Abstract
Collaboration is a key challenge in the construction sector. While many innovative solutions have been explored, collaboration is persistently hampered by barriers such as the dominance of short-term project-based work and the geographical dispersion of actors. The chapter presents an approach for strengthening collaborative capacity in the construction industry. Building collaborative capacity requires the systematic identification, development, and assessment of specific knowledge, skill, and behavioural competencies. To address the challenge of identification, the authors propose 133 competencies based on a collaborative practice model developed from six qualitative case studies. To address the challenge of development, the authors propose the mobilization of simulation-based training (SBT) grounded in detailed scenarios linked to their model. Finally, for the challenge of assessment, the researchers propose an assessment instrument and a novel collaborative practice index. The authors also provide discussions on digitizing the SBT as part of future work.
TopIntroduction
Collaboration is a key challenge in the construction sector. Studies on the construction sector show a long history of researchers exploring various configurations for organizing work collaboratively, among them “partnering” in projects (Chan et al., 2004), “integration” in teams (Baiden, Price, & Dainty, 2006) and “collaborative project procurement arrangements” (Walker & Walker, 2015). For decades there has been a trail of innovative project delivery approaches such as Alliance Contracting, Partnering, Early Contractor Involvement and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). More recently, digital technologies and approaches such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Twinning have been gaining traction in the sector. These innovations are also underpinned by the premise that there is a critical need to achieve tighter cohesion, better communication and coordination among supply chain actors (Poirer, Forgues, & Staub-French, 2016; Zhang, Huang, & Peng, 2018).
The interest in collaboration and related strategies such as supply integration and partnering can be seen in part as responses to persistent problems in the construction industry. Construction is dominated by project-based work leading to alliances that are temporary, adversarial and lacking in trust (Bechky, 2006; Chan et al. 2004) and these challenges have triggered the search for collaborative solutions (Blanco, Janauskas, & Ribeirinho, 2016). Researchers from other disciplines have also noted collaboration’s other benefits, arguing that leveraging the resources and capabilities of inter-organisational networks is key to responding to increasing complex and turbulent environments (Gulati, 2007; Hardy, Phillips, & Lawrence, 2003; Hoffman & Schlosser, 2001). Construction and project management researchers have thus embarked on theoretical and empirical research to understand collaboration systematically. Some researchers, for example, have sought to systematize understandings by developing definitions specifically suited for construction domains (London & Pablo, 2017; Pablo & London, 2016; Poirer et al., 2016; Schöttle et al., 2014; Walker & Walker, 2015).
In this chapter, the authors move from definitions to focus on the specific competencies linked to collaboration. Similar work has been done by Walker and Walker (2015) in a comprehensive study on collaborative knowledge, skills, attributes and experience for collaborative project procurement arrangements. The study underpinning this book chapter focuses on case studies mainly from the housing construction sector where professional project management and collaboration research has had much less attention. The aim of this book chapter is to present an approach for identifying, developing and assessing competencies that strengthen the capacity to collaborate within the construction industry.
The first component of the authors’ approach involves identifying competencies. Researchers address the question, What are knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to collaborative capacity? They propose 133 competencies, based on a collaborative practice model (CPM) they developed from six qualitative case studies.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Collaborative Practice Index: A proposed measure of collaboration that is obtained by assigning weights to specific collaborative competencies or to specific elements of the collaborative practice model. The weights can vary depending on type of organization, the stage of a given project or the position of an individual in a project.
Collaborative Practice Element: One of the nine components identified by an extended empirical study as being critical to collaboration in construction. Nine elements are organically linked in a collaborative practice model.
Scenario: An outline of a script or scene embedded in simulation-based training, designed in this case to motivate simulation-based training participants to exhibit specific collaborative competencies.
Collaborative Competencies: Knowledge, skills, and behaviours linked to the nine elements of the Collaborative Practice Model, that are linked to collaborative capacity
Experiential Learning: An approach to developing knowledge and skills by engaging the learner in direct experiences.
Hybrid Training: Delivery of training with significant use of digital tools, without moving into fully online format.
Online Training: Delivery of training using purely synchronous and/ or asynchronous digital tools.
Collaborative Practice Model: An explanatory framework comprising nine elements including: leadership, shared goals, expertise, change, investment, shard space, problem solving, organizing mechanisms and technical standards. The model is the basis of all elements in the collaborative practice training framework.
Collaborative Practice Training Framework: A system of interventions including a model, behavioural competencies, Collaborative Practice Indicators, scenarios, and assessment criteria which collectively support simulation-based training for building collaborative capacity in the industry.