• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.539-545
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• 2013

Although individual-level factors (e.g., attitudes, personality) have long been associated with day-to-day attendance decisions, increasingly researchers have recognized "the social nature of attendance dynamics and their susceptibility to social control (Johns, 2008)." Implications of this social approach for research would be to focus attention on the causes and effects of absence culture (i.e., absence-related perceptions, beliefs, values), and the effects of absence culture on individual and group attendance within social units. Construction projects typically require workers to work in teams or crews on highly interdependent projects, and, thus, are particularly relevant contexts to study absence culture. In this paper we apply a system dynamics (SD) model to study absence culture by utilizing the advantages of SD in capturing a feedback process and state changes. We were particularly interested in: (a) the awareness of social norms within construction crews that pertained to attendance, (b) the interplay between formal attendance rules (policy) and these social norms, and (c) how these sources of influence affected the decision-making process of construction crew members. We expect that the results of this work will help construction organizations evaluate (or re-consider) the effects of their attendance control policies (e.g., timing, strength, and frequency) within a social context. Moreover, our findings suggest that the key to reducing excessive absences might be to invest time in influencing absence culture directly rather than imposing frequent and strict regulations - which, in turn, may inadvertently fortify a culture that works against the organization's interests.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.367-374
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• 2013

Underground infrastructure systems provide essential public services and goods through buried structures including water and sewer, gas and petroleum, power and communication pipelines. The majority of existing underground infrastructure systems was installed in green field areas prior to development of complex urban built environments. Currently, there is a global trend to escalate major demand for underground infrastructure system renewal and new installation while minimizing disruption and maintaining functions of existing superstructures. Therefore, Engineers and utility owners are rigorously seeking technologies that minimize environmental, social, and economic impact during the renewal and installation process. Trenchless technologies have proven to be socially less disruptive, more environmentally friendly, energy conservative and economically viable alternative methods. All of those benefits are adequate to enhance overall sustainability. This paper describes effective sustainable solutions using trenchless technologies. Sustainability is assessed by a comparison between conventional open cut and trenchless technology methods. Sustainability analysis is based on a broad perspective combining the three main aspects of sustainability: economic; environmental; and social. Economic includes construction cost, benefit, and social cost analysis. Environmental includes emission estimation and environmental quality impact study. Social includes various social impacts on an urban area. This paper summarizes sustainable trenchless technology solutions and presents a sustainable construction method selection process in a proposed framework to be used in urban underground infrastructure capital improvement projects.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.699-704
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• 2005

Normally, monetary penalties for breach of agreement will be stipulated in the contract. The contractor parties, who fail to fulfill the agreement, are required to pay the other parties a certain amount or proportion of money as a fine. However, it is worth our study - whether or not the scope of monetary penalty implementation and bases for determination of a fine will cover the losses of social and administrative costs incurred by the interruption of the contract. This research is about the best timing for government to cancel the freeway repair work contracts. Under the goal of the maximum social welfare, the limitation of government spending for the social and administrative costs invoked by interruption of contracts will have to be considered to attain the best timing of contracts' suspension or deferment. According to the factors of social and administrative costs, the best time point is calculated to reduce the loss of the aforesaid costs, which can also be used as theoretical basis for the future road-widening construction at home.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.643-655
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to figure out the characteristics of teacher's scaffolding that can promote the social construction of scientific models by analyzing a teacher's scaffolding that actually promoted the social construction in a real classroom context, so that we can better understand the teacher's scaffolding. For this study, a total of 32 middle school students and their science teacher in Seoul were observed and videotaped. The level of social construction were categorized in four stages. We divided the teacher's scaffolding by whether the level of social construction has changed or not, and analyzed teacher's scaffolding in each group. Teacher's scaffolding were categorized based on its object, purpose and means. The object were categorized into two types; small-group and individual. The purpose were categorized into two types; process-help and product-help. The means were coded into Diagnostic strategies(Reading, Listening, Questioning), Checking diagnosis and Intervention strategy(Instruct, Explain, Hint, Confirm). The result show that teacher's scaffolding is helpful in the social construction of scientific models when it supports small-groups more than individuals, and process-help more than product-help. It also shows that in diagnostic strategies, questioning and listening are effective. Finally, using checking diagnosis promoted interactions among students and a 'confirm' intervention strategy should be avoided because it has no positive effect on changes in the level of social construction. This study provides the features of the teacher's scaffolding that promotes social construction of scientific models in middle school classes.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.299-312
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• 1998

In this study, we have investigated the meaning and mechanism of the 'construction' in the operational constructivism and the social constructivism. According to Piaget, a mathematical concept is the operational sch me, which is constructed through the reflective abstraction from a general coordination of activities and operations. The process of the reflective abstraction consists of 'reflechissement'and 'reflexion'. The reflechissement starting from 'intriorisation' concludes with 'thematisation', and the reflexion consists in the 'equilibration' of the result of reflechissement. The 'construction' in the social constructivism includes two process. One is the process from the individual, subjective knowledge of mathematics to the social, objective knowledge of mathematics, and the other is vice versa. The emphases is placed on the 'social interaction' and the 'representation' in this two processes. In this context, if we want to apply the social constructivism, we should clarify the meaning of 'society', and consider the difference between the society of mathematicians and the society of students.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2021

In the current smart device-based information environment, information utilization is closely related to social capital. Additionally, the smart divide that occurs owing to the differences in use of smart devices has a significant influence on social capital. In this respect, this research empirically analyzed how the smart divide affects social capital construction. The study found that the level of and proficiency in using smart devices and diversity of the information formats used through smart devices affect social capital construction. Further, people who fully utilize smart devices can enhance their participation in social activities, social networks, and reciprocal activities, leading people to construct social capital in a wider range. Contrarily, those who are unable to use smart devices adequately may be disadvantaged in terms of the opportunity to construct social capital and share public interests. Thus, to maximize the intrinsic value of social capital, it is necessary to consider the factors of the smart divide as a complicated and multi-faceted digital divide and the ways to utilize social capital as a driving force for integrating society, and not as a mechanism for dividing members of society.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.382-387
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• 2008

Current global construction market has grown at a dramatic expansion rate every year in connection with more market accessibility by foreign contractors. The market openness is largely due to globalization of world construction markets, rapid development of world-wide telecommunication technologies, the formation of collaborative acquisitions and joint ventures among contractors, development of regional Free Trade Blocks, and just name a few. This paper focuses on the formation of collaborative networks when expanding into new foreign markets. The social network analysis (SNA) is introduced to investigate a variety of the collaboration patterns and also their impacts on the performance. To this end, the collaboration cases of 600 international construction projects performed by Korean contractors since 1990 were collected and classified into firm's size, project types, collaboration modes, and performance levels using social network analysis. The results showed a direction in establishing business strategy associated with experienced or inexperienced contractors in international construction projects.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.139-160
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• 2018

The purpose of this research is to empirically analyze the effect of public library use on the construction of social and cultural capital and the close of social classes reproduction through the survey targeting public library users. As a result, the use of public libraries positively affects the construction of both social and cultural capital. In contrast, it partially addresses the problems in social classes reproduction because the social classes with higher levels of education and income tend to use public libraries more often. In order to take a role of and contribute to equal construction of social and cultural capital, public libraries need to be public places for open and social interaction. In addition, it is necessary for public libraries to improve their roles to allow community members to access and utilize various cultural resources.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.105-113
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• 2019

A construction project is a complex process consisting of interdependent tasks. If one task has variation, other tasks will be affected additionally and it is difficult to reach consensus on task variation due to the characteristics of the construction site that is going on quickly and complicatedly. Therefore, this study identified the root cause of task variation in construction process. Adjacent matrix was created with the tasks corresponding to major causes of variation, and the network analysis was performed. The results of social network analysis in the construction process can stabilize the work flow in the complex process and improve the reliability of the process plan and the project performance.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.770-776
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• 2012

For a few recent years, KECA(Korea Electrical Contractor Association) has promoted a project to establish an electrical construction specification called Master Spec. This paper analyses the characteristics of standards-making process of the Master Spec. as an umbrella technical standard in electrical construction industry in Korea. This paper argues that even if the Master Spec. is recognized to be technical standards, the standards-making process involves both technical and social practices when viewed from social construction theory and governance perspective. This aspect of social practices in technical standards making should be well understood because various stakeholders in terms of interests, resources, and motives try to influence the process positively and negatively. KECA in responsible for enactment of the Mater Spec. should be very thoughtful in building consensus first of all among electrical contractors, managing relationship with concerned government officials, and dealing with potential deviant groups as well as in pooling expertises and developing technical knowledge needed for designing technical specification.