TY - GEN
T1 - An integrated approach to learning from project-related failures
AU - Chiponde, Danstan Bwalya
AU - Gledson, Barry
AU - Greenwood, David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Project Based Organisations (PBOs) are established to optimise project delivery. Unfortunately, as failures still occur on projects, the anticipated performance enhancements of PBOs have not lived up to expectations to date. This has led to interest in how PBOs learn from project-related failures. Regrettably, despite considerable financial investment on projects, particularly infrastructure projects, there is limited research on learning from project failures. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the practices and behaviours of project-based actors and organisations towards learning from project-related failures. To achieve that, semistructured interviews were conducted with construction project management practitioners. Results reveal that systematic attempts to learn from project-related failures are rare. Barriers relate to the temporary and fragmented nature of projects, the negative perceptions around failure, and the fear of being blamed or punished for failure(s). Where such learning exists within PBOs, mechanisms such as project reports and project review meetings are typically used. The cause of project failures ranges from the actions of project actors themselves such as the project manager, designers, contractors and the client, to external events such as financing and technological challenges. The implication for project actors is that instead of relying on ad-hoc learning mechanisms, systemic and sector-wide approaches should be encouraged. This is by integrating the following six facets in the process of learning from failures: structure; culture; psychological; safety; policy; context, and; technology.
AB - Project Based Organisations (PBOs) are established to optimise project delivery. Unfortunately, as failures still occur on projects, the anticipated performance enhancements of PBOs have not lived up to expectations to date. This has led to interest in how PBOs learn from project-related failures. Regrettably, despite considerable financial investment on projects, particularly infrastructure projects, there is limited research on learning from project failures. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the practices and behaviours of project-based actors and organisations towards learning from project-related failures. To achieve that, semistructured interviews were conducted with construction project management practitioners. Results reveal that systematic attempts to learn from project-related failures are rare. Barriers relate to the temporary and fragmented nature of projects, the negative perceptions around failure, and the fear of being blamed or punished for failure(s). Where such learning exists within PBOs, mechanisms such as project reports and project review meetings are typically used. The cause of project failures ranges from the actions of project actors themselves such as the project manager, designers, contractors and the client, to external events such as financing and technological challenges. The implication for project actors is that instead of relying on ad-hoc learning mechanisms, systemic and sector-wide approaches should be encouraged. This is by integrating the following six facets in the process of learning from failures: structure; culture; psychological; safety; policy; context, and; technology.
KW - learning practices
KW - organisational learning
KW - PBOs
KW - project failure
KW - United Kingdom construction industry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096958628&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85096958628
T3 - ARCOM 2020 - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 36th Annual Conference 2020 - Proceedings
SP - 196
EP - 204
BT - Proceedings 36th Annual ARCOM Conference
A2 - Scott, Lloyd
A2 - Neilson, Christopher J.
PB - Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
T2 - 36th Annual Conference on Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2020
Y2 - 7 September 2020 through 8 September 2020
ER -