Exploration of factors which affect trust within the context of construction partnering

In recent times partnering strategies for procurement of major capital construction projects have been promoted as a vehicle to obtain better value and increase levels of quality and service delivery. Yet there is still evidence of low levels of client satisfaction, owing mostly to lack of trust. A review of literature has identified a theoretical framework for the creation and development of trust as a means to facilitate more effective business relationships which the study will discuss within the context of the UK construction industry and specifically partnering agreements. Possible explanations why organisations are wary to trust their partners are outlined as scepticism of realisable benefits, opportunism and inequitable working relationships. Trust is considered from the perspective of its attributes and factors that will have an influence on it. A qualitative research methodology approach is adopted through interviews with eight senior construction professionals with the research sample restricted to those UK based contracting, consulting and client organisations that have had experience of partnering projects and strategies. Coding and analysis of the resultant data has provided some insight as to why organisations may feel vulnerable about vesting trust in their partners. This lack of trust may have caused a lack of appetite for taking perceived unnecessary risks considering certain practices, attitudes and behaviours of partnering organisations. This is especially the case in project partnering, where relationships are perceived to be short term, as opposed to strategic partnering. Potential trust building measures to overcome such dilemmas have emerged and these include informal networking, professional development and team workshops. Future research is recommended to further explore how trust building initiatives can be designed and implemented in developing a framework for increasing trust in partnering strategies

Partnering practices: An investigation of influences on project success

Historically, traditional procurement systems have resulted in low levels of client satisfaction, owing mostly to poor cost and time predictability. Alternative approaches, including partnering and collaborative working have consequently been developed. This paper examines whether such collaborative approaches can deliver improvements in project procurement and management, and considers the extent to which partnering practices influence the success of building projects. Project success in this regard is measured in terms of cost predictability, programme implications, quality control, health and safety, risk management, teamwork and communications. A focus is made on the importance and influence of contractor selection processes within collaborative procurement, and what constitutes best practice in this regard. Exploratory interviews were conducted with a group of construction project managers who have had extensive experience with both collaboratively and traditionally procured construction projects. Coding and analysis of the resultant data indicated that collaborative procurement routes do have many advantages over traditional adversarial routes in most cases, but not all. Practitioners regarded the individuals deployed on projects having more influence on success than choice of procurement method. Projects were categorised as suitable or unsuitable for modern innovative procurement methods, dependent on a number of determining factors. There is support for the premise that partnering practices can potentially yield more benefits where projects are highly complex. Early supply chain involvement in design is required, and robust contractor selection processes are vital for collaborative procurement to be successful. Further research is proposed to expand the knowledge base around the range of suitable projects which may benefit from partnering approaches to procurement, in order to facilitate decisions in practice

Collaborative procurement: an exploration of practice and trust in times of austerity

Despite authoritative calls for an increase in collaborative working and partnering practices, recent austerity is causing many companies to move back towards traditional competitive procurement routes. Clients may feel the only way to assure themselves that they are not paying too much is to market test their projects in a highly competitive environment. Organisations may feel vulnerable opening themselves up to partnering and collaborative practices during a time of uncertainty, and are reluctant to take unnecessary risks. This study seeks to explore the effects of the recent economic downturn on collaborative working, with particular emphasis on manifestation in practice and the positioning of trust within such relationships. Eight interviews were carried out with senior industry professionals, all experienced in partnering and collaborative working practices. Austerity was found to have influenced collaborative practices in industry at both individual and organisational levels. Individuals have responded with a quest for job security which has in turn developed risk-averse work practices and affected the establishment of short term collaborative relationships. Organisations have returned to traditional competitive procurement methods, seeking to reduce risk in their practices and maintain control in uncertain times. Sceptical considerations of collaboration have re-emerged; the abuse of collaborative relationships for financial benefits, employing austerity as leverage, have become contemporary legend if not fact. Perceptions of collaborative working have shifted within the austerity context, and there is the potential for industry to lose ground gained before the recession in the development of collaborative practices. Further research is recommended to examine the repercussions of this shift in both practice and philosophy, as austerity-born projects come to completion

Effects of an economic downturn on construction partnering

Over the economic downturn in recent years, there has been a trend for construction clients to revert to traditional competitive procurement strategies. This is despite authoritative calls for an increase in collaborative working and partnering practices, heralded as the means to drive efficiencies and innovation. Clients may feel that the only way to assure themselves that they are not paying too much is to market-test their projects in a highly competitive environment. This study seeks to provide an insight into the effects of the recent economic downturn on collaborative working, with particular emphasis on manifestation in the practice and positioning of trust within such relationships. Eight interviews were carried out with senior industry professionals, all experienced in partnering and collaborative working practices. Individuals have responded with a quest for job security, which has in turn developed risk-averse work practices and affected the establishment of short-term collaborative relationships. Organisations have returned to traditional competitive procurement methods, seeking to reduce risk in their practices and maintain control in uncertain times. Sceptical considerations of collaboration have re-emerged; the abuses of collaborative relationships for financial benefits, employing austerity as leverage, have become contemporary legend if not fact

Evaluating the feasibility of pangolin farming and its potential conservation impact

Pangolins are threatened by overexploitation for local and international use. They are subject to an international commercial trade ban, and are also the focus of other interventions, including attempts at commercial captive breeding. The impact that the latter could have on the conservation of wild populations deserves consideration. We critically evaluate the feasibility of commercial captive breeding (or farming) of pangolins to displace wild collection and assess its potential conservation impact on pangolin conservation using a recently published framework developed for this purpose. Of the 17 conditions posited that need to be met for supply-side interventions to displace wild collection, we find that pangolins meet a maximum of only six conditions. This analysis suggests that pangolin farming will not displace wild collection in the near future. Major barriers include an inability to breed pangolins on a commercial scale and available data suggest that it would be unprofitable. The immediate impact of pangolin farming on conservation of the species’ is unclear, but it is unlikely to benefit the conservation of wild populations. If commercial captive breeding were possible, it is uncertain how it would affect economic incentives for poaching, interactions between legal and illegal markets, stockpile policies, and how consumers and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners would respond. To understand better the potential overall impact of pangolin farming on wild populations there is a need for further research on these uncertainties. The framework used has utility in analysing the potential impact of wildlife farming but there remains a need for a more robust approach to evaluate potential impacts of supplyside interventions.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/geccohb2020Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Evaluating the feasibility of pangolin farming and its potential conservation impact

Pangolins are threatened by overexploitation for local and international use. They are subject to an international commercial trade ban, and are also the focus of other interventions, including attempts at commercial captive breeding. The impact that the latter could have on the conservation of wild populations deserves consideration. We critically evaluate the feasibility of commercial captive breeding (or farming) of pangolins to displace wild collection and assess its potential conservation impact on pangolin conservation using a recently published framework developed for this purpose. Of the 17 conditions posited that need to be met for supply-side interventions to displace wild collection, we find that pangolins meet a maximum of only six conditions. This analysis suggests that pangolin farming will not displace wild collection in the near future. Major barriers include an inability to breed pangolins on a commercial scale and available data suggest that it would be unprofitable. The immediate impact of pangolin farming on conservation of the species’ is unclear, but it is unlikely to benefit the conservation of wild populations. If commercial captive breeding were possible, it is uncertain how it would affect economic incentives for poaching, interactions between legal and illegal markets, stockpile policies, and how consumers and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners would respond. To understand better the potential overall impact of pangolin farming on wild populations there is a need for further research on these uncertainties. The framework used has utility in analysing the potential impact of wildlife farming but there remains a need for a more robust approach to evaluate potential impacts of supplyside interventions.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/geccohb2020Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Collaborative trust in UK Further Education procurement strategies

In recent times, government led consortium strategies for collaborative procurement of major capital projects in the Further Education (FE) sector have been heralded as a vehicle to obtain best value and improve levels of quality. Yet there is still evidence of low levels of client satisfaction, owing mostly to poor cost and time predictability. The study aim explores the extent to which trust is a necessary part of this process and a viable tool in collaboratively procuring more successful UK Further Education projects. It gives greater understanding of how trust building mechanisms and initiatives can be designed and implemented for improving project outcomes. A review of literature identifies a framework for measuring the extent of trust building mechanisms under three group categories namely motivational, ethical, and organisational initiatives as the independent variables (IVs). The degree of trust is measured through established trust-related attributes and behaviours as the dependent variable (DV). A mixed method approach of quantitative and qualitative methodologies is adopted, with the former using survey questionnaires and subjecting data to correlation analysis. The quantitative survey was administered electronically with 41 responses to the pilot and 79 replies received for the main study. The research population is restricted to those contracting, consulting and client organisations that have had experience of collaboratively procured Further Educational projects. The qualitative approach consists of eight semi-structured interviews where raw data is coded using content analysis and sorted into themes from transcribed recording for analysis. Study findings provide an insight as to why organisations may feel vulnerable about vesting trust in their partners and these include scepticism of realisable benefits, opportunism and inequitable working relationships. Potential trust building measures to overcome such dilemmas are presented such as, professional development, senior management commitment and team workshops. Furthermore, quantitative study findings have determined that there is a correlation of 0.87 between these trust building mechanisms/initiatives (IVs) and the degree of trust in collaborative working (DV) suggesting a very strong influence with p≤0.05. Future research is recommended to further explore how certain trust building initiatives linked to co-location, integrated project insurance and risk workshops can be designed and implemented in developing a framework for increasing trust in partnering strategies

Achieving sustainability and environmental enhancements through a “collaboration toolkit” to deliver new sustainability strategies for The Emirate of Ajman − UAE

Governments are faced with ever challenging dilemmas to find practical sustainable solutions and proposals for some scientific and problems around adopting clean sustainable energy whilst reducing waste. This is certainly an issue for Ajman which has been heavily dependent on fossil fuels for energy and had a detrimental and adverse effect on its environmental sustainability credentials in the past. This paper focuses on the use of a “collaboration toolkit” has been developed by the author and which is currently being piloted in the UK on a live project. The sole purpose of the toolkit is to deliver improved environmental sustainability solutions on construction and engineering projects. The toolkit will provide a holistic and joined up approach across the supply chain to meet the demands of the carbon neutral agenda. This will entail reducing embodied carbon in buildings, collaboration with energy partners to assess ways and means of reducing gas, electricity and water consumption and reviewing appropriate renewable technologies. It is hoped that the toolkit can prove beneficial for Ajman in overseeing a new environmental sustainability strategy for its construction and engineering projects and therein contributing to overall social, environmental and economic impacts