Low, S P (2012) Strategic development of the built environment through international construction, quality and productivity management. DSc thesis, University of Birmingham, UK.
Abstract
This thesis presents a coherent, sustained and substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge or application of knowledge or both in the field of construction management and economics. More specifically, this thesis outlines the strategic development of the built environment through lessons from international construction, quality and productivity management. The strategic role of construction in economic development is emphasized. It describes the contributions transnational construction firms made towards modern-day construction project management practices globally. It establishes the relationship between construction quality and economic development and fosters a better understanding of total quality management and quality management systems in enhancing construction industry performance. Additionally, it prescribes lessons from the manufacturing industry for construction productivity and identifies the amount of carbon emissions reduced through lean construction management practices to alleviate the generally adverse effects of the built environment on global climate change. It highlights the need for integrated management systems to enhance quality and productivity for sustainable development in the built environment. The thesis is an account of how the built environment has evolved, leveraging on lessons from international construction, quality and productivity management for improvements over the past two decades.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | built environment; climate change; construction firms; construction project; economic development; industry performance; lean construction; manufacturing; productivity; project management; quality management; sustainability |
| Index terms: | manufacturing industry, sustainable development, construction firm, economic development, lean construction, total quality management, management system, construction quality, climate change, global climate change, construction project, management practice, productivity, construction industry performance, carbon emission, industry performance, construction productivity, quality management, project management, quality management system, construction project management, international construction, built environment |
| Subjects: | infrastructure and transport systems, industry analysis, project management theory and practice, management, project delivery, evaluation methods, quality assurance, financial analysis, building construction, production management, health safety and environment, economic development, operations management, climate science, strategic management, organization |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Project Management, Sustainability, Quality Management, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Research Practice, Urban Studies, International Construction, Site Management, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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