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This paper presents an iterative confidence interval based parametric refinement approach for questionnaire design improvement in the evaluation of working characteristics in construction enterprises. This refinement approach utilizes the 95% confidence interval of the estimated parameters of the model to determine their statistical significance in a least-squares regression setting. If this confidence interval of particular parameters covers the zero value, it is statistically valid to remove such parameters from the model and their corresponding questions from the designed questionnaire. The remaining parameters repetitively undergo this sifting process until their statistical significance cannot be improved. This repetitive model refinement approach is implemented in efficient questionnaire design by using both linear series and Taylor series models to remove non-contributing questions while keeping significant questions that are contributive to the issues studied, i.e., employees' work performance being explained by their work values and cadres' organizational commitment being explained by their organizational management. Reducing the number of questions alleviates the respondent burden and reduces costs. The results show that the statistical significance of the sifted contributing questions is decreased with a total mean relative change of 49%, while the Taylor series model increases the R-squared value by 17% compared with the linear series model. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 15180

Through questionnaire surveys, this study explored the discrepancies in work values and organizational management between employees and cadre members of construction enterprises on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Statistical methods including data reliability, regression analysis, and tests of significance were utilized for modelling a case study. The findings of this study included:(1) in terms of work values, employees from China focused on their lives "at present", while those from Taiwan focused on their lives "in the future", expecting to improve the quality of their lives later on through advanced studies and promotion; (2) according to the data obtained from the questionnaires, the answers regarding income and welfare in terms of work values and satisfaction were contradictory on the two sides of the Strait, which could be interpreted in terms of influence from society; and (3) there was a significant influence of organizational management on employees' intentions to resign. If enterprises could improve current organizational management systems, their employees' work attitudes would be improved and the tendency to resign would be reduced.

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The critical path method is the primary technique for project scheduling in construction engineering. However, the development of enterprises outside Taiwan has recently encountered difficulties in personnel dispatch and human resource acquisition. The management of time schedules without the consideration of human resource configuration may cause enterprises to make unrealistic decisions. Hence, the problems of project scheduling with limited human resources have been increasingly attracting attention from construction enterprises. Based on limited human resource configuration, this study uses computer aided design tool with a linear programming method to conduct a project scheduling for the optimal model with minimized costs for construction engineering applications. We find that the programming trial balance can effectively solve the problem of limited human resource configuration and compute the lowest construction costs. Specifically, the lowest cost obtained from the programming solution is RMB 25,315,752, which is RMB 1,920,632 lower than that in the former solution without resource constraints. Further, the scheduling procedure obtained by using the shortest path method connects with the programming trial balance to resolve the problem by changing the decision variables and relevant data, whose connection is easier and more convenient than under the pure critical path method. Moreover, according to the idea of CDIO engineering education, allowing the students to participate in scientific research project and scientific and technological innovation activities of different levels and types, it improves students’ learning capacity, innovation capability, cooperation capability, and engineering practical ability.