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1 – 10 of 562The article ‘researches’ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ‘unmanageable’ (Mintzberg, 1982) in conventional terms, in an attempt to…
Abstract
The article ‘researches’ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ‘unmanageable’ (Mintzberg, 1982) in conventional terms, in an attempt to give thematic unity to this problem. Socio‐technical analysis which underlay the Building Industry Communications Research Project (BICRP) (Higgin & Jessop, 1963, 1965; TIHR, 1965; Chrichton, 1966) conducted by the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations (TIHR) from 1963 to 1965 is explored and developed, supplemented other relevant authors. The argument is conducted formally without reference to particular examples and develops the debate provoked by Connaughton (2000). Formal statement of the problem assists reinterpretation (Boyd & Wild, 1999; Wild, 2001 a) of existing material and new enquiry to clarify the conditions, if any, both necessary and sufficient, for the manageability of construction.
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George Dimech, Rebecca Dalli Gonzi and Alan Wild
Purpose: Construction in Malta is generally characterised by small projects operated through fragmented contractual ties and limited technological advances. Through this study…
Abstract
Purpose: Construction in Malta is generally characterised by small projects operated through fragmented contractual ties and limited technological advances. Through this study, the authors aim to examine the impact of changing client requirements on local construction, analyse the impact of these shifts on project expectations and explore how client requirements can be integrated into the ongoing design phases during the life cycle of the structure. Using a multi-million-euro, multi-phase residential, commercial, and redevelopment construction project as a case study, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of the short-term disruptions and long-term impacts while considering the implications for trade-offs.
Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was used to conduct the analysis. Qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews showed that projects have different impacts on relationships even when the same organisations work on different trades within the same project. The quantitative data collected was used to analyse the variations caused by trade-offs from the original contracted work packages. The case study setting represents an example of a phenomenological methodology. It adapts existing theories to interpret what happens by examining an example of a phenomenon of interest. Although the conclusions cannot be generalised to the whole construction industry, its merit is that it addresses relationships and processes and is therefore ‘holistic’ rather than limited to isolated factors.
Findings: The findings, illustrate the effects or factors supported by the empirical data towards the main framework that supports the research study model for mapping trade-offs. The model is presented as a three-dimensional framework illustrating the dynamics of objectives, considerations, and time across project life cycles, and goes beyond the control parameters of the project management, cost, quality, and time triangle.
Conclusion: A set of recommendations are presented in relation to the drawing up of project briefs, procurement strategies, and the limitations and implications of embedding client changes.
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This article investigates Departmental representations of allies and enemies, especially in the Pacific Ocean, during the Great War. The first section provides an overview of the…
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This article investigates Departmental representations of allies and enemies, especially in the Pacific Ocean, during the Great War. The first section provides an overview of the Department’s principal instruments “the School Paper and Education Gazette” in communicating representations as well as expected views and behaviours with regard to Empire, allies and enemies. The second section explores the Department’s positioning of Germany in the Pacific Ocean and in relation to Australia; the third looks at France; and both focus on children’s responses to the reporting. The final section investigates representations of New Zealand including those within the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps legend that the Department chose to acknowledge.
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A 1984 survey revealed that 60 per cent of organisations in the UKoperate equal opportunities policies. What is the significance of thisin practice? Statistics continue to show…
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A 1984 survey revealed that 60 per cent of organisations in the UK operate equal opportunities policies. What is the significance of this in practice? Statistics continue to show inequalities between various categories of workers – men and women, black and white, able‐bodied and disabled. The article looks at some broader questions about overall policy approach, and includes an investigation into unequal opportunities and the solutions offered, in relation to the Equal Opportunities Code.
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Women are continuing to make progress in the workplace despite the recession. The number of employers in the UK offering career breaks, childcare facilities and parental leave has…
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Women are continuing to make progress in the workplace despite the recession. The number of employers in the UK offering career breaks, childcare facilities and parental leave has increased for the last three years according to the Price Waterhouse Cranfield Project, the largest independent survey of human resource management in Europe.
Purpose – This chapter contributes to comparative biopolitics and reviews primatological literature, especially about our nearest relatives, the Great Apes…
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Purpose – This chapter contributes to comparative biopolitics and reviews primatological literature, especially about our nearest relatives, the Great Apes.
Design/methodology/approach – Biopolitics in this chapter means evolutionarily informed political science, with emphasis on power relations. I review the literature on intrasexual and intersexual dominance interactions among individuals and competitive and/or agonistic interactions among groups in the Great Apes (Hominidae, formerly Pongidae): orangutan (Pongo with two species and three subspecies), gorilla (Gorilla with four subspecies), bonobo (Pan paniscus), and common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes with four subspecies). In the final section I present some (speculative) thoughts on Pan prior or the modern human ancestor.
Findings – Not only Man is a political animal.
Originality/value – Impartial, objective, and as complete as possible review of the literature for the students of (comparative) politics, ethology, and psychology.
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The following is an introductory profile of the fastest growing firms over the three-year period of the study listed by corporate reputation ranking order. The business activities…
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The following is an introductory profile of the fastest growing firms over the three-year period of the study listed by corporate reputation ranking order. The business activities in which the firms are engaged are outlined to provide background information for the reader.
The management of children′s literature is a search for value andsuitability. Effective policies in library and educational work arebased firmly on knowledge of materials, and on…
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The management of children′s literature is a search for value and suitability. Effective policies in library and educational work are based firmly on knowledge of materials, and on the bibliographical and critical frame within which the materials appear and might best be selected. Boundaries, like those between quality and popular books, and between children′s and adult materials, present important challenges for selection, and implicit in this process are professional acumen and judgement. Yet also there are attitudes and systems of values, which can powerfully influence selection on grounds of morality and good taste. To guard against undue subjectivity, the knowledge frame should acknowledge the relevance of social and experiential context for all reading materials, how readers think as well as how they read, and what explicit and implicit agendas the authors have. The good professional takes all these factors on board.
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