Corporate Strategy In Construction

This book draws together the main elements of strategic management theory and considers their relevance to contemporary practice in construction. It helps students understand what corporate strategy involves and how it is possible to develop a proactive approach to the management of key organisational resources that are essential to attain objectives. Understanding of the importance of strategic management has developed rapidly in the past decade. Recent economic events have shown that all organisations must continually reassess their approach to achieving intended objectives, especially improvement in customer focus. The construction industry is no different. Construction employers require graduates who are competent in understanding the basis of strategic management, the range of techniques that will enable the organisation to identify opportunities and threats and respond to rapid change. This book provides an overview of the context in which construction projects are carried out, and the potential methods that exist to conduct strategic analysis and decision-making. By analysing case studies, Corporate Strategy in Construction: Understanding today's theory & practice demonstrates how vital lessons can be learnt from other industries by benchmarking practices and developing alternative ways of delivering value to clients. A key message of the book is that construction organisations can, with a better appreciation of strategic management, increase their potential to innovate and create sustainable competitive advantage.

Written to provide coverage of the knowledge required to address strategic issues relating to the business of construction on a global scale. This book provides knowledge by a series of case studies of leading consultants, and contractors and suppliers of products to highlight practice by organizations in America, Japan and Europe.

This book reviews the general theory of strategy, relates it to the particular circumstances of the construction industry, and shows how it can be applied in practice. It brings together ideas from economics, marketing, management, business and politics to develop strategic management for both contractors' firms and the associated professions. Substantial changes have occurred in the industry since the book was first published in 1991. This Second Edition reflects the major developments that have followed the Latham and Egan reports, and includes new chapters on international strategy and marketing, showing how they can contribute to the strategic planning of construction organizations. The book will provide a valuable tool for the strategic development of construction firms. "Ten years separate the editions during which period a significant number of British, (and other), construction firms which had survived generations of proprietors merged, changed beyond recognition or ceased trading. One can not but wonder if publication of a work on strategic planning some twenty year earlier might have saved some of them." Construction Manager "The book presents the essential elements for managing at this higher level and should be a must for any construction professional who aspires to an executive position in industry as well as any student for construction management, project management and organizational management in construction. It comes highly recommended" Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

Technology development has provided fundamental benefits of speed, precision, and convenience to common business strategies; providing not only a means for functional integration, but also an opportunity to enhance competitive capability of a business firm. Implementing IT Business Strategy in the Construction Industry brings together topics on understanding business strategy and competitive advantage, as well as essential benefits of concepts and technologies for improving efficiency of the construction industry. This reference source is directed toward researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, undergraduate, and postgraduate students, in order to gain insights into the complex workings of the traditional construction industry and the concepts and tools used to facilitate a strategically IT enabled industry.

Strategic Excellence in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries is a process of applied strategic thinking designed to develop a strategy empowered with the agility to adapt to changing circumstances and to drive a high performing culture of ideal behaviors. It is infused with the insight and the thought leadership of the Shingo Model and the scientific thinking of Lean Six Sigma. The book goes beyond the classic approach to strategic planning by driving effective execution of the strategy through the embedment of collective ownership and organization-wide alignment into the entire process. Significant advances in strategic planning and management have been developed over decades of learning and practice. Many of those advances, however, have been developed in the manufacturing industry and have not been translated into terms easily applicable to the A/E/C (Architectural / Engineering / Construction) industry. This book incorporates current best practices from cutting edge organizations around the globe and presents those in a way that they can easily be applied to A/E/C organizations through an efficient and effective process.

Ideas, concepts, theories and debates in the previously separate areas of corporate performance, corporate social responsibility, corporate strategy, and corporate governance are integrated for the first time in this book, promoting a more liberal and wider debate about CSR. Case studies of some of the world's leading firms provide rich qualitative data to support the arguments and are an excellent source of learning and teaching material to the subject of CSR for students.

Corporate strategies and innovation strategies can be viewed separately but their inter-relations and interdependence provide a good reason for approaching them jointly as key themes in the development of a successful, sustainable and responsible business. This is true in the construction industry. Indeed the need to develop corporate and innovation competency in construction professionals as part of their acquisition of strategic management knowledge and skills, and so to satisfy society and clients’ needs, is increasingly being appreciated and prioritised. Few textbooks provide students with the required frameworks, concepts and practical examples to develop their corporate and innovation strategic understanding and thinking. Existing books tend to concentrate on one or the other, and to generally focus on different levels of analysis such as at the policy level or in international business. This new textbook offers new theoretical and practical insights and models grounded in descriptive case studies and action research, focused on corporate and innovation strategy across a number of different construction firm types. It provides essential reading for a wide range of built environment undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, and is an invaluable resource for academic researchers. It should also be of interest to senior managers who want guidance and real world examples for designing and implementing more successful corporate and innovation strategies in their construction firms.

Take control of your construction contracting business and manage it through the natural highs and lows of the construction market. Learn from a team of construction business veterans led by Thomas C. Schleifer, who is commonly referred to as a construction business "turnaround" expert due to the number of construction companies he has rescued from financial distress. His financial acumen, combined with his practical, hands-on experience, has made him a sought-after private consultant. His experience and no-nonsense philosophy have truly given him a unique perspective. Important topics covered include: Understanding the primary areas of construction business failure in the next decade Minimizing business risk with real-world examples Developing a positive and competent management attitude and strategy Discover how to maneuver through this complicated and risky industry by using the authors' research and proven success strategies to sustain and grow your business.