Paper info

Novating Knowledge in Business Networks: Facilitating Cognitive Consistency in the Construction Industry

AndrewD Pressey, Linda Peters and WesleyJ Jonston

The paper was published at the 25th IMP-conference in Marseille, France in 2009.

 AbstractLoose couplings within a network are thought to inhibit learning and innovation as evidenced in the construction industry characterised by its loose couplings in the permanent network and tight (but albeit short-lived) couplings at the level of individual projects. In this study, we explore the practice of novation, a method employed within the construction industry of ensuring cognitive consistency and learning within the temporary project network by retaining the services of key actors (such as architects and engineers) at different phases of a construction project. Through interviews conducted with a variety of actors in the construction industry, we define novation, its purpose, and the way in which it may influence learning in networks.