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- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
Description
The goal of this research study was to identify the competencies the Project Manager (PM) will need to respond to the challenges the construction industry faces in 2022 and beyond. The study revealed twenty-one emerging challenges for construction PMs grouped into four primary disruptive forces: workforce demographics, globalization, rapidly evolving technology, and changing organizational structures. The future PM will respond to these emerging challenges using a combination of fourteen competencies. The competencies are grouped into four categories: technical (multi-disciplined, practical understanding of technology), management (keen business insight, understanding of project management, knowledge network building, continuous risk monitoring), cognitive (complex decisions making, emotional maturity, effective communication), and leadership (leveraging diverse thinking, building relationships, engaging others, mentoring, building trust). Popular data collection methods used in project management research, such as surveys and interviews, have received criticism about the differences between stated responses to questions, what respondents say they will do, and revealed preferences, what they actually practice in the workplace. Rather than relying on surveys, this research study utilized information generated from games and exercises bundled into one-day training seminars conducted by Construction Industry Institute (CII) companies for current and upcoming generations of PMs. Educational games and exercises provide participants with the opportunity to apply classroom learning and workplace experience to resolve issues presented in real-world scenarios, providing responses that are more closely aligned with the actual decisions and activities occurring on projects. The future competencies were identified by combining results of the literature review with information from the games and exercises through an iterative cycle of data mining, analysis, and consolidation review sessions with CII members. This competency forecast will be used as a basis for company recruiting and to create tools for professional development programs and project management education at the university level. In addition to the competency forecast, the research identified simulation games and exercises as components of a project management development program in a classroom setting. An instrument that links the emerging challenges with the fourteen competencies and learning tools that facilitate the mastering of these competencies has also been developed.
ContributorsKing, Cynthia Joyce (Author) / Wiezel, Avi (Thesis advisor) / Badger, William (Committee member) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Using experience, observations, data, current research, and writings in the field of volunteer management, it was determined there was a need to study the effects of leadership/management practices on the productivity outcomes of a volunteer construction workforce. A simple wood bench that would be tiled and painted was designed to test the areas of Time, Waste, Quality, Safety, and Satisfaction of different volunteer groups. The challenge was bolstered by giving the teams no power tools and limited available resources. A simple design of experiment model was used to test highs and lows in the three management techniques of Instruction, Help, and Encouragement. Each scenario was tested multiple times. Data was collected, normalized and analyzed using statistical analysis software. A few significant findings were discovered. The first; the research showed that there was no significant correlation between the management practices of the leader and the satisfaction of the volunteers. The second; the research also showed when further analyzed into specific realistic scenarios that the organizations would be better to focus on high amounts of Help and Encouragement in order to maximize the productivity of their volunteer construction workforce. This is significant as it allows NPO's and governments to focus their attention where best suited to produce results. The results were shared and the study was further validated as "significant" by conducting interviews with experts in the construction nonprofit sector.
ContributorsPrigge, Diedrich (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Wiezel, Avi (Committee member) / Badger, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This dissertation examines an analytical methodology that considers predictive maintenance on industrial facilities equipment to exceed world class availability standards with greater understanding for organizational participation impacts. The research for this study was performed at one of the world's largest semiconductor facilities, with the intent of understanding one possible cause for a noticeable behavior in technical work routines. Semiconductor manufacturing disruption poses significant potential revenue loss on a scale easily quantified in millions of dollars per hour. These instances are commonly referred to as "Interruption to production" (ITP). ITP is a standardized metric used across Company ABC's worldwide factory network to track frequency of occurrence and duration of manufacturing downtime. ITP, the key quantifiable indicator in this dissertation, will be the primary analytical measurement to identify the effectiveness of maintenance personnel's work routines as they relate to unscheduled downtime with facilities systems. This dissertation examines the process used to obtain change in an industrial facilities organization and the associated reactions of individual organizational members. To give the reader background orientation on the methodology for testing, measuring and ultimately assessing the benefits and risks associated with integrating a predictive equipment failure methodology, this dissertation will examine analytical findings associated with the statement of purpose as it pertains to ITP reduction. However, the focus will be the exploration of behavioral findings within the organization and the development of an improved industry standard for predictive ITP reduction process implementation. Specifically, findings associated with organizational participation and learning development trends found within the work group.
ContributorsMcDonald, Douglas Kirk (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Badger, William (Committee member) / Verdini, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The reality of smart cities is here and now. The issues of data privacy in tech applications are apparent in smart cities. Privacy as an issue raised by many and addressed by few remains critical for smart cities’ success. It is the common responsibility of smart cities, tech application makers, and users to embark on the journey to solutions. Privacy is an individual problem that smart cities need to provide a collective solution for. The research focuses on understanding users’ data privacy preferences, what information they consider private, and what they need to protect. The research identifies the data security loopholes, data privacy roadblocks, and common opportunities for change to implement a proactive privacy-driven tech solution necessary to address and resolve tech-induced data privacy concerns among citizens. This dissertation aims at addressing the issue of data privacy in tech applications based on known methodologies to address the concerns they allow. Through this research, a data privacy survey on tech applications was conducted, and the results reveal users’ desires to become a part of the solution by becoming aware and taking control of their data privacy while using tech applications.
So, this dissertation gives an overview of the data privacy issues in tech, discusses available data privacy basis, elaborates on the different steps needed to create a robust remedy to data privacy concerns in enabling users’ awareness and control, and proposes two privacy applications one as a data privacy awareness solution and the other as a representation of the privacy control framework to address data privacy concerns in smart cities.
ContributorsMusafiri Mimo, Edgard (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis advisor) / Michael, Katina (Committee member) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
ABSTRACT Over the past several decades, the dilemma of free-roaming horses in the U.S. has proven to be one of the most divisive issues in management of public lands. According to federal land management agencies, without population regulation, horses can increase at the rate of 15-20% a year on arid rangelands with inadequate numbers of natural, large predators. Horses compete for valuable forage and water resources alongside cattle and native wildlife in delicate riparian areas highly susceptible to the negative ecological effects of soil compaction and overgrazing. Most U.S. management policies, therefore, call for increased removal of free-roaming horses as they are categorized as “un-authorized livestock” or "non-native" species. Wild horse advocates, however, continue to petition for improvement in animal welfare and expansion of the horses’ territory. With heightened social conflict spurred by animal rights and ecological concerns, not to mention the often-stark differences over what really “belongs” on the landscape, the success of appropriate management strategies hinges on managing agencies’ preparedness and ability to respond in a timely and inclusive manner. A critical element of the management context is the public’s views toward the wild horse and the science used to manage them. Synthesizing the vast literature in the history and philosophy of wildlife management in the American West, and utilizing an ethnographic and case study approach, my research examines the range of stakeholder concerns and analyzes the factors that have led to the disconnect between public values of wild horses and public policy for the management of the federally protected free-roaming horses in Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
ContributorsMurphree, Julie Joan (Author) / Minteer, Ben A. (Thesis advisor) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Bradshaw, Karen (Committee member) / Chew, Matthew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The Request for Proposal (RFP) is a fundamental document frequently employed by construction owners for procuring services, with a focus on criteria beyond cost alone. Particularly prevalent in alternative project delivery methods like design-build, construction manager at risk, and integrated project delivery, the RFP solicitation plays a pivotal role. This study delves into the landscape of RFP standardization efforts within the construction industry, conducting a comprehensive review, analysis, and evaluation of 215 sample RFPs drawn from across all states in the United States. The culmination of this research effort is the development of a standardized RFP template, equipped with a comprehensive framework adaptable to various construction project delivery methods. This study marks the inaugural exploration of this subject, making a substantive contribution to the existing body of literature on this vital topic.
ContributorsSavicky, John (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Hurtado, Kristen (Committee member) / Standage, Rich (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Design is widely accepted as a factor that affects construction work. Although knowledge about this effect will contribute to the improvement of construction practice, this is very limited. No study has been focused on establishing how the effect of design on construction work can be evaluated. The primary objective of this research was to formulate an approach enabling the assessment of the effect of building design on construction work. To achieve this, a quantitative index based on field data, termed the 'index of difficulty,' was established. Given a construction activity, this index relates the effective work effort per unit of output expended in completing a construction part under two distinct designs: one under evaluation and the other designated as the base design for common comparison. The greater the index of difficulty associated with a design, the higher the required work effort, consequently resulting in a greater affect of the design on construction work.
Multiple ways of utilizing the index of difficulty to assess the effect of building design on construction activities are suggested. Additionally, application cases are exhibited to illustrate the implementation of the proposed approach and the required computations.
ContributorsChang, Luis Gerardo (Author) / Wiezel, Avi (Thesis advisor) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Ayer, Steven (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Understanding the dynamic interactions between humans and wildlife is essential to establishing sustainable wildlife-based ecotourism (WBE). Animal behavior exists within a complex feedback loop that affects overall ecosystem function, tourist satisfaction, and socioeconomics of local communities. However, the specific value that animal behavior plays in provisioning ecosystem services has not been thoroughly evaluated. People enjoy activities that facilitate intimate contact with animals, and there are many perceived benefits associated with these experiences, such as encouraging pro-environmental attitudes that can lead to greater motivation for conservation. There is extensive research on the effects that unregulated tourism activity can have on wildlife behavior, which include implications for population health and survival. Prior to COVID-19, WBE was developing rapidly on a global scale, and the pause in activity caused by the pandemic gave natural systems the chance to recover from environmental damage from over-tourism and provided insights into how tourism could be less impactful in the future. Until now it has been undetermined how changes in animal behavior can alter the relationships and socioeconomics of this multidimensional system. This dissertation provides a thorough exploration of the behavioral, ecological, and economic parameters required to model biosocial interactions and feedbacks within the whale watching system in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama. Through observational data collected in the field, this project assessed how unmanaged whale watching activity is affecting the behavior of Humpback whales in the area as well as the socioeconomic and conservation contributions of the industry. Additionally, it is necessary to consider what a sustainable form of wildlife tourism might be, and whether the incorporation of technology will help enhance visitor experience while reducing negative impacts on wildlife. To better ascertain whether this concept of this integration would be favorably viewed, a sample of individuals was surveyed about their experiences about using technology to enhance their interactions with nature. This research highlights the need for more deliberate identification and incorporation of the perceptions of all stakeholders (wildlife included) to develop a less-impactful WBE industry that provides people with opportunities to establish meaningful relationships with nature that motivate them to help meet the conservation challenges of today.
ContributorsSurrey, Katie (Author) / Gerber, Leah (Thesis advisor) / Guzman, Hector (Committee member) / Minteer, Ben (Committee member) / Schoon, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
By the evolution of technologies and computing power, it is possible to capture and save large amounts of data and then find patterns in large and complex datasets using data science and machine learning. This dissertation introduces machine-learning models and econometric models to use in infrastructure transportation projects. Among transportation infrastructure projects, the airline industry and highways are selected to implement the models.The first topic of this dissertation focuses on using machine-learning models in highway projects. The International Roughness Index (IRI) for asphalt concrete pavement is predicted based on the 12,637 observations in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) dataset for 1,390 roads and highways in the 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia from 1989 to 2018. The results show that XGBoost provides a better model fit in terms of mean absolute error and coefficient of determination than other studied models. Also, the most important factors in predicting the IRI are identified.
The second topic of this dissertation aims to develop machine-learning models to predict customer dissatisfaction in the airline industry. The relationship between measures of service failure (flight delay and mishandled baggage) and customer dissatisfaction is predicted by using longitudinal data from 2003 to 2019 from the U.S. airline industry. Data was obtained from the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) published by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Flight delay is more important in low-cost airlines, while mishandled baggage is more important in legacy airlines. Also, the effect of the train-test split ratio on each machine-learning model is examined by running each model using four train-test splits. Results indicate that the train-test split ratio could influence the selection of the best model.
The third topic in this dissertation uses econometric analysis to investigate the relationship between customer dissatisfaction and two measures of service failure in the U.S. airline industry. Results are: 1) Mishandled baggage has more impact than flight delay on customer complaints. 2) The effect of an airline’s service failures on customer complaints is contingent on the category of the airline. 3) The effect of flight delay on customer complaints is lower for low-cost airlines compared to legacy airlines.
ContributorsDamirchilo, Farshid (Author) / Fini, Elham H (Thesis advisor) / Lamanna, Anthony J (Committee member) / Parast, Mahour M (Committee member) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The practice of Facility Condition Assessments (FCA’s) has received academic attention with over 20 condition assessment methodologies to date, focusing on condition gradients and scale ratings. However, little attention has been brought to the life cycle of an FCA, specifically how building owners and managers plan and conduct an FCA. FCA methodologies in academic research are complex, sophisticated and require time for implementation that a typical facility manager does not have. This work showcases the need for simpler, more practical planning variables for a facility manager to begin the process of planning for an FCA in their management of a facilities portfolio. This research is a compilation of two national studies, the creation of an FCA project lifecycle analytical framework, and the creation of an organizational FCA maturity self-assessment model. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from facility managers and facility condition assessment service providers to gain in-depth insight and understanding of the current practice of facility condition assessments in the facility management profession. This data was used to develop national surveys for both facility owners/managers and FCA service providers. An FCA project delivery model was developed through a Delphi study, representing an FCA project lifecycle. The development of a multi-phased FCA project delivery method provides a relative position and sequence of phases representing an FCA project lifecycle. An organizational FCA maturity self-assessment model was created as the first step for organizations to measure their current state of FCA awareness, FCA practice, state of reliability, asset knowledge posture and historical capital spending. The resulting research makes two distinct contributions to the literature. The first contribution is the sequencing of FCA project phases provides an analytic framework for understanding an FCA project lifecycle, providing owners, FCA practitioners and researchers to acknowledge that an FCA project represents a lifecycle model. The second contribution is an FCA planning tool for building owners and managers that allows an organization to bring to light the current state of FCA awareness and help communicate the value proposition FCA’s can afford to an organization. Recommendations for future research on the role of an FCA are provided.
ContributorsHillestad, Derek (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Ayer, Steven (Committee member) / Hurtado, Kristen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022