The unmanageability of construction and the theoretical psycho‐social dynamics of projects

Wild, A.

doi:10.1108/eb021229

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…These are seen to form a whole only at management ranks at higher levels and within senior professionals who may be allocated work in different parts of the company. Contractors are generally agreed to form parts of extensive and complex supply-chains, which include on the one hand the client and their advisory and investor connections and on the other hand suppliers of materials and labour (Wild, 2002). In addition, there are direct connections with various other stakeholders, such as the government and professional bodies who influence contractors' operations.…”

Section: Chaordic Learning Organisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human resource development in construction organisations

Raidén

Dainty

2006

The Learning Organization

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Purpose/ Methodology/ApproachThe concept of the Learning Organisation (LO) is associated with an advanced approach to Human Resource Development (HRD) characterised by an ethos of self-responsibility and self-development. The learning climate that this engenders is supported by temporary organisational structures responsive to environmental change. This paper presents case study research of the HRD strategy, policy and practice of a large UK-based construction contractor in relation to the concept of LO. FindingsThe analysis suggests that the organisational project-based structure and informal culture combine to form a 'chaordic LO'. A 'Chaordic enterprise' comprises a complex organisation that operates in a nonlinear dynamic environment. However, it appears that this approach has evolved unintentionally rather than as a result of targeted Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) policies, which in turn reflects a genuine commitment to advanced HRD. Originality/value of paperThe findings render previous assertions that the industry fails to invest in its employees highly questionable. They suggest a need for further research to reveal how such approaches can be captured in replicate in the future.

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Section: Chaordic Learning Organisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The construction sector is considered to be one of the most dynamic and complex industrial environments (Druker et al, 1996;Wild, 2002;Loosemore et al, 2003). It is a project-based industry within which individual projects are usually custom-built to client specifications (Bresnen, 1990;Loosemore et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human resource development in construction organisations

Raidén

Dainty

2006

The Learning Organization

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“…The literature also provides some interesting perspectives on how these interactions may occur. Sato (2016) and Wild (2002) identified the likelihood of complex sociotechnical subsystem interactions in project management and Fischer et al (2007) argued that these interactions must be hierarchical because of the directional nature of interactions between industry sustainability subsystems, such as the partial dependence of social sustainability activities on economic sustainability activities. Combining these concepts leads to the expectation that economic CS contributes features to the technical and social CS subsystems, along with environmental and social CS and that economic CS provides the initial contributions to both technical and social CS subsystems (Purvis et al, 2019).…”

Section: Literature Review 21 Construction Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Economic CS, however, possesses both social and technical subsystem features. Its technical subsystem characteristics result from economic CS resources, whilst its social subsystem characteristics result from the effects of economic CS on staff and the communities in which the organisation functions (Wild, 2002; Purvis et al ., 2019). Economic CS can also be expected to comprise the early technical and social subsystem features of a company's CS, contributing to CS before the environmental and social CS begin to contribute to CS because economic decisions occur at the first stage of a construction project (Pitt et al ., 2009; Brennan and Cotgrave, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of construction sustainability system interactions on financial performance: a sociotechnical perspective

Orr

Jadhav²

2023

ECAM

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PurposeConstruction sustainability (CS) is a strategic reaction to the sustainability expectations of the construction industry's external stakeholders. The extant literature has viewed the environmental, social and economic dimensions of CS as having independent effects on financial performance. Due to the influence of common stakeholders, however, interactions in these dimensions will be present in their effect on financial performance. Accordingly, this study identifies the mechanisms of the interactions between the three CS dimensions and how they jointly affect financial performance.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of GRI reports of 60 large construction organisations, followed by a hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify the interactions between environmental, social and economic CS in their effect on financial performance.FindingsEconomic CS was found to indirectly, and not directly, affect financial performance, the effect being mediated by both environmental and social CS. Environmental CS was found to have a strong negative effect on financial performance, whilst social CS was found to have a strongly significant positive effect on financial performance.Practical implicationsThe motivation for engaging in CS is that investment in economic CS will have a positive effect on both environmental and social CS outcomes, which, in turn can have a combined effect on financial performance.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies investigating the effect of interactions between the environmental, social and economic CS dimensions on the financial performance of construction organisations. It is also one of the first studies that applies a sociotechnical framework to this relationship.

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“…In those cases, actors tend to reject or modify a concept in order to adapt it to formally established structures and processes (Giddens, 1979 ), rather than modifying and/or designing processes in order to better integrate new ideas. Innovative ideas are sometimes intentionally ignored and discarded because they are considered too complex to manage-a pattern previously found by Wild ( 2002 ). This reaction, however, eventually produces adverse effects, intensifying iterations.…”

Section: Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Iterative Project Processes within Temporary Multi-Organizations in Construction: The Self-, Eco-, Re-Organizing Projects

Blois

Lizarralde

Coninck

2016

Project Management Journal

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Theory‐based studies claim that informal processes interfere with the formal mechanisms and structures of projects in the construction sector. These processes structure and transform multi‐organizations. This four‐year case study reveals empirical evidence about how processes effectively evolve over time and affect formal mechanisms and structures. The results show: (1) the significant differences between what is planned and what actually unfolds in project processes; (2) how iterative processes overshadow linear ones; (3) how informality and “iterativity” eventually end up as self‐, eco‐, and re‐organizing projects and organizations, confirming that projects (re)create the very processes and structures that initiate them.

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The unmanageability of construction and the theoretical psycho‐social dynamics of projects

Abstract: The articleÔresearchesÕ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ÔunmanageableÕ (Mintzberg,

Cited by 8 publications

References 13 publications

Human resource development in construction organisations

Human resource development in construction organisations

The effect of construction sustainability system interactions on financial performance: a sociotechnical perspective

Iterative Project Processes within Temporary Multi-Organizations in Construction: The Self-, Eco-, Re-Organizing Projects

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