Kesavan Manoharan

• Lecturer in Civil Engineering & Construction Management; PhD Candidate
• Lecturer at Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

The performance of labour is one of the most important factors affecting the physical progress of any construction project. This study intended to extensively investigate on the factors influencing labour performance in the Sri Lankan construction industry. A qualitative study conducted from a literature review and a series of interviews revealed 1...

To transform the industry practices for addressing the evolving challenges/opportunities in the near-future circumstances, the construction education/training sector of many developing countries feels the requirement for new features in the job roles of construction engineers and project managers. This study aims to design a new training guide for...

Purpose The effectiveness of the construction industry highly depends on the quality of the work practices, education and training. Based on the industry’s need to strengthen the productivity and performance improvement scopes in the construction education/training practices, this study aims to develop a guiding tool for designing new training prog...

Various sources highlight that the ineffective work-based training methods in construction site procedures have been the primary cause for the construction firms experiencing labour skill shortages in many developing countries like Sri Lanka. This study attempts to investigate developing mobile application tools for systematically applying work bas...

Healthy work environments and processes lower the possibility of workplace accidents, financial costs and unnecessary project delays, all of which have a significant beneficial effect on worker morale. The construction sector of many developing countries understands the necessity for effective tools to guide construction workers in improving their...

Purpose Productivity increase is correlated with profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of the construction firms. Recent studies reveal that the primary causes of productivity decline are poor usage of scientific and technological advances, ineffective supervision strategies and poor apprenticeship facilities/opportunities. Accordingly,...

Purpose The sustainability of the construction industry is associated with the productivity, profitability and competitiveness of the firms, which are significantly affected by inefficient site supervision and labour management approaches. This study aims to use a case study with mixed methods to evaluate the site supervisory characteristics in lab...

Productivity growth is associated with competitiveness, profitability and sustainability in the construction sector, whereas studies underline that poor supervisory characteristics and training resources are the leading causes of construction productivity loss. This study employs a case study to evaluate the capabilities of construction supervisors...

One of the most significant contributors to the economies of many nations is the building and construction sector. However, this industry is one of the world's most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, the concept of green building (GB) has emerged as the cornerstone of sustainable development. Even though GBs have a variety...

The main issues facing the construction industry in many nations have been poor labour performance in work operations, leading to significantly influencing the quality, safety and productivity of construction processes/outcomes. By implementing efficient apprenticeship components, this study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness/performance of lab...

Primarily, this study highlights the knowledge gaps in the field for implementing systematic techniques to benchmark and improve productivity levels of critical construction activities in road projects. Accordingly, the study aims to develop a new strategic framework that can enhance the benchmarking practices related to the assessment of labour pr...

Abstract Purpose Construction professionals are the major contributors to developing a sustainable construction industry, whereas architects, engineers and quantity surveyors are the key construction professionals who must play extraordinary roles in achieving better sustainable construction. Therefore, this study aims to identify the job attribute...

Sources highlight that poor application of green practices, ineffective supervising strategies and inadequate apprenticeship facilities significantly impact the overall efficiency of construction project flows. Accordingly, this researchattemptsto testthe construction supervisory traits in executinggreen concepts/practices in construction site oper...

Purpose Site supervision features largely influence the productivity status of construction operational processes. This study aims to use a case study containing mixed methods to test the site supervisory traits in applying mathematical theories to construction operations for directing supervisory capabilities under various operational characterist...

Purpose Sources highlight that insufficient skills of site supervisors considerably influence the progress of many construction projects in numerous countries. This study intends to identify the crucial supervisory competencies that influence the effectiveness of building project operations in the context of developing countries. Design/methodolog...

Purpose A rise in productivity is associated with higher profits, competitiveness and the sustainability of an industry and a nation. Recent studies highlight inadequate labour supervision and training facilities as the main causes of productivity-related challenges among construction enterprises. This study aims to evaluate the construction superv...

Labour efficiency is crucial for a construction firm’s long-term viability. According to recent studies, modernising organisational and administrative procedures is essential to improving labour efficiency in many developing countries, including Sri Lanka. The perspectives of construction engineers play a key role in strengthening organisational po...

Purpose Labour efficiency is the key component for the long-term sustainability of construction firms. Recent studies show that modernising organisational/managerial processes is necessary to raise labour efficiency in many emerging nations. Construction supervision is a crucial element in organisational/managerial practices, which provide blood ci...

Good supervision practices bring out the best labour outputs in construction. The lack of competencies of construction supervisors yields significant impacts on the labour performance in the construction sector of many countries. This study intends to develop a new construction supervisory training programme and relevant practices for addressing th...

Poor training procedures have been a substantial impact on the efficiency and productivity of workers in the construction industry of many countries. By using structured work-based training methods, this study aims to assess the effectiveness and productivity of general workers in structural work practices during building construction. A training m...

The efficiency of workforce operations has a significant impact on how profitable a construction firm is. Studies from the past demonstrate that a variety of labour-related concerns have been affecting the construction sector in Sri Lanka and other developing countries, which has a negative impact on the efficiency of construction activities. Const...

Purpose Studies highlight that poor labour supervision and inadequate labour training facilities are the primary factors that result in labour skill shortages and productivity-related challenges among construction firms. This study aims to assess the construction supervisors’ abilities in providing work-based training elements and evaluating labour...

Sources highlight the poor organisational practices of the construction industry in many developing countries that result in low productivity levels in labour operations. This study aimed to identify the critical factors related to the management/organisational practices that significantly influence the labour productivity in Sri Lankan building co...

Purpose Sources highlight that lack of systematic labour training components results in low performance and productivity of labour, which leads the construction industry of many countries to face various challenges. This study aims to quantify the variations in the performance and productivity levels of labour in building construction projects thro...

Purpose Past studies highlight a wide range of labour-related problems resulting in productivity loss in the construction industry of many developing countries. This study aims to quantify the impacts of labour-related factors on the productivity of construction operations in Sri Lankan building projects based on the viewpoint of engineers and cons...

A successful construction project is determined when it is completed within the expected budget and time, ensuring the required levels of quality and safety. For a project to be successful, it is essential to plan properly and have a reliable monitoring system in place. Furthermore, the building construction sector has a negative impact on the envi...

Construction industry is a booming industry in Sri Lanka. Influence by the construction industry to the society in terms of both socially and economically cannot be underestimated since its contribution is high. Since this is a highly widening industry lots of beginners are coming to the industry as both investors and contractors. Every con...

Purpose The performance-based utilisation of labour resources is a decisive function for developing characteristics of the next normal in the construction industry. Based on the industry's needs, this study aims to develop a framework for the systematic process of labour performance evaluations and labour grading towards achieving higher productivi...

Background: Workforce efficiency has a significant impact on the profitability of construction companies. Construction industry in Sri Lanka has been facing a wide range of labour-related issues that reduce the efficiency and productivity of construction operations. The construction supervisors play a key role in managing a variety of project-level...

The construction industry thrives on productive-based project-level operations, which help businesses to realise their anticipated profitability and long-term viability. Past studies draw attention to the subpar project-level procedures that reduce productivity in numerous developing nations, including Sri Lanka. Construction supervisors are one of...

The construction industry is one of the prominent sectors that play a key role in the economic growth and recovery of a country. The productivity of work outputs is the essential component to the successful completion of construction projects. Past studies highlight a wide range of factors that affect the productivity of labour operations in the co...

Productive-based project-level operations are the lifeblood for the construction sector, leading the firms to achieve their expected profitability and long-term sustainability. Past studies highlight the poor project-level practices resulting in productivity loss in many developing countries, including Sri Lanka. It is essential for construction ma...

The construction sector is one of the significant contributors to the development of infrastructure facilities towards the economic growth in a country. The productivity of labour operations is the key to the construction firms for achieving their organizational goals. Past studies pointed up a wide range of labour-related issues that result in the...

The successful completion of a construction project highly depends on the labour efforts and performance. In developing countries like Sri Lanka, the most important challenge faced by the construction industry is the low performance of labour operations. Sources reveal that the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of labourers significantly affec...

Productivity improvement is essential for the significant growth of the construction industry. Low performance of labour has been a major impediment to productivity improvement in many developing countries. This study aims to develop a guide model to train labourers through systematic approaches at construction sites. Both qualitative and quantitat...

Construction significantly influences a country’s economy. The labour efforts are the lifeblood of construction operations. The construction industry has been facing many challenges due to skill shortages in many countries. This study aimed to compare the work-related skills of Sri Lankan labour against foreign labour forces. A qualitative study me...

Purpose This study aims to develop a curriculum guide model to upgrade the construction supervision practices, considering evolving challenges and thereby the next normal of the industry. Design/methodology/approach Both qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted to identify productivity-related challenges that can be addressed thr...

The construction industry is one of the essential contributors to the development of national economy since it provides the necessary infrastructures in a country. Labour is the most valuable asset in the construction projects because it is the one that combines all other resources such as money, materials and equipment. In the construction project...

Background: Human capital is a key source for the sustainable economic development of a nation. Even though past studies report a wide range of labour-related problems influencing the efficiency of labour operations in the Sri Lankan construction industry, the importance of fulfilling the labour needs has been limitedly studied. This study aims to...

In the developing countries like Sri Lanka, the most important challenge faced by the construction industry is skill shortage of labourers. The physical progress of the construction activities highly depends on the labour skills. This study aimed to identify the skills of labourers which significantly influence the physical progress of the construc...

A construction project is generally adjudged as a successful project when the aim of the project is achieved in terms of predetermined objectives of completing the project on time, within budget, and to the specified quality standard. Delay in completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as for cl...

Implementation of Environmental Sustainability (ES) across industries is a vital concept which has been developed with the greater attention in Sri Lankan apparel industry in last decade. Since apparel industries have many negative environmental impacts that are complex to occur at different stages of the apparel product life cycles. Top Management...

The construction industry in Sri Lanka is a major contributor to the country's economic growth hence the importance of eliminating all forms of waste. This study focused on identifying principal forms of construction waste and their respective root causes among selected high-rise building projects in Sri Lanka. The criteria used for analysis consis...

A construction project is commonly acknowledged as a successful project when the aim of the project is achieved in terms of predetermined objectives of completing the project on time, within budget and to the required quality standard. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as f...

A construction project is conm10nly acknowledged as a successful project when the aim of the project is achieved in terms of predetenl1ined objectives of completing the project on time, within budget and to the required quality standard. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as...

A construction project is commonly acknowledged as a successful project when the aim of the project is achieved in terms of predetermined objectives of completing the project on time, within budget and to the required quality standard. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as f...

It is widely accepted that a project is successful when it is finished on time. But, a large number of projects fail to meet their original contact time in the Sri Lankan building construction industry. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as clients. These delays lead to cost...

It is widely accepted that a project is successful when it is finished on time. But, a large number of projects fail to meet their original contact time in Sri Lankan construction industry. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as for clients. These delays lead to costly disput...

It is widely accepted that a project is successful when it is finished on time. But, a large number of projects fail to meet their original contact time in Sri Lankan building construction industry. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as for clients. These delays lead to cost...

A construction project is commonly acknowledged as a successful project when the aim of the project is achieved in terms of predetermined objectives of completing the project on time, within budget and to the required quality standard. Delay in the completion of a construction project can be a major problem for contractors, consultants as well as f...