Implementation and Methods of Project Learning in Quantity Surveying Firms: Barriers, Enablers and Success Factors

M. M.

doi:10.3844/ajebasp.2011.430.438

Abstract

Problem statement: Learning from project is vital for organizations to achieve competition and to survive in a dynamic environment. However, learning is not an easy task because there is no specific way for learning from projects. Besides, the practice of project learning and transfer knowledge to the firm’s level is still vague, specifically in the construction milieu. Approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted targeted quantity surveying firms in Malaysia, attempted to identify methods of learning from projects and implement this approach successfully. Interviews with experts in construction projects were conducted to expand and validate the results of the survey. Results: The findings indicated that on-the-job training is the preferable method to learn from construction project in quantity surveying firms. In addition, top management support and employee participants are the main enablers/barriers of project learning implementation. While, top management support found to be the main key success factor of project learning implementation. Conclusion/Recommendations: Determining barriers and enablers of learning showed how construction organization could implement learning from project successfully. This adds a practical tool of promoting learning in the field of organizational learning in construction. Results can be replicated in different industries to observe the disparity in each setting.

Highlights

Construction project’s success depends on good management and on construction players’ awareness and commitment of different problems that may arise during the course of the project
Project learning plays a vital role in adding-value to construction project (Abdul-Rahman et al, 2008; Love and Edwards, 2004; Ismail et al, 2010) and guarantee competitive advantages of the firms (Landaeta, 2008; Awwad and Almahamid, 2008)
The questionnaire was approached to quantity surveyor firms, in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia, which had been selected based on their experience and their orientation towards project learning

Summary

Introduction

Construction project’s success depends on good management and on construction players’ awareness and commitment of different problems that may arise during the course of the project. Learning is not an easy task and knowledge and experience of previous construction projects are usually in a tacit form (Schindler and Eppler, 2003). Maqsood et al (2006) affirm that construction firms and personnel prefer to carry out their project management tasks based on their past experience rather than following a textbook approach or established analytical approaches. Knowledge of construction organizations would probably be lost after the experts leave the company. Organizations rarely learn from their past projects because they do not have a mechanism to capture and store all the information and knowledge in place (Williams, 2008)

Objectives

Methods

Results