Alex Opoku

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Verified

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• PhD Construction & Project Management
• Professor at University of Sharjah

Purpose As sustainable facilities management becomes popular, recent studies have called for insight into managers’ and users’ comparable perspectives on sustainable public buildings. This study aims to address the underexplored need for facility users’ perspectives on sustainable facilities management of public sector buildings. The study examines...

Purpose Design issues are one of the factors contributing to waste production in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). Design for adaptability (DfA) is a construction approach that provides buildings with adaptive capabilities during the design phase. It facilitates easy modification, with no or limited demolition, waste reduction, sustainable...

Introduction The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has garnered significant attention globally, emphasizing the need for achieving the 17 goals that promote sustainable development. Among these, the fifth goal focuses on gender equality, which has become increasingly important in various nations. Notably, there is a recognized co...

Purpose-This study evaluates the drivers that stimulate the adoption of integrated digital delivery (IDD) for sustainable construction. The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the drivers of IDD and the means by which they contribute to the broader scheme of sustainable development in the construction industry. Desig...

Due to the potential role of the construction industry in addressing the global challenge of climate change, stakeholders are beginning to develop the environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework. Prior to this, several assessment frameworks such as the building research establishment environmental assessment methods (BREEAM), LEED, and Gre...

Purpose This paper explores project managers' (PMs') role in contributing to and achieving sustainability within construction projects, particularly focusing on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 PMs working with construction firms in the UK. Thematic analysis was al...

Purpose The purpose is to identify and evaluate the safety risk factors in the coal mine construction process. Design/methodology/approach The text mining technique was applied in the stage of safety risk factor identification. The association rules method was used to obtain associations with safety risk factors. Decision-Making Trial and Evaluati...

The book explores the link between sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the built environment. This erudite Companion provides a comprehensive overview and critical examination of key topics and complex research issues. The book consists of 30 chapters structured around the 5Ps of the SDGs-people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships - t...

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) represent a new direction for the global community, incorporating social, economic, and environmental sustainability into all policies and strategies with the goal of eliminating poverty and inequality and creating a more prosperous society. And the built environment has the potential to significantly contri...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, the New Urban Agenda (NUA), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), are the global frameworks and policies that are now in use in relation to disaster risk reduction and urban development. The built environment plays a pivotal role in the advancement of s...

It is now more than six years since the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed to be achieved by all member countries by 2030. While the deadline is approaching fast, still most of the countries are not on track to achieve these goals by the set deadline. This is further supplemented by the COVID-19 pandemic with a neg...

The built environment plays an important role in improving health and well-being and achieving a more sustainable world. The link between the built environment, health and well-being is becoming clearer in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical characteristics of the built environment such as access to green spaces and facilities have a positi...

The challenge of urbanisation, caused by an increase in city population, is increasing demand for imported food products. Food supplies may be impacted by the exponential increase in food demand caused by a constantly expanding global population. Growing and producing food in urban areas has now become a common practice. Addressing food system chal...

Gender equality in the built environment is a fundamental human right and the necessary foundation for leaving no one behind in the peaceful and prosperous world we want. In the last decade, increasing gender diversity has been a prominent issue for boardrooms across the globe. The built environment sector is not insulated from this phenomenon as c...

The main objective of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to strike a balance between development (economy), society and environment. Concurrently, the construction sector faces heavy scrutiny for the large quantum of waste generated during any construction activity. It also plays a major role in environmental degradation by...

Employers in all industries have a growing need for graduates who are knowledgeable about sustainability. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) equips students of all ages with the information, abilities, and moral principles necessary to confront the interrelated problems facing the world today, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, uns...

The built environment is one of the largest consumers of natural resources and the biggest producer of waste and a major driver of growth. However, the built environment can drive actions on climate change towards realization of the global emission targets through decarbonization. This chapter explores the application of the concept of Circular Eco...

The loss of biodiversity and climate change are frequently mentioned as two of the greatest hazards confronting mankind today. The built environment should lead the fight against climate change towards a low carbon and sustainable future by playing a significant part in enhancing ecological values since the sector has been identified as a key facto...

Social value is a national/organisation level practical vehicle for realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is particularly relevant in the context of the continued increase in the global development of the built environment through construction and infrastructure projects which involve many different stakeholders. The chapter exp...

Productivity growth in the construction industry has lagged well behind that in the manufacturing sector in many nations. By incorporating lean principles into the construction sector, these challenges could be overcome. Lean construction aims to address this challenge by implementing lean principles in the construction industry. The chapter explor...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide business organizations with a new lens through which global needs and desires can be translated into business solutions. The SDGs provide a framework for business organizations of all sectors to play a crucial role towards the realization of the SDGs. Sustainable Development has been described as the...

Sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects are necessary for Africa if the continent is to be successful in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU). The paradigm shift towards a low-carbon society cannot be achieved without sustainable and efficient infrastructure that can withstand the ef...

Facilities Management (FM) is currently shifting emphasis towards a sustainable focus through the adoption of the newly recognized United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when making business decisions. Strategic sustainable FM has the potential towards the realization of the 17 SDGs at all levels of organization in the FM sector. H...

Learning is strategic to developing relevant structures to achieve the SDGs. The implementation of SDGs across sectors shows pertinent actions and strategies require collaboration and integration. This understanding depicts the need for synergy between multi-layered stakeholders and institutions. Organisational learning (OL) is strategic to galvani...

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have differing interpretations across sectors. In the construction industry, sustainable construction represents sectorial actions. The off-shoot, Green Buildings (GB) alone is a gateway to achieving seven SDGs (3, 6, 7, 9, 11,12 and 13). However, achieving these goals through GB development in developing countr...

Considering cohousing as a new typology in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) housing market is a challenge due to the cultural and societal dimensions. However, the variety of societies in the Emirates reflecting various habits, experiences, and traditions can allow testing such new types of housing which can be adapted to the local context, consider...

Facility Management (FM) is currently focusing on sustainability through the adoption of the newly recognised United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when making business decisions. Strategic Sustainable FM has the potential towards the realisation of the 17 SDGs at all levels of organisation in the FM sector. However, the FM sector is...

Purpose This paper aims to identify the pre-design critical success factors CSFs pertaining to different types of construction projects in the rapidly growing city of Dubai, by adopting one of the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Design/methodology/approach A mapping process was utilized to filter and...

Purpose This viewpoint paper aims to discuss sustainable digitalisation of facilities management (FM) through the implementation of the newly recognised International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards within the ISO 41000 series. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint paper provides a review of the literature of the recent ISO d...

This research seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the current ecosystem of BIM technology and its utilization in the UAE. Since the UAE has been an early adopter of BIM, its utilization of BIM is now likely to reach that of developed nations. By adopting the BIM case study analysis framework, two sets of projects of similar categories in terms...

Purpose This work aims to understand how social value is created and delivered using community-based water supply projects. It examines social value creation given the enabling concepts – value co-creation and service ecosystems as business models for infrastructure. Design/methodology/approach Inductive reasoning, including qualitative research d...

Design for Deconstruction (DfD) is a technique where a structure is built to allow the reuse of its materials and components in addition to facilitating adaptation and renovation. Few design professionals in the building industry are knowledgeable with DfD implementation. The study examines how DfD is being implemented by design professionals in th...

Purpose Whereas construction firms in developed economies often exhibit sound and positive financial performance, the opposite is prevalent in developing economies. It is due to a lack of evidence and consensus on what determines financial performance in the construction context. This paper explores the determinants of Small and Medium Construction...

Safety problems in metro construction occur frequently, causing substantial economic losses and even resulting in injuries and fatalities. Studies have shown that human errors, which are usually caused by complex reasons, are an important cause of safety related accidents. However, little research has analyzed the causes of accidents from the persp...

The construction industry is among the fastest growing industries in Tanzania, thus making the integration between the construction industry and the environment inevitable. Activities of the industry poses considerable destruction to the environment and peoples’ lives. The purpose of this study is to examine the critical challenges construction ind...

As the major consumer of resources and energy, the construction industry has been at the heart of the debate on sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the overarching guidance for the construction industry to promote sustainable development from environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Moreover, sustainable...

The construction industry in Thailand has significant impact upon the nation's economic growth. However, the industry has been threatened by corruption which is a major cause of Thailand's middle-income trap. The aim of this research is to explore the nature of corrupt practices in the Thailand construction industry by examining the causes and stra...

The purpose of this article was to validate the published artificial intelligence (AI) facilities management (FM) outsourcing relationships system by real business cases in the working environment. The research aims to inspire the modern FM professionals in different industries with some challenging and innovative concepts about FM outsourcing rela...

With a growing priority on resolving environmental issues and managing resources more effectively in line with Sustainable Development Goal 12, this research aims to assess solutions to minimize resource consumption in the Ghanaian construction sector. In the Ghanaian cities of Accra and Kumasi, questionnaires were utilized to solicit responses fro...

The spread of COVID-19 has caused an increasing demand for public medical rooms, especially in Chinese rural regions. Industrialized building techniques have been shown as capable of fulfilling this demand through the case of the Leishenshan Hospital. However, industrialized construction requires developed technologies and infrastructures, which ar...

The last two decades witnessed a rise in construction waste management research due to the growing awareness of the impact on construction and demolition waste. Several researchers in this domain have reviewed construction waste management from a holistic perspective. However, literature focused on ‘Reduction’ in construction waste is significantly...

The Ghanaian construction industry is struggling to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in projects. This study seeks to evaluate competitive strategies adopted by construction firms; assess construction related elements within the SDGs and investigate impact of competitive strategies on achieving SDGs. Mean score ranking and one sam...

Organizations commit to internal practices such as organizational learning (OL) to achieve competitive advantage. Due to the frail knowledge processes in service-based organizations and the dearth of empirical research specifying the role of OL in institutional sustainability (IS), this study examined OL and IS settings in quantity surveying consul...

Facilities management (FM) is currently shifting emphasis towards a long-term focus through the adoption of maintenance and operation practices that considers the social, environmental, and economic benefits of all business decisions [...]

In recent years, due to a lack of effective cooperative management measures, prefabricated building projects face many obstacles. The designers of prefabricated building projects usually do not consider the convenience of manufacturing and construction, but only focus on the national specifications, prefabrication rates, and the need for constructi...

Online teaching within disciplines such as Engineering require experiential learning that equip future graduates with highly intellectual and professional skills to meet the demands of employers and the industry. The outbreak of COVID-19 however, has shifted the academic community into new landscapes that require educators and students to adapt and...

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets and 231 unique indicators as a significant initiative towards socio-economic development. The SDGs provide the construction industry with a new lens through which global needs and desires can be tr...

This paper aims to explore and to make explicit of the existing safety climate assessment tools and dimensions. The concept of safety climate is firstly discussed with a review of different safety climate factors from the published literature. A qualitative research method was employed to explore the safety climate factors through a systematic revi...

(1) Background: Generally, firms are reluctant to report outsourcing failures, no matter what industry they operate within. To eliminate poor performance of outsourced service providers, it is necessary to establish a specific outsourcing relationship model for facilities management (FM). The purpose of this paper is to study the concept of outsour...

Purpose The pertinent information about green buildings (GB) is laden with cost misperceptions (CM) that are paraded into adoption decisions without factual clarifications. The unsupported beliefs are fundamental to the disparaging low adoption of related technologies globally. The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes of CMs among constru...

Purpose Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, with the slowest progress being witnessed mainly on goals that are focused on the environment. This study examines environmental performance indicators for asses...

The Contingency Outsourcing Relationship (CORE) model originated from the Four Outsourcing Relationship Types (FORT) model; the CORE model is used in the globalized Facility Management (FM) industry, while the FORT model is originally used in the global information technology industry. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly analyse the simulate...

The construction industry is the overarching energy consumer and contributes to significant carbon emissions globally. Prefabricated construction has been adopted to alleviate the industry’s pressure on the environment. Thus, the number of scientific publications about the realisation of a sustainable built environment through prefabricated design...

This study examines the perception of professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry regarding the obstacles to green building project financing. Following an extensive critical comparative review of literature resulting in the identification of ten potential obstacles, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 520 construction industry pro...

The construction industry has a critical role to play in a achieving the SDGs; construction and demolition activities generate large volumes of waste, and this requires the adoption of practices that will reduce waste generated and maximise re-use. The construction industry as a sector could influence the realisation of the SDGs by formulating poli...

The construction sector holds great potential and responsibility in achieving the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this study is to investigate how the SDGs can be implemented in construction projects in a Danish context, and which challenges building owners face working with the SDGs. A focus group workshop was h...

In the construction industry, safety leadership has been widely recognised as an indispensable factor that affects organisational safety performance. However, in China specifically, research on safety leadership in the construction domain is not adequately developed. This paper examines the role of organisational leadership in promoting safety perf...

The construction sector holds great potential and responsibility in achieving the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this study is to investigate how the SDGs can be implemented in construction projects in a Danish context, and which challenges building owners face working with the SDGs. A focus group workshop was h...

In the United Kingdom (UK), over the past three decades efforts have been made to ensure adequate promotion of sustainability objectives through various policy initiatives. However, despite the effort and the existence of these policy initiatives, sustainability projects in particular, regeneration projects are yet to deliver their intended sustain...

Managing the realisation of project benefits in public sector organisations is fundamental in ensuring that value is added by projects and programmes. Project sponsors are charged with championing projects in organisations to create value in line with the organisational strategy. This study examines how the sponsor defines project benefits, aligns...

Managing the realisation of project benefits in public sector organisations is fundamental in ensuring that value is added by projects and programmes. Project sponsors are charged with championing projects in organisations to create value in line with the organisational strategy. This study examines how the sponsor defines project benefits, aligns...

In 2015, the UN member countries, on mutual understanding, identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be achieved by 2030. According to several reports, some countries are reflecting good progress, but overall, no country is on track towards achieving all the UN SDGs. This paper aims to show the progress and commitment of the UAE toward...

Considering the importance of energy for social and economic development, access to clean, affordable and reliable energy has been adopted as one of the United Nations sustainable development goals that all countries aim to achieve by 2030. However, much of the world's energy is still produced from fossil fuels and thus the progress towards clean a...

Sponsors are charged with championing projects in organisations to create value in line with organisational strategy. Analysis of project benefits management enables the business to understand opportunities for improvement and provide a theoretical understanding of the issues faced when large public sector organisations implement the sponsor role....

Purpose The Contingency Outsourcing Relationship (CORE) model originated from the Four Outsourcing Relationship Types (FORT) model and the CORE model is used in the globalized facility management (FM) industry while the FORT model is originally used in the global information technology industry. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the CORE mode...

Purpose As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper aims to explore the use of standardised school de...

PURPOSE: As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper seeks to explore the use of standardised school...

Purpose The eradication of gender discrimination at work has been a prominent feature of the UK political and business agenda for decades; however, the persistent business gender leadership gap remains. The concept of second-generation gender bias has recently been proposed as the primary cause. This paper aims to evaluate how women experience sec...

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Purpose Dampness in buildings affects the health of occupants, structural stability and energy efficiency of buildings. Solutions to managing dampness focus on promoting the use of damp-proof construction materials, enhancing methods to avoid the introduction of moisture during construction and creating the awareness on the health effect of dampnes...

Purpose Capillary rise of water in buildings has been an issue of concern among past and present researchers. Despite the research efforts devoted to the proper elimination of the problem in masonry construction, it still remains a challenge that needs to be addressed. The purpose of this paper is to explore treatment mechanisms that can be used t...

The importance of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and the input in project development has been acknowledged, however little has been done in practice to actually involve contractors early in government projects in Ghana. This study explores the prospects of early contractor involvement in public construction projects in Ghana. It investigates c...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the current, global call for action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The built environment, hereunder the construction management community, plays a central role in developing solution to meet the SDGs. This paper reports on the findings from a wor...

Purpose The emergence of housing microfinance (HMF) as a response to the low-income groups’ inability to access traditional housing finance is an innovative strategy by creative Microfinance Institutions. Yet, low-income groups’ still face barriers in accessing these innovative products, particularly in Ghana. This paper aims to examine the critica...

The management problems of Facilities Management (FM) outsourcing relationships occur because of provision of low quality analytical, managerial, cooperative, and professional services. On selection, the ideal service providers for specific FM outsourcing contractual procurement needs is of paramount importance to achieve high quality FM services....

Purpose The social housing sector is under increasing pressure to do more with less and provide value for money as part of the UK Government’s public debt reduction strategy. This study aims to explore the current practices towards unlocking social value in the housing sector through the adoption of the Social Value Act 2012. The Social Value Act s...

The importance of this special issue on Education for Sustainable Development in the Built Environment is timely following the adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by the 193 UN member states in 2015; the 17 universal goals measured by 169 targets should be achieved by 2030 (UN, 2015). SDG 4 is aimed at “ensuring inclusive and equit...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the key practitioners’ level of involvement in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. Practitioners’ level of involvement is a major factor that has and continues to determine the delivery of sustainability outcomes of regeneration projects. Design/methodology/approach The pap...

Purpose This paper explores the de/motivation variables in the delivery of Housing Microfinance (HMF) in the low-income housing market in Ghana Design/methodology/approach The paper relied on a survey of 125 respondents of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) to understand the interactions and effects of these variables on HMF delivery in Ghana. Des...

The requirement to deliver successful sustainable regeneration projects places enormous responsibility on the construction industry practitioners. While the concept of sustainable regeneration has being a big issue in the UK, and also being in operation within the construction industry over the years, it can be said that its achievement has been ha...

The Health sector can play a significant role towards achieving sustainable development by putting sustainability at the heart of procurement activities. This research analyses the differences relating to how two different National Healthcare Systems (NHS), the Italian and the British, are managing their Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in term...

Achieving sustainable development in the built environment requires the human resource with the right sustainability knowledge and skills to respond to the challenge facing the construction industry. It is argued that educational institutions have a key role to play in educating future generations with the right sustainability knowledge and skills....

In September 2015, the 193 UN member states adopted the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consisting of 17 goals, supported by 169 targets and underpinned by 100 global indicators. Delivering a Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) is vital in achieving the SDGs due to the impact of the built environment in achieving society's sustainable deve...