PhD Final Thesis April 2013.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

Thesis Keith Gale 2013The impact of this research upon professional practice is examined according to theresearcher’s professional background, the case study organisation, a wider publicsector environment and a construction industry context, each in turn.12.5.1 Relevance to the researcher’s professional backgroundThe case study context and background with construction management is interwovenwith the researchers’ profession and practice. Use of case study results is placedwithin ‘an exploratory way to contribute further towards theory development bydeveloping analytical generalizations’ (Bresnen, 2010, p. 619). Such theorydevelopment aligns with collaborative approaches for improvement in performance.The researcher is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Chartered Arbitrator and qualifiedProject Manager with considerable experience in building and civil engineeringprojects from feasibility to completion. The researcher is responsible for strategicimplementation and delivery of a capital programme of works and providing advicefor strategic procurement systems in future years.Results from this research are relevant to the researchers’ professional backgroundon a number of levels. In the field of construction economics, analysis of transactionand production costs provide an opportunity to explore economic theories andexamine effects of the case study projects. Traditional construction economictendering theory follows general economic theory of perfect market competition andthe effect of restricted supply through framework agreements is a professionalinterest. Within the public sector contextual placement, the researcher has a duty ofpublic service and social responsibility to his Employer. This includes being aware ofdecisions affecting expenditure during a time of budget constraint. Any opportunityto increase efficiency of construction projects allows expenditure from savings madeto be released for other public sector services – supporting revenue budgets forlibraries and schools for example. The quest for efficiency is therefore bothprofessionally and morally demanding of the researcher.A further area of relevance to the researchers’ background is to provide acomprehensive method of measurement that integrates with professional practice andthereby allows comparison of project outcome results. The ability to construct atechnical bridge between professional practice and theoretical propositions bydetailing a prescriptive and defined measurement process for practitioners is of279