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    Promoting safety culture in vertical construction : an empirical framework tailored to New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School Built Environment, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-09-25) Ortega, Natalia
    While the construction industry contributes to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment, it faces persistent challenges in workplace safety, where injury rates have shown a general upward trend, particularly in New Zealand pronounced in vertical construction projects. Safety Culture (SC) is recognised for its relevant role in injury prevention, risk mitigation, and hazard identification, contributing to fewer accidents, and better safety performance. This thesis addresses the urgent need to promote SC in construction projects by developing a practical framework tailored to New Zealand, yet adaptable for global application. The framework is designed to support safety practitioners in implementing safety interventions and facilitating informed decision-making. This research followed a structured design comprising four distinct phases: Identify, Categorise, Visualise, and Operationalise employing a mixed-methods methodology. The initial phase employed a Modified Delphi study to achieve consensus among a panel of 32 experts regarding the factors that define SC, and factors and tools influencing its promotion, complemented by a comprehensive literature review to provide additional depth. The second phase categorised tools and influential factors identified in Phase 1 using a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD), thematic analysis, syllogistic reasoning, representing relationships and dynamic interactions. Phase 3 involved the development of a prototype framework through a flow-based diagram, accompanied by an informational report integrating Quick Response (QR) codes and video materials for enhanced usability. In Phase 4, the framework was operationalised its usability through case studies focused on vertical construction projects in New Zealand. Methodological triangulation was employed by integrating qualitative and quantitative data, from site visits inductions, interviews and the survey System Usability Scale (SUS). This integration allows cross-case analysis and enables analytic generalisation and demonstrates its potential usability for widespread adoption by safety practitioners. This research advances the theoretical development of frameworks by introducing a structured and replicable methodological approach through its four distinct phases, making it applicable across various domains. On a practical level, it delivers a practical framework, to promote SC in vertical construction projects tailored to New Zealand, presented as an informational report, serving as a decision-making guide for safety practitioners, providing actionable tools meeting specific project challenges, ultimately enhancing workplace safety, reducing inequalities, and contributing to sustainable economic growth. While the framework demonstrates potential, limitations include geographic specificity, sectoral focus on vertical construction, and lack of longitudinal validation. Future research should expand the framework’s application across diverse contexts and construction types to ensure broader relevance and adaptability.
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    A study on the health and safety of Chinese migrant workers in the New Zealand construction industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in School of Built Environment at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-10-17) Guan, Zechen
    The construction sector is a labour-intensive industry with high risks, where workers frequently face a variety of safety hazards on site. The continued advancement of globalisation has led to a rise in overseas migration, making migrant workers an increasingly important part of the construction industry's labour force. New Zealand (NZ) has experienced a rise in demand for skilled construction workers, a trend that has become even more pronounced in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Migrant construction workers are characterised by their high mobility, easy recruitment, and lower wages, which meet the dual needs of construction companies for human resources and cost control. However, migrant construction workers face challenges to safety management on construction sites due to factors such as language barriers, limited safety awareness, and unfamiliarity with safety policies. Chinese migrant construction workers (CMCWs) play a vital role in the global construction workforce. However, like other migrant workers, they face greater vulnerabilities on overseas construction sites compared to local workers. Given their significant contribution to the industry, the existing research on the health and safety of CMCWs should be expanded, with a deeper focus on addressing these challenges. This thesis explores the influencing factors affecting the health and safety of CMCWs and investigates effective solutions for improvement. This study used qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve the research objectives, including a systematic literature review, partial least squares structure equational modelling (PLS-SEM), and the development of a web prototype platform. The study outlines the definition of CMCWs and identifies various safety-influencing factors. Incentive strategies, particularly financial incentives, are seen as effective in improving CMCWs' safety compliance. However, key factors influencing their safety outcomes include their understanding of safety policies and personal variables such as safety awareness, education, and compliance. This research reports that the impact of language barriers and cultural differences on communication at New Zealand construction sites among CMCWs is not a major health and safety influence. This finding can be attributed to the preference of Chinese migrant workers to select construction sites with the same language environment, thereby mitigating the impact of language barriers and cultural differences on their safety communication. However, language barriers and personal factors contribute to the ineffectiveness of safety training when not tailored or targeted for subsets of the workforce. To address the needs of Chinese migrant construction workers, a novel safety web platform was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of this solution in improving CMCWs' health and safety standards. This thesis offers theoretical guidance and practical data to support research in the realm of health and safety concerning migrant construction workers. Furthermore, the in-depth research on the health and safety of CMCWs also provides both practical and theoretical guidance for other researchers who are pursuing closely related research topics. The practical results and experimental data can contribute to New Zealand construction groups’ comprehension of the requirements of and challenges facing migrant construction workers in safety-related domains. The NZ government and construction societies can develop effective safety management strategies to improve the health and safety of CMCWs.
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    The state of circular economy implementation in the building and construction sector in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Management at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Cossar, Lucy
    The building and construction (B&C) sector is pivotal in achieving a global shift towards a circular economy (CE) and moving away from a linear or 'take-make-dispose' model that drives unsustainable consumption rates and degrades vital ecosystem services. However, little is known about the extent to which B&C businesses implement the CE concept in Aotearoa New Zealand. Therefore, this study assessed the current level of implementation of the CE concept among businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand’s B&C sector. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design was utilised, beginning with the synthesis of circular strategies derived from existing literature. Experts representing seven business types (manufacturing, architecture and engineering, construction, design-build, fit-out, demolition, and waste management companies) were interviewed to explore the relevance of circular strategies, informing the development of a survey distributed to professionals from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s B&C sector. Most circular strategies were considered relevant by interviewees and were subsequently included in the survey. Interviewees also suggested that CE implementation is insufficient, inconsistent, uncoordinated, and limited by a narrow focus on recycling, necessitating more education, emphasis on the design phase, and a systemic and collaborative approach. According to the survey responses from 213 professionals, most businesses are at a ‘beginner’ stage of maturity regarding CE implementation, and most circular strategies receive minimal to moderate levels of implementation. Therefore, most circular strategies require greater attention, particularly service-based models, sharing platforms, material passports, remanufacturing, take-back schemes, organic recycling, and regenerating nature. These findings suggest that CE implementation among businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand's B&C sector is still in its early stages. In this context, there is significant potential to increase engagement in circular strategies, especially at the higher levels of the waste hierarchy and 9Rs, to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable and circular economy.
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    An analysis of determinants of construction firm performance : a New Zealand perspective : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Wahid, Israr
    This research explores the factors critical for the performance of construction firms. It explores Strategic Management principles in terms of Contingency Theory (CT) to understand construction firm performance. CT considers the interactions of Internal Organisational Attributes and contextual factors (business environment uncertainties) in explaining firm’s performance. The rationale of the research comes from the lack of literature on the factors explaining the performance differentials for construction firms in New Zealand and within the field of Construction Management (CM) in general. The critical identified Internal Organisation attributes are ‘Dynamic Capabilities (DC)’, ‘Competitive Strategies (CS)’, ‘Organisation structure (OS)’ and ‘Resources and Capabilities (RC)’. The relationship between the internal attributes, their interaction with the business environment and the influence of such interactions on firm performance is the main aim of this research. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey and three case studies, to examine the relationship between identified attributes and business environment. The findings of the study suggest that all the considered constructs are important in explaining firm performance. However, in most cases the relationship in not linear or direct. DC and CS have a significant impact on firm performance, and in an uncertain business environments firms equipped with DC will outperform those without DC. However, OS and RC do not have a direct effect on performance, rather an indirect effect. OS aids in successful pursuit of CS, which in turn leads to enhanced performance. Similarly, RC are necessary to support successful CS adoption, which in turn leads to superior performance. The study contributes to the existing literature by presenting novel conceptual models and providing industry practitioners with an understanding of how to improve firm performance through validated conceptual models. It adds to theory by explaining the interaction of organisational contingencies (DC, OS, CS), Business Environment Dynamism and Firm Performance. It also presents novel conceptual models for hypothesis testing, that explain the interaction of organisation internal attributes and external business environments, which have not been tested before. Moreover, the research also gives industry practitioners an understanding of what is required to achieve sustained performance in uncertain business conditions in forms of validated models that formulate operational strategies which are effective. For industry professionals, the study establishes the importance of developing strong dynamic capabilities by construction firms, adopting multiple competitive strategies (Hybrid strategies), and an alignment of their Organisation Structure, Competitive Strategy and Resources to achieve some tangible results for performance enhancement. Neglecting such a strategic fit can significantly hinder the firm performance.
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    What health and safety and wellbeing issues currently confront professionals working in the building industry that undertake roles in certifying projects : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Construction in Construction Law, School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Chen, Zhimei Cara
    This research project aims to investigate what are the health and safety and wellbeing issues currently confronting Building Professionals, and what support they received from their organisation. The World Health Organisation defines that health and safety covered three areas: physical health, mental health, and social wellbeing. Occupation health and safety issues are caused by work activities and the working environment (Gardiner et al., 2022). Also, workplace wellbeing is relative to an organisation policy and work environment (WellBQ | NIOSH | CDC, 2022). Building Professionals in this research are defined as “professionals certifying building work under the Building Act 2004, such as a building consent officer, building inspector, code compliance certificate officer etc.” Building Professionals play an important role in the building industry, as they get involved in every stage of a building project. However, in New Zealand, a Building Professional’s health and safety and wellbeing are barely considered. Under the Building Act 2004, Building Professionals certifying a building project, must decide within a defined tight timeframe, and their reasons must be recorded. Also, Building Professionals must have competence which needs to be annually assessed. This review and often training must be recorded. Any work that Building Professionals do as defined under the Building Act might be reviewed by an external auditor or reviewed as part of a dispute. Most Building Professionals work in office-based roles, and usually in the public sector such as local Council. A Geek study by Nasios (2021) showed that public sector worker’s occupational health issues come from work-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders. As most Building Professionals work in the office, resulting in long sitting times, called sedentary behaviour. Sedentary behaviour can directly cause musculoskeletal discomfort, also it can cause mental health issues and increase the risk of some chronic disease (Ma et al., 2017; Leitzmann et al., 2018; Kett & Sichting, 2020). Occupational stress can also be caused by varied hours of work, workload and wages, resulting in physical and mental health and wellbeing issues (George et al., 2021; Qiu et al., 2022). There are some international studies that have showed that adequate ethical policies for the workplace can reduce a worker’s sedentary behaviour and occupational stress. Leadership, communication methods, and social responsibility are all contribute (Maphong et al., 2022; Schwepker Jr et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2020; Maartje et al., 2020). In New Zealand, legislation and government agencies have limited information about Building Professionals health and safety and wellbeing issues. This gap was confirmed in the literature review. The research methodology was to adopt a survey questionnaire. The design of these questions were based on the literature review, and focused on finding what health and safety and wellbeing issues Building Professionals are currently facing at work. There are 3 parts in the survey: Part 1, personal characteristics, to identify if age, gender, or role can affect their occupational health. Next, part 2, health and safety and wellbeing questions, to identify if total working and leisure hours affect professional’s physical and / or mental health. Finally, part 3, open-ended questions, to identify what wellbeing support professional received from organisation, and to collect the recommendations from Building Professionals about how to improve their health and safety and wellbeing. This survey was collected in Christchurch City Council Building Consent Unit. This research has completed a peer review, and Massey University Human Ethics Committee has identified this research as low risk. 63 Building Professionals participated in this research, and all valid surveys were collected by face-to-face interviews. 57% of the participants were in technical roles; most were aged were between 31-60 years old; male participants were slightly more than female participants in number. The survey showed that Building Professionals in a management role had more working and leisure hours. 48% of Building Professionals had physical health issues, and 75% had mental health issues. Also, Building Professionals in supporting and technical roles had higher mental issues than those in management roles. Female Building Professionals had higher mental issues than male ones. Almost half of those surveyed experienced muscular tension. About 30% suffered one or more of the following symptoms from work: headaches, anxiety, sleeping difficulty, work and / or private life distraction. 100% of the management roles surveyed agreed that they received adequate support from their employer, while 58% non-management roles agreed. Some Building Professionals indicated that their employer provided a supporting work environment, also they received flexible work agreements and employee assistance. More than half of those surveyed suggested that to improve their organisation’s policy, also they suggested that pay increases and office furniture updates would have the potential to improve their occupational health. This research found that over 80% of Building Professionals have mental and / or physical health issues at work, especially mental health ones. This research found that the organisation provided some support for the employee to improve their occupational mental and physical health wellbeing, such as flexible work agreements and employee assistance. However, there is a significant gap about the satisfaction rate between management and non-management roles, about the support they received, which indicated that there is lack of communication between managers and team players. This research also found that lower income roles have lesser leisure time and higher mental health issues, which is match with the literature review. To improve the Building Professional’s occupational health and safety and wellbeing, the employer should enhance their organisation policy, that should include key things like fair pay and improve communication methods. The government could also review and enhance the current Health and Safety at Work Act, by providing some standards or framework around improving a sustainable and acceptable health and safety and wellbeing work environment.
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    Supply chain integration in prefabricated residentialconstruction in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Construction at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Sooriyamudalige, Nishadi Anuruddika
    Prefabrication has long been reported as an effective alternative to conventional construction, with wide-ranging benefits. It serves as a valuable source of providing time, cost, quality, productivity, health and safety and environmental benefits to residential construction. Although prefabrication has gained much attention, the residential construction industry appears to be taking minimal advantage of prefabrication due to barriers associated with this methodology. Inefficiencies in the supply chain are one of the major issues that hinder the wider uptake of prefabrication in residential construction. However, there has been little research in the literature considering the supply chain and supply chain integration in prefabricated residential construction. Therefore, this research aims to improve supply chain integration in prefabricated residential construction. The objectives of the research include 1. review and analyse the nature of the processes and supply chain relationships of module and panel manufacturing in New Zealand residential construction; 2. identify the barriers to implementing effective supply chain practices in module and panel manufacturing in New Zealand residential construction; 3. identify the enablers for effective supply chain practices in module and panel manufacturing in New Zealand residential construction; 5. develop and validate a framework to measure and improve the current supply chain practices in module and panel manufacturing in the New Zealand housing sector. The research used a multi-tiered qualitative approach for data collection. Firstly, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. Based on the literature review and analysed data maturity model was developed. The developed model was validated through focus group interviews. After validation, three case studies were conducted to benchmark the supply chain integration based on the maturity model. Key findings emerged from the study: a standardised supply chain network for prefabricated residential construction and module and panel manufacturing was developed; 13 barriers (both internal and external) for supply chain integration in module and panel manufacturing were identified. Enablers (9 enablers) were identified to mitigate the barriers to supply chain integration in module and panel manufacturing; a maturity model was developed to improve supply chain integration continuously. The recommendation can improve the maturity model, widening the scope and applicability for future research. The content of this thesis is beneficial for prefabrication manufacturers to assess their supply chain practices throughout the performance improvement process, for the residential construction industry to encourage residential prefabrication manufacturers to adopt and improve supply chain practices, for government and interested organisations to encourage residential prefabrication manufacturers by implementing favourable regulations and policies relevant prefabrication residential construction. Keywords: Prefabrication; Residential construction; module and panel manufacturing; supply chain integration; maturity
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    A contractual framework for two-stage early-contractor involvement (2S-ECI) in New Zealand commercial construction projects : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Construction at Massey University, School of Built Environment, Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Finnie, David
    Two-stage early contractor involvement (2S-ECI) is a two-stage procurement process for firstly employing a contractor during the design stage, and then entering into a contract for construction. 2S-ECI contractual practices remain generally unknown in New Zealand despite the well-documented advantages of involving contractors in the design-stage planning. Clients, with the help of their consultants or lawyers, must draft their own, often bespoke contract to engage the contractor’s services during the design stage because there are no standard forms of pre-construction services agreements (PCSAs) in New Zealand for employing contractors during the design stage. Some of these contracts, especially if done without professional advice, are drafted inadequately. This study attempts to remove these ambiguities and explore the effect 2S-ECI has on contractual risks; the optimal contractual ingredients to consider at the pre-construction stage such as timing, obligations and liabilities; the effect of 2S-ECI on market pricing; and the overall benefits, challenges, and opportunities to improve the effective use and uptake of 2S-ECI in New Zealand. A mixed-method research approach was adopted which comprised case law analysis, contract document analysis, and comparing these legal doctrines against industry perceptions which was obtained through conducting interviews and surveys. Three bespoke contract agreements used on 2S-ECI in New Zealand commercial construction projects were compared with two standard form PCSAs published in the UK. Perceptions of 2S-ECI use in New Zealand were explored through interviews of 21 senior construction practitioners. Interview findings were validated through surveying the interview sample. A contractual framework was developed to provide a clearer contractual process, identify contract ingredients for the pre-construction stage and establishing the effect of early involvement on the contractor’s obligations during the construction stage. The framework helps clients and project managers to develop procurement strategies using 2S-ECI, including as a starting point, the type of project suited to 2S-ECI. It also helps decision makers like architects, engineers, and quantity surveyors, to make more informed decisions on who should pay for instructed drawing details that come after entering into a construction contract such as the New Zealand Standard NZS3910:2013 Conditions of Contract for Building and Civil Engineering Construction. The framework considers; (i) when to treat claims for drawing details as variations; (ii) the legal implications of a contractor’s involvement in design development; and (iii) the legal implications on construction managers if there are claims from direct trade contractors against the client under a construction management procurement. Findings from the survey analysis shows the majority of interviewees see value in early collaboration between designers and contractors, but qualify this in that the actual value depends on the extent of the contractor’s contribution and that the tangible benefits are difficult to measure. Many felt that contractors had a moral duty to reduce their claims for design development during the construction. However, none was aware of the effect of early involvement on the contractor’s contractual obligations during the construction stage. 2S-ECI may have the potential to reduce the cyclical boom bust nature of construction pricing and provide a more equitable risk distribution between the contracting parties. 2S-ECI is best suited for projects involving work to existing building operations where the cost of disruption outweighs any premium incurred with the contractor’s early involvement in logistical planning; where the selection of preferred contractors through open-book negotiation is desirable; where securing resources in heated markets is otherwise difficult through competitive tender; and where designers want the contractor’s input for more complex design solutions. Challenges to the effective use and uptake of 2S-ECI in New Zealand were identified as part of the survey. The challenges include lack of clear 2S-ECI definition, unclear expectations and difficulty measuring the benefits, incomplete design documentation, and amendments made to standard contract terms transferring greater risks to contractors – without fully considering which party may be best able to manage the risk. The bespoke pre-construction contract documentation used often lacked scope of obligations and liabilities. Opportunities for improving the use and uptake of 2S-ECI in New Zealand include educating industry about 2S-ECI, developing a standard form of pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) for New Zealand, contractors developing specialist expertise in design coordination, buildability analysis and value management, and agreeing fixed-price construction contracts based on fully complete quality drawings. These findings also contribute to developing procurement policies that support transparency and appropriate risk equity and transfer toward the party who is best able to manage the risk within the New Zealand construction industry. A pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) was drafted with ingredients based on the findings (appendix 4). The framework also includes a flowchart that guides claims entitlement and a table comparing head or main contractor and consultant construction manager obligations was developed. This provide a practical guide for contract administrators and includes a summary of interpretation of terms to inform contract drafters that can help reducing ambiguity for all construction contracts. This has the potential to help avoid unwarranted disputes. It was also recommended that skills in construction law and buildability analysis within the construction industry be enhanced and for tertiary education institutions to play a greater role. These include skills in buildability-related claims-entitlement, the effect of early contractor involvement, the application of design buildability analysis, and design coordination and management within a building information model (BIM) system environment.