Social Network Analysis in Construction

Social Network Analysis in Construction Increasingly demanding and knowledgeable clients in construction require an approach to project management that recognises both the important role played by the client in the definition of a project and the lack of certainty that large and/or complex projects present. Having identified the importance of managing relationships, both analysts and practitioners today need a sophisticated framework and methodology for observing systems and managing the complex relationships in major construction project coalitions. Social Network Analysis in Construction shows how social network analysis (SNA) can be used to observe, monitor and analyse systems and relationships. Although this has been an established analytical technique in the US for some time, it is only now being developed in the UK. Stephen Pryke spent nearly two decades investigating major project relationships using SNA and brings together here mathematical and sociological methods, and major project relationships in a manner that will inspire both academic interest and a desire to apply these concepts and techniques to live construction projects. Case studies include projects from two of the UK’s largest property developers – the UK Ministry of Defence, and a County Council. SNA is innovative – but potentially inaccessible to project management analysts and practitioners. The author provides clear and relevant explanation and illustration of the possibilities of using SNA in a major project environment. In addition to offering the potential for sophisticated retrospective analysis of a wide range of systems associated with construction and engineering project coalitions, he also looks at how we might apply the network analysis findings to the design and management of project and supply chain networks. Postgraduate students and academic researchers in Project Management and Construction Management, as well as practitioners from professional consultancies and project management companies will find here an excellent exposition of an often inaccessible subject.

Table of Contents:
About the author ix Preface xi Acknowledgements xiii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Understanding the construction sector 1 Structure of the book 5 Summary 8 Chapter 2 Rationale for a Network Approach to the Analysis of Project Management Systems 10 Introduction 10 Review of approaches to the analysis of procurement and management systems 10 Presentation of analysis and implementation of recommendations 11 A social network analysis approach to the analysis and visualisation of organisational forms 30 Summary 33 Chapter 3 Twenty-First Century Reform and Emergent Systems in Construction 36 Introduction 36 Collaborative relationships: partnering, strategic alliances, framework agreements 37 Supply chain management 47 Network clusters 57 Integrating systems and linkages 60 Summary 61 Chapter 4 The Construction Project as a System of Interdependent Governance Networks 63 Introduction 63 Institutional economics and the governance of transactions 63 A model for analysis 67 Social network analysis in the study of reforms in procurement and management systems within the construction industry 70 Some fundamental concepts in social network analysis 70 Previous applications of SNA to the construction industry 72 SNA and its application to the analysis of UK construction networks 73 Propositions 75 Summary 76 Chapter 5 Social Network Analysis as a Research Method 77 Definition 78 Origins and history 79 Why choose social network analysis? 81 Problems associated with the use of SNA in construction research 83 Concepts and terminology 84 Defining the population for the study 94 Finally on SNA theory and techniques 95 Software for the analysis of networks 96 Getting started in social network analysis 97 Conclusion 99 Chapter 6 Network Case Studies 101 Criteria for the selection of case studies 103 Essex project: traditional procurement, public sector – records office 104 Uxbridge project: traditional procurement, private sector – commercial office building 111 Aldershot project: collaborative procurement, public sector – sports facilities and office accommodation 123 Slough project: collaborative procurement, private sector – commercial office building 129 Summary of the case study selection criteria 139 Chapter 7 Interpreting the Network Diagrams for the Case Studies 140 Essex project: non-collaborative public sector procurement 140 Uxbridge project: non-collaborative private sector procurement 150 Aldershot project: collaborative public sector procurement 160 Slough project: collaborative private sector procurement 167 Final thoughts 177 Chapter 8 Data Analysis for the Case Studies 179 Mathematical analysis of network data 179 Networks of contractual relationships 180 Cost monitoring and control networks 185 Instruction networks 191 Progress monitoring networks 195 Performance incentives networks 197 Design development communication networks 199 Summary 201 Conclusions: using SNA to classify team roles in different procurement systems 202 Final thoughts 211 Chapter 9 Managing Networks 213 Introduction 213 How did we understand and manage our organisations before SNA? 215 Managing networks 217 The key points in managing networks 236 Final thoughts 238 Chapter 10 Summary, Conclusions and Final Thoughts 239 Summary 239 Conclusion 244 Final thoughts 245 Appendix: SNA questionnaire 247 References 252 Index 265

About the Author :
The author Dr Stephen Pryke is a Senior Lecturer in Project Management at The Bartlett School, University College London and Director of Studies for the MSc Project and Enterprise Management programme there. He has published a number of books and papers in leading research journals dealing with supply chain management, social network analysis and the legal aspects of procurement reforms in the UK. His work has been presented to a number of international research conferences and his work on procurement and project management systems in France and China has been published by the RICS. He has provided project management training and consultancy to a number of major European companies and is a consultant to Durland Consulting in Chicago, USA. Prior to entering academia in the mid 1990s, he ran his own consultancy and held a number of senior project management positions in both the public and private sectors within the UK.