Actors and objects: a socio‐technical networks approach to technology uptake in the construction sector

Schweber, Libby; Harty, Chris

doi:10.1080/01446191003702468

Cited by 55 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Previous ANT research in construction An ANT approach has been used to analyse a number of construction project phenomena (see, for example, Harty, 2008;Schweber and Harty, 2010;Sage et al, 2010, Tryggestad, 2009. In particular, ANT has been deployed is to expose the complex interactions between project stakeholders and material artefacts inherent in the design of buildings (see, for example, Ewenstein and Whyte, 2007).…”

Section: Actor-network Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing for construction workers’ occupational health and safety: a case study of socio-material complexity

Lingard

Cooke

Blismas

2012

Construction Management and Economics

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Drawing upon an empirical analysis of the design and construction of a food processing facility, a theoretical understanding of the impact of design decision-making on the occupational health and safety (OHS) of construction workers is developed. It is argued that current policy and legislative approaches to Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD) are inherently limited because they do not adequately reflect the socio-material complexity of decision-making in construction design. Specifically, the simplistic attribution of responsibility to a single sociotechnical actor, 'the designer', does not reflect the multiple and disparate influences that impact upon OHS outcomes. Nor do existing CHPtD policy frameworks, management processes and tools, recognise the manner in which the interactions and associations between relevant project stakeholders and various non-human artefacts shape (and are also influenced by) the evolution of design decisions. Drawing on actor-network theory (ANT) and using embedded units within a case study approach, the interactions between human actors and non-human artefacts is explored in relation to the design of four components of the food processing facility. The way in which design decisions unfolded and shaped OHS experiences during the construction stage of the project is revealed. The research highlights limitations inherent in current approaches to the management of CHPtD and the need to develop a more robust theoretically-based approach to integrating OHS considerations into construction design practice.

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Section: Actor-network Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing for construction workers’ occupational health and safety: a case study of socio-material complexity

Lingard

Cooke

Blismas

2012

Construction Management and Economics

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“…Strong networks are those in which connections amongst actors are well defined and relatively robust. Within these more stable entities, powerful actors can have significant reach and influence, which can shape the actions of others to correspond with their own sets of meanings (Latour 1999, Schweber andHarty 2010).…”

Section: Understanding Breeammentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding and actioning BRE environmental assessment method: a socio-technical approach

Spinks

2013

Local Environment

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The following research applies a socio-technical approach to an original study of the role of BRE environmental assessment method (BREEAM) in sustainable building practice. The primary objective is to gain insight into what facilitates and what weakens professional associations to implement a sustainability agenda in a building project. It focuses on understanding different sets of meaning which underlie engagement with BREEAM and how BREEAM is actioned. To do this, the research framework draws on social network analysis. However, this research does not consider that sustainable building is merely an outcome of planned action. Instead, sustainable building is seen to involve processes of engagement amongst different groups, technologies, materials and methods. Therefore, the conceptual framework adopted incorporates consideration of the materiality of sustainable building engagements, highlighting the relations between actors. Interviews with project professionals involved in a case study of a BREEAM Outstanding development provide the empirical basis for this work. This research will be of interest to scholars interested in socio-technical approaches to building development, environmental building assessment methods and sustainable building.

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“…different actors construct the meaning of technology differently. A fruitful, complementary line of enquiry would be to adopt a socio-technical network approach to understand better the social construction of technology within the construction industry setting (Schweber & Harty, 2010). Bevan & Lu (2012a), for instance, adopt a social -technical network approach to understand better the multiplicity of actor interests that guide the negotiation of the selection of LZC technologies in specific housing developments.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evolutionary innovation perspective on the selection of low and zero-carbon technologies in new housing

Lees

Sexton

2013

Building Research & Information

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The Code for Sustainable Homes will require new homes in the UK to be 'zero carbon' from 2016. Drawing upon an evolutionary innovation perspective, a gap in the literature is addressed by investigating which low and zero-carbon technologies are actually being used by house builders, rather than the prevailing emphasis on the potentiality of these technologies. Using the results from a questionnaire, three empirical contributions are made. First, house builders are selecting a narrow range of technologies. Second, these choices are made to minimize the disruption to their standard design and production templates (SDPTs). Finally, the coalescence around a small group of technologies is expected to intensify with solar-based technologies predicted to become more important. A challenge is presented to the dominant technical rationality that assumes technical efficiency and cost benefits are the primary drivers for technology selection. These drivers play an important role, but one which is mediated by the logic of maintaining the SDPTs of the house builders. This emphasizes the need for construction diffusion of innovation theory to be problematized and developed within the context of business and market regimes constrained and reproduced by resilient technological trajectories.Le Code pour des logements durables exigera que les nouveaux logements construits au Royaume-Uni soient « sans carbone » à partir de 2016. En s'inscrivant dans une perspective d'innovation évolutive, une lacune est comblée dans la littérature par l'étude des technologies bas carbone et sans carbone qui sont réellement utilisées par les constructeurs de logements, plutô t que d'opter pour l'approche dominante qui met l'accent sur le potentiel de ces technologies. En utilisant les résultats d'un questionnaire, il est apporté trois contributions empiriques. Premièrement, les constructeurs de logements sélectionnent un champ restreint de technologies. Deuxièmement, ces choix sont faits de façon à réduire au minimum les perturbations pouvant être apportées à leurs modèles standards de conception et de production (« SDPT »). Enfin, il est attendu de cette convergence autour d'un petit groupe de technologies qu'elle s'intensifie avec les technologies basées sur le solaire qui, selon les prévisions, vont gagner en importance. Ceci pose une sérieuse difficulté à la rationalité technique dominante qui présume que l'efficacité technique et les avantages en terme de coû t sont les principaux facteurs du choix d'une technologie. Ces éléments moteurs jouent un rô le important, mais qui demeure soumis à la logique de conservation des modèles SDPT des constructeurs de logements. Ceci met en évidence la nécessité de problématiser et de développer la diffusion dans le secteur du bâ timent de la théorie de l'innovation dans le contexte de régimes d'entreprise et de marché contraints et reproduits par des trajectoires technologiques résilientes.

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Actors and objects: a socio‐technical networks approach to technology uptake in the construction sector

Cited by 55 publications

References 24 publications

Designing for construction workers’ occupational health and safety: a case study of socio-material complexity

Designing for construction workers’ occupational health and safety: a case study of socio-material complexity

Understanding and actioning BRE environmental assessment method: a socio-technical approach

An evolutionary innovation perspective on the selection of low and zero-carbon technologies in new housing

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