The knowledge advantage (K-Adv): unleashing creativity and innovation

The K-Adv has been developed around the concept that it comprises an ICT enabling infrastructure that encompasses ICT hardware and software infrastructure facilities together with an enabling ICT support system; a leadership infrastructure support system that provides the vision for its implementation and the realisation capacity for the vision to be realised; and the necessary people infrastructure that includes the people capabilities and capacities supported by organisational processes that facilitates this resource to be mobilised.

Safety culture research, lead indicators, and the development of safety effectiveness indicators in the construction sector

Construction sector application of Lead Indicators generally and Positive Performance Indicators (PPIs) particularly, are largely seen by the sector as not providing generalizable indicators of safety effectiveness. Similarly, safety culture is often cited as an essential factor in improving safety performance, yet there is no known reliable way of measuring safety culture. This paper proposes that the accurate measurement of safety effectiveness and safety culture is a requirement for assessing safe behaviours, safety knowledge, effective communication and safety performance. Currently there are no standard national or international safety effectiveness indicators (SEIs) that are accepted by the construction industry. The challenge is that quantitative survey instruments developed for measuring safety culture and/ or safety climate are inherently flawed methodologically and do not produce reliable and representative data concerning attitudes to safety. Measures that combine quantitative and qualitative components are needed to provide a clear utility for safety effectiveness indicators.

Managing knowledge in an outsourcing environment

What an organisation does versus what it out-sources to the market is a classic boundaries of the firm question that has previously been dominated by efficiency arguments. However, a knowledge-based view suggests these boundaries are integral to the ability of a firm to deploy existing knowledge stocks efficiently, as well as develop new knowledge through learning that will drive future competitiveness. Furthermore, the nature of these boundaries, in respect of their permeability is critical in understanding the likelihood of knowledge flowing into and out of the organisation. Using these concepts, we present a case study of Main Roads Western Australia to illustrate how these principles have allowed it to start rebuilding its internal capabilities through repositioning its operational boundaries and via ensuring their boundaries are highly porous as they move more major projects into alliance contracts.

A soft approach to solving hard problems in construction project management

Construction projects are faced with a challenge that must not be underestimated. These projects are increasingly becoming highly competitive, more complex, and difficult to manage. They become ‘wicked problems’, which are difficult to solve using traditional approaches. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is a systems approach that is used for analysis and problem solving in such complex and messy situations. SSM uses “systems thinking” in a cycle of action research, learning and reflection to help understand the various perceptions that exist in the minds of the different people involved in the situation. This paper examines the benefits of applying SSM to wicked problems in construction project management, especially those situations that are challenging to understand and difficult to act upon. It includes relevant examples of its use in dealing with the confusing situations that incorporate human, organizational and technical aspects.

Investigating the role of ICT in improving productivity in construction supply chains in Australian construction industry.

The Australian construction industry is a fragmented and profoundly competitive industry with high levels of subcontracting resulting in complex supply chain formations. Traditional methods and forms of communication are being proven as inefficient and losing their charm while participants face heavy volumes of communications that often occurs on a daily basis between trading partners in a supply chain on projects. Information Communication Technologies (ICT), due to their robustness and the ability to quickly disseminate data/information, have the capacity to address highlighted communication issues in a structured and an efficient manner. Timesavings produced by these can be directly translated in terms of productivity gain. This paper presents perceptions of subcontractors working in the construction industry in Melbourne Australia on the use of ICT obtained through an exploratory study.

Five case studies applying soft systems methodology to knowledge management

Construction projects are faced with a challenge that must not be underestimated. These projects are increasingly becoming highly competitive, more complex, and difficult to manage. They become problems that are difficult to solve using traditional approaches. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is a systems approach that is used for analysis and problem solving in such complex and messy situations. SSM uses “systems thinking” in a cycle of action research, learning and reflection to help understand the various perceptions that exist in the minds of the different people involved in the situation. This paper examines the benefits of applying SSM to problems of knowledge management in construction project management, especially those situations that are challenging to understand and difficult to act upon. It includes five case studies of its use in dealing with the confusing situations that incorporate human, organizational and technical aspects.

Knowledge channelization and innovation

This paper examines knowledge management and innovation in the Australian Construction Industry. A conceptual model is presented, based upon analysis of the literature and a series of preliminary construction industry interviews. Extensive knowledge management (KM) research has focused upon types of knowledge contained within specific organizational settings. However, we argue that a crucial missing link in KM research concerns the interface between flows of knowledge from external sources of innovations and its channelization in and out, and between organizations. This interface, regulating and facilitating knowledge from external sources of innovation into the organisation, operates under the influence of two main forces visualized as “pulling” and “pushing” forces in the model presented in this paper. The premise of the model lies in a hypothesis that as an organization changes itself into a more mature, learning organization (LO) over time, knowledge flows into it through “pull” rather than “push” forces. We conclude that a successful knowledge management initiative installs a learning and knowledge sharing culture, which is easily adaptable to new learning offering little resistance to new knowledge that flows into the organisation. The model bridges the gap between research and its application in construction practice.

Supporting ICT diffusion in Australian construction organisations

Construction organisations comprise geographically dispersed virtually-linked suborganisations that work together to realise projects. They increasingly do so using information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate, coordinate their activities and to solve complex problems. One salient problem they face is how to effectively use requisite ICT tools. One important tool at their disposal is the self-help group, a body of people that organically spring up to solve shared problems. The more recognised term for this organisational form is a community of practice (COP). COPs generate knowledge networks that enhance and sustain competitive advantage and they are also used to help COP members actually use ICT tools. Etienne Wenger defines communities of practice as “groups of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise” (Wenger and Snyder 2000, p139). This ‘chicken-or-egg’ issue about needing a COP to use the tools that are needed to effective broaden COPs (beyond co-located these groups) led us to explore how best to improve the process of ICT diffusion through construction organisations— primarily using people supported by technology that improves knowledge sharing. We present insights gained from recent PhD research results in this area. A semistructured interview approach was used to collect data from ICT strategists and users in the three large Australian construction organisations that are among the 10 or so first tier companies by annual dollar turnover in Australia. The interviewees were categorised into five organisational levels: IT strategist, implementer, project or engineering manager, site engineer and foreman. The focus of the study was on the organisation and the way that it implements ICT diffusion of a groupware ICT diffusion initiative. Several types of COP networks from the three Australian cases are identified: withinorganisation COP; institutional, implementer or technical support; project manager/engineer focussed; and collegial support. Also, there are cross-organisational COPs that organically emerge as a result of people sharing an interest or experience in something significant. Firstly, an institutional network is defined as a strategic group, interested in development of technology innovation within an organisation. This COP principally links business process domain experts with an ICT strategist.

Factors affecting ICT diffusion in Australian construction organisations – the storey from the big end

Our survey findings confirm that 11 factors influence information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion for experienced ICT users. We offer a model that consists of 4 groups of categories: management (M); individual (I); technology (T); and environment (E). Our conclusions reinforce the importance of a coherent ICT diffusion strategy and supportive environment. This requires substantial investment in training and collegial learning support mechanisms. This paper provides an overview of the work undertaken and an analysis of its implications for the construction industry and we provide useful insights that a wide range of construction industry professionals and contractors may find useful.

Multi-Outcome Construction Policies : Industry-Focused Research Summary

The Multi-outcomes Construction Policies research project, funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (Project 2006-036-A), sought to explore the costs and benefits of leveraging social outcomes on public construction contracts. The context of the research project was the trend towards the contracting out of public construction works and the attempts that have been made to use new contractual arrangements with construction companies to construction achieve a wide range of social outcomes. In federal and state jurisdictions it is now common for governments to impose a range of additional requirements on public works contractors that relate to broad social/community objectives. These requirements include commitments to train apprentices and trainees; to provide local and/or indigenous employment opportunities; to buy local materials; and to include art works. The cost and benefits of using public construction contracts to achieve social/community goals have, to our knowledge, not been thoroughly researched in an Australian context. This is likely to reflect in large part the relatively short history of contracting out public works. As Jensen and Stonecash (2004) explain, most previous empirical studies of contracting out have attempted to measure the cost savings achieved through privatization, as this was the focus of policy debate in the 1980s and 1990s. Relatively few studies have addressed the ability of contracting arrangements to ensure the delivery of desired ‘quality’ outcomes1, or the costs of achieving these outcomes via contracting arrangements. One of the potential costs of attempting to leverage social/community outcomes on public construction projects is a reduction in the amount of competition for these projects, with obvious consequences for average bid prices and choice. In jurisdictions, such as Western Australia and Queensland, where currently construction market conditions are already

Determinants of knowledge transfer and learning in hybrid public private alliances

This paper uses the case study of a hybrid public-private strategic alliance as data to complement and contrast with the traditional views on knowledge transfer and learning between alliance partners. In particular, the paper explores whether the concept of competitive collaboration conceptualized by Hamel (1991) in his seminal work holds true for all forms of strategic alliances. Conceptualizing the knowledge boundaries of organisations in alliances as a ‘collaborative membrane’, we focus attention on the permeability of these boundaries rather than the actual location of the boundaries. In this vein, we present a case study of a major public sector organization that illustrates how these principles have allowed it to start rebuilding its internal capabilities adopting a more collaborative stance and ensuring their knowledge boundaries are highly porous as they move more major projects into hybrid public private alliance contracts.

The relationship between construction firm strategies and innovation outcomes

Survey results provide a preliminary assessment of the relative contribution of a range of tactical business strategies to innovation performance by firms in the Australian construction industry. Over 1,300 firms were surveyed in 2004, resulting in a response rate of 29%. Respondents were classified as high, medium or low innovators according to an innovation index based on the novelty and impact of their innovations and their adoption of listed technological and organizational advances. The relative significance of 23 business strategies concerning (1) employees, (2) marketing, (3) technology, (4) knowledge and (5) relationships was examined by determining the extent to which they distinguished high innovators from low innovators. The individual business strategies that most strongly distinguished high innovators were (1) ‘investing in R&D’, (2) ‘participating in partnering and alliances on projects’, (3) ‘ensuring project learnings are transferred into continuous business processes’, (4) ‘monitoring international best practice’, and (5) ‘recruiting new graduates’. Of the five types of strategies assessed, marketing strategies were the least significant in supporting innovation. The results provide practical guidance to managers in project-based industries wishing to improve their innovation performance.

Decision support system for improving construction companies’ business performance

As part of a decision making process, the controlling process in construction companies can be supported by computer application that provides faster and reliable decision. This paper discusses the development of a knowledge-based decision support system for controlling construction companies’ business performance. The knowledge-base was developed using questionnaire survey and case studies. A questionnaire survey was conducted to identify potential problems that can occur in construction companies as well as the source of the problems and their impact on companies’ performance. Case studies were used to identify and analyse various corrective actions. The result of the study shows that decision support system using knowledge-based management system improves the effectiveness and the efficiency of decision making process for selecting the most appropriate corrective action that can improve construction companies’ performance. The application, which had been developed in this research, was designed to support the process of controlling construction companies’ business performance and to assist young manager in selecting the most optimum corrective actions for the problems related to achieving companies’ objectives. This computer application can be used as a learning tool for identifying potential problems that a construction company faces and the most optimum corrective action.

Barriers to effective knowledge transfer in project-based organisations

Effective knowledge transfer can prevent the reinvention of systems and ideas as well as the repetition of errors. Doing so will save substantial time, as well as contribute to better performance of projects and project-based organisations (PBOs). Despite the importance of knowledge, PBOs face serious barriers to the effective transfer of knowledge, while their characteristics, such as unique and innovative approaches taken during every project, mean they have much to gain from knowledge transfer. As each new project starts, there is the strong potential to reinvent the process, rather than utilise learning from previous projects. In fact, rework is one of the primary factors contributing to construction industry's poor performance and productivity. Current literature has identified several barriers to knowledge transfer in organisational settings in general, and not specifically PBOs. However, PBOs significantly differ from other types of organisations. PBOs operate mainly on temporary projects, where time is a crucial factor and people are more mobile than in other organisational settings. The aim of this research is to identify the key barriers that prevent effective knowledge transfer for PBOs, exclusively. Interviews with project managers and senior managers of PBOs complement the analysis of the literature and provide professional expertise. This research is crucial to gaining a better understanding of obstacles that hinder knowledge transfer in projects. The main contribution of this research is exclusive for PBO, list of key barriers that organisation and project managers need to consider to ensure effective knowledge transfer and better project management.