If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The aim of this paper is to inquire into the management of construction supply chains by directing attention toward the different types of interdependencies that exist in such chains and in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is developed as part of two ongoing research projects on supply chain management (SCM) in construction. A case study approach is used for illustrating the production and subsequent delivery and installation of plasterboards to a specific construction project. This description reveals extensive coordination among a number of companies and features interesting examples of the consequences of the interdependencies identified. Findings -The paper concludes that the strong emphasis on coordination of sequential interdependence within individual supply chains does not fit with the complex interdependencies present in and among supply chains and projects in construction. In addition to sequential interdependence it describes and illustrates pooled interdependence based on joint resource utilisation, reciprocal interdependence among activities undertaken at the construction site, and interdependence owing to synchronisation of many supply chains in relation to each and every construction project. The combined effects of these interdependencies challenge traditional SCM recommendations, such as moving activities from the site to the factory. Originality/value -The main theoretical argument put forward in this paper is that the application of SCM models developed for other industrial contexts such as the automotive industry, are problematic to use in the construction industry. This is because these models emphasise integration of activities that are subject mainly to sequential interdependencies while the pattern of interdependence is very different in construction. A main implication for practice is that focusing on better planning in order to deal with activities that are mainly subject to sequential interdependence, is insufficient. The reciprocal interdependencies in construction require more frequent and direct interaction among the involved actors to enable mutual adjustments among the firms whose activities and resource use ...
Research highlights-We combine insights from the industrial network approach with the explorationexploitation dichotomy to study the logic of innovation in construction -A framework is developed that illustrates the exploration and exploitation processes across the project, company, and network levels in construction -The framework is used to analyze findings from research on innovation in the Norwegian and Swedish construction industry -The research shows that the logic of innovation in construction may be explained by the network context in which construction companies act -Appropriate relations must be established both in the internal and external network to achieve a balance between exploration and exploitation 2 ABSTRACTThe paper investigates the logic of innovation in construction by addressing four questions: What is actually being renewed in construction? How is it being done? Who is involved? Why do or do not the companies innovate? The paper draws on a combination of an industrial network perspective and the exploration-exploitation dichotomy to analyze data from a study of innovation in the Norwegian and Swedish construction industries. The findings show that construction companies are increasingly working more systematically to turn project-level ideas into company-wide knowledge. This indicates an innovation logic that is oriented towards exploitation of new combinations through the internal network. The companies are also increasingly concerned with establishing closer connections to customers and users, which have traditionally been weak. This has led to an orientation towards exploitation through the external network, at least on the customer side. In turn, this may lead to more innovative behavior and renewal in the industry as a whole. However, it requires that not only the customer relationships must change, but also relationships on the supply side. Companies in the construction industry should be conscious about their innovation logic, in terms of whether they base their innovation behavior on a biased orientation towards exploitation or exploration and towards the internal or external network. A balance is needed.
This research examines the interplay between formal and informal contracting in integrated project delivery (IPD). It investigates how the interplay enables parties in health-care construction projects to cope with uncertainty and complexities, due to, among others, changing demands. New delivery models based on collaborative interaction, such as IPD models, often rely on relational contracting principles, defined as the simultaneous use of formal contracts and informal relational mechanisms to govern relationships between partners. Five case studies of IPD health-care construction projects in the USA and Norway are presented and analysed. The results show that the projects rely heavily on the formal contracts and structures to stimulate collaboration between the project team members and to enhance problem-solving. However, informal mechanisms play just as an important role. While formal mechanisms facilitate the building of trust and personal relationships between the partners, the formal mechanisms are in turn created and recreated through informal practices, illustrating a mutual constitutive relationship between the two types of mechanisms. The findings also indicate that previous experiences reinforce informal mechanisms in the project. The paper concludes that IPD models involve a complex interplay between formal and informal mechanisms, which engenders commitment resulting in joint problem-solving and responsibility throughout the construction process. The findings also indicate that even if the dynamic context and future uncertainties in health care are taken into account, dealing with such flexibility issues is not at the core of the current IPD model.
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