Kreiner, K and Damkjær, L (2009) Learning and imagination in construction. In: Dainty, A R J (ed.) Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2009, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Learning is considered a good strategy for solving the persistent problems with defects in construction. But conditions in construction are not conducive for learning. This increases the risk that experience produces lessons that are false or limited. We illustrate the inherent difficulties of making sound assessment in even simple, ordinary situations on a construction site. Building on this appreciation of high complexity we develop a perspective on the experience of construction defects as probabilistic events. From this perspective we suggest that what should he learned from experience is not only what happened but also what might have happened; and that the challenge is not to make sound assessment of defects but to finds ways of making the assessments more likely to become sound by subsequent events.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction defects; false learning; imagination; sense-making |
| Index terms: | complexity, construction site, construction defect, strategy |
| Subjects: | management, systems engineering, contract obligations, work location |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Site Management, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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