Wedawatta, G and Ingirige, B (2016) A conceptual framework for understanding resilience of construction SMEs to extreme weather events. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 6(4), pp. 428-443. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which form a significant portion in many economies, are some of the most vulnerable to the impact of extreme weather events (EWEs). This is of particular importance to the construction industry, as an overarching majority of construction companies are SMEs who account for the majority of employment and income generation within the industry. In the UK, previous research has identified construction SMEs as some of the worst affected by EWEs. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Given the recent occurrences of EWEs and predictions suggesting increases in both the intensity and frequency of EWEs in the future, improving the resilience of construction SMEs is vital for achieving a resilient construction industry. A conceptual framework is first developed which is then populated and expanded based on empirical evidence. Positioned within a pragmatic research philosophy, case study research strategy was adopted as the overall research strategy in undertaking this investigation. Findings Based on the findings of two in-depth case studies of construction SMEs, a framework was developed to represent EWE resilience of construction SMEs, where resilience was seen as a collective effect of vulnerability, coping strategies, and coping capacities of SMEs, characteristics of the EWE and the wider economic climate. Originality/value The paper provides an original contribution towards the overarching agenda of the resilience of SMEs, and policy making in the area of EWE risk management by presenting a novel conceptual framework depicting the resilience of medium sized construction companies.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; SMEs; vulnerability; construction management; business continuity; resilience; disaster planning; small to medium sized enterprises; extreme weather events |
| Index terms: | construction company, philosophy, strategy, small and medium sized enterprise, employment, case study, policy making, disaster planning, conceptual framework, extreme weather event, construction industry, business continuity, risk management, vulnerability, evidence, investigation, income, coping, methodology |
| Subjects: | climate science, risk assessment, evaluation and assessment methods, data collection methods, organization, policy studies, economic analysis, project risk, management, theoretical framing, research methods, philosophical studies, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, environmental hazards |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Business Strategy, Sustainability, Governance, Risk Management, Human Resources |
| 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