Challenging construction project management institutions: the role and agency of BIM actors

The use of building information modelling (BIM) has opened up for new roles. Previous studies on BIM roles focused on their duties, formal responsibilities and legitimacy, but few studies pay attention to how BIM actors (BIM coordinators and strategists) act to support increased BIM usage. Applying the theoretical construct of institutional work, this paper aims to create an understanding of the role and agency of BIM actors. Based on observations and semi-structured interviews with BIM actors and managers, the findings show: (1) purposive actions of BIM actors to promote and diffuse new BIM practices; (2) tensions between creating new BIM practices and maintaining existing construction management institutions; (3) BIM actor as an interface between the BIM technology and its users. Focusing on the BIM actor’s role and agency gives insights into the hard process of changing and/or disrupting traditional construction management institutions and creating new practices arising from increased digitalization

What is values work? A review of values work in organisations. Kap. 3

I: H.Askeland, G. Espedal, B. Jelstad Løvaas & S. Sirris (Eds.), Understanding values work : Institutional perspectives in organizations and leadershipThrough a review of the existing empirical studies and emerging literature on values work in organisations, this paper aims to disambiguate the phenomenon of values work. Values work is understood as ongoing value performances situated in everyday practice in organisations. As such, values work is identified as social and institutional processes of constructing agency, actions and practice in organisations. In this chapter, I show how values work is part of both a performative tradition of process studies and an institutional work tradition that strives to change, disrupt and maintain institutions. Further, I outline how future studies can broaden the field of values work.publishedVersio

How do firms comply with international sustainability standards? Processes and consequences of adopting the global reporting initiative

This paper addresses the issue of the influence of global governance institutions, particularly international sustainability standards, on a firm’s intra-organizational practices. More precisely, we provide an exploratory empirical view of the impact of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) on a multinational corporation’s (MNC) corporate social responsibility (CSR) management practices. We investigate standard compliance by comparing the stated intention of the use of the GRI with its actual use and the consequent effects within the firm. Based on an in-depth case study, our findings illustrate the processes and consequences of the translation of the GRI within the organization. We show that substantive standard adoption can lead to unintended consequences on CSR management practices, specifically it can influence the management structure and CSR committee function; the choice of CSR activities, the relationships between subsidiaries, the temporal dimension of CSR management, and the interpretation of CSR performance. We also highlight the need to look at the relationship dynamics (or lack of) between standards. Finally we illustrate and discuss the role of reporting and its influence on management in order to better understand the internal issues arising from compliance with standards

The influence of organizational culture and climate on entrepreneurial intentions among research scientists

Over the past decades, universities have increasingly become involved in entrepreneurial activities. Despite efforts to embrace their ‘third mission’, universities still demonstrate great heterogeneity in terms of their involvement in academic entrepreneurship. This papers adopts an institutional perspective to understand how organizational characteristics affect research scientists’ entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, we study the impact of university culture and climate on entrepreneurial intentions, including intentions to spin off a company, to engage in patenting or licensing and to interact with industry through contract research or consulting. Using a sample of 437 research scientists from Swedish and German universities, our results reveal that the extent to which universities articulate entrepreneurship as a fundamental element of their mission fosters research scientists’ intentions to engage in spin-off creation and intellectual property rights, but not industry-science interaction. Furthermore, the presence of university role models positively affects research scientists’ propensity to engage in entrepreneurial activities, both directly and indirectly through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Finally, research scientists working at universities which explicitly reward people for ‘third mission’ related output show higher levels of spin-off and patenting or licensing intentions. This study has implications for both academics and practitioners, including university managers and policy makers

Peer Culture and Mealtimes with Toddlers in a Child Care Context : 'Put Your Bowls on the Table. It’s Not a Toy'

The focus of this chapter is on the everyday life of a group of toddlers in one Australian childcare centre and how the children create their peer culture. The phenomenological framework considers: How are children’s shared life-worlds manifested? What is important for the children in order to build their shared worlds? Data consisted of 10 mealtime observations available in the larger set of data involving staff and children in two toddler rooms. The analyses showed how these children engaged in shared play over mealtime as an everyday cultural routine. We identified reoccurring patterns in children’s play and how they vary and extend their intersubjective coexistence. We also noticed how seldom the teachers’ and children’s shared worlds seem to align, rather they often seem to confront

ICT in a Collaborative Network to Improve Quality of Life: A Case of Fruit and Vegetables Re-use

Negative externalities of economic development impact on the numerous areas and deteriorate quality of their resident\u2019s life. Systems address these dramatic challenges through collaborative innovation of organizations, which, enabled by new technologies, create or capture attractive opportunities. The aim of this paper is to highlight how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a pivotal role in enabling the growth of new organizational forms, which create value at the territorial level, trigger positive changes in social and economic environment and improve the quality of life of people involved. Literature review considers the multiple perspectives of Institutional Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Socio-Ecological Systems and Socio-Technical Systems that until now were separate. This study highlights instead that their integration provides a satisfying explanation of the phenomena observed, and well explain different motivations of the examined organizations. ICT-based organizations, point out interesting opportunities for all organizations, public institutions, companies and social enterprises. In particular, the paper analyses a case of reutilization of fruit and vegetables surplus in the third Italian Agricultural centre. This action reduces production of waste and pollution, fights poverty and improves health, ultimately creating social inclusion

ICT in collaborative network to improve the quality of life: a case of fruit and vegetables redirection.

Negative externalities of economic development impact on the numerous areas and deteriorate quality of their resident’s life. Systems address these dramatic challenges through collaborative innovation of organizations, which, enabled by new technologies, create or capture attractive opportunities. The aim of this paper is to highlight how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a pivotal role in enabling the growth of new organizational forms, which create value at the territorial level, trigger positive changes in social and economic environment and improve the quality of life of people involved. Literature review considers the multiple perspectives of Institutional Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Socio-Ecological Systems and Socio-Technical Systems that until now were separate. This study highlights instead that their integration provides a satisfying explanation of the phenomena observed, and well explain different motivations of the examined organizations. ICT-based organizations, point out interesting opportunities for all organizations, public institutions, companies and social enterprises. In particular, the paper analyses a case of reutilization of fruit and vegetables surplus in the third Italian Agricultural centre. This action reduces production of waste and pollution, fights poverty and improves health, ultimately creating social inclusion