Managing Change in Construction Projects: A Knowledge-Based Approach

Managing Change in Construction Projects: a knowledge-based approach offers a new perspective on construction project change by viewing the process of change management as a knowledge-intensive activity, where team members bring their tacit and explicit knowledge into the situation; share, create and capture this collective knowledge for future re-use in similar situations.

Through this knowledge-based approach, construction teams can successfully resolve and learn from change events, leading to an overall improved performance of the industry.

The book will make a significant contribution to our understanding of construction project change by offering new theoretical and practical insights and models grounded in results of case studies conducted within two collaborative construction project team settings.

By demonstrating how the social construction of knowledge works in construction settings, the authors challenge the prevailing change management solutions based on ‘hard’ IT approaches. They put forward a balanced view that incorporates both IT–based and socially constructed approaches to effective management of construction project change.

• helps construction managers to improve and learn through the process of construction project change
• presents new theoretical models and offers practical guidelines
• first research-based book to directly address project change from a knowledge-based perspective
• draws on detailed studies with construction companies, including Ballast Construction and Kier Construction
• encourages a move from the information driven, process integrated approach to a knowledge-based view

Sepani Senaratne, Senior Lecturer, Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Research Director of the department research unit - Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU) and the leader of BEMRU research group on 'Knowledge management and Organisational Learning.' Main contact from University of Moratuwa for the institutional membership of CIB – (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction).

Professor Martin Sexton, Director of Research, School of Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading, UK
Director of Research for the School of Construction Management and Engineering. Leads the 'green innovation and transition management' research theme across the School. Joint Coordinator of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Working Commission 65 (Organisation and Management of Construction). The CIB is the leading world wide network of approximately 7000 researchers in the built environment discipline with over forty working commissions. WC 65 is one of the CIB's largest groupings with around 150 members from 45 countries.