A study of the role of middle management in developing innovation climate in construction support services organisations

Abstract

Many organisations pursue innovation as a means of improving business performance and achieving competitive advantage in today's highly competitive business environment. A number of factors have been identified as influencing innovation in project-based construction organisations. Key among them are; organisational culture, team climate for innovation and leadership style. The nature of the relationship among these three important factors has been the subject of debate and conjecture. Whilst a number of studies have claimed relationships among them, the nature and causality is not clearly established. This situation is compounded by the fact that there are no universally accepted definitions of these constructs themselves. This paper reviews relevant literature on innovation, organisational culture, leadership style, team climate and project performance, with a particular focus on the role of key organisational actors with responsibility for developing a climate to facilitate innovation at the divisional or business unit level. The review reveals that efforts to establish a climate for innovation will be influenced by the organisational culture. Interestingly, it was also found that the role of middle managers in promoting innovation is under-researched. This review provides the basis for on-going research which aims to examine the important role of middle management in enabling relevant organisational changes to facilitate innovation within a leading construction support services organisation.