The Emotional Intelligence (EI) concept is prevalent within management literature and is recognised as an important skill for managers in achieving organisational effectiveness. However, scholars report an unwillingness by the construction industry to fully embrace this concept. This study aims to provide an assessment of Emotional Intelligence research that relates specifically to construction project managers (CPM) and construction professionals (CP) through a literature review which involved a chronological and interpretive approach. Findings revealed that, in general, only a minimal number of investigations have been carried out with regards to the construction industry. Characteristics of reviewed studies include a predominance of quantitative methodologies and lack of consideration for both cultural orientation and the nature of the task/activity. It is suggested that studies of EI in construction need to consider concepts applied in social and management studies such as 'Identity and Culture' so as to discover more insights on how EI can be trained and utilized. The study offers relevant information for researchers, instructors and construction professionals on ways to harness practical benefits of EI.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the critical realism (CR) philosophical viewpoint and how it can be applied in qualitative research. CR is a relatively new and viable philosophical paradigm proposed as an alternative to the more predominant paradigms of positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism. This paper reviews the concept, its benefits and limitation. It goes further to provide an example of how CR is used as a philosophical and methodological framework with the systems thinking theory to applied qualitative research.Design/methodology/approachA study of project management challenges in a Nigerian government organisation is used to demonstrate a qualitative research approach, which includes a coding process and data analysis that is consistent with CR ontology and epistemology.FindingsCR focuses primarily on closed systems. However, a more accurate explanation of reality is obtained in addition to the identification of contextual causal mechanisms in the context of study when a general systems theory is applied.Research limitations/implicationsThe knowledge about the nature of relationships obtained in the context of study may not necessarily be replicated in another context. However, this paper elucidates a CR process that is generalisable by demonstrating how a theory is applied in a different context.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates how systems theory is used to understand interactions in a CR paradigm. It engages with CR approach critically and illustrates a clear example of how CR can be applied in social research.

The concept of sustainability reporting is now an essential tool through which organisations demonstrate accountability to their stakeholders. The increasing market pressure coupled with the awareness of the consequences of organisations' activities suggests the need for organisations to report their sustainability credentials. Sustainability performance reports should provide adequate information on organisations' social, economic, and environmental performance. However, the current process through which organisations communicate their sustainability performance to stakeholders is questionable and remains a significant concern. This study assessed the current state and direction of research on sustainability performance reporting by conducting a bibliometric literature review of peer-reviewed studies on sustainability performance reporting published between 1987 and 2022. The findings highlight the misconceptions between sustainability and CSR when reporting organisations' sustainability performance. Furthermore, businesses and scholars prioritise reporting instead of communication with stakeholders. The observed lack of engagement with stakeholders indicates that the reported performance may not reflect the impact of business activities on the three dimensions of sustainability. Rather than adopting a one-way information dissemination approach, this study concludes that the desired performance can only be achieved through two-way communication with stakeholders.

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Over the time Nigeria economy is largely public sector driven, in which the seaports were not left out: managed by Nigerian Port Authority (NP A). With the seaports under the autonomous of NPA were faced with strangulating problems ranging from inefficiency of it services rendered, insecurity of ships and cargo, lack of modern infrastructures, inefficiency of the NPA staff and excess bureaucracy and sharp practice (corporate) these factors make port tariff on import and export higher than they need to be, couple with the technology trend in maritime transport which required huge capital fund. The government call for ports reforms; a reform that will liberalized and deregulate the seaport by the use of concession contract, this mandate the NPA to transfer terminals operators while NPA concentrates to play the role of landlord oversight functions. The government went further to reform the import guidelines procedures and documentation requirement, changing it form Preshipment Inspection (PSI) to Destination Inspection (DI). The Seaport reforms which government introduced in 1996 eliminated the crippling delays in the clearance of import goods in the ports. This research study will examine the dynamics of port operations, the contribution of private operator in seaport operations, and services; technological development: considering the variable attached to seaport operations. Furthermore, this research analyze private sector capital investment in port and maintenance of infrastructures, superstructures and the contract of concession with other practicing nations, while from drawn questionnaire and secondary data the research will examine how and if Nigeria will benefit in the area of capacity building, physical development and if at all there is competition among the terminal operators considering there role in the concession regime. Finally, emphasis and comparison will be laid on cargo throughout, ship tum around, clearing procedures and port charges with the involvement of private participation.