Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on studies on the ethics in the design phase in Norwegian construction projects. The ambition is to establish a descriptive picture of ethical challenges practitioners meet in the design phase in order to raise awareness among them. Design/methodology/approach In addition to a literature review and a document study of ethical frameworks within the industry, interviews with key participants were carried out according to a qualitative approach. The study was undertaken in order to address framework conditions for handling ethically challenging situations, challenges of an ethical nature practitioners commonly encounter in the design phase and finally the structural (systemic) reasons for such challenges. Findings This research finds indications of actors manoeuvring in the design phase for own benefit at the expense of other actors. The findings equally indicate that the design phase poses significant challenges in light of tender documents pricing and exploiting cost reimbursement contracts. In some of the projects examined, participants shifted loyalty after novation contracting and they actively tried to steer the decision processes in their own favour. Originality/value There does in fact seem to be perceptions of a room of manoeuvre between what is unlawful and what is ethically sound in this phase.
Designing, building and optimising projects as production systems producing value can be said to be the aim of construction management from an engineering perspective. However, the question is whose value are we optimising the system for? The lean philosophy tells we should deliver value to all the projects customers. However, here anyone that is impacted by the project is considered a customer, not just the paying client. Do all customers matter and is delivering value for all of them of equal importance?In this paper, we explore this matter by first looking into the literature on stakeholder management. Finding no suitable answers there we attack the question by considering the motivations for delivering value by a literature review and interviews with industry professionals. Finally, we discuss the implications that considering the perspective of multiple stakeholders brings to project management.The paper argues that the key to deciding whose value matter lies in understanding the motivation for why valueis delivered. However, to what degrees different factors motivates someone will be highly dependent on their philosophical outlook, thus making the matter of value for whom a philosophical question.
In recent years, takt has become an increasingly more common method to structure work in construction projects. Because of the tight coupling of activities in takt, ensuring that activities are done on time is crucial. The literature stresses having good takt plans and discusses how to react to delays in the takt production. However, there exists little literature about how site management can work proactively during takt execution to prevent delays.This paper presents a case study of Constoa major construction company in Norway and their experience working proactively to prevent takt production delays. The paper identifies several causes for delays experienced in the company and several approaches used in the case company to prevent them.We found that if delays were not prevented, they tended to propagate and compound through the production system, leading to a parade of delays. Furthermore, working proactively to prevent delays is contingent on having a high degree of buy-in and commitment from all trades participating in the takt. A key to achieving this was to involve all the trades in the takt planning process actively.
Delivering value for the customer is one of the core tenets of lean construction. However, anyone who is affected by a project is considered a customer of the project. Often, different customers of a project will be at odds with each with regards to what constitutes value for them. This could potentially lead to ethical dilemmas for the project delivery team. This is a subject that has so far been given little attention in literature.In this paper we set forth a theoretical framework for investigating ethical dilemmas in value delivery that will form the basis for future empirical research on ethical issues related to value delivery. More precisely we examine fundamental reasons for ethical dilemmas occurring in the context of value delivery. We theorize that ethical dilemmas in construction projects typically arises when there is misalignment of value between project stakeholders.
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