Risk management's role within management of change project lifecycle

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of the main challenges of the contracting process and project contracts in the context of project business characterized by a high level of complexity and uncertainty. The authors argue that understanding contracting as a flexible process and as a business tool will contribute to creating more value in projects which are implemented in constantly changing circumstances or which require gradual and iterative development. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper with illustrative examples from the software industry. Findings – A prevailing approach for both managing contracts and the contracting process focuses on careful planning and drafting of contracts that protect each party in the case of conflicts and disagreements. The underlying assumption is that all activities can be planned and documented in a formal contract. According to this approach, the contracting process is seen only as a bargaining negotiation and the project contract as a detailed agreement of the responsibilities and safeguarding clauses to protect one’s position in the event of conflicts and failures. However, in the context of project business characterized by complexity and uncertainty, there is a need for flexible project contracts. The authors suggest that there are two fundamentally different approaches to implementing flexibility in both the contracting process and the project contract: postponing the decision until there is adequate information for decision making or making decisions that allow flexible adaptation to changes during the project lifecycle. Practical implications – The authors suggest that organizations in project business should pay closer attention to how contracts are formed and how flexibility is introduced to projects. Organizations are encouraged to see contracts as a business tool, not as rigid documents which are taken into use in case something goes wrong. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the understanding of how to adapt the contracting process to overcome challenges related to uncertainty, especially during the early phases of the project lifecycle. The authors provide a novel perspective on contracting as a process that extends over the lifecycle of a project and on the project contract as an agreement between parties formed during the contracting process. This perspective includes formal contract documents as well as various other documents, oral communication, commitments, actions and incidents.

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Building and construction quality: systematic literature review, thematic and gap analysis

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation ◽

10.1108/ijbpa-05-2021-0072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jemima Yarnold ◽

Saeed Banihashemi ◽

Charles Lemckert ◽

Hamed Golizadeh

Keyword(s):

Current Literature ◽

Classification System ◽

Gap Analysis ◽

New Classification ◽

Construction Quality ◽

Content Type ◽

Quality Literature ◽

Time Period ◽

Emerging Themes ◽

Project Lifecycle

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine, review and analyse the current literature on building and construction quality and determine the related themes and gaps.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review approach was adopted on the building quality literature, and keywords such as “construction” or “building”; “defect” and “quality” or “rework” were searched through the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. A number of articles were found and filtered by title, abstract and keyword relevancy. Further articles were cross-referenced from these and again filtered by title, abstract and keyword relevancy. The time period for the search was 2000–2020. A total of 97 articles were found and analysed on the topic.FindingsA number of recurring themes were found throughout the literature. They are safety, occupier satisfaction, cost, time, licensing, culture, training, software and building quality frameworks, classifications and recommendations. These themes were linked to display relationships between them from the literature. Based on the project lifecycle stages, an amalgamated classification system was developed and is presented here. The gaps in the current literature have been analysed and reported on.Originality/valueA comprehensive descriptive, thematic and gap analysis was conducted on the available literature of building and construction quality. The emerging themes were discovered, their relationships were demonstrated and the research gaps were identified. A new classification system positioned in the project lifecycle stages is presented.

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Management of change: how do develop an operational risk-based management program

Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference ◽

10.48072/2525-7579.rog.2020.518 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2020) ◽

pp. 518-519

Author(s):

Ana Carolina Silva Lopes De Oliveira ◽

Felipe Portela De Avelar ◽

Julia Leal Costa

Keyword(s):

Operational Risk ◽

Management Program ◽

Management Of Change

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Democracy and worker representation in the management of change: Lessons from Kurt Lewin and the Harwood studies

Human Relations ◽

10.1177/0018726718812168 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 72 (11) ◽

pp. 1805-1830 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John Desmond ◽

Fiona Wilson

Keyword(s):

Union Membership ◽

Cautionary Tale ◽

Common Cause ◽

Management Of Change ◽

Kurt Lewin ◽

Conflicting Interests ◽

Ethical Stance

This article revisits the famous Harwood studies overseen by Kurt Lewin to include the neglected union perspective that differs markedly from conventional accounts. We explain this discrepancy as arising from unitarist and pluralist views, which assume very different understandings of organization. The researchers framed the Harwood organization from a unitarist perspective as monolithic, assuming its members are bound by allegiance to a common cause represented by management. This helps explain their relative indifference to unions and framing of concepts in a manner conducive to management that was incomprehensible from a union perspective. From this we contend that the Harwood studies are best understood as a cautionary tale against the assumption of a monolithic view that equates the interest of management with that of the organization. This is especially relevant given the dominance of a unitarist perspective across several fields of organization today, when management are argued to be increasingly authoritarian and union membership in several countries approaches an all-time low. Recognizing that organization is a balance struck between partially conflicting interests represents a more ethical stance to forestall accusations of partisanship and manipulation and to build towards the establishment of a fairer and more sustainable workplace for all.

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