Rickaby, M (2020) Defining the relationship between personal values and sustainability performance in a TMO setting. EngD thesis, Loughborough University, UK.
Abstract
Sustainability is associated with many contemporary challenges facing society, prompting sustainability initiatives and research in this field. As a result, there is pressure on organisations and projects to demonstrate how processes, practices, services and products are sustainable. From a construction industry perspective, projects are subject to particular scrutiny in terms of sustainability, such as on environmental issues and social matters. An emerging strand of research has sought to investigate sustainability as a function of values. Given that values are determinants and predictors of perceptions, attitudes and behaviours, understanding employees' underlying values would provide important insights on how personal values relate to sustainability-related actions. Focusing on values as the 'unit of analysis' to explain sustainability is therefore gaining attention. However, there is a gap in knowledge around individual actors' roles as influencers or change agents for sustainability, particularly in a construction project context. Drawing on Schwartz’s (1992) theory of human values, this exploratory research addresses this gap by conceptualising the relationship between personal values and sustainability, using a temporary multiple organisation (TMO) (a rail infrastructure project in the UK) as the case study. An adapted version of Schwartz (1992) value survey was used to measure and analyse the personal values of employees with professional and managerial roles, providing unique observations on value priorities and alignments in the TMO. However, given the lack of previous research or theory in construction industry context, abductive reasoning was adopted to explain the potential significance and implications of the survey findings in light of previous empirical studies. This enabled the development of six theoretical concepts (sense of belonging, moral obligation, creativity, challenge, change, and beyond compliance), articulated as propositions, which have the potential to explain and articulate the relationship between personal values and sustainability performance. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the significance and relevance of the concepts around sustainability in construction project environments. Drawing on the abductive reasoning findings and the semi-structured interviews a practical values-based check-list was developed, which was subsequently verified in a series of focus groups in the construction industry. Underpinned by values theory, the check-list facilitates for a more consistent, systematic and structured approach to address sustainability in construction projects, by providing practical guidance for both individuals and projects to collectively deliver better sustainability performance. The findings are novel, with practical and theoretical implications, as the six concepts were derived from a set of (previously unconnected) empirical studies around values from a diverse range of contexts, providing a holistic overview and understanding of the likely role and relationship of values with sustainability performance, from a construction project (TMO) standpoint.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | abductive reasoning; case study; focus group; infrastructure projects; interview; organisational values; personal values; sustainability performance; temporary multiple organisation; values theory |
| Index terms: | survey, drawing, human values, personal value, society, focus group, compliance, environmental issue, interview, organizational value, agent, abductive reasoning, construction project, sustainability performance, case study, creativity, determinant, construction industry, infrastructure project, exploratory research, empirical study |
| Subjects: | infrastructure and transport systems, industry analysis, technical documentation, business, research design and methodology, data collection methods, risk assessment, behavioral psychology, innovation and creative processes, communities and social development, research methods, sustainability assessment, production management, health safety and environment, practitioner, health behaviours and lifestyles, environmental issues |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Design Practice, Organizational Design, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Risk Management |
| 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