Denny McGeorge

Breaking up methodological monopolies: a multi-paradigm approach to construction management research

A note written in response to: Seymour D. and Rooke, J. (1995). The culture of the industry and the culture research. Construction Management and Economics 13, 511-523.

Current state of IT usage by Australian subcontractors

The fragmented and highly competitive nature of the construction industry (CI) limits efficiencies and inhibits communication. However, through the effective use of information technology (IT), these communication barriers between clients, consultants, suppliers, subcontractors and contractors can be broken down. Public sector clients in Australia have proposed an IT implementation strategy with the aim of improving communication and increasing productivity in the CI. However, IT is relatively new to the industry and so are the problems associated with it especially for the small subcontractors. The aims of this paper are to examine the current usage of IT by Australian subcontractors, and to identify the potential problems for subcontractors in IT implementation. The results indicate that the uptake of email and the internet by subcontractors is at a low level and the awareness of IT training and education is very low. The indications are that Australian subcontractors are not yet ready for the implementation of even rudimentary IT technology.

Implementing corporate ethics management and its comparison with the safety management system: a case study in Hong Kong

A case study of one general contracting construction organization in Hong Kong was undertaken. The study illustrates the current state of corporate ethics management in the implementation of a corporate code of ethics. The overall process of developing the corporate code of ethics from planning to implementation was investigated. It was found that the corporate management of the organization that was studied adopted a laissez‐faire approach in implementing its code at the project level. This means that there was no formal and unified cross‐organizational plan for implementing the code at the project level. The methods of communicating the corporate code of ethics to the members of the project team were left to the discretion of the individual project manager. The research findings also showed that different project managers adopted different methods of communication to disseminate the corporate code of ethics to members of their project team.

Value through innovation in long‐term service delivery : Facility management in an Australian PPP

Purpose – Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative procurement mechanisms are frequently used to deliver both an asset and a public service over a protracted period. The value streams to the parties involved can be complex, but generally arise from the satisfactory provision of infrastructure that is fit for purpose throughout its life. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the facility management (FM) function in delivering long‐term value to both the client and consortium.Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes a case study of a PPP in Australia that delivered social infrastructure in multiple locations to a state government. Drawing upon multiple perspectives from within the consortium, it utilises inductive principles to identify the influences on value generation through innovation by the FM function.Findings – The ability of an Australian FM contractor to provide value within a PPP context has been shown to reflect some of the attributes described in litera...

Managing the health risks of extreme weather events by managing hospital infrastructure

Purpose – A predicted increase in climate change-related extreme weather events will present hospitals with new health-related and physical risks which were not originally anticipated in building and infrastructure designs. Markus et al.s building systems model is used to analyse a range of adaptive strategies to cope with such events. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Focus group interviews were conducted with a wide range of hospital stakeholders across three case study hospitals in Australia and New Zealand which have experienced extreme weather events. Findings – It is concluded that effective adaptive strategies must balance responses across different organisational sub-systems. Contrary to previous research, the findings indicate that hospital managers do see hospital infrastructure as an important component of disaster response. However, it is the least adaptable of all response subsystems, making other options more attractive in the heat of a crisis. Research l...

Modelling the risks of extreme weather events for Australasian hospital infrastructure using rich picture diagrams

Anticipated increases in the frequency of extreme weather events in the future are likely to expose hospital infrastructure to new risks which are poorly understood. Traditional approaches to risk identification and analysis produce linear, narrow and static risk profiles which fail to consider complex sub-system interdependencies that may assist or hinder healthcare delivery during an extreme weather event. The ability to create resilient hospitals depends on new risk management methodologies which provide an understanding of these complex relationships. Focus groups with key stakeholders in three hospitals in Australia are used to construct rich picture diagrams (RPDs) of hospital infrastructure interdependencies under different extreme weather event scenarios. They show that the risks posed to hospitals by extreme weather events cannot be considered in isolation from the surrounding infrastructure, emergency management systems, health systems and communities in which they are imbedded. The new insights provided have major governance and policy implications for agencies responsible for ensuring that hospital infrastructure can continue to support the delivery of effective health services during extreme weather events.

Small and medium-sized enterprises' perspectives towards construction supply chain management and e-commerce

Abstract Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute the majority of firms in the construction industry and are therefore of prime importance in the construction supply chain. Despite this fact, little attention has been paid to SMEs with respect to supply chain management (SCM). SMEs in Australia were surveyed, via a postal questionnaire, to identify business strategies, current SCM practices, the concerns and the barriers that SMEs encountered in developing an integrated supply chain. Following the surveys, face-to-face interviews with construction professionals were also conducted to obtain their views on these issues and to seek strategies to overcome such barriers/concerns. Amongst the research outcomes it was found that the SMEs’ business strategies are mainly focused on improving profit growth, providing a high quality product and lowering total deliver costs. It is also found that the SCM practice by the SMEs typically aims to reduce the delivery time of materials, and determine customers’ future needs. On the other hand, the research found that at the same time SMEs are concerned with the lack of interest among suppliers and customers, lack of sophisticated information systems and competition from other supply chains. It is also found that the price/contract/project-based relationship between the main contractor and subcontractors is the main barrier hinders supply chain integration and management. However, the research found that SMEs do not seem to be concerned with a lack of trust and cooperation among supply chain members as this is usually covered by contractual relationships. It is found that there is a need to improve project coordination and information sharing, as well as shortening time to respond to requests for information. Further to these, the research found that the level of e-commerce practice by the SMEs has improved in recent years and this provides a good platform for the integration of SMEs into the construction supply chain through e-commerce. Despite the above provisos the findings reflected that supply chain integration is an important issue for construction SMEs and the use of compatible information system will increase the supply chain integration and management and hence improve the performance of the entire construction supply chain.