Managing new social procurement imperatives in the Australian construction industry

Loosemore, M; Higgon, D; Osborne, J

Managing new social procurement imperatives in the Australian construction industry

Loosemore, M

Higgon, D Osborne, J

Permalink

Publisher:: Emerald
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
Issue Date:: 2020-06-15

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	ECAM-11-2019-0643.pdf	Published version	148.04 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Loosemore, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-4655
dc.contributor.author	Higgon, D
dc.contributor.author	Osborne, J
dc.date.accessioned	2020-06-23T04:01:49Z
dc.date.available	2020-06-23T04:01:49Z
dc.date.issued	2020-06-15
dc.identifier.citation	Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
dc.identifier.issn	0969-9988
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/141632
dc.description.abstract	<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>This paper responds to the need for more construction project management research in the emerging field of social procurement. It contributes by exploring the potential value of cross-sector collaboration and project-based intermediation in meeting new social procurement imperatives.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>A thematic exploratory case study analysis is presented of seventy-three interviews undertaken with stakeholders involved in a unique project-based intermediary developed by a major Australian construction company to leverage the power of cross-sector collaboration in response to social procurement imperatives on its projects, based on semi-structured interviews with 33 disadvantaged job seekers, 40 organisational stakeholders (employment agencies; not-for-profits, Indigenous, disability and refugee support organisations; training organisations; subcontractors; government agencies and departments; community organisations) and observational and documentary data over the duration of a unique project-based intermediary called a Connectivity Centre, developed by a major Australian contractor to deliver on its emerging social procurement requirements.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>The results show that cross-sector collaboration within the construction industry can produce highlight numerous cognitive, behavioural, health, situational and affective social impacts for the project community and shared-value benefits for the range of organisations involved. However, it is found that cross-sector collaboration through project-based intermediation in a construction context is challenging due to the fragmented and dynamic nature of construction project teams and the communities they have to engage with. Encouraging people and organisations to collaborate who operate in industries and organisations with different and sometimes competing institutional logics and objectives (even if they are linked by common values) requires a set of knowledge, competencies and relationships not recognised in current global project management competency frameworks.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>This research contributes new insights to the emerging but embryonic body of research into construction social procurement by demonstrating the value of emerging theories of social procurement, social value, cross-sector collaboration and intermediation in enhancing our currently limited understanding of the complex challenges involved in responding to new social procurement requirements in the construction industry. It explores and documents the potential value of project-based intermediaries in developing and managing the new cross-sector relationships, roles, relational competencies and practices, which are required to effectively respond to and measure the impact of emerging social procurement policies in the construction industry. These findings have a potentially significant social impact by providing new insights for policymakers and the construction industry, to optimise the industry’s response to emerging social procurement policies.</jats:p></jats:sec>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Emerald
dc.relation.ispartof	Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/ecam-11-2019-0643
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering, 1202 Building, 1503 Business and Management
dc.subject.classification	Building & Construction
dc.title	Managing new social procurement imperatives in the Australian construction industry
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	ahead-of-print
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	1202 Building
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Built Environment
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2020-06-23T04:01:45Z
pubs.issue	ahead-of-print
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	ahead-of-print
utslib.citation.issue	ahead-of-print

Abstract:

PurposeThis paper responds to the need for more construction project management research in the emerging field of social procurement. It contributes by exploring the potential value of cross-sector collaboration and project-based intermediation in meeting new social procurement imperatives.Design/methodology/approachA thematic exploratory case study analysis is presented of seventy-three interviews undertaken with stakeholders involved in a unique project-based intermediary developed by a major Australian construction company to leverage the power of cross-sector collaboration in response to social procurement imperatives on its projects, based on semi-structured interviews with 33 disadvantaged job seekers, 40 organisational stakeholders (employment agencies; not-for-profits, Indigenous, disability and refugee support organisations; training organisations; subcontractors; government agencies and departments; community organisations) and observational and documentary data over the duration of a unique project-based intermediary called a Connectivity Centre, developed by a major Australian contractor to deliver on its emerging social procurement requirements.FindingsThe results show that cross-sector collaboration within the construction industry can produce highlight numerous cognitive, behavioural, health, situational and affective social impacts for the project community and shared-value benefits for the range of organisations involved. However, it is found that cross-sector collaboration through project-based intermediation in a construction context is challenging due to the fragmented and dynamic nature of construction project teams and the communities they have to engage with. Encouraging people and organisations to collaborate who operate in industries and organisations with different and sometimes competing institutional logics and objectives (even if they are linked by common values) requires a set of knowledge, competencies and relationships not recognised in current global project management competency frameworks.Originality/valueThis research contributes new insights to the emerging but embryonic body of research into construction social procurement by demonstrating the value of emerging theories of social procurement, social value, cross-sector collaboration and intermediation in enhancing our currently limited understanding of the complex challenges involved in responding to new social procurement requirements in the construction industry. It explores and documents the potential value of project-based intermediaries in developing and managing the new cross-sector relationships, roles, relational competencies and practices, which are required to effectively respond to and measure the impact of emerging social procurement policies in the construction industry. These findings have a potentially significant social impact by providing new insights for policymakers and the construction industry, to optimise the industry’s response to emerging social procurement policies.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/141632