Quality assurance of cross-border construction logistics and supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic era : evidence from the Hong Kong-mainland China links

Abstract

Cross-border construction logistics and supply chain (Cb-CLSC) is promoted to achieve regional connectivity of borders/countries. Several concerns have been raised with its existing quality assurance (QA) systems, and this has aggravated amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prior studies have paid limited attention to understanding how the QA has been influenced, including the challenges and the resultant impacts. Also, no attention has been paid to adequately positioning the QA for the post-pandemic era and future pandemics. A managerial framework could ensure adequate QA during pandemics and the post-pandemic era by taking lessons from how the existing QA systems have been impacted by COVID-19 and managed successfully.

This study aims to examine the QA of Cb-CLSC amid the COVID-19 pandemic and position it adequately for the post-pandemic era and endure the risks of a future pandemic. Four specific objectives are considered: (1) to review academia’s responses toward handling QA of Cb-CLSC amid the COVID-19 crisis, (2) to examine the critical areas of QA of Cb-CLSC affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) to examine the impact of the pandemic on QA of Cb-CLSC, and (4) to explore the critical and effective managerial practices (MPs) toward a framework development for adequate QA of Cb-CLSC for the post-pandemic era and to survive the risks of future pandemics. The specific objectives are achieved by analysing data from expert surveys and expert interviews from Hong Kong – Mainland China links via an embedded mixed-method approach.

It is found that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only had a detrimental impact on QA but also influenced the positioning of QA to be adequate for the post-pandemic era and future pandemics. Moreover, the critical challenges and the resultant impacts of the pandemic on the QA are explored along with sentiments to confirm the pandemic effect not being only negative. Overall, a managerial framework is developed to effectively position the QA to be adequate during a pandemic and post-pandemic, and this is related to balancing four elements: people (multiskilled experts), process (work/QA process), policy (pandemic-related policies), and technology. This can be achieved by considering and optimising the two main components revealed by this study in managerial decision-making: (1) policy-process-related practices and (2) people-technology-process-related practices.

The study provides a holistic understanding of the impact of the pandemic on the QA, including the critical areas of QA influenced by the pandemic, the critical challenges, and the critical resultant impacts. It establishes a managerial framework by extending the existing people-process-technology framework to develop a revised framework consisting of people, process, policy, and technology. This, if incorporated into policymaking and decision-making in organisations, could effectively position the QA to be adequate during pandemics and post-pandemic era. Due to limited data and the case study, it is difficult to extend the findings to affect decision-making in other economies. Future research could engage other economies to provide insight from varied international perspectives and collect more data to cover a larger range of knowledge to represent the population.

Keywords: COVID-19, Construction, Cross-border construction logistics and supply chain, Hong Kong–Mainland China links, Quality assurance