The first Note in this issue is a comment by Chang on a recent paper by Bridge and Tisdell. Chang notes the great progress in our understanding of organizations that has been enabled by the development of two powerful analytical theories: transaction cost economics and the resource‐based view. Each approach has its strengths and limitations, but it appears to Chang that Bridge and Tisdell are wrong to try to synthesize these two very different theoretical frameworks. Chang explores the problems that would emerge in the event that these two very different epistemologies were combined.
In their response to the Comment, Bridge and Tisdell point out they had not intended to synthesize a microeconomic theory (transaction cost economics) with a strategic management theory (resource‐based view) in pursuance of a new theory of vertical integration. Rather, their approach is to allow the co‐existence and selective use of each theory depending on the prevailing economic conditions. This, they feel, renders the main criticisms in Chang's comment inapplicable. Bridge and Tisdell address the remaining criticism by reference to one of the chief proponents of the resource based‐view and by noting relevant empirical work. In the end, although Bridge and Tisdell understand the desire for a unified theory of vertical integration, they consider that a pluralistic approach offers the best chance of making progress at this time. This progress would include developing better explanations and predictions of subcontracting in construction activity.
Organizational culture is an important part of organizational analysis, particularly during episodes of change management. Change management is not always successful. Chahal and Price suggest that failures in the implementation of change management can often be traced back to communication difficulties and a failure to make an accurate estimate of the amount of retraining that will be required as the consequence of organizational change. Their research focuses on improving the change management process. They propose a new strategic framework for change management that they have tested and had implemented in a construction firm. They show that increased consultation and worker participation increases a sense of ownership and commitment, thus reducing the kind of anxiety and stress that often results in resistance to change.
Ogunsemi and Jagboro have examined the time‐cost model developed by Bromilow. Bromilow's 1974 model was based on a dataset of 370 Australian projects. He proposed a mathematical relationship for predicting the initial duration of a project. Given the widespread incidences of delay and cost‐overruns in Nigerian construction projects, there is considerable interest in seeing whether data from Nigerian construction projects would lead to a similar relationship. Ogunsemi and Jagboro have developed a formula based on 87 Nigerian projects that required a re‐examination of Bromilow's pioneering work, and has led to them proposing a new formula specifically for predicting time performance in Nigerian construction projects. This should provide Nigerian practitioners with a more accurate prediction of project duration at the early stages of project planning.
Yu acknowledges the principle that “management is an art to handle the complicated with simple, to handle more with less”. Cost estimating is a tedious and time consuming process that requires not only experience but also some sort of engineering judgment. Conceptual estimating may be seen as just a rough “guess” of the project cost. Yu changes this perspective by proposing a new model called PIREM that can conduct conceptual estimation as accurately as detailed estimation while only 20% efforts are required compared with before. This work offers an interesting example of the development of some much‐needed strong underlying theory in the field of construction management.
El‐Diraby and Gill deal with the problem of information flow and communication, particularly in relation to risk management in privatized‐infrastructure projects. They feel that a structured taxonomy would go a long way towards the aim of improving communications and such a taxonomy for construction terms in private infrastructure projects. This will support the exchange of information between contractors and financial institutions. Such a structured approach to communication problems can form the basis of an information management system that would ensure that the important aspects of risk are dealt with, and to render more visible who is responding to what risk, and how.
To help minimize the environmental impacts of construction projects, environmental management systems have been proposed for construction organizations. Within these systems, environmental performance assessment (EPA) is one of the tools for assessing and benchmarking environmental performance. However, the relationships between environmental operational indicators used in EPA and environmental performance indicators have not been tested and correlated, casting doubt on the reliability of these inputs. Tam et al. develop a series of input and output indicators for EPA and measure their relationships based on the perceptions of project managers.
Leiringer explores the way that people promote public‐private partnerships (PPP) as a means for procuring construction work. He deals with four commonly advanced arguments that are used to promote the realization of technological innovations within the design and construction phases of PPP projects. There are clear discrepancies between what takes place in practice and the arguments usually advanced about the benefits that are generally claimed for collaborative working, design freedom, value for money, long‐term commitment and risk transfer. As well as pointing out the flaws in these arguments, Leiringer offers alternative interpretations which may challenge or curb some of the current enthusiasm for PPP‐type procurement.
Phua examines the fundamental question of whether construction firm performance is influenced more by industry‐wide factors or by firm‐specific factors. While it is obvious that the performance of firms hinges upon the interplay between these two factors, no research has been done to investigate the unique contribution each has on a firm's performance. She looks at the sector‐by‐sector firm performance variation that is attributable to the heterogeneity of industry‐wide and firm‐specific characteristics and explains why certain aspects are particularly important to a firm's performance.
Information communication technology (ICT) promises benefits that may not materialize due to a misunderstanding of the relationships between factors and processes that influence ICT implementation. Peansupap and Walker present results from qualitative research on three Australian construction contractors. Their results provide insights into ICT innovation diffusion at an organizational level and how this may be applied to improve ICT adoption at different implementation stages. Strategic ICT implementation planners should consider issues of critical management support, technical support, supportive workplace environment and ICT users' individual‐characteristics.
Forthcoming papers
Nicola Costantino
The contribution of Ranko Bon to the debate on sustainable construction
Roberto Pietroforte and Tullio Gregori
Does volume follow share? The case of the Danish construction industry
Wai‐Ki Fu, Hing‐Po Lo and Derek S. Drew
Collective learning, collective knowledge and learning networks in construction
Hong Zhang
Multiple resource‐constrained construction scheduling based on particle swarm optimization
Martin Skitmore, Goran Runeson and Xinling Chang
Construction price formation: full‐cost pricing or neoclassical microeconomic theory?
Chun Ming Tang, C. W. Y. Wong, A. Y. T. Leung and K. C. Lam
Selection of funding schemes by a borrowing decision model: a Hong Kong case study
Yu‐Lin Huang and Shih‐Pei Chou
Valuation of the option to abandon and minimum revenue guarantee in BOT infrastructure projects
Franco K. T. Cheung and Martin Skitmore
A modified storey enclosure model
Les Ruddock and Jorge Lopez
The construction sector and economic development: the ‘Bon curve’
A. V. Thomas, Satyanaranaya N. Kalidindi and L. S. Ganesh
Modelling and assessment of critical risks in BOT road projects
Yu Song, Chun Liu and Craig Langston
Linkage measures of the construction sector using the hypothetical extraction method
Rick Best and Craig Langston
Evaluation of construction contractor performance: a critical analysis of some recent research
Charles Y. J. Cheah and Jicai Liu
Valuing governmental support in infrastructure projects as real options using Monte Carlo simulation
Ronie Navon and O. Berkovich
An automated model for materials management and control
Low Sui Pheng and Hongbin Jiang
Analyzing ownership, locational and internalization advantages of Chinese construction MNCs using Rough Set Analysis
Sung Kin Pun, Chunlu Liu and Craig Langston
Case study of demolition costs of residential buildings
Philip McCann
On the supply side determinants of regional growth
Rodney A. Stewart and Clinton A. Spencer
Six‐sigma as a strategy for process improvement on construction projects: a case study
Ramesh Ramsaran and Roger Hosein
Growth, employment and the construction industry in Trinidad and Tobago
Stuart Carmichael and Maria Murray
Record keeping for contemporaneous delay analysis: a model for effective event management
Florence T. T. Phua
When is construction partnering likely to happen? An empirical examination of the role of institution norms
Chen‐Yu Chang, Hui‐Yu Chou and Ming‐Teh Wang
Characterizing the corporate governance of UK listed construction companies
Gul Polat, David Arditi, Glenn Ballard and Ugur Mungen
Economics of on‐site versus off‐site fabrication of rebar
Anita Liu and Zhaoyang Fang
A power‐based leadership approach to project management
Colin Davidson, Gonzalo Lizarralde and Cassidy Johnson
A systems view of temporary housing projects in post‐disaster reconstruction
Erik Dietzenbacjer and Alex Hoen
Coefficient stability and predictability in input‐output models: a comparative analysis for the Netherlands
G. Zhang and Jay Yang
Factors influencing the implementation of raised floor system in Australian office buildings
Rong‐yan Huang
A performance‐based bridge LCCA model using visual inspection inventory data
Robby Soetanto, Andrew Dainty, Jacqueline Glass and Andrew David Freeman Price
Towards an explicit design decision process: the case of the structural frame
Helen Lingard, Brenda Yip, Steve Rowlinson and Thomas Kvan
The experience of burnout among future construction professionals: a cross‐national study
Yu Song, Chunlu Liu and Craig Langston
Extending construction linkage measures by the consideration of the impact of capital
Timothy Lewis
Impact of globalisation on the construction sector in developing countries
Jasper Mbachu and Raymond Nkado
Factors constraining successful building project implementation in South Africa
Chrisna du Plessis
A strategic framework for sustainable construction in developing countries