This paper examines issues of the global construction environment. The core theses developed is that globalization will create a new construction industry. A conceptual framework initiates discussion in relation to four selected perspectives vis. neo-classic theory; a comparison with manufacturing; construction industry development; and ownership structure. Conclusions drawn indicate that analysis is only just emerging, and that future examination will require a shift in current understanding so as to consider the global firm as operating in a new and totally separate market.

“What was Glacier trying to do?” WE have tried to develop an understanding of the properties of sociological institutions. A chemist has an understanding of the known properties of elements and he uses this knowledge in order to do effective work. Without an understanding of these properties he would be ineffective and, in the worst case, might create an explosion inadvertently. Our assumption then is that if it is possible to identify the properties of sociological institutions and, hence, of industrial organizations in particular, managers can develop such an explicit understanding of their environment that they can use these properties to be more effective in their work on the one hand, and to prevent the equivalent of an explosion on the other.

Increasingly university administrations are questioning the value of industry experience during a construction management undergraduate program. It is suggested that such work experience is difficult for academics to assess. It may also be unavailable to some students and not closely related to formal learning outcomes. As a result there is pressure to remove the requirement from the graduation eligibility process at many universities. For those who believe that an understanding of the industry context is critical to the development of a construction graduate, there is a need to provide evidence of the breadth and effectiveness of industry experience undertaken by undergraduates. Such evidence may be gleaned from the documents provided by students to support their completion of the required amount of industry experience. Logbooks and employer letters from the last four years at one university were examined and encoded using NVIVO9™ text analysis software. The resulting data indicates that current students are employed throughout the industry in a wide variety of roles and in many types of companies. There is some evidence that the type of experience gained in top tier companies is qualitatively different from that gained elsewhere. There is no indication that student employment is clustered at the low skilled end of the spectrum. Indeed, there is evidence that some students gain positions of considerable responsibility well before they graduate with an undergraduate degree. As such it may well be worth consideration that a specific hierarchy of industry roles be established for students to aim for during their study period. This research suggests that this question merits further discussed between industry advisors and academic providers.