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This paper deals with the governance of a particular common good in the Danish construction industry popularly referred to as ‘the technical knowledge commons.' The technical knowledge commons encompass the sum of practical experiences, professional literature, techniques and tested routines in different technical areas that professionals are expected to be familiar with. Due to its role in institutionalizing conceptions of proper conduct and professional practice, the technical knowledge commons have been met by industry criticism, being seen as ‘backdoor’ regulation that stifles innovation and constitutes a barrier to the globalization of labour and building materials. We illustrate how the technical knowledge commons is singled out as a battleground for struggles to redefine the governance of the industry. Using the concepts of institutional interlocks and meta-routines, it is analysed how actors are connected to the knowledge commons and contribute to a distributed maintenance of contested institutionalized practices. On this basis, we discuss how existing interlocks have been challenged and lost legitimacy in the face of the industry's deregulation and globalization, and how a new form of collective agency has arisen as professional associations have rallied in an attempt to establish new and legitimate governance structures to maintain the common good.

Current methods of maintenance management have affected the efficiency of the relevant tasks when applied to the industrialised building system (IBS) for high-rises in Malaysia. Many issues, such as poor service delivery, limited budgets, incompetent staff and defect repetition, have emerged from the use of conventional methods of application (paper-based forms). A total of 73.5% of IBS building maintenance tasks in Malaysia feature the conventional method. Data have revealed that the practice of maintenance management for IBS high-rise buildings needs to be digitalised. Therefore, this paper reviews current practices in maintenance management and develops a Building Information Modelling (BIM) prototype system that addresses problems with to the conventional method to improve the processes of maintenance management. This qualitative research was carried out by conducting a literature review and semi-structured interviews. Eight major maintenance organisations were selected based on the conventional method of practice in managing maintenance for IBS high-rise buildings. The framework was represented in a computer-based prototype system in Autodesk Revit to allow multidisciplinary information to be superimposed onto a digital building model, Microsoft Visual Basic.Net was used as graphical-user interface while Microsoft Access was used for database design to deploy information on maintenance management processes. The computerised system was developed using data flow diagrams and coding. The prototype system was then tested, and the results show that it makes defect diagnosis and decision-making process easier, faster, and cost effective while facilitating the assessment of maintenance, defect diagnosis, and control in relation to components of IBS building structures. In conclusion, the prototype system can improve the effectiveness of maintenance management practices for components of the IBS building structure by reducing the risk of defects in design, such as the design calculation error, to provide high-quality components for the structure to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

The purpose of this paper is to look for boundary objects that can develop and facilitate a "knowledge base", which can facilitate collaboration between faculty and industry. The paper investigates the meaning of boundary objects. It is a conceptual paper with an empirical example. The empirical example is from a Danish (global) supplier engaged in a development project with technical aid (tools) in mounting and assembling gypsum walls. The example demonstrates how the use of boundary objects help the supplier to gain an understanding of different professional practices and aid the transformation to utilise smarter tools. The concept of boundary objects enables an understanding of the epistemological difference inherent in the process of collaboration and research between the university and the wider construction industry. Boundary objects can be used to improve present technical understanding and further its implementation, which is a valuable function for applied research institutions depending on collaboration from a broad range of stakeholder groups. A three-step phase model is suggested for the use of boundary objects to develop and improve present and new practices and technologies.

Construction industry is of strategic importance to economic development and growth within any region and nation. However, the industry is confronted by many challenges including poor labour productivity. Part of the explanation frequently provided in literature is that the industry has been slow to adopt and institutionalize useful information and communication technologies (ICT). The research questions asked in this article are: What are the institutional foundations for West-Midlands construction firms to deliver their projects based on ICT and how can these be strengthened? These questions are asked for two reasons. The first is to understand the reasons behind slow ICT adoption and second, to inquire into what can be done about it. The article provides an overview of projects using advanced ICT in the region and presents the results of a focus group discussion undertaken with six industry experts. Scott's pillars of institutions were used for understanding how the foundations for ICT adaption in the region can be strengthened. Findings are that present regulations, incentives and perceptions of ICT can be further strengthened. While ICT adoption appears to accelerate in large projects, many practitioners remain sceptical as to whether the excessive costs associated with ICT adoptions are justified. The regulative pressures exerted by government in support of ICT adoption do not seem to have fully materialised in industrial practice. However, it is apparent that the normative and cultural cognitive pressures are rendered weak in the region with using advanced ICT being viewed as extraordinary rather than standard industrial practice.

There are over 100 heritage railways in the UK, operated primarily by volunteers. They run vintage trains for leisure and tourism and also undertake construction work in the form of track and infrastructure maintenance including significant new-build, with around 1500 staff involved in such activity. Recent accidents, including a fatality in 2012 have led to competence management being highlighted as a key issue to be addressed by the UK heritage railway industry. Factors such as the volunteer culture, the prevailing language, the diversity of skills, qualifications and learning abilities, are all key factors to be addressed in managing competence effectively. The intention of this research is to identify the issues that need to be satisfactorily addressed when defining and implementing an approach to competence management that is appropriate for the unique structure and challenges of the UK heritage railway industry and to determine whether the contrast of volunteer and professional environments is likely to yield lessons of general applicability to competence management in construction-related activity. A full review of literature and interviews with discourse analysis have highlighted the importance of competence factors such as management, leadership and non-technical skills which resonate with the volunteer culture of heritage railways, and four key discourses have been identified for future study.

The Danish construction industry commonly addresses supply chain issues at the project level by focusing on practical problems on site. In consequence, the industry dedicates considerable resources on fighting day-to-day issues instead of embracing a more cross-organizational approach of Construction Supply Chain Management (CSCM). In this paper, we examine the attempts of one of Scandinavia's major contractor groups to achieve CSCM integration and align cross-organizational practices of the supply chain. We present a case study of two subsidiaries in the group using data from observations, surveys and interviews. Drawing on Neoinstitutional theory with emphasis on the concepts of coupling and decoupling, we examine the interplay between institutional pressure and organizational responses. In our discussion, we argue that the coordination of the supply chain is decoupled from the strategic level through its constricted focus on the performance of specific projects. We then go on to illustrate how the company's efforts centre on assuming a role as CSCM integrator by involving key stakeholders of the supply chain to recouple weak links between decision-making and organizational practices. In conclusion, we argue that the company attempts to achieve CSCM integration by generating market-legitimacy. However, the constant creation of new project organizations, the existence of decentralized supply networks as well as informal authority of project managers to select or deselect procurement policies leads to various types of organizational decoupling. Accordingly, there exists a competing environment of conflicting demands and divergent incentive structures, which is an on-going challenge for the necessary alignment of cross-organizational CSCM integration.

Life cycle costing (LCC) has been proved to be a valuable decision-making tool for strategic facility management considering life cycle perspective of buildings. However, its application by the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry is limited due to lack of available and reliable information. In order to overcome this challenge, researchers have proposed transferring information from operation of existing buildings to the design of new buildings. By using structured analysis methods and specifically, data flow diagram techniques, this study aims to explore how can data from existing social housing building projects with regard to cost drivers of LCC inform the design of new projects. To support the analysis, a social housing project in a Danish architecture firm is used as the case study, and data are gathered through physical artefacts and five semi-structured interviews in both the architect and building client organisation. The results indicate the availability of operational data in several of the processes in the data flow diagram of the case project. The discussion focusses on different ways that O&M data from existing buildings that are provided to the design team through a requirements' report when a new project is published, can be effectively used to identify cost drivers of LCC and inform the design of new projects. The consideration of cost drivers of LCC in early design stages will contribute to designing more economically sustainable constructions that are easy and affordable to operate and maintain. Life cycle costing (LCC) has been proved to be a valuable decision-making tool for strategic facility management considering life cycle perspective of buildings. However, its application by the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry is limited due to lack of available and reliable information. In order to overcome this challenge, researchers have proposed transferring information from operation of existing buildings to the design of new buildings. By using structured analysis methods and specifically, data flow diagram techniques, this study aims to explore how can data from existing social housing building projects with regard to cost drivers of LCC inform the design of new projects. To support the analysis, a social housing project in a Danish architecture firm is used as the case study, and data are gathered through physical artefacts and five semi-structured interviews in both the architect and building client organisation. The results indicate the availability of operational data in several of the processes in the data flow diagram of the case project. The discussion focusses on different ways that O&M data from existing buildings that are provided to the design team through a requirements' report when a new project is published, can be effectively used to identify cost drivers of LCC and inform the design of new projects. The consideration of cost drivers of LCC in early design stages will contribute to designing more economically sustainable constructions that are easy and affordable to operate and maintain.

The use of ethnographic methods in construction management is increasing. Impression management challenges the ethnographic researcher, who follows one actor on a building site. Shadowing allows a researcher to follow particular participants to observe their bodily movements and use of artefacts. Impression management happens when the observee acts in a different way than he/she would routinely, due to the presence of an audience. In the case of shadowing, the researcher can become an audience, as will the readers of the findings from the investigation. A study into contract managers' practices on-site uses shadowing as its primary method for data collection. A contract manager is being observed to gain an insight into the practices in which he participates. However, impression management presents a very noticeable challenge from the beginning of the study. We show how the researcher is perceived as an audience and how this prompts the observed contract manager to reflect on the practices on-site in dialogue with the researcher. On this basis, we raise the question, whether the continued performance of impression management by practitioners due to prolonged fieldwork can lead the observed practice to shift. In conclusion, we argue that the use of shadowing on a building site allows for insights into the complicated practices on site, but it may also influence and displace these practices. The use of ethnographic methods in construction management is increasing. Impression management challenges the ethnographic researcher, who follows one actor on a building site. Shadowing allows a researcher to follow particular participants to observe their bodily movements and use of artefacts. Impression management happens when the observee acts in a different way than he/she would routinely, due to the presence of an audience. In the case of shadowing, the researcher can become an audience, as will the readers of the findings from the investigation. A study into contract managers' practices on-site uses shadowing as its primary method for data collection. A contract manager is being observed to gain an insight into the practices in which he participates. However, impression management presents a very noticeable challenge from the beginning of the study. We show how the researcher is perceived as an audience and how this prompts the observed contract manager to reflect on the practices on-site in dialogue with the researcher. On this basis, we raise the question, whether the continued performance of impression management by practitioners due to prolonged fieldwork can lead the observed practice to shift. In conclusion, we argue that the use of shadowing on a building site allows for insights into the complicated practices on site, but it may also influence and displace these practices.

Social procurement policies require companies to develop and implement initiatives to create social value, yet many programmes created in response to these emerging policies lack a reliable empirical and theoretical foundation. Addressing this problem and brining a new theoretically informed evidence-based approach to social procurement research in construction, this paper presents a theoretically informed and methodologically robust social return on investment (SROI) analysis of a construction training programme developed to reduce the risk of youth homelessness. Mobilising Sen and Nussbaum's Capability Empowerment Approach, the paper provides robust, testable and transparent evidence of the social impact of the programme on the lives of the homeless people who went through it. Robust theoretically informed social procurement initiatives are critically important in ensuring that social procurement policies have their intended social outcomes.