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In this chapter, the nature and extent of corruption in the construction industry is considered from a worldwide perspective, but particularly in the context of research conducted in South Africa. The definition of corruption is expanded to include conflict of interest and unethical conduct. Corruption in the construction industry is found to be universal and pervasive, occurring in all areas, at all stages, at all levels, and in all forms. A simple triangular model of corruption is replaced by a more complex four-dimensional risk-based model. The challenge for the construction industry, in combating corruption, will essentially require multilateral action in all four dimensions of the enhanced model: eliminating and reducing opportunities where possible; relieving the pressures to commit corrupt acts; rebutting the rationales and arguments used to excuse corruption; and substantially improving and innovating more forensic methods of detection. While the decision to engage in corruption is risk-based, particularly in terms of the capacity to evade detection; in essence corruption is a cultural and moral issue for society.

This paper reports on a pilot study of three major owners of and/or tenants in retail and office space in South Africa. The study sought to establish: whether or not long‐range strategic planning occurs; whether future space requirements are included in strategic planning; and whether the effects of technological development and e‐commerce on space are evaluated in long‐range strategic planning. The main conclusions are that short‐term strategic planning is well established, but that systematic long‐range planning around the effects of technology and e‐commerce on space is limited, in extent and scope.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and examine whether there is any significant relationship between the extent of business diversification and the performance of construction firms in South Africa. The rationale for the examination stems from the view that the relationship between diversification and the performance of construction firms raises important issues in strategic management and cross‐border business. In contractors' growth however, there is a dearth of empirical research and theoretical arguments regarding the effects of business diversification on construction company performance in South Africa.

The study employed the use of a case study and archival approaches using semi‐structured interviews to elicit primary qualitative and quantitative data over a period of five years for large construction companies listed in Grade 7‐9 on the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) contractor register. The scope of services and geographic diversification are computed from the sourced data. Dependent variables are the measure of performance using Return on Total Asset (ROTA), Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Profit Margin (PM); independent variables used are service/Product Diversification (PD) and Geographic Diversification (GD); while control variables used are size, age, technical capability and capital structure of the construction firms.

It emerged that established construction companies on the cidb contractor registers perform and diversify more in their service/product better than the newly upgraded contractors and this was evident in their performance with respect to profit margin. The results also indicated that there are no statistically significant differences in the performance of diversified and undiversified firms, although diversification was found to have a positive impact on the corporate performance of construction companies.

The outcomes of the research are useful to decision makers and managers of construction companies, as they will help in making viable corporate strategic diversification decisions. The study also engenders a better understanding of the effect of both product and geographic diversification on the performance of contractors.

Results from high‐stakes tests of intelligence are used everyday to make decisions that impact the lives of individuals and families. Although many clinicians know how to calculate test scores, few have a firm understanding of the construct intelligence, how tests measure intelligence, and more importantly, how results from intelligence tests may be used to develop client specific recommendations and interventions.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of completed case studies of two major multi‐channel grocery retailers in South Africa. The aim of the research was to establish the potential that online grocery retail has to undermine traditional retail by decreasing foot traffic and undermining rental income.

The growth of online shopping in the retail sector is a matter of concern for those involved in the development and management of shopping centres. Non‐probability convenience sampling was employed to interview shoppers in the five largest regional shopping centres in Cape Town tenanted by the two major grocery “e‐tailers” in South Africa.

The findings show that the online grocery market is an expanding market segment. Furthermore, diminished foot traffic is likely to affect the ability of smaller retailers to pay turnover rentals. Miller's revised rent model is adapted and used to illustrate the potential savings that may be generated by changing the rent models currently in use.

Future research into exactly what consumers buy online from food retailers needs to be undertaken in order to establish the maximum potential reduction in foot traffic attracted by food anchors.

It is concluded that the South African retail industry is heavily reliant on traditional retail centres and although the loss in rentals resulting from online grocery sales is not currently considerable, it does represent a potential future threat.

The paper speculates about the effects of growth in online buying on rental agreements in shopping centres. The paper would appeal to property investors, property developers and facilities managers.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the resilient operational variables that impact the corporate performance of construction companies in the South African construction industry and to explore whether financial capacity can be used as a predictor of construction company performance in the context of the South African construction industry.

The operational variables of construction companies that impact their corporate performance were identified through an in-depth review of the extant literature. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used in identifying 185 building and civil engineering construction companies based in four provinces of South Africa and registered in Grades 2-6 of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) contractor grading register. The data used in the study were collected from this cohort of respondents through the use of structured questionnaires. At the end of the study period, 62 valid responses representing a response rate of 33.5 per cent were received. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The findings of this study indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between the financial capital and net assets of construction companies and their corporate performance in terms of turnover. The data collected did not support any significant relationship between other operating financial variables, such as Return on Capital Employed and profitability and financial performance.

A predictive model for predicting the financial performance of firms was developed from the data collected. The implication of this is that the more financial capital possessed by a construction company, the more the company’s financial performance in terms of turnover. The CIDB can use financial capacity as a measure when grading contractors, as a good number of contractors are not performing. The predictive model developed could be adopted by the CIDB as an instrument for predicting the corporate financial performance of construction companies that seek to be listed on their contractor grading register.

This research will be of significance to researchers and members of the research community in providing new knowledge as well as to contractors in enabling them to understand the importance of having financial capital. It is also of importance to the CIDB in their quest for contractor and construction industry development. Further research to validate the results obtained in this study using a larger sample size across more provinces of South Africa will form the basis of future studies.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the significance of the relationship between job satisfaction experienced by South African quantity surveyors and demographic factors, workplace characteristics, choice of career, and instances of harassment and discrimination at work.

Data were obtained via a web‐based national questionnaire survey of the registered quantity surveyors. The results were analysed in order to establish the degree of significance between perceived levels of job satisfaction and the identified factors.

Demographic factors found to have a significant relationship with job satisfaction are gender and race. Workplace characteristics such as feelings of personal satisfaction, recognition, the opportunity to undertake challenging work and non‐repetitive work, the degree of supervision, participation in decision making, and the opportunity for social interaction at work were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction. Significant career choice factors include the fulfilment of career expectations, a willingness to choose the same career again, and a willingness to recommend the career to others. Discrimination on the basis of gender and religious affiliation were found to have a significant relationship with job satisfaction.

Little is known about the job satisfaction of design team professionals, particularly quantity surveyors. The findings provide indicators for managers of quantity surveying practices to facilitate improved job satisfaction amongst professional staff.