Construction communication, within an organizational context, is to convey an instruction to influence the actions/behaviors of others, or may involve an exchange of, or request for information during a construction
project
A project is a type of assignment, typically involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a specific objective.
An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of events: a "set of interrelated tasks to be ...
.
[Dainty, Andrew Dainty; Moore, David; Murray, Michael. (20 January 2006). ''Communication in Construction Theory and Practice.'' Routledge. .]
Background
Communication usually involves the transfer of information, a generic term that embraces meaning such as
knowledge
Knowledge is an Declarative knowledge, awareness of facts, a Knowledge by acquaintance, familiarity with individuals and situations, or a Procedural knowledge, practical skill. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is oft ...
, processed data,
skills
A skill is the learned or innate
ability
Abilities are powers an agent has to perform various Action (philosophy), actions. They include common abilities, like walking, and rare abilities, like performing a double backflip. Abilities are in ...
and technology.
Communication within project-based environments presents special challenges. This is especially true within the
construction industry
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the ...
, where
interaction tends to be characterised by unfamiliar groups of people coming together for short periods before disbanding to work on other endeavours.
[
]
Importance
Per M.E.L. Hoezen, the author of ''The problem of communication in construction.''
The efficiency and effectiveness of the construction process strongly depend on the quality of
communication. In literature four reasons are mentioned why improvements in communication are
needed. The first reason is that an improvement in the communication within the building team, in project teams and between project manager and contractors, could reduce failure. Second, more open communication at all levels could lead to innovations and better technical solutions. Third, communication improvements in early phases of projects would positively influence the quality as perceived by all stakeholders involved. Finally, improved communication during the briefing might lead to better decision making, for example less haste in moving to solutions and better ways of looking at the requirements first.[Hoezen, M.E.L]
The Problem of Communication in Construction.
University of Twente. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
Communication is essential to all business activities; it enables an organization, and is an integral part of the construction process. Beyond the argument, any improvement in communication can improve an organization's operating effectiveness
Effectiveness or effectivity is the capability of producing a desired result or the ability to produce desired output. When something is deemed effective, it means it has an intended or expected outcome, or produces a deep, vivid impression.
Et ...
. Good communication within an organization and between organizations contributing to the construction project can improve motivation
Motivation is an mental state, internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behavior. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particul ...
levels and improve the processes. Conversely, inadequate communication can result in a demotivated workforce
In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed):
\text = \text + \text
Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
and lead to problems in construction.[Emmitt, Stephen; Gorse, Christopher A. (2003). ''Construction communication.'' Wiley-Blackwell. .]
Construction projects are complex and risk
In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environ ...
y, requiring the active participation of all contributors. Co-operation and co-ordination of activities through interpersonal and group communication are essential in ensuring the project is completed successfully. Poor communication, lack of consultation and inadequate feedback
Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause and effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handle ...
are to be found as the root cause of defects in many constructed works. Poor co-ordination and communication of design information lead to design problems that cause design errors. Communication is the one aspect of the management of projects that pervades all others.[
Given that construction is such a fragmented, dynamic and disparate sector, the challenges of communicating effectively are greater than in most other production environments. Contractually driven relationships, conflict and a lack of mutual ]respect
Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also th ...
and trust, all combine to hinder open communication and render the role of the project manager extremely demanding and problematic. Nevertheless, addressing communication in the industry can be seen as a principal enabler for improving the industry in the future.
Issues
Since the early 1940s, literature on communication in construction has appeared, mainly based on the situation in the UK.[
Many problems concerning communication have been reported, with a focus on intra-supplier communication within the construction sector; demand-supply communication during the design phase; and communication between and within single demand and supply side parties, during whole the construction process.][
With the globalization of the construction industry, emerging issues in construction communication in international contexts, such as problem-solving in international projects, have started to receive more attention.][Handford Michael and Petr Matous (2011]
Lexicogrammar in the international construction industry: A corpus-based case study of Japanese-Hong-Kongese on-site interactions in English
''English for Specific Purposes'', Volume 30, Issue 2, Pages 87–100.[Handford Michael and Petr Matous (2015]
Problem-solving discourse on an international construction site: Patterns and practices
''English for Specific Purposes'', Volume 18, Pages 85–98.
See also
* Construction collaboration technology
* Extranet
* List of collaborative software
References
{{Reflist
Construction