Gluch, P and Räisänen, C (2009) Interactional perspective on environmental communication in construction projects. Building Research & Information, 37(2), pp. 164-175. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Drawing on theories of social interaction, a critical discourse analysis approach is used to examine the resources and constraints on environmental-communication practices in four construction projects in Sweden. The assumption is that talk and action work together to construct, maintain and change organizational structure, social practices, and contractual arrangements. The empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews and field observations where photo documentation was extensively used. The study showed mismatches between information and action, both within the project and between the project and its stakeholders. The mismatches were not caused by a lack of information, but rather by inconsistencies between the communication cultures, the status of the communicator, and the tools used to mediate the information, e.g. the media, discourses and genres used. These discrepancies resulted in a lack of engagement in environmental work in the projects. If environmental and other performances in construction projects are to be improved, more effort needs to be exerted on understanding the dynamics of the social context, human interaction, and the mediating tools used to communicate. This paper suggests an approach that can enhance such an understanding.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; construction projects; engagement; environmental information; mediators; social context; workplace effectiveness |
| Index terms: | interaction, social interaction, media, mismatch, dynamics, mediator, social practice, drawing, interview, effectiveness, critical discourse analysis, Sweden, organizational structure, documentation, construction project |
| Subjects: | performance management, technical documentation, systems engineering, professional development, production management, behavioral psychology, sociology, engineering problems, social theory, dispute resolution, data collection methods, data analysis and analytics, Geography |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Geographical Context, Quality Management, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Organizational Design, Research Practice, 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