Human Factors in the Australian Construction Indus

–159–Abstract:Thispaperconcernsthechallengesofapplyingtheprinciplesoftotalqualitymanagementtoconstructionprojects,particularlyfromthestandpointofthehumanfactor.Theworkisbasedontwomajorstudiescarriedoutin1993–1995,atindustryandprojectlevelrespectively.ThelaststudyparticularlytargetedconstructionworkersandtheirperceptionoftheusefulnessoftheQAsystemsinplaceoncaseprojects,andwhetherornottherewereconcurrentattemptstoachieveworkers’empowermentontheseprojects.Thefindingsarethat:(i)whilethequalityassuranceobligationstoclients(undertheISO9000’sseries)arebeingmetthroughtheexistingsystems(whicharelargelyqualitycontrolbased),thebenefitstocontractorsintermsofcontinuousimprovementandcostsavingshavenotmaterialised;(ii)theviewfromtheconstructionpitontheusefulnessofthecurrentgenerationofqualityassurancesystemsisinmarkedcontrasttotheaimsandobjectivesofqualityassuranceStandardsandTQMprinciples;(iii)thecommunicationprocesseswithinindustryandprojectsremainpoor;(iv)intherushtobecome‘qualityendorsed’thetrainingneedsoftherankandfileoftheworkforcehavegenerallybeenforgotten;and(v)betterstrategiesareneededto‘sell’theTQMconcepttotherankandfileinindustryanddevelopmeansofimplementingTQMatprojectleveleffectively,therebyachievingworkers’empowerment.KeywordsCONSTRUCTION;TQM;CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT;EMPOWERMENT.†DepartmentofCivilEngineering,TheUniversityofSydneyNSW2006,Australia;E-mail:[e-mail],undertheauthor’ssupervision.TheauthorisindebtedtoBarryIreland,pastMDoftheSnowyMountainsEngineeringCorporation,andProfessorsHarryPoulosandRonJohnston,TheUniversityofSydney,fortheirreviewofthemanuscriptofthispaper.AustralianJournalofManagement,Vol. 21,No. 2,December1996,©TheUniversityofNewSouthWales4HumanFactorsintheAustralianConstructionIndustry:TowardsTotalQualityManagementbyAliJaafari†AUSTRALIANJOURNALOFMANAGEMENTDecember1996–160–1.IntroductionThisstudyfocusesonthechallengesofapplyingQualityAssuranceandTQMonconstructionprojects.Ithasbeenorganisedintothefollowing:section 2definesTQMintheconstructionindustryandproceedstogivesomebackgroundinformationonqualityassurancemovementinconstruction;section 3givesasummaryofthefindingsofanindustry-widesurveycarriedoutin1993–1994andcomparesconstructionandmanufacturing;section 4givesinformationonthecaseprojectsstudiedin1994–1995,andoutlinesthemethodsusedtocollectinformationfromsamplesofworkersinvolvedwiththeseprojects;section 5discussesthefindingsofthesurveyonthesecaseprojects,isolatingmajorissues;section 6discussestheimplicationsforgovernmentpolicyandpublicsectoragencies;section 7addressesthestrategiesforimprovingthesituationatindustrylevel;section 8hasrecommendationsforeffectiveapplicationofTQMonconstructionprojects;andsection 9presentstheconclusions.2.DefinitionandBackground2.1DefinitionofTQMintheConstructionIndustryTotalQualityManagement(TQM),hasbeendefinedas:‘harnessingeveryone’sefforttoachievezerodefectsatlowestcostandcontinuallysatisfyingcustomerrequirements’(Turner1994,p. 164).Clearly,themanufacturingworklendsitselfwelltotheapplicationofTQM,asitiscarriedoutinaspaceprotectedfromtheelements,theworkisrepetitiveandthetrainingoftheworkersismoreeffectiveinrelationtotheperformanceofthefinishedproduct.Theobviousdifficultiesofgettingacontinuouscycleofimprovementsestablishedinaprojectorganisation,whichisputtogethertodeliverspecificobjectivesandwillceasetoexistinasetperiodoftime,maynecessitatedifferentmethodstothoseusedinthemanufacturingindustries(Jaafari1990).Thismayentailanup-frontanalysisoftechnicalandtechnologicalrisks,effectivetransferoftechnologyfrompastprojects,focusedtrainingandproactivemanagement(Jaafari&Schub1990).ApplicationofTQMonconstructionprojectshastwodistinctpurposes:(i)tosatisfythecustomer’srequirementsthroughaqualityassurance(QA)system;and(ii)toachievecontinuousimprovements(CI).Itmustbenotedthatsatisfyingthecustomer’srequirementsdoesnotnecessarilyentailachievementoftheCIprocess,asitisperfectlyfeasibletohaveaQAsystemwhichcanmeettheQAobligations(eg,throughqualitycontrolprocesses)withoutdeliveringanybenefittothecontractorthroughtheCIprocess.Whilethecustomer’srequirementsareacontractualobligationandmustbeattendedto,theCIaspectisthedomainofthecontractor.TheemphasisofthisworkisontheintroductionofTQMandworkerempowermentthroughtheCIprocess.Theideaistodiscoverifthetrendhasbeentowardsworkerempowerment;ifallaresetintheroadtocontinuousimprovement,asperceivedbytheworkforceandstaffatthe‘coalface’ofindustry.ItisobviousthatfromthestandpointofcontractorsandthecompetitivenessoftheindustrytheCIprocessisofcriticalimportance,asitistheCIthatwillhavetoachievesubstantialefficienciestomakeacompanycompetitive,aswellasgeneratebenefitstocountertheexpenditureinvolvedinVol.21,No.2Jaafari:TQMANDTHEHUMANFACTOR–161–settingupandrunningtherespectiveQAsystems.Thebenefitsmaythuscomethroughacombinationofbothreducedfailure(rejectsorreworks)costsandefficienciesmadeintherespectiveconstructionandmanagementprocesses.2.2BackgroundInformationApplica