Author:
Hopkin Tony,Lu Shu-Ling,Sexton Martin,Rogers Phil
Abstract
Purpose
Maximising the benefit of learning from defects is regarded by UK housing associations (HAs) as a key opportunity to meet their challenges of building more homes with reduced government funding and rent incomes. Despite learning from defects being a frequent recommendation to reduce defects in the construction literature, there is scarce empirical evidence into how HAs actually learn from defects. The purpose of this paper is to better understand how HAs learn from past defects and induce change to reduce defects.
Design/methodology/approach
Guided by organisational learning (OL) as the theoretical lens, a 21-month action research (AR) project explored one HA’s defects management and learning processes.
Findings
OL has the potential to reduce defects in new homes but is a secondary task which is reliant on a defects management team analysing defect data to identify priority areas. As such, learning from defects can be reduced due to peaks in workload if data analysis is a manual process. Furthermore, a dual learning approach plays a significant role for HA’s learning consisting of designing out defects (codification) supported by networking (personalisation) to tackle issues of workmanship on site and those defects that cannot be designed out.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates OL has the potential to reduce defects in new homes but is a secondary task in HA’s practice; and highlights the practical challenges of academia and industry co-production in AR in construction.
Subject
General Business, Management and Accounting,Building and Construction,Architecture,Civil and Structural Engineering
Reference50 articles.
1. Double loop learning in organizations;Harvard Business Review,1977
2. Action research as a proactive research method for construction engineering and management;Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,2010
3. Compliance with building regulations in England and Wales;Structural Survey,2006
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