Researcher

My Expertise

Professor (Kenneth) Tak Wing Yiu is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of ‘soft power’ of construction professionals that reflects their non-technical capability and the importance of putting people and soft issues in the construction industry to achieve a collaborative, safe, and amicable business environment. He has a strong interest in adopting multi-disciplinary approach to study complex issues of human behaviors in the Built Environment from contract management, dispute management and safety management perspectives. He is also interested in investigating the opportunities (economic and social benefits) and risks (privacy, data-sharing & security, ethics) on technology adoptions in the Built Environment. 

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Building, Building construction management and project planning, Automation and technology in building and construction, Building organisational studies, Business ethics, Occupational and workplace health and safety, Business information management (incl. records, knowledge and intelligence), Sociology and social studies of science and technology, Industrial and employee relations

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Biography

Kenneth (Tak Wing) is a Professor in Construction Management and Property in the School of Built Environment at UNSW Sydney. His research career to date spans almost 18 years and he has a strong passion for conducting behavioral research in the field of construction management. As of today, he has already produced more than 100 research outputs, including international refereed journal articles, research monographs, book chapters, and...view more

Kenneth (Tak Wing) is a Professor in Construction Management and Property in the School of Built Environment at UNSW Sydney. His research career to date spans almost 18 years and he has a strong passion for conducting behavioral research in the field of construction management. As of today, he has already produced more than 100 research outputs, including international refereed journal articles, research monographs, book chapters, and conference papers. His research networks cover different countries/regions such as New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mainland China, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United States of America, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. He is also an active competitive research grant assessor for Hong Kong and New Zealand Governments. He is now being the associate editor of two international journals (ASCE Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)’s international journal Management, Procurement and Law). Recently he was elected to be the Editorial Board Member of an international journal  - Safety Science.

Before joining UNSW in January 2023, Kenneth was an instructor and lecturer at the Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong (CityU HK) (2005-2010), he then relocated to New Zealand to start the position of Senior Lecturer at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland (UoA) (2010-2019). At UoA, he was the Deputy Head of Department (Academic) (2015-2017) and Lecturer's Representative in the Senate (2016-2018). In 2019, he was appointed Associate Professor in Quantity Surveying in the School of Built Environment at Massey University (MU) (2019-2023). He was the Research Lead to provide leadership of all research-related matters in this School. 


My Grants

  • Building Research Levy Fund, Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) (PI, 2020-2022); (PI, 2020-2022)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) - (CoI, 2023-2026);(CoI, 2019-2022)
  • Visiting Fellowship 2014, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (PI)
  • General Research Fund (GRF), University Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR Government (PI, awarded, but withdrew due to relocation, 2010);
  • Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG), University Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR Government - (CoI, 2008-2010); (Co-I, 2007-2009)

My Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in Construction Management, City University of Hong Kong, 2005
  • B.Sc. (First-class Honours) in Quantity Surveying, City University of Hong Kong, 2001

 


My Awards

  • Best Paper Award (Runner Up) - ASCE Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction (2019)
  • Best Paper Award - The 6th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management, Oct 11-14, Busan, Korea (2015)
  • Fellowship - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)(2014) ASCE Outstanding Reviewer – ASCE Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction (2013, 2019)
  • Best Forum or Synopsis Paper Award - ASCE Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction (2012)
  • Grand Prize - the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors Outstanding Dissertation Award – PhD Category (2002)

My Research Activities

The following are Kenneth's research activities: 

‘Soft power’ of construction professionals that reflects their non-technical capability and the importance of putting people and soft issues in the construction industry to achieve a collaborative, safe, and amicable business environment. 

Human behaviors in the Built Environment from contract management, dispute management and safety management perspectives.

Opportunities (economic and social benefits) and risks (privacy, data-sharing & security, ethics) on technology adoptions in the Built Environment. 

 

Kenneth's publication metrics can be found here:

Scopus 

Web of Science 

Google Scholar


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

People in Construction 

Workforce Capability in Construction

Construction Health and Safety

Contract Managment

Construction Automation  


My Engagement

Academic Citizenships:

Professional Memberships: 

  • Professional Member, Quantity Surveying and Construction, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS)
  • Chartered Member, Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB)
  • Professional Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (MASCE)

 

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Location

Room 3001, Level 3, The Red Center

Contact

+61 2 9348 1603