Will contractors pursue unsustainable practices following environmental recovery? : a highway case in China

Ting Shang, Xin Hu, Kunhui Ye, Vivian W. Y. Tam

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to map out contractors' thoughts on construction-related environmental recovery as an excuse for deliberately carrying on unsustainable construction. Design/methodology/approach: A typical highway construction project in China was investigated. Textual materials were collected through semistructured interviews. Content analysis was conducted to derive qualitative data from the textual materials. Findings: The research findings reveal a trend of environmental recovery associated with construction activities. It is found that contractors utilize this trend to maintain unsustainable construction. Furthermore, the effects of environmental recovery equip local governments with a tolerance for environmental degradation, and the environmental tolerance allows contractors to continue unsustainable construction without being discovered. Originality/value: This paper presents an environmental recovery-based perspective on unsustainable construction and sheds some light on the promotion of sustainable construction.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1165-1182
Number of pages18
JournalEngineering, Construction and Architectural Management
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Keywords

  • Environmental recovery
  • Sustainable construction
  • Environmental degradation tolerance
  • Highway construction

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