Evaluating the modus operandi of construction supply chains using organization control theory

Workload control (WLC) systems can be seen as a natural extension of input-output control systems which allow both the control of jobs into the shop and the control of capacity which affects the flow of finished goods out of the shop. In previous research, it has been shown that WLC can help to reduce manufacturing lead times, even if the total workload processed by the shop in a given time period is maintained at a constant rate. However, the relative contributions of the input control mechanisms versus the output control mechanisms have not been clearly determined. This paper seeks to explore this which affects the flow of finished goods out of the shop. In previous research, it has been shown that WLC can help to reduce manufacturing lead times, even if the total workload processed by the shop in a given time period is maintained at a constant rate. However, the relative contributions of the input control mechanisms versus the output control mechanisms have not been clearly determined. This paper seeks to explore this issue using a simulation of a real job shop, in which the WLC system that has been developed at Lancaster University is used. It explores the use of input control alone and the use of input control plus output control. In addition, the relation between workload and various performance measures, such as lead time, queueing time and capacity utilisation, is explored. The results of the experiments show that one should consider input control and output control as two levers of control that are both to be pulled rather than relying on the single lever of stopping the input when the WIP reaches some preset level.

PurposeManaging stakeholders' reciprocal interdependencies is always a challenging issue. Stakeholders need to find out different ways to communicate information and coordinate material flows during the supply chain processes. Many recent studies have advanced construction supply chain coordination from multiple perspectives. However, the field still lacks a comprehensive analysis to summarize existing research, to explicitly identify all the possible enablers for coordination and to investigate how the enablers can be carried out at the supply chain interfaces. To fill the gap, this study aims to conduct a systematic review in order to examine the relevant literature.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review process was conducted to identify and synthesize relevant publications (published in the past 20 years) concerning the coordination of construction supply chain functions. These publications were coded to link main research findings with specific enabler categories. In addition, how these enablers can be used at the interfaces across supply chain processes was reviewed with an in-depth analysis of reciprocal communications between stakeholders at design-to-production, production-to-logistics and production-to-site-assembly phases.FindingsThe coordination enablers were classified into three categories: (1) contractual enablers (including subtopics on relational contracts and incentive models), (2) procedural enablers (including subtopics on multiagent knowledge sharing systems and the last planner system) and (3) technological enablers (including subtopics on linked databases for design coordination, design for manufacturing software platforms and automated monitoring technologies). It was found that interfacing different functions requires a certain level of integration of stakeholders for quick response and feedback processes. The integration of novel contractual forms with digital technologies, such as smart contracts, however, was not adequately addressed in the state of the art.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of the systematic review is limited to the static analysis of selected publications. Longitudinal studies should be further included to sharpen the inductions of enablers considering organizational changes and process dynamics in construction projects.Practical implicationsDifferent enablers for coordination were summarized in a concise manner, which provides researchers and project stakeholders with a reinforced understanding of various ways to manage reciprocal interdependencies at different supply chain interfaces.Originality/valueThis study constitutes an important input for research on the construction supply chain by illuminating the thematic topic of coordination from inductively developed review processes, which included a holistic framing of the emerging coordination enablers and their use across supply chain functions. Consequently, it closes some identified knowledge gaps and offers additional insights to improve the supply chain performance of construction projects.

BackgroundWe assess how human resource management (HRM) is implemented in Australian hospitals. Drawing on role theory, we consider the influence HRM has on job attitudes of healthcare staff and hospital operational efficiency.MethodsWe adopt a qualitative research design across professional groups (physicians, nurses, and allied health staff) at multiple levels (executive, healthcare managers, and employee). A total of 34 interviews were carried out and analyzed using NVivo.ResultsFindings revealed a predominance of a control-based approach to people management. Using Snell’s control framework (AMJ 35:292–327, 1992), we found that behavioral control was the principal form of control used to manage nurses, allied health workers, and junior doctors. We found a mix between behavior, output, and input controls as well as elements of commitment-based HRM to manage senior physicians. We observed low levels of investment in people and a concentration on transactional human resource (HR) activities which led to negative job attitudes such as low morale and frustration among healthcare professionals. While hospitals used rules to promote conformity with established procedures, the overuse and at times inappropriate use of behavior controls restricted healthcare managers’ ability to motivate and engage their staff.ConclusionsExcessive use of behavior control helped to realize short-term cost-cutting goals; however, this often led to operational inefficiencies. We suggest that hospitals reduce the profusion of behavior control and increase levels of input and output controls in the management of people. Poor perceptions of HR specialists and HR activities have resulted in HR being overlooked as a vehicle to address the strategic challenges required of health reform and to build an engaged workforce.

Supply chain management (SCM) is a concept that has flourished in manufacturing, originating from Just-In-Time (JIT) production and logistics. Today, SCM represents an autonomous managerial concept, although still largely dominated by logistics. Previous initiatives to advance the construction supply chain have been somewhat partial. The generic methodology offered by SCM contributes to better understanding and resolution of basic problems in construction supply chains, and gives directions for construction supply chain development. The practical solutions offered by SCM, however, have to be developed in construction practice itself, taking into account the specific characteristics and local conditions of construction supply chains. Construction supply chain management's potential for contributing to profitability. Construction supply chain has gained significance because of the increasing number of potential complex private and public sector construction projects. In the construction process costly delays in materials, equipments, and services erode profits. Construction supply chain management through the integration and coordination of materials, information, and money flows between the various project partners resolves delays and offers a new means of increasing profitability. CSCM's emphasis on information sharing and communications fosters cooperation and collaboration among supply chain members. Project management and execution are the final tests of how well the supply chain is working. Tracking progress in the field ensures that a project will be on-time and under- budget and within specifications. Sharing field measurements with all members in accordance with supply chain values is the final predictor of a profitable project.

Purpose This study aims to improve the efficiency and transparency of cost management and contract administration in public construction supply chains. It responds to demographic and infrastructure challenges by proposing an automated, fair and data-driven approach to cost allocation using emerging technologies. By integrating blockchain, digital twins and smart contracts, the study seeks to minimize financial disputes, accelerate payments and optimize stakeholder coordination in complex construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A hybrid model is developed that combines blockchain technology, digital twins and game theory to automate supply chain cost allocation based on each stakeholder's contribution. Smart contracts ensure tamper-proof, real-time execution of agreements. The model is validated through simulation and real-world application in a solar-powered public building project in Irbid, Jordan, funded by the Climate for Cities (C4C) program. Quantitative metrics were used to assess performance improvements in dispute reduction and payment timeliness. Findings The integrated model led to a 30% reduction in financial disputes and a 25% improvement in payment timeliness, demonstrating its potential to resolve inefficiencies in traditional cost allocation methods. The implementation confirmed that automating contract execution through blockchain, coupled with real-time data from digital twins, enhances trust, fairness and operational efficiency across public construction projects. Practical implications The proposed model offers a replicable framework for public sector organizations and contractors aiming to digitize and streamline contract administration and cost management. It reduces administrative burdens, mitigates payment delays and supports more equitable financial accountability. Its success in a real municipal project suggests broad applicability for managing complex infrastructure systems, particularly in contexts affected by demographic and governance challenges. Originality/value This research uniquely integrates blockchain, digital twins and game theory to address long-standing issues in construction supply chain transparency and efficiency. Moving beyond conceptual models to practical deployment in a donor-funded public infrastructure project provides robust evidence of feasibility and impact. The study offers valuable contributions to the discourse on smart construction, sustainable urban infrastructure and digitally enabled contract governance.

Purpose of the study: This conceptual paper is based on a review of delay issues, risk response management and project performance in the Malaysian construction industry. The study also involved the evaluation of latent relationships among project-related delay factors, project risk response-related measures and project performance in terms of time and cost.
 Methodology: Literature in light of recent studies was reviewed and a thematic review approach was also conducted. The themes summarized delay issues, risk response measures, and project performance. Subsequently, the synthesized literature review aided the development of the conceptual framework for the delay mitigation model.
 Main Findings: The authors presented a model where project-related delay factors have a negative effect on project performance, project risk response-related measures have a positive effect on project performance and project risk response-related measures positively moderate the relationship between project-related delay factors and project performance.
 Applications of this study: This study will enable the construction practitioners to understand better ways to mitigate delay issues in the construction industry.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: This work offers a conceptual perspective on the enhancement of project performance in terms of cost and time by addressing the issues of project delay factors managed using project risk response-related measures.

A Web Service Framework for Measuring and Monitoring Environmental and Carbon Footprint in Construction Supply Chains

The construction industry often faces various challenges that can hinder project success and produce waste. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the construction supply chain, especially in the aspect of sustainability which consists of Environmental and Social attributes. The research object used is reinforcing steel material in two building projects owned by PT XYZ, namely Project A and Project B which use the same material supplier. Performance measurement is carried out by applying the SCOR 14.0 model, Objective Matrix (OMAX) method, and Traffic Light System (TLS). The evaluation results show that the performance of the Environmental attribute in Project A is at level 6 so that project performance still needs to be improved. While in Project B, the performance of the Environmental attribute is at level 10 so that project performance needs to be maintained. In addition, in the social attribute, both projects showed the achievement of performance at level 10 so that the supply chain performance needs to be maintained. SCOR 14.0 Model is able to identify waste that occurs and formulate a comprehensive improvement strategy in the construction supply chain system which is expected to support the improvement of competitiveness and sustainability of projects in the construction sector.

Currently, cost management is playing an import role in building the overall competence of construction supply chain (CSC). In order to solve the major problems of cost management in our CSC, we propose that lean thinking be applied to CSC cost management so as to improve cost competence of our CSC by eliminating all forms of non-value added activities and wastes across the entire supply chain. This paper first analyzes the major problems of our CSC cost management. Then it introduces the idea and characteristics of lean CSC cost management. Finally, it elaborates four main aspects of implementing lean CSC cost management, including lean procurement cost management, lean design cost management, lean construction cost management and lean service cost management.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary stride of technology in the orthodox construction and procedures in conventional Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry which is stressed upon for its delay on embracing new technologies. The strength of BIM has been disvalued in the eyes of many professionals, to think of BIM as just another ‘software’ which is in reality, a ‘process’ of attaining an outstanding collaboration among each and every stakeholder throughout a project’s life cycle. Hence, the philosophy of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in a construction project can be achieved effectively with the BIM’s promise of flexible and transparent interaction among Construction Supply Chain (CSC) contributors. However, the complexities in CSC of a conservative setup has been more composite with the intervention of BIM. Consequently, the BIM project stakeholders have encountered complications on the effective application of BIM on CSC while reaching the envisioned goals of BIM. Thus, the intention of this study is to develop a foreseeable information flow model related to construction supply chain in a BIM aided project. In order to attain the aim, an extensive literature synthesis was piloted to develop a conceptual informational flow model among CSC stakeholders of a BIM project. This contemporary research outlines that the CSC of a BIM project is much interactive and flexible with its collaborative effort of stakeholders when compared to the clashes among professionals in traditional setups. In a practical context, the roles and duties of BIM project stakeholders identified in BIM standards, have slightly differed due to real-world complications in construction industry. Besides that, BIM standards have laid down charismatic arrangements on information flows among BIM project stakeholders, which is in reality, a complex and random setup. Hence, the research outcome has successfully answered the complications by laying down guidelines for any outsider to the BIM field to recognise what would be the contribution of each stakeholder throughout the BIM project’s life cycle.

Firms struggle with salesforce control, particularly as typical piecemeal approaches overlook the nuance that the effect of a control is amplified or muted by a context created by other simultaneously deployed controls. Recent studies showing interactions between formal controls caution that control mechanisms must be examined as a portfolio. This study takes the next step in addressing how widely-studied formal controls interact with understudied input control and informal control in a salesforce control portfolio. We introduce the idea of sequential complementarity—when deploying a control mechanism enhances marginal returns from increasing a temporally preceding one—within a control portfolio to explain those interactions. We use data from 120 apparel manufacturers and 94 retailers to show that the performance benefits of formal control mechanisms depend on precedence by input control. These effects flip in the presence of informal control. Our unique contribution is theoretically introducing temporality into “holochronic” control theory to explain interactions of formal with informal control mechanisms.

The construction industry is critically reliant on efficient supply chains to ensure better project management, success, and profitability. This research examined the critical and ongoing challenges within the construction supply chain, with a particular emphasis on the persistent shortage of truck drivers and its far-reaching implications for construction logistics. Utilizing a structured multi-phase approach, the research integrated a comprehensive literature review, bibliometric analysis, and an empirical case study involving commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The literature review established the current state of knowledge on transportation labor shortages. At the same time, the bibliometric analysis revealed four key thematic clusters that collectively define the primary areas influencing construction supply chain performance. The case study reinforced these findings by highlighting key factors contributing to driver shortages, including demographic shifts, challenging working conditions, regulatory barriers, and geopolitical disruptions. The paper concludes with practical implications for industry practitioners, policymakers, and supply chain managers, emphasizing the necessity of integrative operational and strategic responses to build resilient and sustainable construction supply chains and logistics systems, with a specific focus on truck driver shortages. By examining both academic literature and field-based perspectives, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of how labor shortages, particularly in transportation, can destabilize construction supply chains and identifies the most effective measures to support their foundations.

The construction supply chain often faces challenges such as contract disputes, inefficient payments, and difficult claim management due to its complexity and the involvement of multiple parties. Most existing solutions focus on optimizing contract terms or improving local processes, but they lack systemization, automation, and transparency. Therefore, this study proposes a claim and payment process management model based on blockchain and smart contracts, aiming to achieve digital and automated governance of the construction supply chain. The study constructs three types of smart contracts: The supply chain decomposition smart contract automatically divides engineering projects into independent billing cycles. The billing unit smart contract monitors the compliance of construction. The negotiation and settlement smart contract automatically handles disputes and payments. These three types of smart contracts work together to form a decentralized dynamic management framework. Through simulation experiments comparing the traditional process with the smart contract model, the results show that in scenarios with a high probability of claims and a large proportion of construction defects, the capital flow efficiency of the smart contract model is increased by more than 20%, and it shows stronger stability under high claim risks. The contribution of this study lies in combining blockchain technology with the logic of supply chain decomposition, proposing a smart contract system applicable to dynamic engineering projects, thus providing a digital processing method for the integrated management of claims and payments in the construction supply chain. This digital dynamic management method can ultimately systematically solve the island problem in supply chain claim research. Its automated and transparent characteristics help reduce dispute costs and enhance trust among multiple parties, which has important practical significance for improving the overall efficiency of the industry.

Although formal and informal control mechanisms are often simultaneously used to govern systems development projects, considerable disagreement exists about whether the use of one strengthens or diminishes the benefits of the other. In other words, are they complements or substitutes? Competing theoretical perspectives favor both sides of the argument, and neither the information systems (IS) controls literature nor the information technology (IT) outsourcing literature has addressed this issue. This study theoretically develops the idea that these competing perspectives are mutually compatible rather than contradictory because informal and formal control mechanisms can simultaneously be complements and substitutes. Using data from 120 outsourced systems development projects, it is shown that informal control mechanisms strengthen the influence of formal behavior control mechanisms on systems development ambidexterity (complementary effects) but weaken the influence of formal outcome control mechanisms (substitutive effects). The key contribution of the paper therefore lies in exploring interactions among control mechanisms in a project's control portfolio to reconcile the competing theoretical perspectives on whether formal and informal controls are complements or substitutes. The findings provide managers guidance on how to carefully combine formal and informal control mechanisms in a project. Combining informal with formal process-based control mechanisms can simultaneously enhance the fulfillment of project goals and development flexibility. However, combining informal with formal outcome-based control mechanisms can instead impair these objectives.

The literature on the management of R&D professionals strongly advocates managing R&D projects on a project-by-project basis. This literature suggests that projects should be managed differently depending upon project characteristics such as risk, ambiguity, and nonroutineness. While the primary emphasis of the R&D professional literature has been on project teams, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organization-wide controls on innovativeness at the firm level. In a sample of 57 pharmaceutical firms, this study investigates the influence of organizational controls on the research and development activities of R&D professionals. This study is one of a handful of studies that simultaneously explores the use of input, behavior, and output controls. Two categories of innovation are considered as dependent variables: incremental innovations in the form of drug enhancements and radical innovations in the form of new drugs. Contrary to existing theory and hypotheses developed in this study, the results show that input, behavior, and output control enhanced radical innovation, and input and output controls enhanced incremental innovation. These results challenge several important features of existing models of R&D management and diverge from common beliefs about R&D management at the project level. While it is commonly accepted that incremental and radical innovation should be managed differently, the results of this study suggest otherwise. In this instance, the management of R&D activities may be considered more similar than previously thought.