Sepani Senaratne & Martin Sexton 
Managing Change in Construction Projects 
A Knowledge-Based Approach

Managing Change in Construction Projects: a knowledge-based
approach offers a new perspective on construction project
change by viewing the process of change management as a
knowledge-intensive activity, where team members bring their tacit
and explicit knowledge into the situation; share, create and
capture this collective knowledge for future re-use in similar
situations.

Through this knowledge-based approach, construction teams can
successfully resolve and learn from change events, leading to an
overall improved performance of the industry.

The book will make a significant contribution to our
understanding of construction project change by offering new
theoretical and practical insights and models grounded in results
of case studies conducted within two collaborative construction
project team settings.

By demonstrating how the social construction of knowledge works
in construction settings, the authors challenge the prevailing
change management solutions based on ‘hard’ IT
approaches. They put forward a balanced view that incorporates both
IT-based and socially constructed approaches to effective
management of construction project change.

* helps construction managers to improve and learn through the
process of construction project change

* presents new theoretical models and offers practical
guidelines

* first research-based book to directly address project change
from a knowledge-based perspective

* draws on detailed studies with construction companies,
including Ballast Construction and Kier Construction

* encourages a move from the information driven, process
integrated approach to a knowledge-based view

Table of Content

About the Authors.

Chapter 1 Introduction.

1.1 Background.

1.2 Need for the Investigation.

1.3 Questions to Research.

1.4 Summary and Link.

Chapter 2 Key Issues from the Literature.

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 Construction Project Environment.

2.3 Construction Project Change Management.

2.4 Knowledge Management Perspective.

2.5 Role of Knowledge During Reactive Change Process.

2.6 Towards a Knowledge-Based Reactive Change Process.

2.7 Summary and Link.

Chapter 3 Research Methodology.

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Case Study Research Design.

3.3 Data Collection Process.

3.4 Data Analysis Process.

3.5 Summary and Link.

Chapter 4 Case Study Results.

4.1 Introduction.

4.2 Case Study: Project A.

4.3 Case Study: Project B.

4.4 Summary and Link.

Chapter 5 Cross-Case Analysis.

5.1 Introduction.

5.2 Contextual Factors of Change: P1 Discussion.

5.3 Knowledge Properties During Change: P2 Discussion.

5.4 Knowledge Identification and Utilisation During

Change: P3 Discussion.

5.5 Intra-Project Knowledge Creation During Change:

P4 Discussion.

5.6 Inter-Project Knowledge Transfer During Change:

P5 Discussion.

5.7 Summary and Link.

Chapter 6 Conclusions.

6.1 Introduction.

6.2 Summary of Propositions.

6.3 Comment on the Conceptual Model.

6.4 Conclusions about the Overall Research Problem.

6.5 Implications for Theory.

6.6 Implications for Practice.

Appendix A Interview Guidelines.

Appendix B Example of an Interview Transcript.

Appendix C Comparison Between Propositions and Codes.

References.

Index.

About the author

Sepani Senaratne, Senior Lecturer, Department of Building
Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Research Director of the department research unit – Building
Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU) and the leader of
BEMRU research group on ‘Knowledge management and Organisational
Learning.’ Main contact from University of Moratuwa for the
institutional membership of CIB – (International Council for
Research and Innovation in Building and Construction).

Professor Martin Sexton, Director of Research, School of
Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading,
UK

Director of Research for the School of Construction Management and
Engineering. Leads the ‘green innovation and transition management’
research theme across the School. Joint Coordinator of the
International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and
Construction (CIB) Working Commission 65 (Organisation and
Management of Construction). The CIB is the leading world wide
network of approximately 7000 researchers in the built environment
discipline with over forty working commissions. WC 65 is one of the
CIB’s largest groupings with around 150 members from 45
countries.