Embedding good practice sharing within process improvement

Emerald - Tập 13 Số 1 - Trang 62-81 - 2006
Kwan S.Jeong1, MichailKagioglou2, RichardHaigh3, DilanthiAmaratunga3, Mohan L.Siriwardena2
1AGOR (Research Centre for Construction Planning and Management), Seoul, Republic of Korea
2Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI) in the Built and Human Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
3Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK

Tóm tắt

PurposeConstruction firms need to improve the way in which they manage their processes. Focusing on good practice and knowledge sharing within and across organisational boundaries, the purpose of this paper is to discuss recent developments on a structured process improvement model developed for construction enterprises (SPICE).Design/methodology/approachA multiple holistic case study approach was taken to develop and test the presented process improvement model at a firm's level. To compare and synthesise different perspectives, respondents were selected from across a vertical cross‐section of the case study organisations. A combination of several research techniques employed for triangulation.FindingsProvides a set of key processes to establish an essential managerial infrastructure for achieving organisation‐wide process improvement. The results highlight the need to implement the key processes in an integrated and holistic manner.Research limitations/implicationsKey limitations of the presented process improvement model are closely related to the concerns raised against “process thinking.” More case studies are required to confirm or refute generalisability of the findings.Practical implicationsFirms need to appreciate diverse perspectives and consider norms and values of people in order to understand and improve their process capabilities in a balanced manner. Continuous diagnosis and adaptation of organisational process capability to the changing environment are required to ensure achieving sustainable competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the process and knowledge management/organisational learning literature. It also highlights several important issues to address wider aspects of organisational process improvement, as well as future research direction.

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