Haigh, R (2004) Continuous process improvement and learning on construction projects: The role of process capability assessments. PhD thesis, University of Salford, UK.
Abstract
There are increasing demands for the construction industry to improve its processes and learn from past experiences. This thesis begins by examining the need for process thinking in construction. It explores the theories underpinning process improvement, organisational change and learning in organisations, and looks at the relationships between them. The research question of this thesis builds on research carried out within SPICE (Structured Process Improvement in Construction Enterprises), a research project funded by the UK DETR (Department of the Environment and the Regions). SPICE was a response to the Rethinking Construction agenda in the UK, in particular its focus on the construction process. It advocates an incremental approach to process improvement for the construction industry, based on techniques successfully applied in the software engineering industry. The approach of SPICE is taken forward to examine whether process capability assessments can be used to facilitate process improvement and learning on construction projects. A case study methodology is adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative data collected from two UK construction projects. A cross-case analysis is undertaken to answer the research question.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction project; improvement; learning; organisational change; case study; UK |
| Index terms: | construction industry, case study, methodology, construction process, construction project, software engineering, cross-case analysis, process improvement, organizational change |
| Subjects: | data analysis and analytics, business, data collection methods, industry analysis, building construction, production management, research methods, software systems, management |
| Topics: | Project Management, Engineering Principles, Site Management, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here