The management of inter-organisational relationships and project based learning

• Main Author: Tong, Michael K. L.
• Published: Glasgow Caledonian University 2011
• Subjects: 338.4
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.547433

The construction industry has in recent times undergone an unprecedented period of self-examination. Government and industry collaborations have attempted to bring about both political and structural change with the aim of rethinking the way it conducts business. Yet the implementation of management innovations (Ml) such as Supply Chain Management (SCM), common in other industries, has not materialised. This research proposes that the structural characteristics of the industry can be addressed through the management of Inter-organisational Relationships (lOR) and Project Based Learning (PBL). The aim of the thesis was to determine the significance of lORs and PBL in addressing the temporary and multi-organisational nature of project teams for the effective implementation of Ml for continuous improvement of construction projects. A mixed method approach was adopted for this research because it is flexible enough to incorporate different perspectives and allows different methods and practices to be used. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected using a web based questionnaire and case studies to examine lOR and PBL. The analyses involved a mixture of descriptive, mean response ranking and Pearson's chi-square (i) tests using the software packages SPSS and Minitab. Findings from the web based questionnaire analyses involving 74 Demonstration projects highlighted the significance of both lOR and PBL on the implementation of MI. Critical success factors such as partner selection, project relationships, learning promoters and inhibitors were established and ranked. One of the main findings is the role of psychological safety for learning. The review of projects and formalised learning were seen as key areas for learning improvement. The analyses of two case studies added an additional dimension and helped explore how practitioners had to expend more effort to make sense of new ways of working and adapting to unfamiliar roles. Although learning was prevalent in projects, it was associated with problems rather than a potential benefit that can be formalised and exploited collectively by the team. Until the perennial contextual issues of construction like poor integration of design and construction, low bidding and unrealistic timescales are addressed, the implementation of management innovations and the potential of lOR and PBL will not be fulfilled.