Fellows, R; Liu, A and Storey, C (2009) Values, power and performance on construction projects: A preliminary investigation. In: Dainty, A R J (ed.) Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2009, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Seeking means for improving performance on construction projects remains a universal endeavour; in part, because project performance is linked to organisational performance. However, in the vast majority of cases, such endeavours relate to 'traditional', 'hard' measures of project management performance (realisation efficiency / effectiveness) and project performance (in-use operation). The realisation process is commonly characterised as a 'shifting, multi-goal coalition' based upon a fluid power structure in which participants tend to pursue values relating to self interests. Given that performance criteria may be classified as generic business, technical, and relational, questions of the strengths and directions of influence amongst them arise, with particular emphasis on potential causalities (as, for instance, in 'partnering'). Thus, this paper reviews theory and literature relating to personal and organisational values, power sources, structuring and exercising, and performance constructs and metrics with application to construction projects. A convenience sample of three case study projects is employed for empirical investigation. Power is determined to be the primary consideration in determining project realisation.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | performance; power; values |
| Index terms: | organizational value, project management, construction project, effectiveness, organizational performance, investigation, project performance, efficiency, partnering, performance criteria, case study |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, business, performance measurement, performance management, production management, project management theory and practice, partnership management |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Organizational Design, Research Practice, Project Management, Stakeholder Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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