C.C. Kao

TL;DR: In this paper, an alternative approach to research is described that has been developed through a succession of significant construction management research projects, whereby researchers iterate between alternative theoretical frameworks and emergent empirical data.

TL;DR: The dominant discourse of competitiveness amongst contracting firms is shaped by the need to achieve structural flexibility to cope with fluctuations in demand as discussed by the authors, which has had significant material implications for the UK construction sector.

Abstract: Research is described that sought to understand how senior managers within regional contracting firms conceptualize and enact competitiveness. Existing formal discourses of construction competitiveness include the discourse of ‘best practice’ and the various theories of competitiveness as routinely mobilized within the academic literature. Such discourses consistently underplay the influence of contextual factors in shaping how competitiveness is enacted. An alternative discourse of competitiveness is outlined based on the concepts of localized learning and embeddedness. Two case studies of regional construction firms provide new insights into the emergent discourses of construction competitiveness. The empirical findings resonate strongly with the concepts of localized learning and embeddedness. The case studies illustrate the importance of de‐centralized structures which enable multiple business units to become embedded within localized markets. A significant degree of autonomy is essential to facilitat...

TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that discretionary CSR approaches are well embedded and enacted within the firms' business operations even though they are not formally articulated as CSR strategies and thus remain "hidden".