Fredslund, L M and Gottlieb, S C (2018) Engaging the construction supply chain: A pluralistic perspective. In: Gorse, C and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 34th Annual ARCOM Conference, 3-5 September 2018, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK.
Abstract
Supply Chain Management (SCM) has gained momentum in Denmark as a mean of improving the industry’s productivity. So far, it has however been difficult to create a dominant and effective Construction SCM (CSCM) paradigm. A reason is the loosely-coupled nature of the industry that poses challenges when adopting value-adding SCM practices from other industries. Alternative conceptualizations are therefore needed to develop and mature CSCM principles.Drawing on a theoretical perspective combining Institutional Theory and the Microfoundations Movement, we take the position that CSCM represents a logic that has to be generated within an existing institutional environment already structured by multiple, competing logics that function as established organizing principles for collective coordination. Consequently, a new mediating CSCM logic should hybridize with, rather than subsume, competing logics at interrelated levels if consensus and legitimacy is to be achieved. Based on an ongoing case study in one of Denmark's largest contractor groups, 'Engaged Scholarship' principles are used to create a practice-oriented framework for maturing CSCM in the industry. The aim is to address the question: 'How can balancing of fragmentation and integration aspects at various levels of construction supply chains substantiate CSCM maturity, and what alternative explanations does this perspective offer to the current research game?'The result is a contribution to the macro-oriented agenda typically associated with industry change, which assumes that the lower level of the Danish construction industry is homogeneous. A pluralistic explanation that acknowledges fragmentation and integration concerns at the micro-level is argued to be instrumental in creating the necessary legitimacy for change. In conclusion, we offer some analytical questions for the further study of the relationship between the industry’s value chain and the operational performance of projects that combines field and individual-level perspectives, and highlights the role of 'everyday micro-agency' in relation to successful CSCM implementation.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cscm; engaged scholarship; pluralism; research methods; sensitivity |
| Index terms: | construction supply chain, integration, paradigm, legitimacy, coordination, Denmark, implementation, construction industry, agency, case study, movement, institutional theory, value chain, fragmentation, drawing, productivity |
| Subjects: | health behaviours and lifestyles, construction logistics, business, data collection methods, contractual arrangements, technical documentation, value chain strategy, Geography, education and knowledge transfer, management, industry analysis, sociology, organizational analysis |
| Topics: | Procurement, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, Supply Chain Management, Design 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