Collaborative Relationships in Construction

The book collects the latest research on both contractual and conceptual collaborative practices in construction. It identifies common problems faced by the industry and draws out practical implications. Construction projects are increasingly run in ways that undermine the traditional boundary of the firm and sometimes also the definition of the project coalition. This poses challenges for construction firms whose clients demand ever increasing performance improvements as well as those firms who want to improve their strategies for greater collaboration to give themselves competitive advantage. The editors identify three main themes: collaborative relationships, operating both in frameworks and within networks of contacts, e.g. relational contracting in partnering, supply chain management and other procurement-driven initiatives. The second theme is frameworks, both contractual frameworks binding parties together over a series of contracts, and conceptual frameworks used to develop future performance improvement arising from the proactive strategies of firms. The third theme is the network of relationships that supports individuals and firms within the project coalition in delivering services and adding value to improve performance. These networks define the investment and incentives supporting the inter-firm and intra-firm relationships, as well as the formal contractual conditions through which such incentives flow. Networks of information exchange define the structure of the activity and help predict organisational configurations for successful project outcomes.

Table of Contents:
Preface. About the Authors. Forword (Stephen Brown). Introduction Managing Collaborative Relationships and the Management of Projects (Hedley Smyth and Stephen Pryke). Section I Collaborative Relationships in Contractual Frameworks. Chapter 1 Specialist Contractors and Partnering (Jim Mason). Chapter 2 Change in the Quantity Surveying Profession (Keith Potts). Chapter 3 Client Requirements and Project Team Knowledge in Refurbishment Projects (Cynthia ChinTian Lee and Charles Egbu). Chapter 4 Contractual Frameworks and Cooperative Relationships (Mohan Kumaraswamy, Aaron Anvuur and Gangadhar Mahesh). Section II Collaborative Relationships and Conceptual Frameworks. Chapter 5 Better Collaboration through Cooperation (Aaron Anvuur and Mohan Kumaraswamy). Chapter 6 Developing Trust (Hedley Smyth). Section III Collaborative Relationships and Networks. Chapter 7 Infrastructure Lifecycles and Disaster Mitigation (Richard Haigh, Dilanthi Amaratunga, Kaushal Keraminiyage and Chaminda Pathirage). Chapter 8 Early Design Management in Architecture (Leentje Volker). Chapter 9 Government Policies and Collaborative Relationships in Public Sector Supply Chains (Kerry London and Jessica Chen). Chapter 10 Construction and Women (Dilanthi Amaratunga, Menaha Shanmugam, Richard Haigh and David Baldry). Conclusion (Hedley Smyth and Stephen Pryke).