Culture is an all-pervading construct of human existence but its conceptualization is contested. As such, it is problematic to define or measure culture as different paradigms adopt radically different approaches. Emic approaches are, essentially, inward-looking and, via a constructivist...

This paper presents an analysis of a familiar aspect of construction industry culture that we have dubbed 'the claims culture'. This is a culture of contract administration that lays a strong emphasis on the planning and management of claims. The principal elements of the analysis are two sets...

Understanding the individual's collectivistic orientations toward group goals and task activities is critical for developing cooperative and productive teams. The complex environment of modern construction, where the emphasis shifts from individually oriented to team-based work, has led to many...

The concept of leadership inevitably concerns power structuring in which power is distributed unevenly between individuals. Indeed, leadership styles are closely associated with power distribution and its exercise. Power, in its diverse guises, combines inter-personal and structural elements and...

The realization of construction projects brings together a diversity of individuals and organizations, variously forged into groups and teams, in which power is important in shaping leader/follower behaviour. Quantity surveyors, being primarily project cost consultants and...

Claims by contractors for additional payments have been identified by commentators as a major source of difficulty in the industry. Ethnographic research with industry members reveals some key features of planning practices that underlie such events. Claims are sometimes planned at tender stage...

Performance of corporations, under the stakeholder approach, is not measured in financial terms only; modern corporations have significant responsibilities beyond those to their shareholders. A value-laden concept such as sustainable construction, which emerges from a multi-stakeholder...

Achieving and sustaining the cooperation of individuals with their temporary multi-organization (TMO) workgroups is, arguably, one of the most enduring challenges facing the construction sector. A mediational model connecting pride and self-respect to each of four dimensions of cooperative...