Skinnarland, S (2013) Use of progression planning tools in developing collaborative main contractor-subcontractor relationships in Norway. PhD thesis, Heriot-Watt University, UK.
Abstract
The research programme was designed to investigate the relationship between uses of progression planning tools and main contractor subcontractor collaborative relationships. The research was carried out within two Norwegian construction companies where collaborative progression planning tools and methodologies based on the Last Planner system of production control was used. The scope of the research was to test whether such uses could positively affect the collaborative relationships between the contractors and project participants on the construction site. Collaborative relationships in this research referred to a working climate of joint efforts to bring construction projects forward. Literature claimed that adversarial relationships caused inferior productivity levels in the industry. Contractor relationships were assumed to influence how production processes were progressing. Thus developing collaborative relationships was assumed vital in order to improve productivity levels. The DBA research was based on case-studies (observation and interviews) and an quantitative survey in the two construction companies. Current research concluded that uses of progression planning tools may influence collaborative contractor relationships provided an equal attention is paid to structural and systematic approaches to collaborative planning, as to the social and relational dimensions, such as stimulating and motivating interaction and communication among project participants. The thesis provides detailed descriptions of the process elements. The study provides in depth insight into collaborative development processes in project based production settings. The results may be valuable for researchers who aim to further advance knowledge of the importance of participant relationships in the field of construction management. The results may also be of value to construction managers who wish to emphasise the collaborative aspects of conducting projects.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Wallace, W |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climate; communication; construction companies; construction project; construction site; interview; Norway; productivity; subcontractor; survey |
| Index terms: | interaction, dimension, productivity, production control, main contractor, subcontractor, construction manager, methodology, last planner system, construction project, construction company, survey, Norway, programme, production process, construction site, collaborative planning, interview |
| Subjects: | behavioral psychology, Geography, production management, research methods, manufacturing engineering, urban planning, practitioner, organization, project controls, management, health monitoring assessment and metrics, project delivery, work location, profession, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Project Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Site Management, Time Control, Roles and Professions, Governance, 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