Construction performance and organisational culture

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the outcomes of a detailed research study carried out as part of the fulfilment of a doctoral programme which examined the relationships between, and impacts of organisational culture on construction performance within a Hong Kong context. The research used a mixed methodology approach consisting of an organisational culture survey using an adapted validated and reliable measurement instrument (the Denison Organisational Culture Survey), mini-case studies in four Hong Kong construction companies and correlated the derived culture scores against performance scores measured by the Hong Kong Housing Department Performance Assessment Scoring System (PASS). The significance of the research was to advance knowledge of the importance of organisational culture strength as a performance driver in the construction industry and the further proof of the culture performance links using a set of measures of the latter which were not financially-based. The findings of the research make a contribution to theory by further validating the work by Denison (1990) and others, not only in that a successful link between organisational culture and performance was demonstrated, but it also identifies particular cultural factors in organisations that appear to be significantly responsible for achieving successful outcomes and reveals opportunities for further research into the organisational culture of construction companies Keywords: organisational culture, construction performance, business success.