Construction management and economics: the epistemology of a multidisciplinary design science

Voordijk, Hans

doi:10.1080/01446190903117777

Cited by 35 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 54 publications

(58 reference statements)

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“…An important outcome of this type of research is an artifact that solves a domain problem, also known as solution concept, which must be assessed against criteria of value or utility [30]. Even though this approach was developed originally in the area of Information Systems, a number of authors, such as Voordijk [31] and AlSehaime et al [32], suggest that design science research should be used to produce appropriate multidisciplinary solution concepts for solving complex and relevant problems in the Built Environment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adopting Product Modularity in House Building to Support Mass Customisation

2015

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Product modularity is a concept that can contribute to the improvement of product quality and production efficiency in house-building. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature on the concepts that define product modularity. Furthermore, little attention has been given to the differences between building construction and manufacturing, for which product modularity was originally developed. This research aims to address that gap by adapting the conceptualization of product modularity so that it can effectively be used in the house-building industry. The methodological approach adopted in this study was Design Science Research, and two empirical studies were carried out on construction companies based in Brazil and in the U.K. Those studies are used to illustrate the applicability and utility of the proposed concepts and tools. Research findings indicate that the adoption of product modularity concepts results in benefits to both traditional construction technologies and prefabricated building systems.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adopting Product Modularity in House Building to Support Mass Customisation

2015

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“…Recently, it has been argued that research approaches such as design science, constructive research and action research offer alternative methods to improve the level of performance in practice (Van Aken, 2005;Järvinen, 2007;Koskela, 2008;Voordijk, 2009). These authors argue that many construction problems can potentially be mitigated via such research approaches.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving construction management practice with the Last Planner System: a case study

AlSehaimi

Fazenda

Koskela

2014

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

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Construction management suffers from many problems which need to be solved or better understood. The research described in this paper evaluates the effectiveness of implementing the Last Planner System (LPS) to improve construction planning practice and enhance site management in the Saudi construction industry. To do so, LPS was implemented in two large state-owned construction projects through an action research process. The data collection methods employed included interviews, observations and a survey questionnaire. The findings identify major benefits covering many aspects of project management, including improved construction planning, enhanced site management and better communication and coordination between the parties involved. The fact that the structural work in one of the projects studied was completed two weeks ahead of schedule provides evidence of improvement of the specific site construction planning practices. The paper also describes barriers to the realisation the full potential of LPS, including the involvement of many subcontractors and people's commitment and attitude to time. KEY WORDS: Construction planning, Last Planner System implementation, action research INTRODUCTIONWhile it is accepted that construction management suffers from many practical problems which need to be solved or better understood (Wing et al., 1998; Love et al., 2002), research in this field tends typically to be descriptive and explanatory, which makes it inappropriate to solve the most persistent managerial problems (Koskela, 2008). One of the most commonly recurring problems in construction is delay. Synthesis of previous studies on delay in various countries reveals that poor project management is one of the main reported reasons for construction delay (Mansfield et al., 1994;Ogunlana and Promkuntong, 1996;Mezher and Tawil, 1998; AlMomani, 2000;Odeh and Battaineh, 2002;Abdul-Rahman et al., 2006;Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006; Sweis et al., 2007). In these studies, controllable factors related to poor project management were identified as the most often repeated causes of delay. Such factors included ineffective planning and control, poor site management, poor communication and coordination

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“…Seymour and Rooke, 1995). The exceptions have been Voordijk (2009) and Green (2011). Voordijk (2009) suggests widening attention on to how construction management researchers 'perceive knowledge and the ways that knowledge can be generated in this field of study'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

A critique of conceptions of design and management in construction projects

Boyd

2012

Construction Management and Economics

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Construction is about changing the world in the future from our intentions. This involves organizing and manipulating the physical and social world through design, management and craft. These require thinking about the desired end product but also the means of achieving it. Thinking is set in social norms, here called pre-conceptualizations, which configure our conceptions and give them social validity, forming expectations of what can happen and how to improve it. The conventional pre-conceptualization of construction design and management is critiqued using a case study. This pre-conceptualization is shown to be backward looking where the future is assumed to be like the past and knowledge is ascribed to individuals. The causes of failure then appear evident and knowable inducing maladaptive management and blame of individuals. However, design/management is in reality forward looking; events cannot be seen with such significance looking into the future. Two alternative pre-conceptualizations are presented and their implications explored. The first acknowledges evolution, which works against intent, thus explaining deviations. The second involves complexity science where intentions are emergent phenomena and socially constituted, thus explaining improvisation and improvement. In conclusion, new pre-conceptualizations are required to avoid blame cultures, facilitate creative solutions and develop enduring improvements.

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Construction management and economics: the epistemology of a multidisciplinary design science

Cited by 35 publications

References 54 publications

Adopting Product Modularity in House Building to Support Mass Customisation

Adopting Product Modularity in House Building to Support Mass Customisation

Improving construction management practice with the Last Planner System: a case study

A critique of conceptions of design and management in construction projects

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