Building perceptions with metaphors: a study of the communication and decision making behaviour of construction professionals within projects. (BL: DXN065048)

This research project examines the communication and decision-making behaviour of six elite actors (Architect, Main Contractor, Project Quantity Surveyor, Project Manager, Structural Engineer & Mechanical & Electrical Engineer) on eleven projects as a means to uncover the actual roles and responsibilities undertaken by each professional. Thus, the communication and decision-making behaviour acts as a surrogate measure of each project organisational structure. The methodological assumptions adopted in the research are phenomenological in nature and as such the data collection has been qualitative with the intention of gaining an interpretative grasp of the elite actors actions. Such actions (roles & responsibilities) are defined using metaphors derived from the game of football. The conclusions from this research show that construction projects continue to be characterised by ill-defined responsibilities. The professionals in this study had significant differences of opinion as to the communication and decision-making behaviour that evolved. The actors were either overly enthusiastic of their involvement (selfish strikers) or considered to have had a low involvement (always the substitute). The research reveals only a small number of professional acting in a quasi-leadership role (team captain) and no actors were considered to have been underestimating their involvement (dour defender).