Effect of Mega Railway Projects on Small and Medium Construction Companies: Impact and Problems

Authors

  • Nurul Atiqah Ab Hakim Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
  • Abdelrahman M. Farouk Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
  • Saffuan Wan Ahmad Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
  • Rahimi A. Rahman Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15282/construction.v4i1.9891

Keywords:

Small and Medium construction company, Impact, Mega railway projects, Construction

Abstract

Railway mega-projects are typically enormous large-scale investment projects that require a long time to develop and build. However, compared to other types of transportation, the railway is a safe mode of land transportation. Therefore, development such as railway mega-projects positively impacts small and medium construction companies. This study aims to study the impact of railway mega-projects on small and medium construction companies and investigate the problems that small and medium construction companies experience involving railway mega-projects. This study used a qualitative method of open-ended interviews to collect data from small and medium construction companies. The collected data from twenty individuals were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The results show that the challenges of mega railway projects are divided into technical and resources. Apart from that, job opportunities are the main factor contributing to the impact of mega railway projects. The study contributes by providing insights on the impact of mega railway projects on small and medium construction companies and the challenges involving mega railway projects.

References

K.Y. Mok, G.Q. Shen, and J. Yang, “Stakeholder management studies in mega construction projects: A review and future directions,” International Journal of Project Management, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 446-457, 2015.

R. Vickerman, “Wider Impacts of Mega-projects,” The Oxford Handbook of Mega-Project Management, pp. 389, 2017.

C. Caldas, and A. Gupta, “Critical factors impacting the performance of mega-projects,” Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 24 no. 6, pp. 920-934, 2017.

G. Jia, F. Yang, G. Wang, B. Hong, and R. You, “A study of mega project from a perspective of social conflict theory,” International Journal of Project Management, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 817-827, 2011.

M. Khalique, A.H.B.M. Isa, J.A. Nassir Shaari, and A. Ageel, “Challenges faced by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia: An intellectual capital perspective,” International Journal of Current Research, vol. 3, no. 6, p. 398, 2011.

F. Massimo, and V. Silvia “The use of ex post cost-benefit analysis to assess the long-term effects of major infrastructure projects,” Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione, vol. 55, no. 16, pp. 88-106, 2013.

Alan Mega-Projects: The Changing Politics of Urban Public Investment the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C, pp. 81, 2003.

C. Fang, and F. Marle, “Dealing with project complexity by matrix-based propagation modelling for project risk analysis,” Journal of Engineering Design, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 239–256, 2013.

C. Harvie, and B.C. Lee, “Introduction: The role of small and medium-sized enterprises in achieving and sustaining growth and performance,” chapter 1, pp. 3–27, 2013.

E. Lukacs, “The economic role of SMEs in world economy, especially in Europe,” European Integration Studies, Miskolc, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 3-12, 2005.

H. Keskġn, C. Ġentürk, O. Sungur, and H.M. Kġrġġ. “The importance of SMEs in developing economies,” In 2nd International Symposium on Sustainable Development, Sarajevo, pp. 183-192, 2010.

N.M.N. Rahman, Z. Sulaiman, A.B.A. Hamid, and Z. Khalifah, “The Implementation of e-commerce application in bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia,” International Journal of Advances in Management and Economics, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 101-110, 2013.

X. Zhou, X. Lin, X. Ji, and J. Liang, “Effects of high-speed railway construction and operation on related industries in China,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 11, p. 6119, 2021.

A. Brooks, and H. Rich, “Sustainable construction and socio‐technical transitions in London's mega‐projects,” The Geographical Journal, vol. 182, no. 4, pp. 395-405, 2016.

G. Lesutis, “Disquieting ambivalence of mega-infrastructures: Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway as spectacle and ruination,” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 941-960, 2022.

K. Gharehbaghi, K. McManus, N. Hurst, K. Robson, and M. Myers, “Complexities in mega rail transportation projects: “Sydney metro” and “Melbourne metro rail” insight,” Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 973-990, 2020.

X. Zhao, Y. Liu, W. Jiang, and D. Wei, “Study on the factors influencing and mechanisms shaping the institutional resilience of mega railway construction projects,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 10, p. 8305, 2023.

C.C. Cantarelli, and B. Flyvbjerg, “Mega-projects’ cost performance and lock-in: Problems and solutions’,” International Handbook on Mega-Projects, chapter. 15, p. 333, 2013.

S.S. King, R.A. Rahman, M.A. Fauzi, and A.T. Haron, “Critical analysis of pandemic impact on AEC organizations: The COVID-19 case,” Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 20, no. 1, 2021.

Rani, H.A., Farouk, A.M., Anandh, K.S., Almutairi, S. and Rahman, R.A., 2022. Impact of COVID-19 on construction projects: the case of India. Buildings, 12(6), p.762.

A.M. Farouk, A.Z. Zulhisham, Y.S. Lee, M.S. Rajabi, and R.A. Rahman, “Factors, challenges and strategies of trust in BIM-Based construction projects: A case study in Malaysia,” Infrastructures, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 13, 2023.

H. Alshenqeeti, “Interviewing as a data collection method: A critical review,” English Linguistics Research, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 39-45, 2014.

V. Braun, and V. Clarke, “Using thematic analysis in psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77-101, 2006.

N. King, “Using templates in the thematic analysis of text,” in C. Cassell and G. Symon, ed., Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, London: Sage, pp. 257-270, 2004.

A.M. Farouk, R.A. Rahman, and N.S. Romali, “Non-revenue water reduction strategies: a systematic review,” Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 181-199, 2023.

A.M. Farouk, R.A. Rahman, and N.S. Romali, “Economic analysis of rehabilitation approaches for water distribution networks: Comparative study between Egypt and Malaysia,” Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 130-149, 2023.

A.M. Farouk, and R.A. Rahman, “Integrated applications of building information modeling in project cost management: a systematic review,” Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 2023.

Z.P. Lee, R.A. Rahman, and S.I. Doh, “Key drivers for adopting design build: A comparative study between project stakeholders,” Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, vol. 120, pp. 102945, 2020.

A.S. Asnor, R.A. Rahman, and S.W. Ahmad, “Causal factors in implementing environmental regulation: Evidence from the Erosion and Sediment Control Plan in Malaysia,” International Journal of Engineering Technology and Sciences, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2020.

S. Cicmil, and D. Marshall, “Insights into collaboration at the project level: Complexity, social interaction and procurement mechanisms,” Building Research & Information, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 523-535, 2005.

A.M. Odeh, and H.T. Battaineh, “Causes of construction delay: Traditional contracts,” International Journal Project Management, vol. 20, pp. 67-73, 2002.

H.M. Alinaitwe, J.A. Mwakali, and B. Hansson, “Factors affecting the productivity of building craftsmen‐studies of Uganda,” Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 169-176, 2007.

S. Mbeki, Causes, effects and impact of shortages of skilled artisans on contractor productivity, Doctoral dissertation, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2014.

Downloads

Published

2024-03-03

How to Cite

Ab Hakim, N. A., M. Farouk, A., Wan Ahmad, S., & A. Rahman, R. (2024). Effect of Mega Railway Projects on Small and Medium Construction Companies: Impact and Problems. CONSTRUCTION, 4(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.15282/construction.v4i1.9891

Issue

Section

Articles