Globally, the construction industry contributes significantly to the GDPs of most economies. Niroula (2025) observed that the global construction market is currently valued at around $17 trillion and is expected to have significant growth in the coming years. However, despite its importance, the construction industry continues to face a myriad of grand and major societal challenges such as productivity issues arising from cost overruns, over consumption of natural resources and pollution of the environment (Yusof et al., 2017), workplace health and safety and unethical practice such as corruption and anti-competitive practices affecting the productivity of the construction industry (Jha and Bhagat, 2023; Ojo et al., 2025) and negatively impact society, the economy and the quality of construction projects (Nkoba and Amoah, 2025). Further, the construction industry is a hazardous sector with a heightened risk to workers’ mental health and well-being (MHW), and according to Niroula (2025), the construction industry is consistently ranked as one of the most fraudulent sectors globally. Therefore, research into mitigating measures to curb these unethical practices, which subsequently lead to overpriced and delayed projects, is timely. Hence, Ojo et al. (2026) shed more light on this area using an integrity-based approach to ethics management (IBAEM) metrics impact on construction project performance (PPF). The impact of construction on the environment continues to attract interest among researchers, and these problems are linked with the management of construction waste have risen over the past decade because of increased waste production (Chuene et al., 2026). This challenge has led to calls for more research on the integration of digital transformation in circular economy (CE) practices, exploring applications of Industry 4.0 (Ndoka et al., 2025). The cost overruns remain a problem in the AEC sector, and as indicated by Reja et al. (2022), monitoring of the progress of construction projects becomes crucial, as it provides vital inputs for managers to make timely and informed decisions. Consequently, in responding to Chen (2019) challenges, research around knowledge-driven solutions to effectively tackle the problem of overruns within an enlarged project scale should be undertaken. Hence, Parameswaran et al. (2026) provided insights into how the development of a framework for integrating XR in construction project monitoring (CPM) can be the solution. According to Garcia et al. (2022), improving the productivity of the AEC can be achieved through enhanced machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks (ANN). Hence, the paper by Rabiei (2026) offers more insights into labour productivity, which is considered as one of two crucial resources (i.e., labour and equipment) of productivity (Lim et al., 2024). Therefore, following on the previous issue 4, the categorisation of the topics on grand challenges as provided by Chen (2019) are used in the current issue 5 and the papers covers the following topics: People/workforce; Product/production; Processes; and best practice based on the management of people/workforce and product/production and processes, and each paper in this general issue is mapped to the relevant grand challenge. The significance of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is evident in this issue, as three papers are aligned with the SDG 3 of “Good health and well-being” in the paper by Le and Nguyen (2026), exploring the relationship between psychological distress and work performance; SDG 12 on “Responsible consumption and production” by Otasowie, et al. (2026); Alias et al. (2026), which addresses CE-related issues and Luvara et al. (2026) in addressing the urbanization challenges with their study fostering cross-country knowledge sharing and collaboration to advance global sustainability strategies on sustainable construction practices is well aligned SDG 17 on “partnerships for the goals.” The SDGs are acknowledged in literature as encapsulating societal grand challenges (Wickert et al., 2021), and therefore, the papers in this issue provide solutions in tackling these grand challenges and produce research that is impactful. As pointed out by Ortiz-de-Montellano et al. (2023), this kind of research, as reported in this issue, is critical to helping practitioners and policymakers evaluate their practices and approaches to the attainment of the SGDs.
As acknowledged by Purtle et al. (2023), policy is receiving increasing attention in the field of implementation science. However, this has received less attention in construction and engineering research. Therefore, it is pleasing that in this issue, one of the papers (Alias et al., 2026) applies the policy-oriented social strategies in responding to grand challenges and societal issues (pollution from construction processes) in shaping CE-based infrastructure project. The study also fits in Purtle et al. (2023)’s conceptualisation of policymaking with policy as “something to do” where the goal of research is to understand how policymakers’ minds can be changed so that their behaviours contribute to policymaking processes that increase the adoption, and thus reach, of the evidence-supported policy. Thus, the Alias et al. (2026) study is well positioned in incorporating the evidence for policy implementation as it is situated within this gap between conceptual ambition and implementation reality. Most of the papers have also highlighted the implications and recommendations for policy within their discussion and conclusion sections. As observed by De Marchi et al. (2025), the discussion and conclusion sections are key areas where authors should clearly articulate the policy insights or policy recommendations. It is also encouraging to note that papers in this issue have acknowledged the different policy actors. For instance, Oni and Aigbavboa (2026) indicated the specific implications for policymakers in the government by suggesting that it [government] should provide a supporting environment for the reform agenda. The use of partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in construction and engineering research continues. According to Hair et al. (2019), this technique primarily focuses on the interplay between prediction and theory testing, and the method appeals to many researchers, as it enables them to estimate complex models with several constructs, indicator variables and structural paths without imposing distributional assumptions on the data. Two papers in this issue, Antwi Afari et al. (2026) and Alias et al. (2026), have used PLS-SEM in examining the influence of sustainable project management on project success and the role of governance, integration and policy-oriented social strategies in shaping CE-based infrastructure projects, respectively. The application is appropriate as Batra (2023) identified project success/PPF as applied in the Antwi Afari et al. (2026) and sustainability as in the case of Alias et al. (2026), as two of the seven domains where construction management scholars commonly use PLS-SEM.
This issue continues the same trend as the previous one in vol 24, issue 4 by responding and tackling grand challenges, large and small. As reported by Wickert et al. (2021), scholars should contribute more substantially to broader societal concerns. Papers in this issue employ various theoretical lenses including transition theory and institutional perspectives, resource-based view (RBV) theory, contractual exchange theory, social learning theory (SLT) and the theory of planned behaviour, as this is paramount. Moreso, theory guides the acquisition of knowledge (Lim, 2026). Thus, this general issue published in the Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology consists of eleven articles from a combined total of 31 authors drawn from 11 countries, both developing and developed and spread across 4 out of the 7 continents as follows: Asia (Hong Kong, Iran, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam); Africa (Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa); Australia/Oceania (Australia) and Europe (UK). The issue also draws on studies from 4 of the most populous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, namely, Nigeria, which is the most populated with a population of 242,431,832 and representing 15.4% of Africa’s total population; South Africa ranked 6th with 65,453,084 inhabitants, Ghana ranked 14th with a population of 35,697,557 and Malawi (21,104,482, ranked 21st). This huge population has its own challenges in achieving the SDGs; particularly those related to health, education and gender equality can contribute to slowing global population growth (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2022; Luvara et al., 2026), as well as the need for expanding infrastructure (Mofokeng et al., 2024). Moreso, as noted by Ndoka et al. (2025), most people live in developing countries and by 2050 will account for more than 90% of the world’s total population. Hence, inclusion of such countries is highly significant from a research perspective. Studies have shown that public–private partnerships (PPPs) can be vehicles for funding the investments to address housing and infrastructure expansions from population growth, and as a solution to delivering affordable, low-cost housing in developing countries (Kavishe et al., 2018; Kavishe and Chileshe, 2019). Moreso, there are synergies between population growth and the amount of waste generated, and thus highlighting the need for having a proper waste management system in place, as well as research in CE practices (Maalouf and Agamuthu, 2023). However, the success of the PPPs is also dependent on the enabling environments and government reforms. The research outcomes reported in this issue are varied and include a data-driven framework, an evidence-based framework for bridging machine learning and lean construction maturity models (LCMMs), framework for integrating extended reality (XR) in CPM. These reported frameworks have the potential of bridging the science-policy and policy-practice divide as indicated in the previous issue 4 and supported by studies such as Dale et al. (2019), who acknowledge that such research outputs are pathways to improving the integration of science into policy and practice. There is a range of research focus and exploring a diverse array of issues related to applications of XR to construction progress monitoring, impact of ethics management on PPF, LCMMs, psychological distress and work performance, PPPs, CE, sustainable project management and project success, productivity prediction, construction sites and psychosocial work environment and finally CE business models (CEBMs).
There is a growing need for undertaking impactful research leading to different forms of impact such scholarly, practical, societal, policy and education (Wickert et al., 2021). All the papers in this issue address this by reporting on one or more of the identified impacts. These range from identifying the impact on industry through a staged pathway that aligns machine learning (ML) adoption with organisational capability, thereby reducing the risk of premature technological investment, societal impact such as enhancing construction PPF in business environments bedevilled by corruption to including societal value arising through more stable project systems, improved efficiency and strengthened sector capacity that supports long-term infrastructure performance. Other examples include reporting on the scholarly and industry impact by demonstrating how the developed framework paves the way for researchers and industry professionals to overcome barriers, ensure proper implementation and strengthen its theoretical impact on XR in CPM (Parameswaran et al., 2026). Jayanetti et al. (2026) also offered practical guidance for policymakers and industry leaders, whilst Otasowie et al. (2026) study demonstrated through their developed framework how relational and digital strategies work together to enhance client engagement and support the practical, theoretical and policy implications of this study. As observed by Shapira (2011), scientific research in management should contribute to knowledge. Therefore, this issue includes diverse types of knowledge contribution domains such as the conceptual domain, methodological domain or substantive domain as advocated by Ladik and Stewart (2008). According to MacInnis (2011), these conceptual contributions are further categorised into the following four types: envisioning new ideas, relating ideas, explicating ideas or debating ideas. Equally, as advocated by Setkute and Dibb (2025), implications and practical contributions as reported are associated with the research findings, bridging the theory-practice divide with the relevance and specific stakeholders to whom these [implications] apply identified. Finally, the papers and geographical spread of the authors continue to be aligned with the Journal’s scope and mission of expanding the boundaries of knowledge in these fields and provide an international forum for the interchange of information and current issues from around the world, whilst responding to the grand challenges as identified in Ferraro et al. (2015).
In their study, Luvara et al. (2026) addressed the sustainability challenges facing the construction industry in Sub-Saharan Africa because of resource constraints, population growth and urbanization and compared the sustainable construction practices in two of the low- and middle-income nations, namely Malawi and Tanzania. From the twenty-four sustainable construction practices identified through a cross-sectional quantitative approach using literature review and expert validation, the findings established significant differences in nine sustainable practices, in the social dimension, highlighting regional variations in sustainability priorities. Malawi emphasized social sustainability, while Tanzania demonstrated a balanced focus on socio-economic and environmental aspects. The study offers a unique contribution by revealing cross-country differences often overlooked in single-country studies. The study’s implications (policy and practical) are more specific to the policymakers who should enforce health, safety and community engagement standards in construction. Likewise, practitioners must enhance social sustainability efforts and build capacity for whole-life costing and environmental practices.
Growing sustainability pressures are compelling the construction industry to adopt CEBMs. Therefore, Otasowie et al. (2026) examined the relationship attributes that will enable construction organisations to establish and maintain client engagement within the CEBMs framework. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, five attributes emerged as significant in strengthening client relationships for CEBM in construction organisations. They are Web advertisements, emails, social media, electronic learning and one-to-one marketing. The findings highlighted the client relationship attributes as fundamental enablers, and the proposed framework shows how relational and digital strategies work together to enhance client engagement and support the practical, theoretical and policy implications of this study. The emergent practical contributions are that construction organisations can have clear guidance for designing relationship strategies that engage diverse client groups and reinforce their transition towards circular practices. Policymakers could encourage the use of digital tools to track material flows, report circular performance and support client education and incentives for personalised, trust-based engagement strategies, which can accelerate CEBM adoption.
In their research, Parameswaran et al. (2026) developed a framework for integrating XR in CPM within the Sri Lankan construction industry using an interpretivism stance. The findings revealed benefits, including real-time automated updates and the ability to measure both physical and financial progress, as well as barriers to integrating XR technology into CPM, primarily a lack of financial capabilities to afford an XR system and top management’s reluctance to adopt innovative technology. This framework can be used to devise strategies for overcoming barriers to the current implementation of the XR system. The research outcomes are significant for industry professionals seeking to implement the XR framework in BIM-integrated projects. Further, this study contributes to theoretical knowledge by identifying the benefits and barriers to XR implementation and by proposing strategies to overcome these barriers and extends existing knowledge on XR to developing countries with similar socio-economic, demographic or cultural characteristics to Sri Lanka.
Due to the diverse nature of the factors influencing labour productivity in construction projects, Rabiei (2026) presented a dynamic optimization model using metaheuristic algorithms in combination with ANN to achieve more reliable labour productivity predictions in construction project activities. Using a case study to predict labour productivity in a construction project, the findings indicated that, in alignment with the case study data, WOA-based training performed better than other candidates in the intelligent system, providing more accurate results in terms of both accuracy and convergence. The study’s implications are that the proposed model can provide necessary information with an acceptable level of accuracy to managers, offering a clearer perspective for timely decision-making—even before project completion. In addition, the data-driven framework can serve as a supportive tool for managers in making timely decisions during the construction phase. Finally, the practical applications of the proposed intelligent model demonstrate its flexibility and capability for updating across various project activities with diverse natures.
In addressing the societal issues of ethics, given that construction project procurement faces various unethical practices chaired by construction organisation leaders, Ojo et al. (2026) examined the impact of IBAEM metrics on construction PPF. The study, which adopts SLT as the overarching theoretical lens to explain how IBAEM influences, employed PLS-SEM to analyse the data. The findings revealed that management responsibility and ethics monitoring (EMO) were the most significantly associated with PPF. The emergent implication is that the ethical stand of senior management with EMO strategies is fundamental to getting construction professionals to execute construction projects on time, cost and quality. The study’s findings contribute theoretically and practically to ethical discourse in construction organisations by unveiling the IBAEM metric that could be strengthened in the construction industry of developing nations. Some policy implications are evident in these, which could be formulated to ensure that construction organisations conduct integrity checks on a regular basis, analyse the data and act upon the findings accordingly.
Antwi Afari et al. (2026) examined the influence of sustainable project management on project success. A quantitative approach employing the PLS-SEM was used to analyse the measurement and structural model. The findings established that sustainable project management (SPM) substantially and positively influences project success. It also confirms the RBV theorist who argues that SPM is one of the primary variables of PS, implying that adopting and implementing SPM capabilities might permit firms to obtain a competitive edge by successfully completing projects. The study’s significance is by extending the existing literature while also offering a crucial perspective on the emerging pattern of SPM and PS. Moreover, it adds to practice by assisting decision-makers, construction professionals and policymakers in organising and implementing public-sector projects. By exploring and assessing the framework of this in a novel, less-researched African country, the authors are extending knowledge of SPM to other scholars, senior management and professionals in the construction sector.
In shedding more light on understanding the performance of PPP projects, Oni and Aigbavboa (2026) investigated the impact of fiscal, monetary, regulatory and institutional reforms on the structure, finance and performance of PPP projects in Nigeria’s construction sector. Using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to analyse the data, the findings established the following five reform dimensions: institutional and regulatory reform capacity, PPP performance and reform outcomes, macroeconomic and financial risk exposure, investment climate and economic stability and fiscal sustainability. The study contributes to the existing PPP literature that highlights the importance of institutions’ strength, macroeconomic stability and fiscal credibility for the success of PPPs. Implications emerge as policymakers should ensure that economic reform policies are aligned with the strengthening of institutional reform capacity and fiscal credibility to improve the robustness of PPP models. The RBV theory served as the theoretical lens for this investigation, and the outcomes demonstrated that SPM substantially and positively influences PS.
In their research, Moshashaei et al. (2026) reconceptualised the construction site as a psychosocial–physical workplace using the PRISMA guidelines and synthesised evidence from 51 studies published between 2014 and 2025. The findings showed that the indicators mapped to both negative outcomes (e.g., stress, burnout) and positive outcomes (e.g., resilience, engagement). The review also showed that construction sites function not only as sources of job demands but also as environments that can strengthen workers’ sense of clarity, control and purpose, mechanisms central to improving MHW. The emergent practical implication from this study is that the framework supports practitioners and regulators in prioritising site-level interventions, such as environmental controls, welfare provision and space design, which integrate mental health into safety management and workplace planning. The study provides theoretical contributions by extending prior reviews that emphasised psychosocial or organisational determinants by positioning construction sites as integrated psychosocial physical workplaces and proposes a conceptual model to inform site-level safety strategies and environmental design interventions.
Responding to the growing concern within the construction industry around psychological distress and limited empirical studies on its relationship with work performance, Le and Nguyen (2026) investigated the relationship between psychological distress and work performance, with a focus on the Vietnamese construction context. From the ML algorithms applied to the data, the analysis revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship consistent with the Yerkes–Dodson law. Specifically, work performance improved under mild psychological distress but declined beyond a threshold of 8.75. These findings are significant and underscore the importance of understanding and managing distress to remain productive. The study also highlights that work performance improves with mild distress but begins to decline sharply when psychological distress passes a certain level. These findings further suggest that employees should not try to eliminate all distress but instead focus on keeping distress at a healthy level. The study makes theoretical contributions by advancing existing knowledge by clarifying the nature of the distress–performance relationship. Prior studies assumed a linear negative effect.
In response to challenges facing developing countries around the contextual barriers and integration of digital technologies into the LCMMs, Jayanetti et al. (2026) investigated how ML can integrate with LCMMs to improve their adaptability in the Sri Lankan construction context. Grounded in pragmatism, a qualitative choice was adopted, using the Delphi technique from which 25 barriers were identified, mapped across these seven stages, leading to the identification of 10 ML attributes whose suitability was assessed across each level. Subsequently, a comprehensive integration framework was developed, which outlined relevant ML tools, techniques and fusion methods. Findings revealed that organisations at early maturity levels face more barriers, which decrease with progression, while ML attribute suitability shows the opposite trend, with fewer applicable attributes in initial stages and more at advanced levels. This research is significant and novel as it is the first study to bridge ML and LCMMs for developing countries, offering a structured, evidence-based framework that aligns ML capabilities with maturity stages. It also advances theoretical understanding of LCMM adaptability while introducing a novel integration pathway tailored for resource-constrained contexts. The study’s research contribution lies in redefining LCMMs as dynamic capability systems and in introducing the first empirically validated seven-level ML-integrated LCMM.
Finally, Alias et al. (2026) examined the role of governance, integration and policy-oriented social strategies in shaping CE-based infrastructure projects in Malaysia. A combined EFA and PLS-SEM was employed, and the findings highlighted that social sustainability in CE-based infrastructure is not driven by isolated interventions, but by the systemic alignment of transparent governance, inclusive integration and coherent policy frameworks. The study provides theoretical contributions and practical implications by clarifying construct delineation and reducing conceptual circularity in CE social strategy research. Practically, it provides evidence to guide public authorities, industry actors and policymakers toward institutional reforms that prioritise governance capacity, structured integration mechanisms and policy coherence. Most importantly, this paper enhances our understanding of embedding CE by providing empirical evidence that structured social strategies enable more effective and sustained CE implementation within infrastructure systems.
