Social Network Analysis in Construction

The authorDr Stephen Pryke is a Senior Lecturer in Project Management at The Bartlett School, University College London and Director of Studies for the MSc Project and Enterprise Management programme there. He has published a number of books and papers in leading research journals dealing with supply chain management, social network analysis and the legal aspects of procurement reforms in the UK. His work has been presented to a number of international research conferences and his work on procurement and project management systems in France and China has been published by the RICS. He has provided project management training and consultancy to a number of major European companies and is a consultant to Durland Consulting in Chicago, USA. Prior to entering academia in the mid 1990s, he ran his own consultancy and held a number of senior project management positions in both the public and private sectors within the UK.

• About the author ixPreface xiAcknowledgements xiiiChapter 1 Introduction 1Understanding the construction sector 1Structure of the book 5Summary 8Chapter 2 Rationale for a Network Approach to the Analysis of Project Management Systems 10Introduction 10Review of approaches to the analysis of procurement and management systems 10Presentation of analysis and implementation of recommendations 11A social network analysis approach to the analysis and visualisation of organisational forms 30Summary 33Chapter 3 Twenty-First Century Reform and Emergent Systems in Construction 36Introduction 36Collaborative relationships: partnering, strategic alliances, framework agreements 37Supply chain management 47Network clusters 57Integrating systems and linkages 60Summary 61Chapter 4 The Construction Project as a System of Interdependent Governance Networks 63Introduction 63Institutional economics and the governance of transactions 63A model for analysis 67Social network analysis in the study of reforms in procurement and management systems within the construction industry 70Some fundamental concepts in social network analysis 70Previous applications of SNA to the construction industry 72SNA and its application to the analysis of UK construction networks 73Propositions 75Summary 76Chapter 5 Social Network Analysis as a Research Method 77Definition 78Origins and history 79Why choose social network analysis? 81Problems associated with the use of SNA in construction research 83Concepts and terminology 84Defining the population for the study 94Finally on SNA theory and techniques 95Software for the analysis of networks 96Getting started in social network analysis 97Conclusion 99Chapter 6 Network Case Studies 101Criteria for the selection of case studies 103Essex project: traditional procurement, public sector – records office 104Uxbridge project: traditional procurement, private sector – commercial office building 111Aldershot project: collaborative procurement, public sector – sports facilities and office accommodation 123Slough project: collaborative procurement, private sector – commercial office building 129Summary of the case study selection criteria 139Chapter 7 Interpreting the Network Diagrams for the Case Studies 140Essex project: non-collaborative public sector procurement 140Uxbridge project: non-collaborative private sector procurement 150Aldershot project: collaborative public sector procurement 160Slough project: collaborative private sector procurement 167Final thoughts 177Chapter 8 Data Analysis for the Case Studies 179Mathematical analysis of network data 179Networks of contractual relationships 180Cost monitoring and control networks 185Instruction networks 191Progress monitoring networks 195Performance incentives networks 197Design development communication networks 199Summary 201Conclusions: using SNA to classify team roles in different procurement systems 202Final thoughts 211Chapter 9 Managing Networks 213Introduction 213How did we understand and manage our organisations before SNA? 215Managing networks 217The key points in managing networks 236Final thoughts 238Chapter 10 Summary, Conclusions and Final Thoughts 239Summary 239Conclusion 244Final thoughts 245Appendix: SNA questionnaire 247References 252Index 265