James Sommerville

Multivariate influences on the people side of projects: stress and conflict

Abstract The paper sets out findings from research carried out with a variety of construction project managers. The work considers the definitions and functionality of occupational stress and conflict, and relationships which may exist between the two. The perceived sources of stress and conflict within the construction industry, and its attendant groupings, are discussed in the light of a theoretical construct and supporting field data. The resultant effects of stress and conflict are discussed in some detail along with the variety of coping strategies adopted as conflict and stress negators. Consideration is given to the various forms of conflict which may be found within construction projects and the stages present within the conflict events are discussed with respect to contract interfaces and the analysis of interpersonal relationships. The influence of ‘personality type’ is addressed with respect to the industry, the industrys operational procedures, and socioeconomic influences upon the individual. Management strategies are then proposed which may be considered as reducers or eliminators of stress and conflict at the earlier stages of the projects lifespan.

Project teambuilding—the applicability of Belbin's team-role self-perception inventory

Abstract In order to secure innovation in construction project execution it is necessary to re-consider the selection processes used to build the composite project team. Industries, other than construction, for example, petro-chemical, pharmaceuticals, have long undertaken psychometric testing of team members in order to establish, and build upon, the particular strengths of the individuals. Use of the Belbin team-role self-perception inventory allows the identification of particular team roles and the individuals preponderance for the identified roles. Analysis of responses from a variety of industrial specialisms found within student cohorts shows that there are significant differences within the groups. The findings may hold significant issues for innovative construction projects in terms of the processes involved in team development and composition.

A scorecard approach to benchmarking for total quality construction

The application of benchmarks developed from a scorecard approach to a total quality management (TQM) programme are discussed. The programme aims to attain quality within an organisation whose primary operations are centred on a number of construction projects. The innovative scorecard measures developed and implemented within the Morrison Construction Group are reviewed and reported upon, and the resulting benefits derived from the implementation of the scorecard are discussed. Real and virtual benchmarks are established and utilised as metrics within this construction organisation’s scorecard. From implementation of the scorecard, it is clear that superior measures are those which incorporate internal and external customer survey findings which include the mapping of practical efforts centred on the perceptions of the client and the myriad other stakeholders in a construction project.

Defects and rework in new build: an analysis of the phenomenon and drivers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the continued media attention surrounding defects, and the resulting “rework”, in new build projects, especially homes.Design/methodology/approach – This paper evaluates the literature on defects and rework in new build projects, with an emphasis on housing, and identifies a number of issues within the underlying research agenda.Findings – Suggestions are put forward as to how predictor models may be focused to drive impetus for the development of a greater number of analytical tools which industry participants can use to characterize, model, evaluate and inform, decisions about defects and rework.Research limitations/implications – The house‐building segment of the construction industry is important since it is clearly outward facing and monitored by a range of interested stakeholders. The findings of this study will hopefully provide impetus to the search for alternative approaches to be taken to the elimination or reduction in new house defects.Original...

Defects in new homes: an analysis of data on 1,696 new UK houses

Purpose – The clamour from UK house buyers over “snags” in new homes seems likely to continue unabated even though house builders are striving to resolve what may be perceived as a quality issue. This paper aims to discuss how the requirements, and hence the quality of new homes in the UK, are defined and the role the house buyer actually plays in this process.Design/methodology/approach – Within the composite quality attainment process “snagging” is defined and discussed in detail along with the resulting quality cognitive dissonance likely to be encountered by the buyer. The results of detailed quantitative analysis of data on snagging from nearly 1,700 new homes are presented.Findings – The snagging process shows how heavily the house buying process is geared towards the builder and that within this snagging process there are areas where the builder is absorbing costs, which reduce the potential profit on each house i.e. the absorbed snagging (snags remedied as the work progresses). The visible snaggin...

Information management systems on construction projects: case reviews

Purpose – This paper aims to present the findings from research that sought to evaluate the construction industrys approach to information management at the project level and to review the operation of an information management systems (IMS) on selected projects.Design/methodology/approach – Data from three IMS used on three separate construction projects were extracted over a four‐year period as the life of the construction stage of each project came to an end. Three distinct databases of the IMS were analysed and document statistics were extracted to demonstrate the level of activity within the construction project, and between members of the construction team, using a simple counting technique for each document type.Findings – The paper finds that major construction projects generate, process and store considerable quantities of real‐time information prior to, during, and post on‐site construction. The construction activities are shrouded in information and management of the construction project requi...

Risk management implementation in small and medium enterprises in the UK construction industry

Purpose – The competition and challenges facing construction firms during the recent recession have brought risk management (RM) to the fore in people’s minds. Examination of the difficulties of implementing RM in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK construction industry has been relatively untouched. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – As part of on-going research to facilitate RM processing aimed at improving the competitiveness of SMEs, the difficulties in RM implementation were identified through a literature review of RM implementation in SMEs. Postal questionnaire were sent to SMEs who have experience of construction management. Findings – Of the 153 of SMEs responding, most highlighted that the main difficulty experienced is how to scale RM process to meet their requirements. None of the available standards explain the fundamental principle of applying RM to the situations that SMEs find themselves in. This difficulty is further exacerbated by a lack of m...

Demand Uncertainty in Construction Supply Chains: A Discrete Event Simulation Study

The delivery of construction projects is typically an assembly operation involving a high number of subassemblies and materials brought on site by the supply chain. However, although supply chain management in construction has attracted significant attention, paradoxically little focus has been placed on construction supply networks and operations. This paper places emphasis on supply chain operations by looking at the logistics function of construction material suppliers. Specifically, the paper examines the impact of demand uncertainty on supply chain performance in order to assess the capacity of material distribution companies to provide a timely and cost-efficient service to the construction industry. The study adopts a discrete event simulation approach to assess the impact of demand fluctuations on two crucial logistics performance measures; lead time and cost efficiency. The results show that lead times are particularly sensitive to fluctuations under conditions of low demand. The findings also reveal that, although transport is a significant cost element for lower demand levels, higher inventory costs result in a negative exponential relationship between increasing demand and cost efficiency.

Intelligent buildings with radio frequency identification devices

Purpose – The drive for intelligent buildings continues unabated. An intelligent building (IB) is one that provides a responsive and supportive environment within which an organisation can attain a range of objectives, i.e. a building within which the building fabric, space, services and information systems can respond efficiently to the initial and changing demands of the owner, the occupier and the broader environment. This responsiveness requires the ability to collect data and initiate processes which effect changes. Application of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) to the components and processes undertaken within the building allows enhanced data management and process manipulation. The purpose of this paper is to outline how buildings and their management are being changed by the adoption of RFID.Design/methodology/approach – This paper discusses the characteristics of RFIDs and their application in one specific function: the evacuation of a building during a fire. The potential for RFID...

The role of the project manager: all things to all people?

Purpose – Writers over the years have sought to define the nature and roles of a project manager. The attempts at these definitions have been based on rather historic writings of what a manager should do. This paper seeks to provide an up‐to‐date understanding of the current roles of a construction project manager.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review is used to develop a time role analysis matrix which is completed by 24 project management staff working for a multi‐national contractor located in west‐central Scotland.Findings – What becomes clear from this research is that the definition of the actual roles is vague and poorly defined and the role basket is loose with each project shaping the final range. The research shows that the number of roles undertaken by a project manager changes with age and also the nature of the roles undertaken moves with the maturity of the project manager.Practical implications – The historic view of what roles project managers undertake needs to be moulded in l...