Addressing Issues across Organisational Boundaries in Construction Projects

Abstract

The extensive and increasing specialisation in all sectors of the construction industry has prompted much criticism due to the common absence of sufficient coordination and collaboration of the separate organisations culminating in accusations that such fragmentation leads to poor performance.This paper focuses on the managerial issues which emerge due to the diversity of individual organisations which must be assembled to execute engineering construction projects. Managing any organisational interface is notoriously problematic and has prompted the generation oftheories concerning management of boundaries – including boundary spanning and boundary objects. This paper examines the theory, research perspectives and findings to date and relates them to the management of engineering construction projects. It is concluded that recognition of performance interdependence amongst project participants is an essential underpinning of cooperationand development and use of appropriate boundary management through boundary spanning and boundary objects can foster interaction and coordination even with participants‟ retention of their individual goals.