Dynamics in refurbishment : a study of production processes and human interactions in a commercial environment

Sammanfattning: The client-contractor relationship has long been a concern in the Swedish construction industry and in constraction management research. This concern has, to great extent, been directed at the need to improve productivity. The result of the industry´s approach to increasing productivity in the 1960s is reflected in functional diversity and the industrial paradigm of a linear and sequential model of planning, design, construction and handing over of a completed building. The approach accentuates the need for effective communication and interaction between the parties, especially those engaged in refurbishment projects. This thesis concludes that the client and contractor do, in fact, share an understanding of the ideal production model for refurbishment. However, this shared production philosophy reveals different production drivers and these can have correspondingly different implications for project success. Another conclusion is that new forms of administrative procedures, with respect to environmental considerations and CAD, can facilitate better communication between actors. Empirical studies of interpersonal emotion support the view that function diversity, motivation diversity, and social character affect performance in refurbishment projects.