Browsing by Author "Sanchez, Omar"

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    Exploring Perceptions toward Emotional Intelligence in Chilean Construction Using a Qualitative Approach
    (2024) Paez, Pedro; Araya, Felipe; Salazar, Luis Arturo; Gimenez, Zulay; Sanchez, Omar; Sierra-Varela, Leonardo; Neculman, Briguitte
    This study aims to analyze the perceptions of construction experts in the Chilean construction industry regarding emotional intelligence. This exploratory and qualitative study is based on data collected through semi-structured interviews with construction professionals. The collected data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis (QCA) technique to leverage how emotional intelligence (EI) is perceived by professionals in Chilean construction projects. A review, coding, and categorization were carried out within each transcribed interview, which allowed the elaboration of coding dictionaries and corresponding frequency tables to identify emerging topics. Our main results indicate that interviewees perceived EI as a tool to help them face the problems in Chilean construction projects. According to the interviewees, the benefits of implementing EI training are mainly the socio-emotional development and the transfer of critical skills to confront the challenges related to workers' interactions. The main barriers are related to the work culture, lack of awareness of EI among construction workers, economic interests, and gender factors. The literature points to limited studies on understanding emotional intelligence in the construction sector, particularly in South America. This study contributes to responding to the need to explore and provide knowledge on emotional intelligence in the construction sector in the context of a South American country. This study contributes to exploring and understanding how EI is understood among workers in Chilean construction projects. In practicality, construction managers may use our findings to design training programs that leverage EI to improve the management of construction projects.
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    Value generation analysis within the design process of construction projects in Chile
    (2024) Gimenez, Zulay; Herrera, Rodrigo F.; Sanchez, Omar
    Value generation occurs during the life cycle of construction projects. However, the ability to influence the projects' characteristics at the design stage increases the probability of maximizing value. Nevertheless, few studies assess value creation during the design. Considering this gap, the aim of this paper is to analyze the value generated at the design stage of Chilean construction projects. The research method responds to a descriptive type of study consisting of three stages: design value attributes definition, assessment and quantitative measurement of value applying a Value Analysis Model recently developed, and value comparison. Twenty-eight value attributes were selected from literature review and grouped into seven satisfaction conditions. The value assessment was performed through a questionnaire applied to 47 Chilean companies within the construction industry. The main findings show that 1) companies, in general, have low-value expectations related to the design process and, in turn, low-value generation, which can be negatives values; 2) projects tend to compensate the lack of indispensable attributes with the inclusion of attractive features, thereby demonstrating an absence of prioritization; and 3) the satisfaction conditions with the highest value generation are business environment, schedule and budget, and with lowest value generated are deliverables, integration and tools and technology. The primary contribution of this study is be useful to designers, managers and researchers, as it provides information on focus attributtes that require appropriate care to improve value within design-build processes; and for any project or company wanting to know its value benchmarking concerning other projects. (c) 2023 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/).