Christine Pasquire

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the current knowledge surrounding social value (SV) and show how lean approach supports SV realisation in the delivery of construction projects.Design/methodology/approach: A critical literature review was adopted, to gather the current knowledge surrounding SV from mainstream management sciences, construction management and lean literature. A total of 70 studies were critically reviewed.Findings: The study establishes that the current level of awareness on SV is still low and there is a dearth of scholarly publications on SV especially in the construction management literature. The investigation reveals the potentials of lean approach in supporting the delivery of SV on construction projects.Social implications: This study conceptualises the community and the physical environment around where the construction project is executed as customers using lean production approach. It shows that the transformation, flow and value view supports smooth workflow, which enhances the achievement of SV objectives. This creates a new insight into how SV can be realised in construction project delivery.Originality/value: This study extends the on-going debate around the need for SV in construction project delivery and contributes to construction management and lean construction literature on SV. Future studies could build on this to obtain empirical data and develop an approach/method that would support the evidencing of SV delivery on construction projects.

The "Last Planner® System" (LPS) is commonly viewed as the foundation of Lean Project Delivery. It is increasingly used in certain parts of the globe. However, LPS implementation often fades off due to issues reported at organisational, project and external levels. The LPS Path Clearing Approach (PCA) offers an antidote to these issues. The goal of this paper is to outline how the LPS-PCA helped restart a stalled implementation of the LPS through a "shallow and wide" organisational approach rather than a more traditional "narrow and deep" project approach. The LPS-PCA in action is documented within an ongoing UK case study organisation. Action and covert research methods were used to introduce LPS principles, thinking and language without attributing them to LPS in response to resistance to the actual LPS. The 15 step actions within the LPS-PCA are expanded from a past, current and future state perspective. The study found that the LPS-PCA's 15 step actions were useful as a benchmark to continuously remove constraints that blocked the implementation of the LPS. In summary, the use of the LPS-PCA is recommended before, during and after organisations engage with LPS Consultants if organisations are serious about sustaining the implementation of the LPS.

The recurring poor performance and lack of collaborative culture in the UK construction industry has been a topic of debate for many years now. This has triggered an industry wide demand for performance improvement and innovation in the construction sector. Several studies over the years have reported and linked these concerns to fragmentation, deep-seated cultural resistance and negative commercial behaviours among project participants. Traditionally, Quantity Surveyors (QSs) within the UK system are popularly known for their commercial management functions i.e., contract advice and cost related roles. But, the lack of evidence on collaborative practice across the commercial roles often performed by the QSs in practice has revealed a separation within the construction model where QSs are formulated outside the core project production team (client, designers, and constructors). This continues with further practical implications like process waste, value loss, conflicts among others. However, recently, there were calls for industry-wide modernisation with an appeal specifically on QSs to create positive link within the value chain as against being a burden to it. Based on a literature review and a case study approach, the study further discovered other commercial factors deterring collaborative practice that is emanating from QSs position outside the production system. These factors among others are: commercial background &training, customer &safeguarding practice, excessive monthly reporting & commercial governance and balancing standards with innovation.

Purpose: Green specifications are some of the most important strategies for energy saving and describe the best practice in the field of sustainable construction. They have great effects on resource saving and environmental protection. The demand of sustainable construction has spurred the emerging and development of green specifications. However, there are many factors that affect the adoption of green specifications in China. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect the adoption of green specifications in China.Design/methodology/approach: Based on the comprehensive literature review, a questionnaire survey has been conducted to with major stakeholders in construction area to identify issues concerning the adoption of green specifications in China. In total, 18 variables that affect the adoption of green specifications in were summarized. Then this study uses factor analysis and mean score method to analyze 18 variables which the authors get from the questionnaire.Findings: Using the rank analysis and factor analysis, the variables have been ranked, analyzed and categorized into five independent factors. They are summarized as: green technology and techniques; awareness and attitude; policies and regulations; market; and economics. This study provides a variable reference for policy makers to put forward focused policies and incentives for green specifications implementation and industry practitioners to better understand of green specifications adoption in China.Originality/value: This paper makes a contribution to the understanding of the factors that affect the adoption of the green specifications in China. The results can also contribute to better adoption of green specifications in other developing countries.