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Carlsson, V (2017) SME contractors on the stage for energy renovations? A dramaturgical perspective on SME contractors’ roles and interactions with house owners, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Ekström, D (2019) Integrated structural and construction engineering: a study of project team performance in Swedish bridge design, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Farahani, A (2019) A systematic approach to strategic maintenance and renovation planning in multifamily buildings, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Frödell, M (2014) Organisation of purchasing and buyer-supplier relationships in large construction companies, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Gluch, P (2005) Building green: perspectives on environmental mangagement in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Harryson, P (2008) Industrial bridge engineering: structural developments for more efficient bridge construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Johansson, M (2016) From BIM to VR – the design and development of BIMXplorer, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Kadefors, A (1997) Beställar-entreprenörrelationer i byggandet: Samarbete, konflikt och social påverkan (Client-contractor relationships in building projects: Co-operation, conflict and social influence), Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Löwstedt, M (2015) Strategizing in construction: Exploring practices and paradoxes, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Miedema, E (2020) Health-promotive building design: Exploring perspectives on building design for health promotion in healthcare settings, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Roupé, M (2013) Development and implementations of virtual reality for decision-making in urban planning and building design, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Sandberg, R (2021) Illusions of freedom: Practice and contradictions in the work of construction site managers, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: culture; working hours; case study; interview; workshops; construction site; site manager; Sweden
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2606899129
- Abstract:
Over the past few decades, scholars have paid increasing attention to the work of site managers in the construction industry. Their work has been portrayed in rather contradictory terms as, on the one hand, one of the most powerful and influential roles in the industry, and on the other, one of the most pressured and constrained roles. The pressures have often been said to be derived from macro-level characteristics of the industry itself, including its structure, culture and technical/administrative conditions, which are suggested to predicate a particularly demanding work situation characterized by a heavy workload, long working hours and a reactive coping pattern.This thesis adopts a critical stance to the assumption that the everyday work practices of site managers can be solely explained as causally derived from macro-level characteristics of the construction industry. Instead, a need to take into account the situated lived realities of these managers is called for. The overall purpose of this thesis is to explore the everyday work of construction site managers, focusing in particular on how they experience and cope with their work. An exploratory and interpretative research approach combined with a practice lens is used. The thesis draws on rich empirical data (interviews, observations, workshops) from an in-depth case study of a large construction company (ConstructED), as well as interview data from several other large and mid-sized construction companies in Sweden.The findings show that site managers tend to cope with their demanding work situation by overworking. However, while overwork often has been portrayed as an outcome of pressures derived from industry conditions, this thesis shows that it is a much more complex, multifaceted and meaningful behavior. It can be understood as a symbolic manifestation of how site managers reactively cope with work and proactively mobilizing this hard-working image of themselves to expand their autonomy. Moreover, it is shown that the managers’ proclivity to expand their autonomy can trigger unintended dynamics through which they paradoxically entrap themselves in overwork. The findings highlight the contour of an unobtrusive control mechanism that might serve to discipline the site managers indirectly. The thesis goes beyond the image of site managers’ work as merely a reactive coping response, and highlights a complex and paradoxical interplay between micro-level practices and macro-level conditions that has hitherto been under-researched. By exploring this interplay, the thesis contributes with novel insights into, not only the everyday work of site managers, but also the practical underpinnings of some of the prominent characteristics of the construction industry.
Sezer, A A (2016) Construction performance measurement: Site managers in refurbishment projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Siebken Schultz, C (2012) Construction production failure in a structural perspective: A study of reactive and proactive problem-solving practices, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Sporrong, J (2014) Selecting architectural and engineering consultants: Municipal practices in Sweden, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Tengberg, C S (2022) A design-build contractor risk assessment framework for new technical solutions in the construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Thodelius, C (2018) Rethinking injury events: Explorations in spatial aspects and situational prevention strategies, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Troje, D (2020) Constructing social procurement: An institutional perspective on working with employment requirements, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.
Urup, L (2016) Integrated design-build management: studying institutional processes to understand project coordination & performance, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Chalmers University of Technology.