ERP systems, and provides indicators to evaluate the success of such systems. Then, the paper develops an information system success model to analyze the relationships between factors and success indicators. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for successful ERP systems based on the analysis. The derived success factors should help senior managers in construction firms make better decisions and improve their business value by implementing the most effective EPR systems.