Martin Loosemore

While the concept of social value is not new, recent interest in social value in construction has grown because of new social procurement legislation around the world and an increasing acceptance of the need to ensure construction projects provide social value, rather than simply economic value. Despite this growing recognition, literature and professional guidance on the subject is hard to find. This is the first book looking at social value in construction and it sets the agenda by asking and answering important questions like: How is the construction industry developing and supporting social enterprise and social value and for who? How and when is the industry recording and measuring social value and its effect? Which organisations are doing things well and what can we learn from their experiences? What can industry players do together to consolidate efforts and drive improvements? What are the key challenges in the field and what does the future look like?Drawing on a variety of professional and academic experiences and disciplines, the authors present global perspectives and lay the foundations for creating social value in the construction industry. This timely book makes use of real-life case studies and examples of best practice to demonstrate how innovative companies can utilise contemporary research to create social value through their projects. It is time the construction industry viewed community involvement and corporate social responsibility as an opportunity rather than a risk, and this is the book that shows the industry how. This is essential reading for all professionals in the construction, engineering, architecture and built environment sector. In particular, project managers, clients, contract managers, quantity surveyors, CSR and HR personnel will gain a lot from reading this book.

While the concept of social value is not new, recent interest in social value in construction has grown because of new social procurement legislation around the world and an increasing acceptance of the need to ensure construction projects provide social value, rather than simply economic value. Despite this growing recognition, literature and professional guidance on the subject is hard to find. This is the first book looking at social value in construction and it sets the agenda by asking and answering important questions like: How is the construction industry developing and supporting social enterprise and social value and for who? How and when is the industry recording and measuring social value and its effect? Which organisations are doing things well and what can we learn from their experiences? What can industry players do together to consolidate efforts and drive improvements? What are the key challenges in the field and what does the future look like?Drawing on a variety of professional and academic experiences and disciplines, the authors present global perspectives and lay the foundations for creating social value in the construction industry. This timely book makes use of real-life case studies and examples of best practice to demonstrate how innovative companies can utilise contemporary research to create social value through their projects. It is time the construction industry viewed community involvement and corporate social responsibility as an opportunity rather than a risk, and this is the book that shows the industry how. This is essential reading for all professionals in the construction, engineering, architecture and built environment sector. In particular, project managers, clients, contract managers, quantity surveyors, CSR and HR personnel will gain a lot from reading this book.

Through the emerging lens of social enterprise, this book examines how the global construction industry can engage more effectively with the communities in which it builds, addressing disadvantage and environmental degradation to leave a positive legacy for future generations.Combining insights from leading research and real-life case studies of social enterprise in the construction sector, the result is a practical framework which will help social enterprises, clients, consultants and construction firms work collectively to build a thriving social enterprise sector.Readers of this timely book will learn to embrace social enterprise and an important new sector in the global construction industry. They will learn to see community involvement as an opportunity rather than a risk, and fully understand the broader role they can play in building a fairer and more sustainable society.

Through the emerging lens of social enterprise, this book examines how the global construction industry can engage more effectively with the communities in which it builds, addressing disadvantage and environmental degradation to leave a positive legacy for future generations.Combining insights from leading research and real-life case studies of social enterprise in the construction sector, the result is a practical framework which will help social enterprises, clients, consultants and construction firms work collectively to build a thriving social enterprise sector.Readers of this timely book will learn to embrace social enterprise and an important new sector in the global construction industry. They will learn to see community involvement as an opportunity rather than a risk, and fully understand the broader role they can play in building a fairer and more sustainable society.

Innovation, Strategy and Risk in Construction integrates insights from business and government leaders with contemporary research, to help built environment professionals turn serendipity to their own advantage by building greater innovative and adaptive capacity into their operations. Accessible and full of practical examples, the book argues that traditional business strategies which seek to systematise innovation and eliminate uncertainty need to be balanced with more flexible approaches which acknowledge and harness uncertainty. The missing key to innovation, it is argued, is to turn serendipity into capability. The author proposes a simple model which allows managers to tap into the increasingly dynamic and interconnected nature of the construction industry. Innovation does not occur in isolation within individual firms, but through collaboration. Each stakeholder in the construction industry has a responsibility to drive innovation, and this book will be key reading for consultants, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and clients, as well as policy makers and all serious students of construction management.

Innovation, Strategy and Risk in Construction integrates insights from business and government leaders with contemporary research, to help built environment professionals turn serendipity to their own advantage by building greater innovative and adaptive capacity into their operations. Accessible and full of practical examples, the book argues that traditional business strategies which seek to systematise innovation and eliminate uncertainty need to be balanced with more flexible approaches which acknowledge and harness uncertainty. The missing key to innovation, it is argued, is to turn serendipity into capability. The author proposes a simple model which allows managers to tap into the increasingly dynamic and interconnected nature of the construction industry. Innovation does not occur in isolation within individual firms, but through collaboration. Each stakeholder in the construction industry has a responsibility to drive innovation, and this book will be key reading for consultants, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and clients, as well as policy makers and all serious students of construction management.

The role that communities have to play in the evolution and implementation of an effective strategy is often overlooked, despite the fact that it is becoming increasingly important and complex. This book addresses how consulting and contracting firms in the construction and engineering industries integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into business strategy and how this translates into better business performance. In the context of the current global drive towards sustainability, it seeks to untangle the rhetoric and reality of CSR, providing a guide to effective and meaningful engagement with the community in the boardroom. Ideas, concepts, theories and debates in the previously separate areas of corporate performance; corporate social responsibility; corporate strategy and; corporate governance are integrated for the first time in this book, promoting a more liberal and wider debate about CSR. The result is an important and timely examination of a new challenge which faces every firm in the engineering and construction industry, from the very largest transnational corporations, to consultants and to the many thousands of small and medium sized enterprises that employ the vast majority of people in the industry. Contemporary research is integrated with practice throughout this book in a clear and easy-to-follow style. The extensive use of real-life examples ensures that the content is of value to managers who have to deal with the reality of the industry on a day-to-day basis. The case studies of some of the world’s leading firms provide rich qualitative data to support the arguments and are an excellent source of learning and teaching material to the subject of CSR for students.

The role that communities have to play in the evolution and implementation of an effective strategy is often overlooked, despite the fact that it is becoming increasingly important and complex. This book addresses how consulting and contracting firms in the construction and engineering industries integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into business strategy and how this translates into better business performance. In the context of the current global drive towards sustainability, it seeks to untangle the rhetoric and reality of CSR, providing a guide to effective and meaningful engagement with the community in the boardroom. Ideas, concepts, theories and debates in the previously separate areas of corporate performance; corporate social responsibility; corporate strategy and; corporate governance are integrated for the first time in this book, promoting a more liberal and wider debate about CSR. The result is an important and timely examination of a new challenge which faces every firm in the engineering and construction industry, from the very largest transnational corporations, to consultants and to the many thousands of small and medium sized enterprises that employ the vast majority of people in the industry. Contemporary research is integrated with practice throughout this book in a clear and easy-to-follow style. The extensive use of real-life examples ensures that the content is of value to managers who have to deal with the reality of the industry on a day-to-day basis. The case studies of some of the world’s leading firms provide rich qualitative data to support the arguments and are an excellent source of learning and teaching material to the subject of CSR for students.

Project managers in construction and civil engineering need to base their decisions on realistic information about risk and public perceptions of risk. This second edition of the original practical and straightforward text retains the easy-to-read format, but has been expanded to encompass the entire risk management process and to give a fuller presentation of how risk is generally perceived.Two new chapters cover risk identification and risk response, and the chapters on risk analysis have been completely reorganized. There is also greater emphasis on the theory behind the principles, and an expanded bibliography is given to guide an exploration of the subject in greater detail. The book demystifies risk management by presenting the subject in simple and practical terms, free of technical jargon, and case studies are used extensively to enliven the text and to illustrate the concepts discussed.

Project managers in construction and civil engineering need to base their decisions on realistic information about risk and public perceptions of risk. This second edition of the original practical and straightforward text retains the easy-to-read format, but has been expanded to encompass the entire risk management process and to give a fuller presentation of how risk is generally perceived.Two new chapters cover risk identification and risk response, and the chapters on risk analysis have been completely reorganized. There is also greater emphasis on the theory behind the principles, and an expanded bibliography is given to guide an exploration of the subject in greater detail. The book demystifies risk management by presenting the subject in simple and practical terms, free of technical jargon, and case studies are used extensively to enliven the text and to illustrate the concepts discussed.

This book has been written as a text and reference for project management courses in both undergraduate and postgraduate building construction management courses, and quantity surveying, architecture and civil engineering programs. Its focus is on the application of important issues of project management in the construction industry.

"Crisis Management in Construction Projects" shows how to prevent crises on construction projects and, when crisis is inevitable, how to turn it to advantage. Based on a decade of crisis management research and consulting in the construction and engineering industries, Martin Loosemore provides lessons drawn from a wide range of high-risk industries. Adopting both a reactive and preventative focus, this book presents crises as opportunities for growth, defying the notion that crises are managerial failures to be avoided and suppressed at all costs. "Crisis Management" challenges readers to think about projects in new ways, using contemporary research from crisis management, risk management, psychology, and the behavioral sciences. Case studies provide an excellent vehicle for readers to examine others' experiences and gain insight into their behavior during a real-life crisis. The topics include: Planning for Crises; The Dynamics of Crisis Management; Emergency Planning in Construction Projects; Crisis Managers as Social Architects; Lessons for Crisis Managers; and Creating an Optimistic Organization.