Analysis and visualisation of stakeholder relationship in offsite construction : social network analysis approach

While Off-site construction has emerged recently, its benefits have long been proved worldwide. Many hold that Off-site construction is re-structuring the industry, its supply chain and setting supplementary standards. Although stakeholder theory is prevailing in project management research, there is still a lack of in-depth research upon patterns of interrelationship and communication among Off-site construction stakeholders. Given that in Off-site construction project-based organisations are multi-level structures, stakeholders interact with each other not only within-level but also cross-level. To facilitate the adoption and diffusion of Off-site construction, there is a need to address patterns and find out the optimal mechanism for promoting inter-collaboration. Social Network Analysis is presented as a holistic approach to meet that need in a more quantitative and unambiguous way. Based on a critique of Off-site construction literature and Social Network Analysis theory, a conceptual framework is also proposed for Off-site construction stakeholder research themes and corresponding methodology. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a sound theoretical foundation for the development of a social network model and the understanding of the complex of connection and relationship among Off-site construction stakeholders

Evolution of a supply chain firm constellation for innovative construction products : an instrumental case study

The events that led to the development of a network of alliances forming a constellation of organisations are described through the key participants' experiences. The constellation's primary aim in the first instance is to pursue international projects to provide low cost affordable housing. This strategy is the entry strategy to the international market. The case study revealed a deeper layering of strategies and organisational structure associated with the constellation. The research inquiry is qualitative and specifically, based upon the methodology of constructivism. The case study is descriptive in the first instance but more importantly instrumental in providing particular insight into the importance of two elements of alliance network design- strategic rationale and structural form. The purpose of the alliance was both short term, related to a specific project and long term in relation to innovative product development. Its structural form was designed around a 'tight' core alliance organisation with equity partnerships. However a variety of alliance types develop related to the strategy for the core group. The governance structure is flexible and evolves as the strategic rationale evolves from the short term to the long term

Global Passport through Co-integration of Construction Immersive Environments

The delivery of construction projects is undergoing a major shift internationally with increasing utilisation of advanced information technologies. Increasingly in practice, immersive technology isbeing utilised to blur the lines between the physical world and the virtual world to design, visualise, simulate, deliver and manage the built environment. A necessary part of this ‘smarter’ world is thecreation, use and management of Building Information Models (BIM). A Building Information Model is a virtual model of the proposed facility (building/asset) which has data and information on the physical properties (materials, components, systems) and the nonphysical properties (where to procure, when to maintain, relationships to other elements etc). This integrated data repository (‘Model’) allows virtual analysis and simulations of the proposed design and associated construction methodologies prior to and during physical construction. The use of building information modelling is spreading rapidly through the global design and construction industry and architects, engineers and contractorsin Australia are no exception. Therefore our property, construction and project management graduates are potentially entering an ever changing workforce that will in the future require a ‘smarter’way of working

Global Passport through Co-integration of Construction Immersive Environments

The delivery of construction projects is undergoing a major shift internationally with increasing utilisation of advanced information technologies. Increasingly in practice, immersive technology isbeing utilised to blur the lines between the physical world and the virtual world to design, visualise, simulate, deliver and manage the built environment. A necessary part of this ‘smarter’ world is thecreation, use and management of Building Information Models (BIM). A Building Information Model is a virtual model of the proposed facility (building/asset) which has data and information on the physical properties (materials, components, systems) and the nonphysical properties (where to procure, when to maintain, relationships to other elements etc). This integrated data repository (‘Model’) allows virtual analysis and simulations of the proposed design and associated construction methodologies prior to and during physical construction. The use of building information modelling is spreading rapidly through the global design and construction industry and architects, engineers and contractorsin Australia are no exception. Therefore our property, construction and project management graduates are potentially entering an ever changing workforce that will in the future require a ‘smarter’way of working

Client decision-making to support innovations on megaprojects

Innovation requires a social governance environment that supports creativity. This research aims to examine the governance context on megaprojects with a focus on the client’s role. This paper discusses early observations of one case study of a client involved with the finance, design, management, construction and operation of an innovative megaproject in Singapore. It is the largest sports facilities infrastructure Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project in the world. It is also the largest and first PPP project in Singapore. PPP projects have multiple ‘clients’. In this study the client network comprises the government agency responsible for setting up the project framework and the various PPP consortium partners. The procurement strategy is innovative for this country. A series of other innovations in terms of project information management and functional and environmental design have also been identified. The theory of cultural political economy and the concept of governmentality underpin the study. The narrative inquiry and social network analysis methods will be used. The preliminary results indicate that various stakeholders both within and external to the client network can influence decision-making to support or suppress the delivery of innovations. Furthermore client decision-making was shown to be deeply embedded informal multilevel networks through the use of various forms of power by stakeholders with individual interests. Despite the importance of organisational structures in formalising communication flows and patterns, the manner in which work is carried out on a daily basis tends to be negotiated by informal relationships and interactions between members within and across organisations. Megaproject decision-making is thus a network research problem requiring an understanding of the nature and structure of power relations. The next stage of analysis involves the use of Social Network Analysis as a form of “organisational x-ray” to make visible those network characteristics typically regarded as invisible. The demonstration of the characteristics of different network structures’ influence on client decision-making to support or suppress innovations on megaprojects has implications for practitioners and researchers alike

Civil construction supply chain management policy to support collaborative relationships in public sector procurement

Achieving performance improvement in the construction industry through the improved performance of the supply chains has been subject to considerable international debate. This normative approach to improve firm behaviour and ultimately industry performance through the development of supply chain clusters or integrated supply chains has been discussed in many public sector policy documents and in the academic research community since the late 1990s (London, 2004). However, it has been difficult to see any real examples where the improvements have been measured. This chapter seeks to identify the problem arising from implementation of government strategic purchasing policy for supply chain management

Habitus shock : a model for architect-client relationships on house projects based on sociological and psychological perspectives

The widening gap between architects and clients and the associated problems in the management of their relationship have long been recognised by practitioners and researchers alike. An emerging trend in recent studies is to develop descriptive models to describe behavioural characteristics of relationships based on observations of "real world" practice, indicating the significance of understanding the complexities of the social environment in which the architect-client relationship is within. This research built upon the work of past descriptive models by exploring the architect-client relationship on house projects with a focus on the client's voice. It is an interdisciplinary study drawing theory from sociology to further understand this built environment industry problem. Sixty-nine percent of architects in Australia spend some of their work time on house projects and therefore improvements in this area can have significant impact on a considerably large portion of the profession. Habitus theory borrowed from sociology explains that the nature of architecture as a specialised activity places architects within an architectural habitus, distinguishing them from clients who are not trained in the field. An underlying premise of this study is that a mismatch between the architect and client's habituses occurs as they enter into a relationship on the house project. This phenomenon is termed habitus shock, referring to the client's experience of disorientation as they are confronted with an unfamiliar architectural habitus on the project. Culture shock theory is examined for its contribution to explain the process to which the client adjusts to the unfamiliar environment during habitus shock. The habitus shock model proposed in this paper suggests that the client may achieve learning during habitus shock and it is this client learning that can lead to successful relationships

Reflexive capability maturity assessment for firm management of multi-partner international projects

This chapter reports the findings of a research project which was funded by the Australian-Malaysian Institute (AMI), aimed at developing and promoting a greater understanding of the uniqueness of successful Australian-Malaysian partnerships and joint ventures undertaken on complex multi-partner mega construction projects. The aim of the investigation was to identify the critical success factors specific to such partnerships. The theoretical framework was grounded in a previous empirical study on design firm internationalisation which demonstrated that long-term success in international markets is enhanced by the management of integration of transformation of social, cultural and intellectual capital within the firm. Social capital is the creation of personal relationships and networks based on trust built over time and has relevance for the project team networks and firm and client networks. Cultural capital entails physical ‘dispositions’ such as ‘building visible buildings, winning design competitions, or obtaining important tenders’ premised on the reputation of the firm in that the success of marketing architectural services ‘depends upon the firm’s ability to sell and deliver a credible promise’. Intellectual capital is a firm’s collective skills, experience, competences and knowledge and is critical to the sustainability of firms, particularly in international markets

Understanding and facilitating BIM adoption in the AEC industry

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the important areas in current Virtual Reality (VR) research. VR research considers not only the technological development, a very important part of the research also concerns the application of the technologies and their adoption by the practices. This paper firstly presents an analysis of the current state of BIM in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry and a re-assessment of its role and potential contribution in the near future. The paper analyses the readiness of the industry with respect to the (1) product, (2) processes and (3) people, to position BIM adoption in terms of current status and expectations across disciplines. The findings indicate that there were both technical and non-technical issues that need consideration. The evidence also suggests that there are varying levels of adoption and therefore the need for a specific tool to facilitate BIM adoption. The study revealed that even the market leaders who are early technology adopters in the Australian industry in many cases have varying degrees of practical experiential knowledge of BIM and hence at times different understandings and different levels of confidence regarding the future diffusion of BIM technology throughout the industry. There have been numerous factors affecting BIM adoption, which can be grouped into two main areas: technical tool functional requirements and needs, and non-technical strategic issues. There are varying levels of adoption and understanding within countries - from discipline to discipline and client to client. There are also varying levels of adoption from country to country and although many researchers and practitioners espouse collaborative working environments there are still challenges to be met in many parts of the world, particularly, in relation to a fully integrated collaborative multidisciplinary mode of operation. The challenges for the research community lie not only in addressing the technical solutions or addressing human centred issues but it is also in creating the enabling environment of a decision framework, which integrates both the technical and non-technical challenges. The need for guidance on where to start, what tools are available and how to work through the legal, procurement and cultural challenges was evidenced in the exploratory study. Therefore the Collaborative BIM Decision Framework has been initiated to facilitate the BIM adoption in the AEC industry, based upon these industry concerns, which consists of four interrelated key elements. The findings are drawn from a major research project funded by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI), with a focus on the Australian context

The cultural political economy of megaprojects : governmentality and the social realm of client decision-making

In recent years the landscape for international design management has been fast changing and a key development, which has led to this, has been the unprecedented advances in digital technologies. Firms in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) sector are no longer constrained to working on domestic projects but now operate on a global scale. The rise of globalisation has not been without problems and in particular project challenges related to technological and social complexity, strategic behaviour, contested information and cost overruns are prominent. Effective design management and project success is significantly impacted by the internal workings of clients and its relationship with project decision-making which is often beyond the control of project teams. Yet the focus of past megaproject and design management research has tended to be on the industry’s role instead of the client’s. In their role as project initiators and financiers, clients are the driving political force on projects, occupying a central position within the power structure embedded on megaprojects. This paper is positioned within a PhD study which seeks to offer a theoretical contribution to the design management field by examining the governance context of megaprojects with a focus on the critical role of the client. There has been little research investigating the sophistication of the international client and their capacity to contribute to project success in relation to sound decision making regardless of the political environment. This research is concerned with two key gaps; firstly a lack of empirical research to explain the nature and structure of the power relations underpinning the client’s complex decision-making environment on mega projects and secondly, a lack of theory and methodological framework to achieve this. A theoretical model is proposed based upon the concept of governmentality to explore the power relations underpinning megaproject decision-making. The outcomes of this research have serious implications for design managers in the AEC sector who are increasingly faced with project challenges in the international megaproject environment. Deeper understanding of how various forms of power come to be created, distributed and exercised on megaprojects may enable design managers to better shape and influence project outcomes at various stages of project decision-making