Change is a consistent phenomenon in the construction industry, both locally and globally. Players who are keen to succeed in unusual moments – such as the present – will not underestimate the importance of knowledge, information and innovation. Without information, it is difficult to portray knowledge; and without knowledge, innovation is impossible (see Gloet and Terziovski, 2004; Kang and Kang, 2009). This issue of Management, Procurement and Law sets these in a beautiful context. The five articles contained in the issue are testaments of the nature of the future direction of professional practice in our industry. All the papers are rich in empirical evidence, knowledge depth and rigour. Interestingly, two of the five articles in the issue are authored by industry contributors, while the other three are from traditional research streams. Complementing both spheres of knowledge has been the strength of this journal, which has served over the years as a veritable vehicle for both the academic and industry practice communities to share knowledge hand-in-hand.
All the papers in this issue are rich and intriguing. Allport (2015) writes about the pre-implementation planning of rail projects. The author argues that governments are often ambitious in the conceptualisation of major infrastructure projects. Although those in government are aware that the resources to execute major projects are scarce, and that continuity is a perennial problem in governance, they still put major infrastructure projects centre-stage in their plans. This, according to the author, is the single most significant cause of poor planning, the weak link that prevents projects from achieving operational success. From an insider’s viewpoint, Allport provides an appropriate description of planning and its characteristics that support operational success in large infrastructure projects – put aptly by the author as ‘a practical agenda for a future-proof improvement in planning culture’. The recommendations elicited in the work are useful to policy makers, particularly in the UK, as well as future researchers.
Patterson and Trebes (2015) write about the use of NEC (formerly known as the New Engineering Contract), for design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) projects. NEC, a family of modern contracts drafted for simplicity and flexibility and to be a stimulus to good management, is described by the authors as ‘very clear and very flexible’ on risk allocation to the different parties in a public–private partnering (PPP) project. Another overarching contribution of this paper is the differentiations made between design, build and operate (DBO) and DBFO PPP projects, and the standardisation requirements through which NEC is made to support considerable success in the latter. PPP finance specialists will find these very useful.
The paper by Attarzadeh et al. (2015) is on identifying key factors for the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in Singapore. A startling contribution, the authors unbundle the benefits of BIM across the various life cycle stages. The paper’s main findings will be of great interest to researchers and firms who are interested in BIM implementation: the factors elicited in the study could adapt well as a BIM implementation plan, both in industry practice and in teaching and learning.
Aboagye-Nimo et al. (2015) write about using tacit knowledge in training and accident prevention. The authors did an incredible job tracing the relationship between tacit knowledge and workplace accidents. As they argued, formal training and education are not enough, construction workers tend to benefit when knowledge is transferred through informal interactions (tacit knowledge). As important as it sounds, tacit knowledge is often undervalued. The authors recommend dedicated strategies to develop tacit knowledge through purpose-made training, sustained experience, mentoring and leadership. Small construction firms will find the findings of this work very helpful.
Ovbagbedia and Ochieng (2015) address the impact of organisational culture on knowledge transfer in heavy engineering projects. By focusing on the Nigerian industrial construction sector, the authors explore different forms of knowledge and how they are transferred within organisations. The authors conclude that knowledge management deserves more seriousness: instead of simplistic conferences and short-term training programmes, industry leaders have the duty of care to their workforce and industry to encourage an enduring culture that helps to transfer knowledge.
