M. Bresnen

Partnering in construction: a critical review of issues, problems and dilemmas

Partnering in construction has been presented as a potentially important way of improving construction project performance through the direct benefits it can bring to both clients and contractors. However, there is still considerable debate about the nature and merits of a partnering approach. This paper attempts to contribute towards this debate by exploring the presumed link between partnering and cultural change within the industry, at both organizational and interorganizational levels of analysis. To do so, it draws upon theory and research from the social sciences (especially organizational theory) to explore some of the issues, problems and dilemmas which emerge when full and proper account is taken of the complexities of organizations, as well as some of the subtleties and intricacies of the concept of organizational culture. The paper concludes that it is only by fully appreciating the effects of such complexity that a more realistic and practical approach to the development and implementation of partnering will emerge.

Social practices and the management of knowledge in project environments

Increasingly, the importance of social aspects of knowledge retention and transfer has been emphasised in the literature on managing knowledge, with the recognition that knowledge is often tacit and situated and embedded within particular social groups and situations. This has considerable relevance for understanding attempts to manage knowledge in settings where activity and learning are project-based. Knowledge management in such a context faces many challenges, due to the one-off nature of project work and the many resulting discontinuities in methods of organisation and flows of personnel, materials and information. One important consequence is that social processes potentially play an important part in the diffusion and transfer of knowledge and learning. This paper sets out to examine the significance of social factors in enhancing knowledge management capabilities in such an environment, drawing upon case study research from the construction industry. The main finding from the research is that processes of knowledge capture, transfer and learning in project settings rely very heavily upon social patterns, practices and processes in ways which emphasise the value and importance of adopting a community-based approach to managing knowledge.

Project-Based Learning and the Role of Learning Boundaries

This paper seeks to analyse the extent to which organizations can learn from projects by focusing on the relationship between projects and their organizational context. The paper highlights three dimensions of project-based learning: the practice-based nature of learning, project autonomy and knowledge integration. This analysis generates a number of propositions on the relationship between the learning generated within projects and its transfer to other parts of the organization. In particular, the paper highlights the ‘learning boundaries’ which emerge when learning within projects creates new divisions in practice. These propositions are explored through a comparative analysis of two case studies of construction projects. This analysis suggests that the learning boundaries which develop around projects reflect the nested nature of learning, whereby different levels of learning may substitute for each other. Learning outcomes in the cases can thus be analysed in terms of the interplay between organizational learning and project-level learning. The paper concludes that learning boundaries are an important constraint on attempts to exploit the benefits of project-based learning for the wider organization.

Building Partnerships: Case Studies of Client-Contractor Collaboration in the UK Construction Industry.

Despite the enormous groundswell of interest in partnering and alliancing in recent years, there has been comparatively little research that has set out to investigate systematically the nature, feasibility, benefits and limitations of forms of client-contractor collaboration. This is despite the growing recognition that conditions conducive to partnering may well vary considerably and that partnering may not be the solution for problems within the industry that many commentators have taken it to be. This paper sets out to add to the growing literature and empirical database on partnering by reporting the findings of a research project designed to explore the economic, organizational and technological factors that encourage or inhibit collaboration in practice. The paper follows on from an earlier review and critique of the literature on partnering (Bresnen, M. and Marshall, N. 2000, Construction Management and Economics, 18 (2) 229-237). It includes as its database nine case studies of medium-to-large-scale projects, selected from across the industry, on which processes of collaboration are examined from the viewpoints of clients, contractors, designers and subcontractors. In contrast to much of the prescriptive work in this area, the analysis of the data and the papers conclusions stress some of the practical problems, limitations and paradoxes of partnering and alliancing when the effects of important economic, organizational and psychological factors are taken into account.

Motivation, commitment and the use of incentives in partnerships and alliances

The use of incentives in partnering and alliancing has been seen as an important way of reinforcing collaboration in the short term and helping to build trust between clients and contractors in the long term. Yet only rarely has the impact of incentives on such relationships been discussed, let alone subjected to systematic investigation. This is despite a wealth of theory and research which brings into question the use of incentives and reinforcers as ways of generating motivation and commitment. Drawing upon this theoretical knowledge base and using evidence from a number of case studies of partnerships and alliances, this paper demonstrates how a number of important cognitive and social dimensions affect the use and impact of incentives, sometimes in ways contrary to those intended. The conclusion drawn is that there are important limitations to the use of incentives as means of reinforcing collaboration and developing commitment and trust, and that this raises questions more generally about the assumptions that underlie many of the practical ‘tools and techniques’ commonly associated with partnering and alliancing.

Sharing Knowledge Across Projects Limits to ICT-led Project Review Practices

A common strategy to transfer knowledge from projects is for project teams to capture ‘lessons learned’ and store these on a database for others to access. This strategy is widely adopted but such databases are not widely used. This article explores why cross-project knowledge transfer fails, using data from 13 projects in six organizations. Following Cook and Brown, the analysis focuses on why knowledge captured from one project is typically not used as a ‘tool of knowing’ by others. The results suggest that the knowledge captured is not deemed useful and/or project teams lack awareness that there is knowledge that could be useful to help them improve their processes.

Embedding New Management Knowledge in Project-Based Organizations:

The embedding of new management knowledge in project-based organization is made particularly problematic due to the attenuated links that exist between organization-wide change initiatives and project management practice. To explore the complex processes involved in change in project-based organization, this paper draws upon a case study of change within the UK construction industry. Analysing the case study through the lens of structuration theory (Giddens 1984), the paper examines the complex, recursive relationship that links change in project management practice with the peculiarities of that context. The findings demonstrate that a number of features of project-based organization — namely, decentralization, short-term emphasis on project performance and distributed work practices — are critically important in understanding the shaping and embedding of new management practice.

The engineering or evolution of co-operation? A tale of two partnering projects

Accounts of the development of partnering in construction often stress the importance of formal mechanisms for ‘engineering’ collaboration and underplay the impact of social dynamics on the development of the relationship. Drawing upon case study evidence from two very different partnering projects, this paper examines the ways in which the nature and quality of relationships between client and contractor depend upon a complex and dynamic interplay of formal integrative mechanisms and informal social processes. The paper draws out a number of key implications for understanding partnering in practice. First, that attributing project success (or failure) to partnering is by no means a straightforward exercise. Second, that there is no one strategy or template for effective partnering. Third, that partnering is a dynamic process, involving short-term learning and mutual adjustment. Fourth, that wider organisational structures and cultures often have an impact upon partnering relationships. Finally, that partnering does not necessarily resolve project problems at source.

The Processes of Project-based Learning: An Exploratory Study

This paper explores the implications of an increasing reliance on project forms for learning within organizations. In particular, we focus on the tensions between learning at project level and the stocks and flows of organizational knowledge. Based on a review of the existing literature, we outline propositions on two major processes of project-based learning (PBL): ‘learning-by-absorption’ and ‘learning-by-reflection’. Subsequently, the paper applies and refines this framework through the analysis of the findings from a qualitative study of three linked projects in the UK water industry. The findings from our study support and highlight the role of the above-noted processes in determining the extent and transfer of PBL. In particular, they indicate the role played by ‘quasi-organizational’ forms in enabling ‘learning-by-absorption’ and ‘learning-by-reflection’ at a project level. But equally, they help to explain limitations on the ability of project-based learning to bring about significant changes in knowledge stocks and flows in the wider organization.

Organizational routines, situated learning and processes of change in project-based organizations

Understanding and effecting change in project-based forms of organization is made difficult by the dispersed nature of management practices in such organizations and their effects upon the reinforcement of localized practices and routines that militate against the spread oforganization-wide change initiatives. Taking a perspective that is informed by the “situated” approach to knowledge and learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), this paper focuses upon the role of organizational routines (Becker, 2004) in constraining or enabling the spread of new management practices within the firm. Drawing upon four case studies of change within UK construction firms, the paper examines the relationship between new and existing management practices and routines, focusing upon the effects of agency and managerial power and influence. Two key dimensions are revealed that influence the nature and extent of change: the extent to which new management initiatives interfere with existing project management practices; and the extent to which they disrupt the balance of power/knowledge within the organization. Implications for understanding and managing change in project-based organ-ization are drawn out and assessed.