What empowers individuals and teams in project settings? A critical incident analysisMartin Morgan Tuuli; Steve Rowlinson
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011285
Purpose – Empowerment is a concept that means different things to different individuals. The factors that engender feelings of empowerment are thus multifarious. The purpose of this paper is to focus on to the factors that empower individuals and teams in projects settings. Design/methodology/approach – Using the critical incident technique (CIT), 122 critical incidents comprising 69 empowering and 53 disempowering experiences of 30 purposively selected construction professionals are elicited and analysed. Findings – Adopting a broad frame of reference on the premise that empowerment of individuals and teams in project settings is associated with drivers and barriers related to: the individual; the team context; the organisation; and the project – mutually exclusive and exhaustive contextual influences within each frame of reference are identified. At the individual‐level, cultural values and factors related to the quality of relationships with leaders and colleagues emerged. At the team‐level, team context and leadership style are the key factors. At the organisation‐level, factors related to structure and culture emerged. At the project‐level, project characteristics, organisation, environment and technology‐related factors impacted the empowerment of individuals and teams. Practical implications – Practically, the paper provides targets of concrete interventions by leaders and organisations desirous of fostering empowerment in project teams. Originality/value – This paper adds to previous research in demonstrating the practicality of the CIT in construction specific research and the credibility and trustworthiness checks employed are exemplary of measures researchers using qualitative methodologies can take to assert the credibility of their findings and conclusions.
The education of innovative engineersIain A. MacLeod
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011294
Purpose – Traditional engineering education in the UK, as established in the nineteenth century, is based on the principle that a degree in engineering should be focused on engineering science and not on the practice of engineering. This has proved to be seriously negative to the development of engineering ability in general and innovative engineering in particular. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reasons for this situation. Design/methodology/approach – Features of innovative engineering are outlined and a structure for learning which has potential to promote innovation is proposed. Findings – Because of principles based on misplaced academic elitism established in the nineteenth century, traditional engineering curricula tend to develop an academic mindset rather than an engineering mindset in students. They do little to support innovative engineering. As a result, the large amount of money spent on engineering education in the UK does not represent a good investment. The academic mindset does not well support any professional context. Originality/value – The paper provides a challenge to universities and professional engineering institutions which should be addressed.
Excellent contractor performance in the UK construction industryDave C.A. Butcher; Michael J. Sheehan
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011302
Purpose – Within the UK construction industry, achieving compliance with output key performance indicators (KPIs) no longer represents excellent performance. Rather, such compliance tends to be viewed as the minimum performance requirement on construction programmes. Within that paradigm shift, what needs to be understand is the customer's perspective of excellent performance. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from semi‐structured interviews with some of the largest construction customers in the UK, this paper develops an understanding of the customer's perspective of excellent first‐tier contractor performance on a programme of construction projects. Findings – From the customer's perspective, a number of key behaviours determine excellent contractor performance. These include: being open about their business strengths and weaknesses against their peer group; challenging and improving themselves without the need for prompting; demonstrably adding value; really listening and acting upon the messages being transmitted by the customer; demonstrating desire to learn and share learning as part of a community; delighting the customer's stakeholders and customers; consistency of message from employees at all levels; keeping business promises; aligning with the customer's culture; transferring individual knowledge to the collective; and demonstrating a keen understanding of the customer's business. This behavioural understanding has led to a shift in the way customers are interacting with their first‐tier contractors. Many of the performance facets mentioned are input or “lead” factors; or are about attitude and behaviour rather than pure construction competence. By managing at this level as opposed to the output KPI level, customers are to a varying extent influencing the way in which their contractors develop as businesses. Practical implications – The findings have implications for contractors and customers undertaking, or procuring, a large programme of construction projects so that expectations are met. Originality/value – Following the advice of this paper will lead to innovative relationships between customers and contractors.
Innovations from the Halcrow‐Cardiff University strategic collaborationJ.C. Martin; K. Akande; R.A. Falconer
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011311
Purpose – Innovation process may be characterised by three separate actions: the creation of ideas; their development; and subsequent application for the benefit of industry and society. In water engineering consultancy, the processes that stimulate and manage innovation are not well established. Other organisations are capable of establishing dedicated product or commodity facilities, but the make‐up of the construction industry and its consultancy service organisations, requires a different approach. Conventional models tend to focus on product innovation in a manufacturing environment but it is also necessary to consider innovation from the perspective of the service industries. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes the case of Halcrow, an international civil and environmental engineering consultancy. In 2001, Halcrow Group Ltd and Cardiff University cooperated with each other to research and innovate via a strategic collaboration which involved the sponsorship of a chair and a research team in the School of Engineering. The collaboration, whose aim is to underpin a strategic relationship between university research in various aspects of water engineering and management consultancy, is structured around five related topics, which when combined provide a collaborative framework that promotes innovation and exploitation of industry relevant research. The topics are: networking, research exploitation, skills development, knowledge transfer and dissemination. Through the collaboration, a number of activities have been promoted and these have resulted in a number of innovations, valuable in developing business. Insights from the Halcrow‐Cardiff collaboration activities and highlights of the resulting innovations are described in this paper. Findings – The paper highlights the contribution that research work through the collaboration has made to the water industry and the anticipated benefits to society in the long term. The paper in turn describes how it has been possible to accommodate variations related to the likes of climate change and renewable energy efficiency, looking ahead to the medium and long terms. Originality/value – The paper provides insight into an innovative partnership providing a framework for the creation of ideas.
Study of light‐multi‐layered façadesLetzai Ruiz; Eva Gómez; Alfonso García Santos; Sergio Vega
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011320
Purpose – Traditional façade systems are at the point where the minimum comfort guarantees have peaked, showing hygrothermic performance deficiencies which result in higher heating consumption, which is why it is necessary to make improvements in design and building construction, especially in envelopes, for which efficient building enclosures should be used, generating notable benefits. For these reasons, the study of new façade construction systems is essential, particularly light multi‐layers, which offer favorable characteristics for energy consumption savings. With this background, the main aim of this study is to generate knowledge to find out to what extent light multi‐layered façades are better, determining which façades are the most efficient and guarantee the comfort conditions of a building, contributing in this way to energy consumption savings. Design/methodology/approach – To carry out this study, a methodology of analysis was used, signifying that in the first phase a theoretical study has been made, analyzing different configurations of the sample façades, to obtain their thermal performance, using two different methods, thermographic and thermal, obtaining in the thermographic study: surface temperatures of the façades, while in the thermal simulation, generating isotherms, heat flows, data on thermal coupling coefficients to calculate the value of the thermal transmittance and surface conditions, among others. Findings – Using these data, the conclusion has been reached that comparing a traditional enclosure to a light multi‐layered one of equal thickness, an improvement of 65 percent can be achieved in the thermal transmittance, which signifies a saving in energy consumption, exceeding the Technical Building Code. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates great advancement over traditional systems.
Strategies for managing innovation in UK housebuildingWei Pan
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011339
Purpose – The UK Government's housing agenda, coupled with the current market conditions, has provided the housebuilding industry with a challenge to build more new homes while improving business efficiency to survive. Although innovation has been claimed as the key to meeting the challenge, the level of its usage has been reported low. This paper aims to reveal an insight into the success, inertia and failure of innovations and improve innovation management for housebuilding firms. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on a two‐year case study of a large UK housebuilding company. It investigates the lifecycle of two product innovations, i.e. photovoltaic and air source heat pumps, and two process innovations, i.e. development efficiency plan and glossary of terms. Findings – Five key stages of managing innovation are identified which represent the thematic consistency among the innovation processes, i.e. the creation of ideas, development of innovation, utilisation, review and improvement or abandonment. The organisational construct of the company for managing innovation is complicated and appeared difficult to manipulate, which constitutes a cultural and administrative obstacle. Whilst the adoption of the innovations from the market seems more straightforward than those created and developed in the company, the success or failure of innovation is driven by the combination of external and internal contextual issues. Strategies are developed which should improve the effectiveness of managing innovation in housebuilding and contribute to relevant future debate. Originality/value – The paper provides insight into managing innovation in UK housebuilding.
Transformation of a research centre toward an innovation partner in the construction sectorHeli Koukkari
2010 Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011348
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study innovation processes of the construction sector from the viewpoints of research‐based consultation at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Design/methodology/approach – The starting point of an internal analysis and benchmarking concerning the role of a research centre come from a Finnish product manufacturer that challenged its capacity to a short introduction lead‐time. Understanding as an opportunity, a core team is set up representing different expertises, and a co‐operation project is proposed to the manufacturer. In addition, an in‐house follow‐up project is created. After completing successfully the product development project, and based upon findings of the follow‐up project, a feasibility study is conducted concerning consultation packages for development of construction products and concepts. However, during this study phase, the objective of packages is replaced by an ideal of a collaborative process that integrates competencies, tools, and management of a research and development organisation, and links them to those of the customer. Findings – The process model of a multi‐disciplinary commercialized research‐based consultation is a new way to organise work of a research centre, and its core is collaboration with the customer. During the follow‐up process, feasibility study and development of a research‐based process, approaches of the Action Research were applied. A market study and two external evaluations were made that gave partly consistent partly inconsistent results with the learning outcome concerning appeal of the new type of partnership. New sector‐wide strategies at the national and European level show however that key findings were justified. Next challenges in the development of the multi‐disciplinary innovation services concern internationalisation, external networking and globalisation. Originality/value – The paper offers insight into the transformation of a research centre into an innovation partner with the construction industry.
Concrete prefabricated housing via advances in systems technologies Development of a technology roadmapNick Blismas; Ron Wakefield; Brian Hauser
2010 Engineering Construction & Architectural Management
doi: 10.1108/09699981011011357
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the roadmapping methodology and its application to concrete prefabricated housing in Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the concrete and housing industries of Australia collaboration in a project to develop a technology and innovation roadmap that will advance the concrete industry's supply chain capabilities by identifying and mapping innovation necessary for prefabricated concrete house construction. The roadmap lays out what is necessary for an off‐site systems‐based approach to housing construction in Australia. The systems‐based approach to prefabricated concrete products is a relatively new and developing extension of the concrete industry supply chain in Australia. New manufacturing technologies and innovations, which are emerging locally and from overseas, make these potential extensions possible. For the long‐term sustainability of the concrete industry, it is critical that it better understands how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication to realise these benefits in the housing industry and advance Australia's competitiveness. The first phase of the mapping involved the development of an industry‐maturity model that determined the current state of the industry, and plotted this against the desired route for the future. Numerous industry‐based workshops and interviews gathered the views of the industry towards existing concrete housing systems, and where their main difficulties are in relation to adoption. Using these data, a technology roadmap is developed, together with three options on how these might be realised using the roadmap. The options offered through the roadmapping process form the basis for ongoing experimental trials of concrete houses in the major cities of Australia. Findings – The system‐based approach to prefabrication is seen as innovative and the industry needs to understand how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication in order to be competitive. Originality/value – The paper offers insights into the technology roadmapping process in Australia, offering an exciting prospect for moving the industry into a new model of delivery.