Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology
Open Access

Construction Projects; Coordination; Decision-Making; Ethical Issues; Virtual Environment

Introduction

Ethics-related problems leading to a breach of trust, loss of lives and properties, increase in expenses incurred on projects, and so on, has been a topical issue in the construction industry [1]. Damage of reputation and unstable economy are also denoted as long-term results of poor ethical practices in the construction industry [2]. The poor behavioural practices in the construction industry are often influenced by poor health and work standards, corrupt system, mode of payment, inadequate safety measures, and tendering methods [2]. Meanwhile, transformation in ethics is required in the construction industry due to the progressive rise in demands for practical and corporate behavioural principles in the management and coordination of projects [3].

The construction industry has unique attributes that have transformed how projects are coordinated for efficient operations [4]. Operational efficiency is possible when effective project coordination exists between the management and the subordinates [5]. Project coordination process can bridge communication gap and ensure the right distribution of limited construction resources to achieve the set goals and objectives across the project life cycle [6]. For the construction industry to maintain competitiveness in project coordination, technological advancement, creativity and innovations are essential [7]. The complexity of construction projects, uniqueness, numerous interlinks, multidisciplinary stakeholders, and numerous work packages, make it indispensable for appropriate coordination [8].

In reality, various participants from different cultural backgrounds working together to attain a mutual goal often experience ethical issues in virtual projects [9], which may make coordinating such projects more difficult. Many studies [10-13] have investigated ethical issues affecting the traditional method of project coordination and its management, but few addressed the ethical issues in the virtual world [9]. Investigated the severity of ethical issues in virtual team in a developing nation with 58 responses during the peak of Coronavirus pandemic. [14], also attempted to link ethic and innovation through a scientiometric analysis in a bid to pave way for new research investigations. Other studies explored relationships between ethical issues and occupational health and safety [15], construction project performance [16]. The workflow of construction projects and the delivery of the project may be affected in the present decades without virtual project coordination [1]. In fact, the disruption to projects caused by the coronavirus pandemic makes virtual-based activities indispensable. Thus, investigating ethical issues in virtual project coordination is essential to provide practical measures for ameliorating ethical-related issues on construction projects. On the other hand, team spirit and collaboration required for multiple stakeholders to execute construction projects can be enhanced. In addition, continual utilisation of virtual environment in different stages of construction projects can be improved having understood the associated ethical issues. Therefore, this study investigated the ethical issues in virtual project coordination through the following objectives:

• Review extant literature to identify ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination.
• Assess the level of agreement on the ethical issues from construction professionals with experience in virtual construction project coordination, and
• Categorise the ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination into manageable size for ease of discussion.

In other sections of this paper, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the ethical issues in virtual construction projects coordination. A questionnaire was developed with these ethical issues to elicit the opinions of construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry's consulting and contracting organisations. The research methodology section explicitly described the approach employed to collect the data and the analyses conducted. The research findings contributing to the body of knowledge were discussed, with practical recommendations and conclusions drawn from the study.

Literature Review

Overview of Ethical Issues

A moral code provided by ethics serves as a cornerstone for promoting good organizational governance and individual behavior within the construction industry [17]. Ethical conduct is critical for ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in the sector, especially in an industry often fraught with complex interpersonal and organizational dynamics [18]. Ethics is a necessity to enhance and protect the confidence and interest of the public in the construction industry [19]. The contractors often bear the brunt of the poor image or reputation for bad behaviour than other participants on construction projects [3]. The unethical behavior of some construction industry actors, such as cover pricing, false declaration, bid reduction, inadequate paperwork, and so on is a concern [2]. These practices compromise not only project outcomes but also trust among stakeholders, reducing the overall effectiveness and credibility of construction practices [20]. While ethical challenges are not unique to any industry, the high percentage of incomplete and delayed projects with significant time and cost overruns, and unethical behavior or inadequate execution of ethical codes is rampant in the construction business [21]. Such practices not only threaten project success but also have far-reaching implications for the industry’s reputation, organizational trust, and sustainability [22]. The ethical issues affecting the moral values and principles of stakeholders involved in the execution of construction projects also have significant impact on the sustainability of the projects, organisational reputation, trust of the industry, and so on [23]. To address this issue, the need to adopt code of conduct that describes the ethical standard and responsibilities of construction parties and organisations are often emphasised [24] [14]. Meanwhile, the characteristics and size of organisations play a key role in determining the ethical programme and the seriousness to comply to it (Lloyd and Mey, 2010). Sadly, the construction industry is the most infiltrated with unethical activities [25] because of the fragment nature of the industry [26]. On the other hand, construction projects executed using conventional method can favour ethical issues and make it difficult to identify the project actor responsible for unethical behaviours [2] [27]. Innovation brought by electronic communications and virtual platforms could be thought to lessen the occurrence of ethical issues on construction projects, but reverse is the case [9] [28]. Unethical behaviors persist, in different forms, within virtual environments, making it critical to explore and address these challenges in the context of virtual construction project coordination.

Overview of Virtual Construction Project Coordination

Virtual construction project coordination involves the use of digital technologies to plan, design, manage, or execute activities in construction projects [29]. This innovative approach leverages cutting-edge technologies to enable seamless collaboration among project stakeholders, irrespective of their physical locations, thereby increasing efficiency and adaptability in project execution [30]. This approach allows for the involvement of expert in any specialised area to contribute remotely to any phase of the construction project [9]. The rise of virtual platforms has revolutionized traditional construction practices by offering tools for real-time information sharing, faster decision-making, and enhanced project performance in terms of time, cost, and quality [31]. These advancements, coupled with the increased reliance on digital technologies during the Coronavirus pandemic, have accelerated the adoption of virtual platforms in the construction industry [32, 33]. Features such as transparent communication, automated documentation, and auditable workflows can significantly reduce the likelihood of unethical practices, fostering a culture of accountability and trust [34]. However, ethical issues occur among virtual team as well as physical team [9], [35]. In fact, [36], noted that some ethical issues are common to both virtual and physical construction team. The situation of ethical issues in construction industry of developing countries may be more severe than developed nations, making it crucial of investigation.

Ethical Issues in Relation to Virtual Construction Project Coordination

Several factors are responsible for the ethical issues could be described in micro and macro factors or constructs [37]. Micro factors investigate the connection that exists between individuals and construction participants while macro factors refer to the decision-making procedures adopted jointly by experts [38, 39]. Also, other ethical factors include legal challenges, whistle blowing, security and data protection, team member confidence, and so on [38] [40-42]. The study of [42], investigated the challenges to virtual project team performance in which team conflict, trust issue, communication and training, diversity, and characteristics of the team are reported. The presence of these ethical concerns underlines the critical importance of addressing both individual behaviors and systemic practices to ensure fairness, efficiency, and integrity in virtual project management [43]. A follow-up study using interpreted structural equation modelling by [44] further revealed that virtual team characteristics may consist of diversity in profession and environmental background.

Whistleblowing which can be viewed as a sign of disobedience or rebellion, particularly in public organisations [45, 46], which may have negative impact on the whistle blower such as losing of job or demotion [47, 48] is also reported in virtual environment [49]. Surprisingly, whistleblowing can be advantageous to the whistle-blower in some situations [50]. In a virtual environment, a whistle-blower could easily have access to documents and recordings being part of a virtual team through which perceived wrongdoing of others could be reported [51]. In fact, the advent of internet and numerous breakthroughs in technology, confidentiality is a point of concern [49], which necessitates the need for training and trust building in virtual team development [52]. On the other hand, positive synergy, i.e., cohesiveness in face-to-face teams is more difficult to obtain in virtual teams [53, 54]. As revealed by [9], ethical issues may be common to team in face-to-face and virtual gathering. In fact, ethical issues in project management may be severe in a virtual environment [55, 56].

Majority of construction professionals have come to an agreement that team member trust is one of the greatest ethical issues in having a successful virtual team for project coordination [53][44]. Revealed that trust-related is the premise on majority of virtual ethical issues is built. People believe it is nearly impossible to trust someone that is not well known [57], while others believe it is unwise to trust someone who has not been observed in action overtime [58, 59]. Trust is an element required in the global workplace for tasks to be carried out diligently and projects delivered to meet certain expectations [60, 61]. Lack of trust among project team members can compromise precautions put in place to guarantee success among virtual team members [62, 63]. The challenge of trust can be more severe in virtual environment that a physical one. In fact, many top management officers of construction organisations are often reluctant to share vital information such as cost in virtual environment because of competitors and data protection policy [64]. However, the mindsets of construction practitioners have gradually shifted to embracing virtual platforms for numerous data exchange after the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. The end-to-end encryption of numerous digital tools can give virtual participants confidence in the safety of personal data and organisational information. In addition, regulatory checks are in place to checkmate the actions of participants in virtual environment [65, 66].

The conflict of interest among project team members and construction stakeholders such as contractors, project manager, site engineers, and quantity surveyors and so on working in a different geographical location plays a crucial role in unethical practices in virtual project coordination [67]. This could adversely impact the quality of the project to be delivered, client’s trust, and public perception of the construction industry. It is important to note that conflict of interest is one of the many moral challenges connected to unethical behaviours often encountered in the construction industry which could be masked in four dimensions such as unfair conduct, fraud, collusion, and bribery [12] [10]. Past studies also reveal that conflict of interest among project participants is the bedrock for displaying a form of opportunistic behaviour or the other. Thus, to achieve the best project outcomes, the interests of various participants on the projects should be screened with appropriate decision-making techniques [68]. Ensuring ethical alignment in decision-making processes can reduce unethical practices and foster a culture of accountability in virtual project coordination [69].

Communication is crucial to manage organisation projects or tasks [70, 71]. It is the link between members of organisation or project stakeholders, and organisation performance is greatly dependent on it as well [4]. Meanwhile, barriers to effective communication in virtual construction project coordination are often experienced, which is connected to many factors, namely the project's complexity, the project team members’ values, and so on. Miscommunications easily occur among virtual project team members compared to a physical gathering [72, 73]. Adopting innovative communication tools and establishing clear protocols can help mitigate these barriers and enhance collaboration [74]. Although construction companies normally comprise of diverse employees that need to communicate and share information in a Common Data Environment (CDE) on a virtual project, communication may still be a key issue in virtual team [44]. The findings of [73] portend that the environment via which team members discuss (virtual) may pose a crucial challenge to the team performance in a sense. Difference in geographical location with various time zones, languages, and cultural background are all factors that can also hinder effective communication among project teams [75]. Also, decision-making could be delayed as systematic steps for reaching consensus among all the team may be disrupted, especially when some team members reside in a location with unstable internet connection or have other electronic-related problems. The internet bandwidth problem may be a severe problem in developing nations, which can render web-based collaborative system proposed by [76], redundant. On the other hand, sudden exit of key member in the team may be experienced because of technical and poor internet bandwidth [9], thereby affecting the decision-making process.

Although the increase in technology has brought tremendous opportunities, companies are often faced with different challenges in achieving organisational goals, especially in developing countries where conventional methods are often embraced [42]. Information and communication technology (ICT) has made communication and coordination possible in the virtual world where “non-contact” exists through computers [77]; but it has been discovered that using it comes with ethical challenges as well [78]. To successfully create an active professional environment in the construction industry, the need for commitment to the principles that guide behaviours [79] [23], and setting up benchmark for these behaviours help in the actualisation of expectations are indispensable [80]. In reality, sminimising unethical behaviours is not the sole duty of project coordinator but of every participant in the team [81]. On the other hand, the nature of the construction industry makes it necessary to put strategic monitoring and management controls in place for quality projects delivery within stipulated time and budget [82]. Such measures ensure that technological advancements contribute positively to the construction industry, even in developing nations where conventional practices often dominate [83]. Therefore, the construction industry has experienced a facelift in the management of information due to technology advancement, although some ethical issues are present, even in the virtual environment [84].

Planning construction projects is one of the most difficult tasks a project team encounters. Decisions made during this stage have a significant impact on the project successful execution [85, 86]. Planning construction projects entails operations ranging from decision-making for major assemblies and the resources required for implementation of daily written instructions. The information needed for project execution must be extracted from design/construction general and project-specific data; processed to create project knowledge required for making appropriate decisions and actions to complete the projects successfully [87]. Often time, the implementation of the decision-making process is mostly done manually, especially in developing countries. However, these innovations must be managed ethically to prevent biases and ensure equitable outcomes for all stakeholders [88]. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach, incorporating individual accountability, systemic reforms, and technological safeguards [74]. By fostering a culture of ethical responsibility, the construction industry can fully realize the benefits of virtual collaboration while minimizing associated risks [89]. The list of ethical issues in virtual project coordination extracted from literature and their sources is presented in [Table 1].

Table 1: Ethical Issues in Virtual Project Coordination

Research Methodology

Selecting an appropriate design for investigating research is crucial to obtaining valid results for drawing conclusion [90]. The research design also guides the researchers to decide the source of respondents (i.e., single, or multiple source) that fit the study [91]. Therefore, in a study to investigate the ethical issues associated in virtual construction project coordination, the use of questionnaire survey is considered suitable to obtain a wide perspective from construction professionals with the required practical experience in the Nigerian construction industry. In addition, multiple respondents can have diverse opinions of the subject matter which can be demystified for extensive discussion in the study [91].

A questionnaire was designed and administered to construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry to investigate the ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination in this study. The variables of ethical issues used in the questionnaire were obtained from extant literature. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: (1) background information of the respondents, and (2) fifteen ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination. The questions on ethical issues were asked on five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 which represented strongly agree [92]. A short definition of virtual project coordination was provided in the cover letter to the questionnaire to ensure that respondents understand the aim of the research. Besides, there is no directory of construction organisations specialised in virtual construction project coordination in the study area. Therefore, a nominal question was included in the background section of the questionnaire to identify respondents with involvement in virtual construction project coordination to shorten the length of the questionnaire. On the other hand, the study area experienced significant effect of Coronavirus pandemic which makes construction companies embrace virtual methods in construction processes. The respondents in this study include architects, builders, engineers and quantity surveyors in Lagos State, Nigeria due to the indispensable role they play in delivering construction projects successfully [93, 94]. Based on the data obtained from the Lagos chapter secretaries of the four selected construction professionals, a sample size of 369 was obtained as a representative of construction professionals from a total population of 4,827 registered construction professionals using Yemane’s formula [9]. The questionnaires were administered to the target construction professionals using convenient sampling in this study. Convenience sampling technique was adopted in the study because of limited time and other resources required conducting the research [95].

A total of 101 filled questionnaire were returned, while three of the data were discarded because of inconsistency such as selecting a single opinion such as “option three (3) representing neither agree nor disagree” in all the questions. The ninety-eight (98) copies of questionnaires retained represents 26.6% of the sample size of the study. Although the response rate is small, it is adjudged suitable compared with past studies that employed smaller data which was less than fifty responses [96, 97]. The statistical analyses conducted on the variables of ethical issues in virtual project coordination include mean score, standard deviation, Mann Whitney U test, and factor analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 26).

A Shapiro-Wilk normality test was performed to determine whether a parametric or non-parametric test would be appropriate for the dataset [98]. The p-value obtained in the Shapiro-Wilk test provides basis for choosing between T-test and Mann-Whitney U test (for two clusters of respondents) or between ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis H test (for more than two clusters of respondents). These tests are essential for exploring any significant difference between the cluster groups of respondents in a study, which is essential for drawing interesting inferences from data. The Shapiro-Wilk test results revealed that the significant level (p-values) of all the variables is less than 0.05, implying that the data set is not normally distributed. A careful investigation of the dataset using central limit theorem of having minimum of 30 responses in a cluster also revealed that two cluster groups is suitable to deduce any significant difference in the opinion of the respondents [99]. Hence, Mann-Whitney U test, was used to determine the significant differences between construction professionals in consulting and contracting firms in the study [100]. The significant value obtained through Mann-Whitney U test can provide interesting insights to divergent opinions of respondents in consulting and contracting organisations on the ethical issues in virtual project coordination.

Thereafter, factor analysis was used to reduce the variables of ethical issues into manageable size for ease of discussion [101]. Although factor analysis is often used to reduce a large number of variables into smaller components [102], it is important to note that there is no established minimum number of variables required for factor analysis. In fact, previous studies have utilised factor analysis to reduce variables that are less than the ones used in this study [103, 104]. Therefore, the fifteen variables of ethical issues in this study can be adjudged satisfactory for factor analysis. On the other hand, the item-to-sample ratio is also essential for consideration in factor analysis, however, there are contentious stands between scholars on it [102]. The item to sample ratio of 1:5 is often recommended as benchmark for conducting factor analysis [105], meanwhile, a ratio of 1:7 is obtained for this study, which can be considered satisfactory. The flowchart of the research methodology for the study is illustrated in [Figure 1].

Figure 1

Data Analysis

Background Information of the Respondents

Most of the respondents (54.1%) worked in consulting organisations while 45.9% worked in the contracting establishments. Majority of the respondents were professional staff (67.4%), with minimum of bachelor’s degree (75.5), with over five years working experience in the construction industry. Furthermore, 64.4% of the respondents are quantity surveyors, 12.2% engineers, 12.2% project managers, 6.1% builders, and 5.1% architects. It is important to note that, in reality, in the Nigerian construction industry, the project managers among the respondents may belong to either of the four-target respondent. Most construction professionals obtained postgraduate degree in project management and may prefer to be addressed as a project manager, and not by their primary discipline, i.e., architect, quantity surveyor, builder, and engineer. Above 60.0% of the respondents’ organisations are small-enterprises, 23.4% worked in medium-sized enterprises and 13.3% are in large scale enterprises according to means of classifications of establishments in global market [106]. In addition, all the respondents had been involved in virtual construction project coordination [Table 2]. Although multiple questions would have been better to check the practical involvement of the respondents in virtual project coordination [107], ordinal question (such as Likert scale) or nominal question (such as yes or no question) may also provide an overview information for exploratory study as this [108, 109]. Therefore, the respondents can be adjudged to be qualified to provide valuable opinions to this study.

Table 2: Background Information of Respondents.

Descriptive Statistics and Mann-Whitney Result

The descriptive statistics of the construction professionals on the ethical issue in virtual project coordination is shown in [Table 3]. Among the construction professionals in contracting firms, ‘communication barrier’ ranked highest with mean score of 3.84. Both ‘organisational hierarchy’ and ‘cultural differences’ had the same mean score of 3.82 but ranked second and third position because of the different standard deviation of 0.86 and 1.03. When two or more variables have the same mean scores but different standard deviation, ranks are allotted in the descending order of the standard deviation [110]. The fourth ranked ethical issue among the contracting firms’ group is ‘team member training’ with mean score value of 3.78. On the part of the respondents in the consulting firms, ‘conflict of interest’ ranked first with mean value of. 3.62, while ‘team member training’ ranked second with mean score value of 3.62, ‘organisational hierarchy’ and ‘project management and control technique’ ranked third and fou5rth with mean score of 3.55 and 3.53 respectively.

Note: S-W = Shapiro Wilk, M = Mean score, S.D. = Standard deviation, M-W = Mann-Whitney

Table 3: Ethical Issues in Virtual Project Coordination.

[Table 3], also shows the results of Shapiro-Wilk and Mann-Whitney U tests of the ethical issues confronting virtual project coordination. The results of Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the only ‘whistle blowing’, and ‘communication barrier’ had significant difference of 0.035 and 0.019 respectively among the respondents in the contracting and consulting firms. This implies that the construction professionals in both contracting and consulting organisations have different views of only whistle blowing and communication barrier.

Factor Analysis

Based on the results of the analysis, the adequacy test of the data generated a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) of 0.879 at significant level of 0.000 [Table 4]. The values imply that the Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity for correlation adequacy of the dataset was significant. The value of the KMO, p-value at the degree of freedom (df) of 105, and chi-square value of 848.697 indicates that exploratory factor analysis is appropriate to determine the groups of the variables in the dataset.

Table 4: KMO and Bartlett's test

Varimax rotation was adopted in the factor analysis to determine the groupings of the items [Table 5] Shows the factor loading of the ethical issues and the corresponding alpha values. The factor loading of all the variables is higher than 0.300 which is often regarded as minimum benchmark for convergence of items with similar characteristics. A higher factor loading of 0.5 was considered as more suitable in past studies [107]. Based on the results of the analysis, the factor loading of an item, i.e., whistleblowing was 0.490, which is higher than 0.3. Past studies suggested deleting the items with factor loading less than 0.50 and re-analysis the remaining variables in second round [111, 112], meanwhile factor loading of 0.30 could be maintained with satisfactory alpha value as well [14]. Therefore, the “whistleblowing” with factor loading of 0.490 was retained in this study. The internal consistency of the factor groups was checked with Cronbach alpha value [113]. Interestingly, the alpha value of the factor group which “whistle blowing” falls into is 0.710, while alpha values of other groups are 0.878 and 0.867 respectively. These values are above acceptable threshold of 0.6 and can be considered satisfactory for the study [114].

Table 5: Factor Analysis of Ethical Issues in Virtual Project Coordination

Discussion

Based on the results of the analysis, five ethical issues such as ‘project management and control technique’, ‘communication barrier’, ‘team member training’, ‘team cohesiveness’ and ‘legal issue’ are labelled “Communication and managerial issues”. Seven items, namely ‘ecological issues’, ‘conflict of interest’, ‘team member trust’, ‘decision-making techniques’, ‘organisational hierarchy’, ‘data protection’ and ‘cultural difference’ are named “Cooperation and environmental issues”, while the last three ethical variables, i.e., ‘virtual trauma’, ‘regulatory challenges’, and ‘whistle blowing’ are referred to as “Coordination and moral issues”. The names of the factors were chosen based on the researcher’s discretion, as [115], argue that there is no specific scientific procedure to follow when naming the grouping of items in factor analysis. The given names, on the other hand, largely represent the items that constitute the ethical issues.

Communication and Managerial Issues

The five ethical issues (i.e., project management and control techniques, communication barrier, team member training, team cohesiveness, data protection and legal issue) denote items for describing “communication and managerial issues” associated with virtual project coordination. Communication is so important in coordinating and managing a project successfully. Meanwhile, communication barriers exist in virtual working environment, especially on complex construction projects with multidisciplinary stakeholders of various nationalities [116]. Although communication ought to promote cooperation among construction participants, it could contribute a barrier to construction project coordination if the team members are not aware of the dynamics of virtual working environment and how to manage it to the advantage of the project [9]. It is worthy to note that “communication barriers” has a divergent view from the respondents in consulting and contracting organisations in this study. This may be linked to the knowledge of construction professionals on web-based collaborations software that can lessen communication-related issues among virtual teams. Thus the need for training to enhance communication among construction stakeholders in virtual team. Interestingly, lack of team member training on ethics also constitutes an ethical issue in virtual project coordination. Construction professionals are primarily trained in the coordination of construction projects in physical environments; thus, further training is required to be versatile in undertaking required professional tasks in virtual platforms [117]. The situation may be worse if the construction professional responsible for project coordination is elderly and incompetent in the use of digitalised tools and software. In fact, construction professionals often display resistance to change in use of technology [118].

On the other hand, team cohesiveness also constitutes an ethical issue in virtual project coordination in this study as well. Team cohesiveness which can be discussed within the purview of commitment is often an ethical issue in virtual environment. It is widely reported that virtual participants are less cohesive in goals and commitment [78] [119, 120]. Given that multidisciplinary stakeholders in construction projects may be in different time zones, this may impair the virtual team members’ productivity, mental attentiveness, and cohesiveness. Additionally, technical glitches leading to difficulty joining online platforms can lessen enthusiasm. However [121], asserted that improving the level of cohesiveness of remote participants requires that they share the same goals about on the project’s objectives.

Cooperation and Environmental Issues

The items of “cooperation and environmental issues” in this study are ecological issues, conflict of interest, team member trust, decision-making techniques, organisational hierarchy, and cultural difference. Conflict of interest, a form of corruption, has the highest factor loading in this group. This imply that corruption is not mainly limited to traditional-based projects, construction professionals can still engage in one form of corruption or the other in virtual project [122]. Also, various parties on construction project team have various intents towards the project and can result in ethical issues in the coordination of the projects virtually. Ecological issue in virtual project coordination also has a high factor loading in this group. Environmental factors and conditions have a great effect on how human beings behave and respond to external conditions [123]. The concept of naturalistic moral judgements in paradigmatic cases revealed that ecological issues affect performances, especially in a virtual environment. In contrast to paradigmatic cases, AR-VR grounded principles frequently fail to accurately model the situational features of paradigmatic moral judgments [124].

It is also important to note that trust can be a significant issue in virtual environment because the intent and gestures of participants can be easily predicted in a physical environment [9]. The various locations of construction professionals, especially in environments where there is low internet bandwidth can make virtual participant’s put-off their camera in virtual meetings while communicating verbally. Apart from this, professionals are also careful to share confidential information on virtual platforms to avoid other competitors in the industry has access to organisation secrets. In addition, organisational hierarchy and cultural difference can be critical issues in virtual project coordination [75]. Construction professionals from high-power and low-power distance countries could work on the same project being coordinated virtually. A participant from high-power distance may display silent disposition when an elderly professional is making suggestion because of the cultural background that discourage young ones from freely expression themselves. Meanwhile, other participants from low-power distance nations may freely object an older construction professional, thereby, creating wrong or supposedly unethical expression to others. Therefore, the decision-making techniques by the team leader or facilitator of a virtual environment are crucial for professionals from different cultural backgrounds to have productive discussions without infringing individual ethical stands and cultural perspectives [125].

Coordination and Moral Issues

The analysis revealed that virtual trauma, regulatory challenges, and whistleblowing represent “coordination and moral issues” connected to virtual construction project coordination. Among the digital technologies that have been identified to support coordination process on virtual construction project are the wearable technologies such as the virtual reality and other head-mounted displays. It has been identified that some professionals experience virtual trauma which is classified under the post-traumatic stress disorder after using some of these wearable technologies. The knowledge of trauma that surrounds the use of digital technologies in a virtual setting can affect the performance of construction professionals and cause phobia as well. Likewise, the adoption of internet of things, big data and blockchain technology on construction projects has led to review of regulatory issues which could impact the privacy and rights of the people connected to the project directly or indirectly [126-151]. Although whistle blowing has the least factor loading in this study, it can also constitute ethical issues in virtual environment. Importantly, whistleblowing is indicated to have a significant difference in the opinions of respondents in consulting and contracting organisations [Table 3]. In reality, whistleblowing may be thought to thrive only in a physical environment. However, advancement in technologies could make detection of whistle-blowers easier in organisations when all employees are mandated to use firm’s internet connection and digital devices [49]. The savviness of respondents in the versatility and detective capacity of digitalisation in organisations may inform the divergent opinions revealed in this study.

Recommendations and Implications of the Findings

Recommendations

This study investigated ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination via survey of construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. Three major categories of ethical issues were denoted in the study through factor analysis, in which practical recommendations can be provided. The study revealed “communication and managerial issue” as one of the components deduced from the analysis conducted. It is evident from the items that converged into ‘communication and managerial issue’ that collaboration between different team members is indispensable in virtual construction project coordination. Therefore, it is recommended to ensure that all multidisciplinary construction stakeholders collaborate effectively for the delivery of the project. As conflict which may hinder collaboration in a team in inevitable, it is advised that any issue of concern should be discussed extensively and addressed by the management or other relevant department to find the required solutions. In addition, any managerial issue that requires attention should also be disclosed or make known for prompt actions.

“Cooperation and environmental issue” are also depicted as a key factor of ethical issue in virtual construction project coordination. This factor comprises conflict of interest, team member trust, decision-making techniques, organisational hierarchy, cultural difference, and so on. It is important to note that these ethical issues have a significant impact on construction projects being coordinated virtually. Therefore, it is recommended that techniques and digital tools that can enhance cooperativeness among the team members in various disciplines and cultural orientations should be adopted in construction projects. There may be need for the entire team member to learn and know about the basic cultural values of other professionals. For example, power-distance could be a significant hindrance between professionals coming from countries with high power-distance (e.g., China) and nations with low power distance (e.g., European). On the other hand, there may be a need or circumstance for informality in the organisational hierarchy in case of urgency or emergency to enhance the outcomes of the project.

Lastly, “coordination and moral issue” are also indicated in the study as ethical issue in virtual construction project coordination. Therefore, the need for construction professionals to conduct themselves in an ethical manner is essential in virtual construction environment. The professional bodies could also ensure that the code of conduct is strictly followed to ensure that any defaulter is sanctioned to curb menace of unethical practices in virtual construction project coordination.

Theoretical Contributions

The study contributes theoretically to ethics management literature, especially in virtual construction work environment by identifying the list of ethical issues in virtual construction project coordination, which is rare in the Nigerian construction industry. The list of ethical issues could be useful for the construction industry to understand the significant challenges confronting virtual construction project coordination in an ethical manner in developing nations. Drawing on the respondents’ opinions, the findings enrich the theoretical framework of ethic management on construction projects and are valuable to developing countries. The findings of this study can be useful for industry partners, construction professional bodies, and academic institutions to channel lifelong learning approach to lessen ethical issues in virtual project coordination and to broaden the horizon of construction professionals.

Managerial Implications

Moreover, the study will further contribute to the body of knowledge by providing construction stakeholders with the issues that surround the coordination of construction projects virtually in their quest to deliver of construction projects. The knowledge of the ethical issues can also assist the management arm of construction companies to equip their construction team on the envisaged obstacles in complex construction projects with international participants. Therefore, construction organisations can continually deliver projects to the required performance in term of time, cost and quality.

Conclusion

This study investigated the ethical issues associated with virtual construction project in the Nigerian construction industry. The ethical issues in virtual project coordination have been classified into three major categories: communication and managerial issues, cooperation and environmental issues, and coordination and moral issues. To address the ethical issues on virtual construction project coordination in Nigeria, industry professionals must be ready to collaborate with professional bodies in a bid to deliver quality project. Also, industry professionals should collaborate with companies providing software’s and digital tools that are compatible with project coordination virtually. In addition, strict attention should be paid for effective communication among project stakeholders and individual responsibilities of project team members engaged in the execution of the project throughout its lifecycle. The characteristics of each project which makes it unique from each other could help team members select the most appropriate methods in executing the project. Finally, project stakeholders, professional bodies and project clients should ensure those ethical standards are strictly adhered too while delivering construction project from inception to practical completion. It should be ensured that digital tools used in enhancing project coordination should conform to ethical issues provided by various construction-related professional bodies and conform with organisational standard as well. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in coordinating construction projects in virtual environments. In reality, undertaking construction processes in virtual environment is indispensable in the present decades, and ethical issues have its potential to disrupt the envisaged outcomes of construction projects coordinated virtually. Therefore, the practical recommendations and implications illustrated in this study would be essential to address ethical issues in construction work environment.

This study is limited to ethical issues confronting virtual project coordination in the Nigerian construction industry. Although the survey distribution is limited to construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry, a commercial hub for many African countries, the results can be applicable to other developing nations with similar construction environments. Other ethical issues apart from those identified in this study or peculiar to other construction work environment can be explored through qualitative study such as interview or case studies. The conclusion of this study was drawn from sample size that is less than one hundred obtained via online platforms, paper-based survey may be administered to construction professionals to obtain larger data which can provide other interesting findings from the ones reported in this study.

References

1. Wankhade GS, Bhirud AN (2021) An attempt of analysing ethical and unethical issues in construction sector: Contractor’s perspective

Google Scholar

2. Adnan H, Hashim N, Mohd N, Ahmad N (2012) Ethical issues in the construction industry: Contractor’s perspective. Procedia-social and Behavioral Sciences 35: 719-727.

Google Scholar, Crossref

3. Watts G, Challender J, Higham A, McDermott P (2021) Professional ethics in construction and surveying. Milton: CRC Press LLC.

Google Scholar, Crossref

4. Alaloul WS, Liew MS, BWA Zawawi NA, Azmi NFB, Ali ASB, et al (2016a) A Framework for Coordination Process into Construction Projects. MATEC web of conferences 66-79.

Google Scholar, Crossref

5. Xue X, Wang Y, Shen Q, Yu X (2007) Coordination mechanisms for construction supply chain management in the Internet environment. International Journal of Project Management 25: 150-157.

Google Scholar, Crossref

6. Alaloul WS, Liew MS, Wan Z, Noor A (2016b) Identification of coordination factors affecting building projects performance, Alexandria Engineering Journal 55: 2689–2698.

Google Scholar, Crossref

7. Chang AS, Shen F (2009) Coordination needs and supply of construction project. Engineering Management Journal 21: 44-57.

Google Scholar, Crossref

8. Chris M (2009) Business Organisation for Construction, Taylor and Francis Group, London, and New York.

Google Scholar, Crossref

9. Oladinrin OT, Ojo LD, Adeniyi O, Adedeji FD (2022a) Severity of ethical issues in virtual teams on construction projects. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics.

Google Scholar, Crossref

10. Vee C, Skitmore C (2003) Professional ethics in the construction industry.Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 10: 117-127.

Google Scholar, Crossref

11. Mason J (2009) Ethics in the construction industry: the prospects for a single professional code.International Journal of law in the Built Environment 1: 194-204.

Google Scholar, Crossref

12. Ho CMF (2011) Ethics management for the construction industry: A review of ethical decision‐making literature.Engineering, construction and architectural management 18: 516-537.

Google Scholar, Crossref

13. Rashid IA, Hamid ARA, Zainudin AM, Hatem ZM (2019) Unethical behaviour among professional in the Malaysian construction industry.Proceeding of Civil Engineering UTM 4: 126-132.

Google Scholar

14. Oladinrin OT, Arif M, Rana MQ, Gyoh L (2023) Interrelations between construction ethics and innovation: A bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer.Construction Innovation 23: 505-523.

Google Scholar

15. Lukhele TM, Botha B, Mbanga S (2023) Exploring the nexus between professional ethics and occupational health and safety in construction projects: a case study approach.International Journal of Construction Management 23: 2048-2057.

Google Scholar, Crossref

16. Azzab MA, Badawi MW (2020) Influence of ethical aspects on the construction industry performance in Egypt. InProceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management 10-12.

Google Scholar

17. Oladinrin OT, Ho CM (2016) Critical enablers for codes of ethics implementation in construction organizations.Journal of Management in Engineering 32: 04015023.

Google Scholar, Crossref

18. El Khatib M, Alhosani A, Alhosani I, Al Matrooshi O, Salami M (2022) Simulation in Project and Program Management: Utilization, Challenges and Opportunities.American Journal of Industrial and Business Management 12: 731-749.

Google Scholar, Crossref

19. Abdul Rahman H, Karim S, Danuri M, Berawi M, Wen Y (2007) Does professional ethics affect construction quality? Proceedings of Quantity Surveying International Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Google Scholar

20. Kozlovska M, Klosova D, Strukova Z (2021) Impact of industry 4.0 platform on the formation of construction 4.0 concept: a literature review.Sustainability 13: 2683.

Google Scholar, Crossref

21. Owusu EK, Cha AP, Shan M (2019) Causal factors of corruption in construction project management: An overview. Science and Engineering Ethics 25: 1-31.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

22. Locatelli G, Ika L, Drouin N, Müller R, Huemann M, et al (2023) A Manifesto for project management research.European Management Review 20: 3-17.

Google Scholar, Crossref

23. Ho CM, Oladinrin OT (2016) Evaluation of ethical codes implementation–a fuzzy approach.Facilities 34: 924-955.

Google Scholar, Crossref

24. Bishop WH (2013) The role of ethics in 21st century organizations.Journal of Business Ethics 118: 635-637.

Google Scholar

25. Chan AP, Owusu EK (2017) Corruption forms in the construction industry: Literature review.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 143: 04017057.

Google Scholar, Crossref

26. Joosten A, Van Dike M, Van Hiel A, De Cremer D (2014) Being “in control” may make you lose control: The role of self-regulation in unethical leadership ehaviour.Journal of business ethics 121: 1-14.

Google Scholar

27. Kuoribo E, Owusu-Manu DG, Yomoah R, Debrah C, Acheampong A, et al (2021) Ethical and unethical behaviour of built environment professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, (ahead-of-print) 21.

Google Scholar, Crossref

28. Zakaria R, Kwong LZ, Nilashi M, Majid A, Zaimi M, et al (2014) Ethical behaviors in e-tendering process for construction project in Malaysia. Journal of Theoretical & Applied Information Technology 70: 210-225.

Indexed at, Google Scholar

29. Stahl BC, Eke D (2024) The ethics of ChatGPT–Exploring the ethical issues of an emerging technology.International Journal of Information Management 74: 102700.

Google Scholar, Crossref

30. Kapogiannis G, Sherratt F (2018) Impact of integrated collaborative technologies to form a collaborative culture in construction projects.Built Environment Project and Asset Management 8: 24-38.

Google Scholar, Crossref

31. Muda I, Almahairah MS, Jaiswal R, Kanike UK, Arshad MW, et al (2023) Role of AI in Decision Making and Its Socio-Psycho Impact on Jobs, Project Management and Business of Employees.Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities 6: 517-523.

Google Scholar

32. Wang M, Wang CC, Sepasgozar S, Zlatanova S (2020) A systematic review of digital technology adoption in off-site construction: Current status and future direction towards industry 4.0.Buildings 10: 204.

Google Scholar, Crossref

33. Aghimien D, Aigbavboa C, Oke A, Thwala W, Moripe P (2022) Digitalisation of construction organisations–a case for digital partnering.International Journal of Construction Management 22: 1950-1959.

Google Scholar, Crossref

34. Zhang J, Cheng JC, Chen W, Chen, K (2022) Digital twins for construction sites: Concepts, LoD definition, and applications.Journal of Management in Engineering 38: 04021094.

Google Scholar, Crossref

35. Gupta S, Pathak GS (2022) Ethical issues in virtual workplaces: Evidence from an emerging economy. European Journal of Training and Development.

Google Scholar, Crossref

36. Kayworth TR, Leidner DE (2002) Leadership effectiveness in global virtual teams.Journal of management information systems 7-40.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

37. Ferrell OC, Gresham LG, Fraedrich J (1989) A synthesis of ethical decision models for marketing.Journal of Macromarketing 9: 55-64.

Google Scholar, Crossref

38. Fu J, Yu D, Qiu G (2015) Research on ethical issues in engineering practice and its countermeasures. Proceedings of International Conference on Behavioural, Economic and Socio-cultural Computing (BESC) 72-75.

Google Scholar

39. Sureshbabu M, ChandaSekarr K (2017) Analysis of Unethical Practice in Indian Construction. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology 4.

Google Scholar

40. Gheni AY, Jusoh YY, Jabar MA, Ali NM (2016) Factors affecting global virtual teams’ performance in software projects. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology 92: 90.

Google Scholar

41. Hosseini MR, Chileshe N (2013) Global Virtual Engineering Teams (GVETs): A fertile ground for research in Australian construction projects context. International Journal of Project Management 31: 1101-1117.

Google Scholar, Crossref

42. Sagar SK, Arif M, Oladinrin OT, Muhammad Q (2022) Challenges negating virtual construction project team performance in the Middle East. Built Environment Project and Asset Management 12: 613-629.

Google Scholar

43. Piñeiro-Martín A, García-Mateo C, Docío-Fernández L, Lopez-Perez MDC (2023) Ethical challenges in the development of virtual assistants powered by large language models.Electronics 12: 3170.

Google Scholar, Crossref

44. Sagar SK, Oladinrin OT, Arif M, Rana MQ (2023) Interpretive structural model of trust factors in construction virtual project teams. Construction Innovation 23: 248-264.

Google Scholar, Crossref

45. Cecilia FL (2013) Deciding to Blow the Whistle: How Individual and Organizational factor Influence the Reporting of Wrongdoing in the Federal Government, PhD, Public Administration, Rutgers, The State University of Newark, New Jersey.

Google Scholar

46. Said J, Alam MM, Mohamed DIB, Rafidi M (2017) Does job satisfaction, fair treatment, and cooperativeness influence the whistleblowing practice in Malaysian Government linked companies?Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration 9: 220-231.

Google Scholar, Crossref

47. Chiu RK (2003) Ethical judgment and whistleblowing intention: Examining the moderating role of locus of control, Journal of Business Ethics 43: 65-74.

Google Scholar, Crossref

48. Potipiroon W, Wongpreedee A (2021) Ethical climate and whistleblowing intentions: Testing the mediating roles of public service motivation and psychological safety among local government employees. Public Personnel Management 50: 327-355.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

49. Marcum TM, Young J (2019) Blowing the whistle in the digital age: Are you really anonymous? The Perils and pitfalls of anonymity in whistleblowing law.DePaul Bus. & Comm LJ 17: 1.

Google Scholar

50. Stikeleather BR (2013) The Economic and Behavioral Effect of Offering Financial Rewards for Internal Whistle-Blowing. PhD thesis, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Google Scholar

51. Walle YM (2020) The impact of digital government on whistleblowing and whistle-blower protection: Explanatory study. Journal of Information Technology Management 12: 1-26.

Google Scholar, Crossref

52. Hosseini MR, Chileshe N (2013) Global Virtual Engineering Teams (GVETs): A fertile ground for research in Australian construction projects context. International Journal of Project Management 31: 1101-1117.

Google Scholar, Crossref

53. Kirkman BL, Rosen B, Gibson CB, Tesluk PE, McPherson SO (2002) five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc.Academy of Management Perspectives 16: 67-79.

Google Scholar, Crossref

54. Schulze J, Krumm S (2017) The virtual team player A review and initial model of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics for virtual collaboration.Organizational Psychology Review 7: 66-95.

Google Scholar, Crossref

55. Hardin AM, Fuller MA, Davison RM (2007) I know I can, but can we? Culture and efficacy beliefs in global virtual teams. Small Group Research 38: 130-155.

Google Scholar, Crossref

56. Eisenberg J, Krishnan A (2018) Addressing virtual work challenges: learning from the field.Organization Management Journal 15: 78-94.

Google Scholar, Crossref

57. Germain ML (2011) Developing trust in virtual teams. Performance Improvement Quarterly 24: 29–54.

Google Scholar, Crossref

58. Charles C (2010) Trust behaviour: Building trust through play in virtual teams. An Unpublished PhD Thesis, Purdue University.

Google Scholar

59. Dulaney CJ (2015) Virtual status as a factor of trust between workers. (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University).

Google Scholar

60. Brahm T, Kunze F (2012) The role of trust climate in virtual teams.Journal of Managerial Psychology 27: 595-614.

Google Scholar

61. Hacker JV, Johnson M, Saunders C, Thayer AL (2019) Trust in virtual teams: A multidisciplinary review and integration.Australasian Journal of Information Systems 23: 1-36.

Google Scholar, Crossref

62. Kim DJ, Ferrin DL, Rao HR (2008) A trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce: The role of trust, perceived risk, and their antecedents.Decision support systems 44: 544-564.

Google Scholar, Crossref

63. Sarker S, Ahuja M, Sarker S, Kirkeby S (2011) The role of communication and trust in global virtual teams: A social network perspective.Journal of management information systems 28: 273-310.

Google Scholar, Crossref

64. Dulebohn JH, Hoch JE (2017) Virtual teams in organizations.Human resource management review 27: 569-574.

Google Scholar, Crossref

65. Alutu OE (2007) Unethical practices in Nigerian construction industry: Prospective engineers’ viewpoint.Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice 133: 84-88.

Google Scholar, Crossref

66. Mukumbwa B, Muya M (2013) Ethics in the construction industry in Zambia.International Journal of Construction Management 13: 43-65.

Google Scholar, Crossref

67. Shah RK, Alotaibi M (2017) A study of unethical practices in the construction industry and potential preventive measures. Journal of Advanced College of Engineering and Management 3.

Google Scholar

68. Oke AE, Aigbavboa CO (2017) Sustainable value management for construction projects 75-86.

Google Scholar

69. Niederman F (2021) Project management: openings for disruption from AI and advanced analytics.Information Technology & People 34: 1570-1599.

Google Scholar

70. Alaloul WS, Liew MS, Zawawi NAW (2017) Communication, coordination and cooperation in construction projects: business environment and human behaviours. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 291: 012003.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

71. Khalid MAB, Farooq A, Mahmood W (2021) Communication challenges for distributed teams.International Journal of Engineering and Manufacturing (IJEM) 11: 19-28.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

72. Ghaffari M, Sheikhahmadi F, Safakish G (2014) Modeling and risk analysis of virtual project team through project life cycle with fuzzy approach.Computers & Industrial Engineering 72: 98-105.

Google Scholar, Crossref

73. Zuofa T, Ochieng EG (2017) Working separately but together: appraising virtual project team challenges. Team Performance Management: An International Journal 23: 227-242.

Google Scholar, Crossref

74. Adegbite AOW, Adefemi A, Ukpoju EA, Abatan A, Adekoya O, et al (2023) Innovations in project management: trends and best practices.Engineering Science & Technology Journal 4: 509-532.

Google Scholar, Crossref

75. Presbitero A (2020) Foreign language skill, anxiety, cultural intelligence and individual task performance in global virtual teams: a cognitive perspective. Journal of International Management 26: 100729.

Google Scholar, Crossref

76. Yang H (2001) A web-based collaborative decision-making system for construction project teams using fuzzy logic (Doctoral dissertation, Loughborough University).

Google Scholar, Crossref

77. Shaikh I (2018) Virtual Team Management in Construction Projects and the role of BIM: A study of challenges faced by construction projects in managing virtual teams distributed globally. Master thesis submitted to Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

Google Scholar

78. Wilson J, Crisp CB, Mortensen M (2013) Extending construal-level theory to distributed groups: understanding the effects of virtuality. Organization Science 24: 629–644.

Google Scholar, Crossref

79. Gyoo Kang B, Edum-Fotwe F, Price A, Thorpe T (2014) The application of causality to construction business ethics.Social Responsibility Journal 10:550-568.

Google Scholar

80. Kleiman J (2013) Placing the ethical cornerstone”, Professional Constructor: The Journal of the American Institute of Constructors 37: 42-45.

Google Scholar

81. Dogan SZ, Gunhan S, Erbasaranoglu B (2012) Coordination process and network centrality in isgi airport’s wayfinding project. Construction Research Congress 2012: Construction Challenges in a Flat World 708-717.

Google Scholar, Crossref

82. Nguyen NT (2007) Agent and multi-agent systems–technologies and applications. In: Proceedings first KES international symposium, KES-AMSTA 2007, Wroclaw, Poland, Berlin: Springer 27–31.

Google Scholar

83. Wijayasekera SC, Hussain SA, Paudel A, Paudel B, Steen J, et al (2022) Data analytics and artificial intelligence in the complex environment of megaprojects: Implications for practitioners and project organizing theory. Project Management Journal 53: 485-500.

Google Scholar

84. Dogan SZ, Arditi D, Gunhan S, Erbasaranoglu B (2013) Assessing coordination performance based on centrality in an email communication network. Journal of Management in Engineering 31: 04014047.

Google Scholar, Crossref

85. Koufteros XA, Rawski GE, Rupak R (2010) Organizational integration for product development: the effects on glitches, on‐time execution of engineering change orders, and market success.Decision Sciences 41: 49-80.

Google Scholar, Crossref

86. Wang P, Wu P, Wang J, Chi HL, Wang X (2018) A critical review of the use of virtual reality in construction engineering education and training.International journal of environmental research and public health 15: 1204.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

87. Sacks R, Brilakis I, Pikas E, Xie HS, Girolami M (2020) Construction with digital twin information systems.Data-Centric Engineering 1: e14.

Google Scholar

88. Gupta S, Pathak GS (2024) Ethical issues in virtual workplaces: Evidence from an emerging economy.European Journal of Training and Development 48: 67-89.

Google Scholar

89. Odejide OA, Edunjobi TE (2024) AI in project management: exploring theoretical models for decision-making and risk management.Engineering Science & Technology Journal 5: 1072-1085.

Google Scholar, Crossref

90. Kothari CR, Garg G (2014) Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques, 3rd ed., New Age, New Delhi.

Google Scholar

91. Flynn B, Pagell M, Fugate B (2018) Survey research design in supply chain management: the need for evolution in our expectations. Journal of Supply Chain Management 54: 1-15.

Google Scholar, Crossref

92. Vagias WM (2006) Likert-type scale response anchors.Clemson International Institute for Tourism & Research Development, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Clemson University.

Google Scholar

93. Ametepey SO, Ansah SK (2014) Impacts of construction activities on the environment: the case of Ghana. Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation 4: 934-948.

Google Scholar

94. Shan M, Liu WQ, Hwang BG, Lye JM (2020) Critical success factors for small contractors to conduct green building construction projects in Singapore: identification and comparison with large contractors. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27: 8310-8322.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

95. Ojo L, Ibrahim B, Oke A, Akindeinde A (2020) Mitigating strategies of threats to quantity surveying profession in the Nigerian construction industry.Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation 10: 1-13.

Google Scholar, Crossref

96. Chileshe N, Rameezdeen R, Hosseini MR, Lehmann S (2015) Barriers to implementing reverse logistics in South Australian construction organisations. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 20: 179-204.

Google Scholar

97. Lim LJ, Ling FY (2012) Human resource practices of contractors that lead to job satisfaction of professional staff.Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 19: 101-118.

Google Scholar, Crossref

98. Corder GW, Foreman DI (2014) Non-parametric Statistics: A Step-by-step Approach, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.

Google Scholar

99. Ott RL, Longnecker M (2016) An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis, 7th ed., Cengage. Learning Boston MA.

Google Scholar

100. Lix LM, Keselman HJ (2018) Analysis of variance: repeated-measures designs. in Hancock GR, Stapleton LM and Mueller RO (Eds), The Reviewer’s Guide to Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group 15-28.

Google Scholar, Crossref

101. Reio TGJr, Shuck B (2015) Exploratory factor analysis: implications for theory, research, and practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources 17: 12-25.

Google Scholar, Crossref

102. Mundfrom DJ, Shaw DG, Ke TL (2005) Minimum sample size recommendations for conducting factor analyses.International journal of testing 5: 159-168.

Google Scholar, Crossref

103. Ojo LD, Oladinrin TO, Obi L (2021) Critical barriers to environmental management system implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. Environmental Management 68: 147-159.

Google Scholar, Crossref

104. Ososanmi AO, Ojo LD, Ogundimu OE, Oke AE (2022) Drivers of green supply chain management: A close-up study. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29: 14705-14718.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

105. Pallant J (2020) SPSS Survival Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Data Analysis Using IBM SPSS, 7th ed., Routledge, New York.

Google Scholar

106. Kale Y (2019) Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) National Survey 2017 Report, Presentation of Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja, Nigeria.

Google Scholar

107. Leung MY, Yu J, Liang Q (2014) Analysis of the relationships between value management techniques, conflict management, and work- shop satisfaction of construction participants. Journal of Management in Engineering, 30: 04014004.

Google Scholar, Crossref

108. Othman I, Kineber AF, Oke AE, Zayed T, Buniya MK (2021) Barriers of value management implementation for building projects in Egyptian construction industry, Ain Shams Engineering Journal 12: 21-30.

Google Scholar

109. Phyo WWM, Cho AM (2014) Awareness and practice of value engineering in Myanmar construction industry. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology Research 3: 2022-2027.

Google Scholar

110. Oladinrin OT, Jayantha WM, Ojo LD (2022b) New work practices and their drivers in FIREB firms: evidence from Hong Kong.Journal of Corporate Real Estate 25.

Google Scholar, Crossref

111. Okoro CS, Musonda I, Agumba JN (2020) Exploring the underlying structures of sustainability performance measures: a study of transportation projects in South Africa. International Journal of Construction Management 1-9.

Google Scholar, Crossref

112. Ojo LD, Ibrahim B, Oke AE, Akindeinde AS (2020) Mitigating strategies of threats to quantity surveying profession in the Nigerian construction industry. Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation 10: 1-13.

Google Scholar

113. Pallant J (2011) SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS, 7th ed., Routledge New York.

Google Scholar

114. Hair JF, Black WC, Babin BJ, Anderson RE (2010) Multivariate Data Analysis, 7th ed., Prentice-Hall, NJ.

Google Scholar

115. Henson RK, Roberts JK (2006) Use of exploratory factor analysis in published research: common errors and some comment on improved practice. Educational and Psychological Measurement 66: 393-416.

Google Scholar, Crossref

116. Hasan A, Ahn S, Baroudi B, Rameezdeen R (2021) Structuration model of construction management professionals’ use of mobile devices.Journal of Management in Engineering 37: 04021026.

Google Scholar, Crossref

117. Kuruppuarachchi PR (2009) Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study.Project Management Journal 40: 19-33.

Google Scholar, Crossref

118. Olawumi TO, Chan DW, Wong JK, Chan AP (2018) Barriers to the integration of BIM and sustainability practices in construction projects: A Delphi survey of international experts. Journal of Building Engineering 20: 60-71.

Google Scholar, Crossref

119. O’Hara-Devereaux M, Johansen R (1994) Global Work: Bridging Distance, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Google Scholar

120. Shameem M, Kumar C, Chandra B (2017) Challenges of management in the operation of virtual software development teams: a systematic literature review. Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Advanced Computing and Communication Systems (ICACCS) 1–8.

Google Scholar

121. Garro-Abarca V, Palos-Sanchez P, Aguayo-Camacho M (2021) Virtual teams in times of pandemic: factors that influence performance. Frontiers in Psychology 12: 232.

Google Scholar, Crossref

122. Ameyaw EE, Pärn E, Chan AP, Owusu-Manu DG, Edwards DJ, et al (2017) corrupt practices in the construction industry: Survey of Ghanaian experience.Journal of Management in Engineering 33: 05017006.

Google Scholar, Crossref

123. Silvi M, Padilla E (2021) Pro‐environmental behavior: Social norms, intrinsic motivation and external conditions.Environmental Policy and Governance 31: 619-632.

Google Scholar, Crossref

124. Ramirez EJ (2018) Ecological and ethical issues in virtual reality research: A call for increased scrutiny. Journal of Philosophical Psychology 32: 211-233.

Google Scholar, Crossref

125. Schouten AP, van den Hooff B, Feldberg F (2016) Virtual teamwork: Group decision making in 3D virtual environments.Communication Research 43: 180-210.

Google Scholar, Crossref

126. Venkatesh VG, Kang K, Wang B, Zhong RY, Zhang A (2020) System architecture for blockchain based transparency of supply chain social sustainability.Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 63: 101896.

Google Scholar, Crossref

127. Edunjobi TE, Odejide OA (2024) Theoretical frameworks in AI for credit risk assessment: Towards banking efficiency and accuracy.International Journal of Scientific Research Updates 7: 092-102.

Google Scholar, Crossref

128. Fagbenle OI, Makinde FA, Oluwunmi AO (2011) Factors influencing construction clients’/ contractors’ choice of subcontractors in Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development 4: 254-259.

Google Scholar, Crossref

129. Fu J, Yu D, Qiu G (2015) Research on ethical issues in engineering practice and its countermeasures. Proceedings of International Conference on Behavioural, Economic and Socio-cultural Computing (BESC) 72-75.

Google Scholar

130. Gheni AY, Jusoh YY, Jabar MA, Ali NM (2016) Factors affecting global virtual teams’ performance in software projects. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology 92: 90.

Google Scholar

131. Jarvenpaa I, Ives K (2004) The global network organization of the future. Journal of Management Information Systems 10: 25-57.

Google Scholar, Crossref

132. Knaust T, Felnhofer A, Kothgassner OD, Höllmer H, Gorzka RJ, et al (2020) Virtual trauma interventions for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders: a scoping review.Frontiers in Psychology 11: 2877.

Google Scholar, Crossref

133. Kog YC (2010) Legal issues of integrated network for construction and real estate sector.Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction 2: 228-235.

Google Scholar, Crossref

134. Künzle J (2020) Multiple Contracts and Coordination in International Construction Projects: A Swiss Law Analysis. Kluwer Law International BV.

Google Scholar

135. Lin JJ, Hung W, Kang S (2015) Motion Planning and Coordination for Mobile Construction Machinery. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering 29.

Google Scholar, Crossref

136. Loo R (2002) Tackling ethical dilemmas in project management using vignettes. International Journal of Project Management 20: 489-495.

Google Scholar, Crossref

137. Mishra P, Dangayach GS, Mittal ML (2011) An Ethical approach towards sustainable project Success. Procedia-social and Behavioral Sciences 25: 338-344.

Google Scholar, Crossref

138. Mishra P, Dangayach GS, Mittal ML (2011) An Ethical approach towards sustainable project Success.Procedia-social and behavioral sciences 25: 338-344.

Google Scholar, Crossref

139. Morrison-Smith S, Ruiz J (2020) Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review. SN Applied Sciences 2: 1-33.

Google Scholar

140. Mpeera Ntayi J, Byabashaija W, Eyaa S, Ngoma M, Muliira A (2010) Social cohesion, groupthink and ethical ehaviour of public procurement officers.Journal of Public procurement 10: 68-92.

Google Scholar

141. Narayanan J, Ronson S, Pillutla MM (2006) Groups as enablers of unethical behaviour: The role of cohesion on group member actions. Ethics in groups 8: 127-147.

Google Scholar

142. Ndekugri I, Ankrah NA, Adaku E (2022) The design coordination role at the pre-construction stage of construction projects.Building Research & Information 50: 452-466.

Google Scholar, Crossref

143. Oke AE, Ogunsemi DR (2013) Key competencies of value managers in Lagos state, Nigeria. Proceedings of 5th West Africa Built Environment Research Conference 773-778.

Google Scholar

144. Owusu EK, Chan AP, Shan M (2019) Causal factors of corruption in construction project management: An overview.Science and engineering ethics 25: 1-31.

Google Scholar, Crossref

145. Padroth C, Davis PR, Morrissey M (2017) Contract information asymmetry: Legal disconnect within the project team.Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction 9: 04517015.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

146. Riisla K, Wendt H, Babalola MT, Euwema M (2021) Building cohesive teams—the role of leaders’ bottom-line mentality and ehaviour.Sustainability 13: 8047.

Google Scholar, Crossref

147. Romious TS, Thompson R, Thompson E (2016) Ethics Training and Workplace Ethical Decisions of MBA Professionals.Journal of Education and Learning 5: 190-198.

Google Scholar

148. Sattineni A, Mead K (2013) Coordination guidelines for virtual design and construction. In ISARC. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction 30: 1.

Indexed at, Google Scholar, Crossref

149. Schroeder R (2007) An overview of ethical and social issues in shared virtual environments.Futures 39: 704-717.

Google Scholar, Crossref

150. Sigurðarson SF (2009) Critical success factors in project management: An ethical perspective. An Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.

Google Scholar

151. Sureshbabu M, ChandaSekarr K (2017) Analysis of Unethical Practice in Indian Construction. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology 4.

Google Scholar