Richard Fellows

Planning for claims: an ethnography of industry culture

Claims by contractors for additional payments have been identified by commentators as a major source of difficulty in the industry. Ethnographic research with industry members reveals some key features of planning practices that underlie such events. Claims are sometimes planned at tender stage and sometimes during the course of a project. One practice at tender stage is a pricing technique that minimizes the tender price while maximizing the out‐turn cost of a contract by exploiting mistakes in the bill of quantities. Another is the programming of work to maximize its vulnerability to delay. More reactive techniques may be employed during the course of the project, often to make up for an unanticipated increase in costs. These and other similar practices may be reported as features of an integrated culture, defined in such a way as to encompass activity and reject Cartesian dualism. The unique adequacy requirements of methods are suitable criteria for the evaluation of such reports. The claims culture arises from economic conditions in the industry, which include low entry barriers and competitive tendering. However, removal of these conditions alone cannot guarantee that the practices will cease.

Enhancing commitment through work empowerment

Purpose – The research objectives are to investigate the perception of work empowerment of quantity surveyors and to determine whether perceived work empowerment is an antecedent of commitment.Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory study amongst quantity surveyors in four different types of construction industry organisations in Hong Kong is conducted. Data are collected by use of established questionnaires, yielding 136 valid responses.Findings – Organisational commitment comprises dimensions of effectiveness and continuance. It is found that when the perception of work empowerment increases, organisational commitment increases accordingly. Work empowerment is related to affective commitment rather than continuance commitment. Professional qualification and nationality are positively correlated with both dimensions of organisational commitment. Chinese chartered quantity surveyors show more commitment to their organisations. Generally, male QS shows less continuance commitment and the longer the QS...

The claims culture: a taxonomy of attitudes in the industry

This paper presents an analysis of a familiar aspect of construction industry culture that we have dubbed ‘the claims culture’. This is a culture of contract administration that lays a strong emphasis on the planning and management of claims. The principal elements of the analysis are two sets of distinctions. The first comprises economic and occupational orders, referring to two kinds of control that are exercised over the construct ion process; predicated respectively on economic ownership and occupational competence. The second refers to contrasting attitudes towards relationships and problem solving within these orders: respectively ‘distributive’ and ‘integrative’. The concepts of economic and occupational order entail further sub-categories. The various attitudes associated with these categories and sub-categories are described. They are assessed as to their consequences for change initiatives in the industry.

Surveyors' perspectives on ethics in organisational culture

This paper investigates perceptions on ethics amongst surveyors working in Hong Kong. Objectives of the study are to develop an organisational ethics model, to examine the dominant and significantly different ethical climate and culture types amongst private‐ and public‐sector organisations that employ surveyors, and to determine any effects of the existence of ethical codes. It is postulated that ethical behaviours have an impact on the final project outcome. The empirical work is of survey design and the data are analysed using principal component factor analysis, correlation and analysis of variance. The results yield a number of factors and the strength of factors present differs between public and private organisations with a large number of respondents indicating uncertainty of the presence of ethical codes.

The power paradigm of project leadership

The concept of leadership inevitably concerns power structuring in which power is distributed unevenly between individuals. Indeed, leadership styles are closely associated with power distribution and its exercise. Power, in its diverse guises, combines inter‐personal and structural elements and may be enhanced through political manoeuvring. This paper develops a model of project leadership from a behaviour–performance–outcome approach to construction projects and concludes by stressing the motivational function of good leadership through managing power gap(s) by means of power‐sharing and power‐amassing.

Sustainability: a matter of energy?

Purpose – This paper sets out to explore the concepts involved in sustainability by investigating the basic meanings of the terms, the primary principles involved and their application to practices of development. Design/methodology/approach – A perspective founded in natural science is adopted relating to energy and matter. Issues of pragmatism and human behaviour are considered to determine how the basic essentials are being pursued, with consideration of common project evaluation methods. Issues of culture, human groups and institutions are examined with respect to their impact on sustainability. Contrasts between relativist approaches (“green”) and absolute approaches (sustainability) are explored. Findings – It is concluded that absolutism should form the decision approach in order that real sustainability may be achieved. Practical implications – The paper highlights the deficiencies in the relativist approaches which are adopted currently. By diverting foci to concepts of economic, social etc. sustainability, the real and underpinning imperatives of environmental sustainability – expressed in terms of energy and matter, are diluted in the ensuing pragmatic debates. Real sustainability, it is argued, must concern such essential issues to be effective. Originality/value – This paper addresses the basic, absolute issues of sustainability and so, acts as a focus for addressing the difference between real sustainability and the relativism of current “sustainability” legislation, practices, and, unfortunately, much debate. The paper endeavours to be productively provocative as a catalyst for advance.

Monte Carlo simulation of construction costs using subjective data: comment

This note supplements papers by Chau in an attempt to further the consideration of risk measures in forecasts of construction project costs. The note reviews the application of PERT-based aspects of analysis and simple portfolio theory. Consideration is given to subjective factors in cost forecasting which arise from the natures and experiences of the forecasters as well as pressures to which they (may) feel subjected. Alternative measures of risk exposure are examined and supplementary analyses of the data contained in Chaus paper are reported. Although the log-triangular distribution is confirmed as a superior means of measuring risk, the observed risk measures still exceed those calculated.

Behaviour of quantity surveyors as organizational citizens

Understanding the individuals collectivistic orientations toward group goals and task activities is critical for developing cooperative and productive teams. The complex environment of modern construction, where the emphasis shifts from individually oriented to team‐based work, has led to many challenges. There are important issues of cooperative behaviours in a world of cultural pluralism in which interpersonal cooperation is juxtaposed with organizational citizenship behaviour. Behaviours of construction project participants are important manifestations of culture that are dependent upon norms, values and beliefs. Certain organizational cultures support individualistic behaviours while others emphasize the benefits to the collective whole. Collectivistic orientation is examined as the cultural dimension of individualism‐collectivism (IC) and found to be related to organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) where the correlations of IC and most OCB variables are significant for quantity surveyors in Hong Kong. Generally, the (more) individualistic persons are less likely to exhibit organizational citizenship behaviours.

Advanced Research Methods in the Built Environment

This text provides a reasonably comprehensive array of research expertise from its 24 contributors and two editors. The 19 chapters address a wide range of research topics in a variety of ways, from examination of philosophical underpinnings of epistemology and scientific methods, via discussions of methods of investigation to pragmatics of managing the process and securing publication. The book is more a collection of informed papers by experts in their field than a ‘research textbook’ and, as such, makes an interesting and valuable contribution to the expanding array of literature on research in the built environment. Generally, the book comprises chapters which provide overviews of the topics. Essentially, it addresses four generic areas—generic issues of research and knowledge, methods employed in research, personal aspects of carrying out research and production and use of the outputs. Although not strictly ordered in such a sequence (Chapters 6 and 7 could, advisedly, be recast as Chapters 1 and 2), the contents provide an interesting, insightful and helpful volume. The foreword is provided by Peter Barrett in which he notes the diversity of content to reflect the complexity of the modern built environment and, thus, the richness of research potential. He further suggests that the depth of insights provided indicates the level of maturity which built environment research has attained. The introduction by the editors states that the book is targeted at the postgraduate audience with the aim ‘to provide a bridge between the introductory research methods books ... and the many discipline-specific texts’. The introduction continues with a brief overview of each chapter before concluding with a desire that the book ‘will contribute to a new sense of shared methodological understanding’. The first chapter, by Andrew Dainty, addresses methodological pluralism in construction management research. Starting with a review of the quantitative/ qualitative debate of the 1990s, the argument moves to consideration of multimethodology rather than the more usual triangulation aspects. Wisely, Dainty argues the importance of ontological and epistemological stances within research strategies and designs. Following analysis of a sample of papers published in Construction Management and Economics, which demonstrates the predominance of quantitative methods, the implications of such uniformity are discussed before moving on to address methodological pluralism and multi-paradigm research. The chapter concludes with a strong challenge for construction management researchers to break out of the single paradigm intransigence and to move into the more robust arenas of triangulations and multimethodology. Alan Penn addresses architectural research in Chapter 2. Having been involved at the periphery of the continuing debate regarding research in architecture over the last 20 years, with the common assertions by academic architects that their discipline is different—they research by designing and so, should be judged accordingly, that their primary function is to train architects, etc.—I consider that this chapter provides a refreshing and fascinating portrayal. The brief overview is followed by categorization of architectural research into process and product orientations before moving on to examination of some particular research based around social logic of space and the extensive work of Bill Hillier. The discussion moves from the micro scale of a single building to the macro scale of an urban area and incorporates helpful drawings, maps and regression analysis. The discussion concluding this chapter addresses the future challenge of coupling explicit knowledge content, as in goaldirected design, with the innovation and required flexibility to cope with necessarily incomplete knowledge of requirements at project inception and the desirable changes as the design evolves. Chapter 3, legal research, by Paul Chynoweth, provides a remarkable continuity with its review of the epistemology of legal scholarship, in which doctrinal methodology is emphasized, with its normative characteristics. That legal research usually occurs in the form of scholarship, with its normative nature placing it close to humanities, is acknowledged and contrasts it with the scientific paradigm and quantitative approaches most common in the built environment. Thus, legal doctrinal research, with a focus on analysis and manipulation of theoretical concepts and reasoning Construction Management and Economics (June 2009) 27, 605–611

Power, Leadership and Cultures in Quantity Surveying Practices in Hong Kong

Abstract This paper addresses issues of how leadership operates, the nature of the power of leaders and the organisational cultural environments amongst quantity surveying consultant practices in Hong Kong. Due to resource limitations, a survey design was employed for the research. Data collection was achieved through use of previously-developed and well-tested questionnaire instruments which were adapted for use in context following piloting. Separate questionnaires were used for each of the main categories of variables. Results show that leadership in quantity surveying practices in Hong Kong is mostly supportive which fosters good morale and performance amongst subordinates; negative impacts were detected for directive leadership. Quantity surveyors are relationship-oriented with expert power as the most important source. The practices exhibit hierarchical organisational culture, although market culture is strongest amongst younger firms. Overall, results suggest movement towards clan culture, the expressed preference of participants.