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Walter Schroeder Library, Milwaukee School of Engineering
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Smith, Pamela.
Subjects
Construction industry -- Management
Organizational learning
Teams in the workplace
MSEM Thesis.
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Smith, Pamela.
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Challenging traditio...
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Challenging tradition : the learning organization as a strategic management approach in the construction industry / Pamela Smith.
by
Smith, Pamela.
Subjects
Construction industry -- Management
Organizational learning
Teams in the workplace
MSEM Thesis.
Description:
78 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.
Contents:
Thesis advisor: Dr. Paul Hudec.
Committee members: Dr. Bruce Thompson, Gene A. Wright.
Challenges facing the construction industry -- Traditional management models -- Limitations of the traditional management model -- The learning organization model -- Building blocks of the learning organization -- Supporting dimensions of the learning organization -- The learning organization and systems thinking -- Organizational learning styles -- Challenges to the implementation of the learning organization in the construction industry -- Implementation plan for construction contractors -- Plan prerequisites -- Power of teams -- Organizational-wide learning -- Other considerations: Measurement - continuous information gathering to support and analyze change plan -- Pilot project -- Resistance -- Exit strategy -- Conclusion.
Literary research and interviews with professionals in the construction industry are used in this thesis to identify current challenges facing construction companies. Challenges found include a highly competitive, complex, and rapidly changing business environment, a shrinking pool of skilled labor, lost knowledge and skills among trade personnel, and increasing customer demands.
Traditional management models still widely used in the construction industry are introduced and discussed in detail, emphasizing the scientific management philosophy of Frederick Taylor and the administrative management theory of Henri Fayol. Drawbacks of the traditional management model were found, including its neglect of acknowledging employee intellectual capital and therefore its inability to capture and transfer valuable knowledge; the disconnect between those actually doing the work, that is, the value added part, and the needs and priorities of the customer; the extensive dependence on inspection in the traditional model; the absence of team and cross-functional analyses to problem-solve, especially vital in this era of complexity; the inability to adapt quickly to changes due to its hierarchical structure; and the lack of opportunities for innovation.
This thesis researches the learning organization model as an alternative strategic management approach. The premise of the learning organization is that learning must take place quicker than the external environment changes to enable organizations to maintain viability amid these changes. Organizations accomplish this through a concerted strategic management effort to instill continuous improvement initiatives through continuous learning by its members. Knowledge must be sought and transferred through the organization through formalized structures supporting this intent. The basic concepts of the learning organization include a culture that values experimentation, teamwork, shared decision making, employee ownership of work outputs, employee control over work process, continuous improvement, the creation and transferring of knowledge, systematic thinking, and learning styles that challenge company norms.
The challenges found that face the implementation of these concepts within the construction industry include the non-standard nature of construction projects, the use of temporary alliances and fragmentation in the industry, a construction culture that values "hard" issues, and difficulties in managing information due to the lack of formal structures and procedures to support it.
An implementation plan designed by this student is presented in the second portion of this thesis. The implementation plan is geared toward construction firms interested in adopting a learning organization strategic management model. Prerequisites for employing the plan are outlined, including an analysis of strategic and knowledge gaps, and communication within the organization. Unit work teams are at the core of this student's plan, emphasizing trade personnel responsibility for work quality, time and cost efficient work processes, problem solving, and record keeping. A structure is presented which allows individual project learning to transfer on an organizational-wide basis. Other topics of note include continuous information gathering to support and analyze change plan, the benefits of using a pilot project, handling resistance to change, and the development of an exit strategy as part of the implementation plan.
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Walter Schroeder Library
Master's Theses
AC805 .S859 2007
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