Wilkinson, R; Sherratt, F and Farrell, P (2015) Knowledge management on site: A case study project. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 168(2), pp. 99-109. ISSN 17514304
Abstract
Construction is a knowledge-intensive industry. However, the majority of knowledge management research focuses on corporate and managerial levels rather than on constructions sites. Sites are where money is made or lost, and decisions made which impact expenditure, efficiency and productivity. To support this macro- or organisational-level research, this paper aims to develop insight at the micro or site level, to help inform knowledge management decisions made at corporate level. It reports the findings of a case study that examined knowledge management in operation on a small civil engineering project in north-west England. Data, including participant observation, unstructured interviews and project documentation, were analysed to explore the creation, flow and transfer of knowledge throughout the project. Complex relationships existed between explicit and tacit knowledge, while predicted and unpredicted knowledge gains could also be identified alongside 'aspirational' knowledge. A reliance on 'pending' knowledge to make decisions that influence project performance suggests improved knowledge management within a more integrated project team would be beneficial. Knowledge management was found to be limited by the tacit nature of much of the knowledge generated on the project, and the lack of formal feedback into an organisational knowledge management system.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | knowledge management; management |
| Index terms: | England, case study, project documentation, efficiency, project team, knowledge management system, interview, project performance, knowledge management, tacit knowledge, observation, productivity |
| Subjects: | project management theory and practice, data collection methods, information systems, professional development, project planning, Geography, management, project delivery, performance management |
| Topics: | Project Management, Quality Management, Geographical Context, Digital Applications, Information Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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