Tsao, C C Y (2005) Use of work structuring to increase performance of project-based production systems. PhD thesis, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Abstract
Work Structuring is a fundamental form of planning. It determines what work must be done on a project, who would be best-suited to execute it, and when they should be doing it. This dissertation seeks to apply a framework for studying Work Structuring. Although the Work Structuring concept is not new---practitioners have been "structuring work" for as long as construction projects have existed---we need a formal framework so that practitioners and researchers will have a common language for structuring practice, research, and teaching. We used case studies to examine Work Structuring because case studies help us understand phenomena and facilitate theory building. We intentionally structured our case studies to focus on different project phases and systems to demonstrate the applicability of the Work Structuring concept. Our first case study, the Hollow Metal Door Frames case study (i.e. , "Case 1") discusses how project participants failed to adopt a systems-oriented perspective, working instead within a purchasing mentality. Case 1 investigates standard practice and helps formulate an initial framework for Work Structuring research. Our second case study, the Steel Indirect Light Fixtures case study (i.e. , "Case 2") explains how efforts in product development and supply chain management allowed the fabricator to introduce a competitive new product for lighting delivery. Case 2 highlights effective Work Structuring practice and provides feedback on the initial framework. Our third case study, the Stone on Truss Curtain Wall case study (i.e. , "Case 3") investigates missed opportunities for global optimization during design collaboration meetings. Case 3 presents a methodology to help project participants manage the relationship between design and production and experiments with methods to make Work Structuring issues transparent. Through our case studies, we clarified and experimented with the Work Structuring concept and highlighted how Work Structuring might be used to reveal additional opportunities for value generation. Our case studies provided insight into Work Structuring practice, and we identified methods to overcome the constraints of contracts, trade regulations, and traditional work methods. Thus, the framework we applied provides the AEC industry with a new way of managing the relationship between design, fabrication, and installation.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Tommelein, I D |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | optimization; construction project; collaboration; fabrication; feedback; purchasing; regulation; supply chain management; teaching; experiment; case studies; case study |
| Index terms: | dissertation, fabrication, metal, curtain wall, case study, purchasing, collaboration, construction project, methodology, regulation, practitioner, product development, design collaboration, production system, value generation, theory building, experiment |
| Subjects: | procurement strategy, political science, production management, building systems, manufacturing engineering, management, research methods, traditional and composite building materials, data science, financial and cost management, practitioner, design methods, innovation studies, research dissemination and communication, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Project Management, Procurement, Design Practice, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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