Löwstedt, M and Sandberg, R (2020) Standardizing the free and independent professional: The case of construction site managers in Sweden. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(6), pp. 1337-1355. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: Research concerned with standardization of the construction process has generally considered the challenges from only rational and instrumental perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to foreground a social perspective of this challenge. Specifically, the work of construction site managers is explored through a professional work lens in order to emphasize significant misalignments with the principles of standardized production in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: Data are drawn from a longitudinal (2014–ongoing) case study of site managers' work in a large Swedish construction company. The research design is characterized by an explorative approach, altogether consisting of 44 in-depth interviews at the site manager level (28) and at other managerial levels (16). All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed particularly to highlight two contrasting dominant discourses: “standardized construction production” and “site manager work.” Findings: The findings show that site manager’s work is enmeshed with a particular type of professional expertise and identity that is ideologically crafted around a proclivity for free and independent work. It is outlined in detail how these social dimensions of work are enacted to form an ongoing (and successful) resistance to organizational initiatives that are based on principles of standardization. Originality/value: This study improves our understanding of an unresolved social challenge that impedes the transformation toward more standardized construction production. It adds new perspectives and value to current research by reminding that (and how) significant changes in production processes also seriously implicate professional work.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction site managers; professional expertise; professional identity; professional work; resistance; social perspectives; standardized construction production |
| Index terms: | dimension, construction industry, construction production, site manager, standardization, identity, research design, professional work, Sweden, transformation, case study, misalignment, construction process, methodology, construction site, production process, construction company, interview, manager |
| Subjects: | Geography, professional development, manufacturing engineering, performance measurement, research methods, industry analysis, building construction, sociology, practitioner, data collection methods, engineering problems, business, organization, research design and methodology, health monitoring assessment and metrics, operations management, work location |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Information Management, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, 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