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

Thesis Keith Gale 2013Table 3.3: Five stages of relationship maturity (developed from Lockamy andMcCormack, 2004)Stage Description Symptoms1 Ad-hoc Unstructured and ill defined, management practice imported2 Defined Structure for relationships but old practices remain3 Linked Strategic relationships developed and collaboration betweenorganisations begins to cultivate an atmosphere of trust4 Integrated Relationships embedded in commercial transactions andcorporate investment benefits from efficiency and effectiveinterdependency5 Extended Joint relationships are strong enough to compete againstother organisations and success is linked to collectiveoperationsWhist the relationship maturity model proposed by Lockamy and McCormack(2004) relates to research within an industrial manufacturing context, performanceopportunities are applicable to the construction process. Meng et al, (2011) proposesa four stage maturity model specifically for use with construction organisations tomeasure and improve relationships, and by extension gain improvement withperformance.3.10.4 IncentivesPayments of bonuses to operatives, measured against out-turn productivity targetshas historically been a popular method of incentive. Studies concerning operation ofincentive methods confirmed financial benefits to contractors – those operatingbonus schemes for operatives achieved higher levels of productivity per unit costwhen compared with those contractors that did not (Reiners and Broughton, 1953).Other incentive mechanisms came under investigation. Fleming (1967) concludedthat productivity improvement in house building projects could be achieved by use ofcontract procedures or by careful tailoring the size of contract packages to matchindustry capabilities. Bresnen and Marshall (2000) found that financial incentives62