Fredslund, L; Søder, P H; Hansen, E J d P and Koch, C (2022) An institutional analysis of how the construction industry's complexity affects waste: An alternative response to future market demands for sustainability. In: Tutesigensi, A and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 38th Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2022, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.
Abstract
As a main consumer of resources and an important economic driver, supranational authorities (UN/EU) are expecting the construction industry to address sustainability issues, making the construction process an extremely complex activity. A response to this complexity is often expressed through technologies, strategies, and organisations. However, the effect of waste, defects, and failures affecting both productivity and sustainability has increased due to e.g., tough competition, temporary exchanges, and individual utility maximisation. This has been discussed for many years, where knowledge on the institutional causes for waste is still needed to qualify and target future initiatives stressing the 'Build Back Wiser' theme. We analytically address the waste phenomenon through a lens of institutional theory and a mixed-method inquiry; interviews, literature search and index data linking societal expectations and industry responses. We contribute with understandings on how strategic partnerships can be a response to supranational authorities and future market demands for sustainability.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | complexity; partnerships; productivity; sustainability; waste |
| Index terms: | construction industry, complexity, construction process, competition, productivity, partnership, strategy, maximization, institutional theory, interview |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, management, algorithms, industry analysis, systems engineering, partnership management, market analysis, building construction, sociology |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Stakeholder Management, Digital Applications, Site Management |
| 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