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The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which service design (SD) is addressed by the client and its supply chain at a program level into one functional capability, knowledge management (KM), to share knowledge across projects and organizational actors.

The interpretative methodology employing two methods of engaged scholarship, namely, action research and engaged research, is applied. The data are analyzed using cognitive mapping to identify the extent of alignment of perceptions.

The findings show that the client and its supply chain are very transactional in their management minimizing investment in KM and program management. There is a lack of commitment and cultural leadership; hence, there is over-reliance on individuals to take responsibility for knowledge sharing and application. SD thinking can help develop a holistic approach to learning from projects.

The study underlines the links between the concepts of SD and KM. The findings emphasize the importance of developing a holistic approach to KM through the lenses of SD. The organizations must view KM as a process and build capabilities at a program level to make knowledge sharing an integral part of the work culture across projects.

The study contributes to the subject of KM in the construction industry by mobilizing the concept of SD to examine how KM systems and procedures are embedded in the client and across its supply chain.

Project execution is dependent upon management support from the firm. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which main contractors and supply chain members design their service provision in order to enhance the service experience. Marketing and service design (SD), theorized in terms of business development management, are examined to assess their effect upon service experience during project execution.

An interpretative methodology was used to identify patterns and significant factors perceived through the lens of business development managers in ten main contractors.

Main contractors provide a systems integration service, yet service provision was found to be limited and was frequently stated as “off the radar.” Clients are realizing sub-optimal value in service experience, and users and other societal stakeholders are realizing sub-optimal value in context during use.

There is a need to address marketing and SD research to offer prescriptive guidance to practitioners, in particular using knowledge management as lever for improvement.

Society is in receipt of sub-optimal facilities and therefore both socially falls short of meeting well-being and policy goals, and economically under-performs.

Contributions are made to the marketing and management theory on project markets where selling occurs ahead of provision. Scant support for construction marketing; a lack of the guidance on managing interactions in co-creating value; and the absence of SD among leading main contractors to deliver value had been reported.

Examine the extent of integration in delivering value from design and construction (DC) activities for total asset management (TAM) and operations post-completion. DC and operations and management (OM) are both addressed. The problem owners are those in roles and organisations responsible for integrating DC with OM. The purpose of this paper is to show the extent of integration between actors along the project lifecycle. Relationally integrated value networks (RIVANS) provide the conceptual lens for the analysis.

A mixed method approach was used. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were employed.

There is a lack of engagement between DC and OM. The trend is moving counter to integration. BIM is not found to be a technical solution.

The mixed method helps extend the RIVANS perspective. Further research to understand and support integration is needed, especially qualitative research to provide greater granular understanding.

The identified trend away from integration poses management challenges in delivery and for sustainability in use. Supply chains engage specialists, yet internal and inter-organisational collaboration require management attention to value creation. This includes the DC-OM interface. Both sides can benefit from increased engagement.

Infrastructure and property provision will continue to fall short of user and environmental functionality without improved integration.

A contribution to the project and asset management interface is made, showing low integration, disengaged asset management. BIM is unable to plug the gaps. The RIVANS analytical lens provides a perspective for improvement.

The purpose of this paper is to address hierarchies in a large program of projects. It explores cultivation of communities of practice (CoP) within a hierarchical client organization that manages multi-billion-euro infrastructure programs and projects.

This paper is based on an exploratory longitudinal case study approach involving action research. In-depth semi-structured interviews, company records, industry reports and observation from a case study in the hierarchical bureaucracy were translated into the language of cognitive maps for software analysis and subsequent interpretation.

The findings highlight the importance of hierarchy constraints and program management practices in project-based firms. The involvement of senior management in CoP cultivation reinforced the community’s contribution to strategic value creation in the firm under scrutiny.

This paper mobilizes the concepts of boundary spanning and loose coupling as a way of analyzing the role of CoPs in bureaucratic hierarchies to promote learning and knowledge transfer. The results of the study suggest that application of those concepts can contribute to sustainability of CoPs in hierarchical organizations by giving them social space to span horizontal and vertical boundaries.

The authors practically contribute to the field by demonstrating the process and the impact of CoP sponsors’ engagement in their cultivation. This was enabled through the research-oriented action research component. The paper also concludes that cognitive mapping may provide a useful addition to engaged research, potentially simulating and influencing change in practice.

The academic contribution concerns understanding the roles of hierarchies, program management and CoP cultivation in project-based firms. It offers clear guidelines for managers of hierarchical bureaucracies to cultivate CoPs to address hierarchical constraints and how CoPs differ in organizational form.

Smart city projects typically operate in consortia of actors that lead to the co-creation of jointly owned intellectual property (IP) and data. While IP and data are significant for economic development, there are very limited studies on their co-ownership regimes especially on co-ownership of open data and open intellectual property. This study address this gap.

This study is qualitative. In total, 62 in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out, with predominantly senior members of organisations actively involved in smart city projects. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

There are three models of co-ownership of IP and data: contractual joint ownership, undetermined or not-yet-determined ownership and open ownership. Each ownership model impacts differently the value-in-use. The relationships between actors in the consortia affect the way in which they co-create IP and data.

This study demonstrates how projects that operate in new models of innovation-led consortia produce new types of resources that are not simply co-created but co-owned. Co-owned resources have different value-in-use for each one of the different actors, independently of the fact that they jointly own them. This is influenced by the type of ownership model and predisposition of the actors to initially share resources and be flexible. Co-owned resources may generate future value propositions, act as interconnected operant resources and lead to the creation of new business models.

Organisational trust is analysed through observation of operations or strategic prescription. The management and project management literature is largely prescriptive. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role and potential of strategic trust development and management to improve operations in the project business and enhance client satisfaction, analysing trust as social capital.

The analysis is supported by the method of and data gathered through CROL^®: a process for managing business relationships and interfaces. The case in question focuses on over 30,000 customer relationships covering five years of global operations by companies in the project business.

The analysis focuses on the connection between self‐awareness, performance, improvement and the impact upon both relationships and financial performance – social capital in the “balance sheet”. The objective is to identify the extent to which trust management can help bridge the gap between prescriptive strategy and operations. Bridging this gap entails linking trust as social capital with organisational culture, operational systems and routines, and behaviours.

The analysis shows the importance of self‐awareness in managing business relationships.

The paper outlines on a conceptual level how companies can manage trust and capture the value in business relationships.

The paper shows how companies through systematic forced reflection can manage trust in individual business relationships.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between health and safety (H&S) and organisational culture in project business, in particular to explore the validity of current cognitive emphases of linear organisational maturity towards a “safety culture”, and normative models and prescriptions.

An interpretative methodology is employed, informed by ethnography (Douglas' cultural theory) and clinical consultative (Schein's model) approaches, using case‐based analysis comprising seven project business organisations.

The cases were characterized by diverse organisational cultures and diverse H&S practices informed by habits and intuitive behaviour, as well as cognitive strategies and decisions for implementation. H&S was not the top priority for these cases. Good performance related to alignment with the prevailing culture rather than pursuit of a “safety culture”.

The term “safety culture” is misdirected; greater attention on what is, rather than normative models and prescription, is necessary. Generalisation is limited by the case‐based approach.

Practitioners need to pay more attention to organisational culture and alignment of H&S practices, to the unintended consequences of prescriptions, and robust systems.

The way activities are conducted requires awareness of the prevailing culture in order to align the structure and processes to the culture for effective operations. These implications are general, and within project business and management, Failure to do so carries increased risk of failing to satisfy business and broader stakeholder interests.

Anomalies in H&S research and practice are challenged, especially “safety culture” and normative approaches. The contribution is the combination employment of the Schein and Douglas models to understand organisational culture and H&S cultural alignment.

The paper seeks to consider relational integration across a network of organisational members. To this end, “relationally integrated value networks” (RIVANS) are conceptualised to engage and empower network members towards well‐focused collaboration that adds value. The aim is to identify the routes towards achieving the desirable integration together with the desired “overall value” that includes the hitherto often neglected “whole life” and end‐user priorities.

Two case studies of enlightened team working are used to examine the power of RIVANS to add value. Deliberations at two subsequent workshops identified the potential for furthering the RIVANS approach and operationalising the value propositions.

Relational integration in networks adds considerable value to projects. Cross‐fertilisation benefits accrue when RIVANS members also participate in other value networks that also include other facilities managers.

Relational agendas have grown steadily over the last 15 years. There is scope for further development for benefits of clients and the supply network. This is despite an apparent retreat from a focus on differentiation to a re‐emerging cost focus.

Each network can benefit from healthy inputs from, and benchmarking against, other networks. The strengths of each network will be enhanced by the steady development of each of its members, mutual feedback and collaborative learning opportunities.

The need for, and potential impact of RIVANS are heightened in the present major economic downturn. Relationally integrated networks can be more resilient, while adding value and building market share through collaborative efficiencies throughout the life cycles of built assets.

The purpose this paper is to examine a prevailing assumption that the culture of organisations is homogenous. It explores the culture of one project organisation with multiple offices.

A quantitative questionnaire and qualitative research method of cultural immersion was used. The ethnographic Douglas grid‐group was used to filter the findings: isolate, competitive, hierarchical and egalitarian positions. Hofstede's dimensions were overlaid to enhance the analysis.

The research found distinct cultural differences in the same organisation. Competitive and hierarchical factors are found with some evidence of egalitarian behaviours. Regional cultural factors affected behaviour and organisational practices. Individuals actively negotiated dominant behaviours and cultural norms. The Hofstede dimensions are in evidence around roles and functions. The findings showed a stronger influence from the dominant social culture of the region than the organisational culture.

Organisations cannot be assumed as homogeneous. The influence of the dominant social culture and competing cultural influences within organisation requires further analysis.

Generating a coherent organisational culture with aligned norms is a difficult management problem, especially for an organisation with multiple offices. Establishing consistent norms also poses challenges for the management of projects.

The tendency to assume cultural homogeneity requires closer attention in organisational research and practice. This paper employed a unique combination of methods to explore the issue. The primary contribution is a demonstration of the need for practitioners and researchers to pay more attention to the dynamic formation and effects of culture in organisations and for projects.