Construction quality: the challenges and keys to improvement: A multi-level, exexplorative stydy of the quality management practices in a large swedish construction company
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Design and construction project management (MPDCM), MSc
Publicerad
2021
Författare
Bartek, Sebastian
Olsson, Elin
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Lacking construction quality and recurring defects leads to significant costs and
inconveniences for companies and customers within the Swedish construction
industry. While other industries have implemented formal quality management
practices with positive results, the construction industry has had a harder time to
implement these ideas effectively. The complex nature of the industry is claimed to
make it difficult to implement routines that are easily adopted in other ones, also
shaping the general traits and behaviours of the people working in the industry. The
aim of this study was to make a multi-level exploration of the quality work of a case
company; to investigate both the formally provided routines as well as the actual work
in order to outline their quality related challenges. It was found that fundamental
aspects of quality management practices suggested in literature were lacking or even
missing, especially routines that ensure continuous improvements and organizational
learning. Quality does not seem to be prioritized on strategic levels, leading to lacking
organizational structures and operational routines, placing the heavy weight of
ensuring sufficient quality performance on the shoulders of individual managers at
project level. The quality reached comes to depend on the interests, experience and
knowledge of the managing individuals, their prerequisites and their ability to cope
with those and coordinate their teams. The ultimate balance between formal quality
procedures and efforts to foster sufficient quality cultures is yet to be found, but
efforts aimed to improve both the formal routines and enhance the collective
motivation are needed, and some suggestions of improvements are therefore
developed for the case company, addressing them both.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Quality Management , Construction Industry , Organizational Learning , Knowledge Transfer , Construction Culture , Quality , Continuous Improvements , Motivation , Defect , Error