Implementing Sustainable Construction Practices in the Jordanian Housing Industry

Figures & data

Table 1. Main principles of sustainable construction practices (adapted from Olaleye et al., 2015).

Sustainable construction practices	Principle	Supporting reference
Sustainable legal framework and enforcement	Real estate developers ought to align with the regulatory framework of the country pertaining to sustainable development, as it serves as a catalyst for fostering economic advancement.	Pitt et al., 2009; Tan et al., 2011
Sustainable construction standards, guidelines, or policies	Real estate developers are encouraged to adopt and enforce sustainable regulations and standards to alleviate the environmental, economic, and social repercussions associated with construction processes.	Krigsvoll et al., 2010
Sustainable designs	Real estate developers are urged to incorporate green design principles across the entire life cycle of construction, including resource utilization, the use of eco-friendly materials, and waste minimization, among other critical considerations.	Gharzeldeena & Beheiry, 2015; Tan et al., 2011
Sustainable procurement	Real estate developers are encouraged to integrate green supply chain principles across the entire life cycle of the project.	Shaharudin & Ismail, 2015; Tan et al., 2011
Sustainable technologies, processes, and innovations	Real estate developers are encouraged to strategically employ sustainable technologies, practices, and innovations, including the integration of lean principles, to optimize operational efficiency and foster environmentally responsible development practices.	Booth et al., 2012; Liang et al., 2014; Tan et al., 2011
People and organizational structure	The organizational framework of real estate developers necessitates a demonstration of inherent flexibility and dynamism to adeptly facilitate the efficacious implementation of sustainable policies and strategies.	Liang et al., 2014; Tan et al., 2011.
Sustainable education and training	Real estate developers can fortify their dedication to sustainable construction practices through the cultivation of a corporate culture that prioritizes awareness, education, and training on sustainability for all personnel within the organizational milieu.	Liang et al., 2014; Tan et al., 2011
Sustainable measurements and reporting	Real estate developers are encouraged to institute a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system to assess their adherence to sustainable construction practices, systematically identifying areas for enhancement and continuous improvement.	Liang et al., 2014; Tan et al., 2011; Pitt et al., 2009
Sustainable waste management	Mitigating energy and material waste in construction necessitates a concerted effort to address issues such as excessive material and energy consumption, emissions of toxic gases, eutrophication, pollution, and substandard working conditions.	Iqbal et al., 2021; Verrier et al., 2016

Table 2. Factors affecting the implementation of SCP in the housing industry.

	Factors	Supporting references
F1	Real estate developers have negative perceptions and no preference for SCP	Aghimien et al., 2019b; Elforgani & Rahmat, 2012; Fauzi et al., 2018; Sarhan et al., 2018; Sourani & Sohail, 2013
F2	Limited real estate developer knowledge and awareness regarding SCP	Abisuga & Oyekanmi, 2014; Aghimien et al., 2019a, 2019b; Ametepey et al., 2015; Angonese and Lavarda, 2014; Berawi et al., 2020; Davies & Davies, 2017; Djokoto et al., 2014; Elforgani & Rahmat, 2012; Lee et al., 2014; Schweiger et al., 2018; Sourani & Sohail, 2013
F3	Financial challenges and investment considerations	Abisuga & Oyekanmi, 2014; Abolore, 2012; Aghimien et al., 2018; Ametepey et al., 2015; Damawan & Azizah, 2020; Elforgani & Rahmat, 2012; Esezobor, 2016; Khan & Rehman, 2008; Sourani & Sohail, 2013
F4	Health and safety implications	Cardoso et al., 2019; Fortunate et al., 2012; Onubi et al., 2019; Zou & Couani, 2012
F5	Availability of resources	Ametepey et al., 2015; Ifije & Aigbavboa, 2020; Pham et al., 2020
F6	Absence of competitive pressure	Shen et al., 2010; Tunji-Olayeni et al., 2020; Ybema et al., 2016
F7	Limited customer demand	Ametepey et al., 2015; Daniel et al., 2018; Darko & Chan, 2017; Davies and Davies, 2017; Tunji-Olayeni et al., 2020
F8	Governmental and regulatory constraints	Abolore, 2012; Aghimien et al., 2018; Aghimien et al., 2019b; Ametepey et al., 2015; Berawi et al., 2020; Bible & Chikeleze, 2018; Choi, 2009; Darko & Chan, 2017; Davies and Davies, 2017; Djokoto et al., 2014; Gunduz & Almuajebh, 2020; Hoxha & Shala, 2019; Onuoha et al., 2017; Pham et al., 2020; Pradhananga et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2018
F9	Cultural resistance to new technologies due to the domination of existing trends and norms	Abisuga & Oyekanmi, 2014; Aghimien et al., 2018; Ametepey et al., 2015; Djokoto et al., 2014

SCP = sustainable construction practices.

Table 3. Profile of experts involved in the study.

Expert ID	Years of experience	Number of housing projects
EXP 1	33	50
EXP 2	16	43
EXP 3	12	>20
EXP 4	34	>15
EXP 5	14	14
EXP 6	19	>30
EXP 7	19	10
EXP 8	30	>50

Table 4. Linguistic variables used to determine the importance of the barriers to adopting sustainable construction practices in the housing industry (Tabatabaee, Mohandes, et al., 2022).

Variables	Fuzzy numbers
Very low importance	(1, 1, 1.5)
Low importance	(1.5, 2, 2.5)
Medium importance	(2.5, 3, 3.5)
High importance	(3.5, 4, 4.5)
Very high importance	(4.5, 5, 5)

Table 5. Questionnaire survey.

Factors	Importance of factors
	Very low importance	Low importance	Medium importance	High importance	Very high importance
Real estate developers have negative perceptions and no preference for sustainable construction practices.	□	□	□	□	□
Limited real estate developers’ knowledge and awareness regarding sustainable construction practices.	□	□	□	□	□
Financial challenges and investment considerations	□	□	□	□	□
Health and safety implications	□	□	□	□	□
Availability of resources	□	□	□	□	□
Governmental and regulatory constraints	□	□	□	□	□
Absence of competitive pressure	□	□	□	□	□
Existing trends and traditions	□	□	□	□	□
Limited customer demand	□	□	□	□	□
Cultural resistance to new technologies due to the domination of existing trends and norms	□	□	□	□	□

Table 6. Fuzzy Delphi method results.

Factor	Min	Most likely value	Max	Defuzzification	Rank	SDMR (first round)	SDMR (second round)	Cronbach’s alpha
F1	2.5	3.875	5	7.666		.2	–	.878
F2	2.5	4.375	5	8.333		.19	–
F3	2.5	4.625	5	8.666		.15	–
F4	1.5	2.875	4.5	5.833		.43	.2
F5	1.5	3.5	5	6.833		.32	.2
F6	1.5	4	5	7.5		.25	–
F7	1.5	3.625	5	7		.51	.3
F8	1.5	4	5	7.5		.25	–
F9	3.5	4.5	5	8.833		.11	–

SDMR = standard deviation to mean ratio.

Figure 1. The most critical barriers based on the specified threshold values.

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