Managing intragroup conflicts in construction project teams : case studies in Sri Lanka

Conflict is intrinsic to individuals, teams and organisations. Due to the unique and complex nature with various parties, conflict is inevitable in most construction projects. According to the general management literature, three distinct types of intragroup conflicts can be identified: task, process and relationship conflicts. However, very little consideration has been given in the literature addressing the three types individually in a construction project team setting. Therefore, this study has explored the existence of types of intragroup conflicts and their management in this context. This research was approached through case studies of six construction projects, which were operating under the traditional procurement method in Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three distinct participants from each team. The findings revealed that both process and relationship conflicts offer disruptive effects to construction projects and teams, while task conflicts offer positive effects when they exist at low levels. Based on the most critical sources identified within the cases, suggestions are offered here to construction project team managers on how to manage intergroup conflicts proactively. Since the research is based on six case studies on traditional procurement arrangement in Sri Lanka, further research is required to generalise the findings across different contexts.

Chalk and cheese: Grounded theory case studies of the introduction and usage of activity-based information in two British banks

During the conduct of a research project into influences on the use of management accounting information, the use of activity-based techniques and information in two British banks was studied by the application of grounded theory principles. Juxtaposition of these two case studies reveals insights about the managers' significantly different experiences of ongoing applications, and the different outcomes of implementation that may arise, despite commonality in the organization and industry environment. This paper presents these two case studies, highlights the similarities and differences between them, and draws some conclusions about the causes of the differences. Factors that can be managed to achieve a greater use of these particular management accounting techniques, and the information they generate, are revealed. In particular, the findings suggest that the introduction of transfer charging between the bank's internal units highlights the need for activity-based techniques, and that education, communication and implementor support are vital, both for implementation success and for the widespread continuing use of the resultant applications. Further, between the two cases the greatest consensus was found in a common concern about the amount of detail in the databank and reports.

Case studies in the development towards a daylighting roadmap

Through the International Energy Agency (lEA) Task-31 Daylighting in the 21 st Century a subtask has been organized to undertake the development of a Daylighting Design Roadmap. This project will attempt to unfold a path as to how we may approach and provide support for daylighting at the various project stages of a design. Although this roadmap is in its preliminary stages, the authors have examined several case studies of daylighting projects. This paper outlines an initial overview of a daylighting design roadmap by reflecting on several aspects of the case studies. An attempt is made to provide reasonable guidance of parameters which could be analyzed at various stages in a project. The roadmap gives reference to several design tools and simulation programs acknowledging that the process can be selective in targeting results to particular circumstances. Voids of information and methodology in the construction of the daylighting roadmap, at this stage in the project, are also acknowledged. It is expected that this initial paper on the subject, will provide awareness and hopefully generate a contribution from other experts in the field.

Employee development strategies in the B2C banking environment: two Australian case studies

The implementation of technology and, in particular, eCommerce technologies has had unforeseen consequences for the relationship between managers and employees. To be able to operate in an increasingly global and competitive environment, retail banks have had to develop new ways of dealing with their employees. Issues have arisen that have necessitated a rethink in the way employees interact with customers and this, in turn, has required changes to human resource strategies. The question we address in this paper is what are the employee capabilities and qualities retail banks must develop to satisfy both more sophisticated customers (who demand flexibility of interactions, responsiveness and convenience) as well as the organisation’s own needs (including expanded sales opportunities, cost containment or reduction and customer loyalty) when implementing eCommerce technologies. The paper discusses two case studies illustrating some of the issues with which banks, as service organisations, have had to deal. These two banks have taken rather different approaches in their use of technology to interact with their customers and this has implications for the way they manage their employees who deal with those customers.

Mothering in the freelance film industry: case studies in the postproduction film industry in Melbourne, Australia

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between work and life through the experiences of three mothers seeking to realise careers in the freelance film industry in Melbourne, Australia. The women were part of a larger sample of postproduction workers who were surveyed on their responses to technological change in the postproduction freeelance film industry but were out of the industry having children during the first wave of technological change. The paper examines qualitative data from these women and later longitudinal data in order to understand the limits of equal opportunity in an uneven playing field.

Fostering deep and elaborative learning and generic(soft) skill development: the strategic use of case studies in accounting education

It is vital that accounting educators take responsibility for the development of students' generic (soft) skills in conjunction with, discipline-specific skills. Research indicates that the typical learning styles of accounting students are not suited to the acquisition of generic skills. In this paper learning theory is used to provide a framework to support the use of case studies as a tool to promote appropriate learning styles and thereby enhance generic skill development. The paper details a number of strategies that may be implemented with case studies to achieve these goals. The implications for accounting educators, which are significant, are discussed.

Flexible delivery and student attrition in the vocational education and training sector: case studies of students who dropped out

Government policy in Australia is increasingly encouraging training organisations in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector to adopt flexible delivery approaches. This policy shift is supported by key VET stakeholders including Industry Training Advisory Boards. A recurring theme in VET policy documents is an apparent confidence that flexible delivery can meet the diverse needs of individual learners while at the same time providing cost savings. Yet evidence is emerging that Australian VET learners are not typically ready for flexible delivery, and this lack of readiness is reflected in high attrition rates and low pass rates in many flexibly delivered courses. One research project found that over 70% of learners in the Australian VET sector do not have the learning capabilities required to be ready for flexible delivery. A recent review of the module outcomes achieved by VET students nationally found that students studying by external/correspondence and self-paced unscheduled modes had lower module completion rates than students studying by other delivery strategies.

Research on student progress in flexible delivery within the Australian VET sector has largely been quantitative. That research provides useful statistical data on completion and attrition rates for various modes of delivery, but does not explore the reasons underlying the high attrition rates found in flexible delivery. The qualitative research that is available tends to focus on students who successfully complete their courses, not on those who withdraw. As a result, the Australian literature on flexible delivery in the VET sector is lacking in-depth qualitative information about students who enrol in courses but do not complete. In comparison, the broader literature on distance education and flexible delivery in other educational sectors offers some useful insights into student attrition, and can be can be used to inform research into attrition within the Australian VET sector.

This paper reports on aspects of a research project that followed up six adult learners who enrolled in VET courses but who either failed assessment or withdrew. The research project presented the students’ stories in the form of narrative case studies, focussing on the detailed examination of the barriers that each student experienced, and analysing these barriers in relation to issues raised in the literature. This paper reports on two particular themes that emerged from that research project. The literature on distance education and flexible delivery argues that:


· student dropout is often not determined by a single factor, but by the interaction of a number of factors that build up over time;

· students who experience difficulties when studying by flexible delivery can often be reluctant to access the support that is available to them.

This paper uses these themes as a point of reference in presenting the stories of some of the students who participated in the research project.
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Study protocol for the translating research in elder care (TREC): Building context through case studies in long-term care project (project two)

Background: The organizational context in which healthcare is delivered is thought to play an important role in mediating the use of knowledge in practice. Additionally, a number of potentially modifiable contextual factors have been shown to make an organizational context more amenable to change. However, understanding of how these factors operate to influence organizational context and knowledge use remains limited. In particular, research to understand knowledge translation in the long-term care setting is scarce. Further research is therefore required to provide robust explanations of the characteristics of organizational context in relation to knowledge use.
Aim: To develop a robust explanation of the way organizational context mediates the use of knowledge in practice in long-term care facilities.
Design: This is longitudinal, in-depth qualitative case study research using exploratory and interpretive methods to explore the role of organizational context in influencing knowledge translation. The study will be conducted in two phases. In phase one, comprehensive case studies will be conducted in three facilities. Following data analysis and proposition development, phase two will continue with focused case studies to elaborate emerging themes and theory. Study sites will be purposively selected. In both phases, data will be collected using a variety of approaches, including non-participant observation, key informant interviews, family perspectives, focus groups, and documentary evidence (including, but not limited to, policies, notices, and photographs of physical resources). Data analysis will comprise an iterative process of identifying convergent evidence within each case study and then examining and comparing the evidence across multiple case studies to draw conclusions from the study as a whole. Additionally, findings that emerge through this project will be compared and considered alongside those that are emerging from project one. In this way, pattern matching based on explanation building will be used to frame the analysis and develop an explanation of organizational context and knowledge use over time. An improved understanding of the contextual factors that mediate knowledge use will inform future development and testing of interventions to enhance knowledge use, with the ultimate aim of improving the outcomes for residents in long-term care settings.

The place of place : case studies of place in Victorian planning schemes

Built environment and lived experience are inextricably interwoven. The Australian State of Victoria’s planning framework prioritises the physical characteristics of space above their socio-psychological correlates, as reflected in the relatively limited remit of ‘place’ in formal decision-making. The Victorian planning model struggles to accommodate the uniqueness of specific places in the process of development, despite the driving role it plays in expansion. A literature review investigating definitions of place and place identity determined that although place has been defined variously, and at times with some contradiction, there is broad consensus that it can be understood as the interrelation between the physical characteristics of a landscape and the sensory faculties of an individual and an individual’s experience. This interrelationship is in turn determined by social constructs. Depending on an individual’s length of residence in a particular physical location, place influences individual and social psychology through both the formation of place attachment and identity. While place attachment to landscapes has been described using a variety of complex methodologies, translation of this work into architectural and planning practice has been limited within Australia in general and Victoria in particular. The Victorian Shires of Surf Coast and Frankston are considered as examples of current best practice in integrating place into planning. Key issues highlighted in the conclusion include: the difficulties of incorporating qualitative information within the Victorian Planning Scheme; the importance of correctly measuring place attachment, rather than landscape preference; and the complexities, costs and ethical implications of describing place attachment for integration within the planning system.