Download or read book Collaborative Relationships in Construction written by Hedley Smyth and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-01-28 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book collects the latest research on both contractual andconceptual collaborative practices in construction. It identifiescommon problems faced by the industry and draws out practicalimplications. Construction projects are increasingly run in ways thatundermine the traditional boundary of the firm and sometimes alsothe definition of the project coalition. This poses challenges forconstruction firms whose clients demand ever increasing performanceimprovements as well as those firms who want to improve theirstrategies for greater collaboration to give themselves competitiveadvantage. The editors identify three main themes: collaborativerelationships, operating both in frameworks and within networks ofcontacts, e.g. relational contracting in partnering, supply chainmanagement and other procurement-driven initiatives. The second theme is frameworks, both contractual frameworksbinding parties together over a series of contracts, and conceptualframeworks used to develop future performance improvement arisingfrom the proactive strategies of firms. The third theme is the network of relationships that supportsindividuals and firms within the project coalition in deliveringservices and adding value to improve performance. These networksdefine the investment and incentives supporting the inter-firm andintra-firm relationships, as well as the formal contractualconditions through which such incentives flow. Networks ofinformation exchange define the structure of the activity and helppredict organisational configurations for successful projectoutcomes.