Creative Innovation in Spanish Construction Firms

AbstractSmall-sized and medium-sized contractors are characterized by organizational structures that are highly focused on control. As a result, employees concentrate on day-to-day activities with little time or motivation to generate creative ideas. Generally, the technological improvements of these companies arise as a result of problem-solving at the construction site. Nevertheless, the actual status quo is changing. Some Spanish public agencies are already considering innovation as an added value in public procurement; thus, large contractors are starting to systemize their innovative efforts. This means that small-sized and medium-sized enterprises must modify their attitudes towards innovation in order to sustain their competitiveness. The implementation of a system that enhances innovation and acquisition of knowledge may be the solution to overcome this disadvantage. The implementation of an innovation management system was analyzed in a Spanish construction firm of medium size for 9 years. The sy...

[1]  Martí Casadesús,et al.  Synergies in standardized management systems: some empirical evidence , 2011 .

[2]  Mohammed Fadhil Dulaimi,et al.  The challenge of innovation in construction , 1995 .

[3]  Roozbeh Kangari,et al.  DEVELOPING AND MANAGING INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION , 1997 .

[4]  Jean-Paul A. Barthès,et al.  Knowledge Management , 1994, Encyclopedia of Database Systems.

[5]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[6]  Aviad Shapira,et al.  Achieving Construction Innovation through Academia-Industry Cooperation—Keys to Success , 2011 .

[7]  Chimay J. Anumba,et al.  Knowledge management in construction , 2005 .

[8]  Luis Antonio Orozco,et al.  Los departamentos de I+D y la innovación en la industria manufacturera de Colombia: análisis comparativo desde el comportamiento organizacional , 2010 .

[9]  Vincent M. Ribière,et al.  Integrating Total Quality Management and Knowledge Management , 2004 .

[10]  D. Cardwell.  The ferment of knowledge: Science, technology and industry , 1980 .

[11]  Clyde B. Tatum,et al.  Leaders and champions for construction innovation , 1997 .

[12]  Alfredo Serpell,et al.  La Gestión del Conocimiento y la Industria de la Construcción , 2009 .

[13]  Yasuyoshi Miyatake,et al.  Developing and Managing Innovative Construction Technologies in Japan , 1997 .

[14]  Pervaiz K. Ahmed,et al.  The relationships between quality, innovation and business performance: an empirical study , 2007 .

[15]  Víctor Yepes,et al.  Employability of Graduate Students in Construction Management , 2013 .

[16]  Jesús Perdomo-Ortiz,et al.  Total quality management as a forerunner of business innovation capability , 2006 .

[17]  Entrepreneurship Strategies in a Portuguese and in a Polish Region , 2013 .

[18]  Leonard Steinborn.  International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems — Requirements , 2004 .

[19]  Terry Williams,et al.  Rethinking Project Management: Researching the actuality of projects , 2006 .

[20]  Víctor Yepes,et al.  Innovation and Competitiveness in Construction Companies: A Case Study , 2010 .

[21]  María Leticia Santos Vijande,et al.  Procesos de aprendizaje en las pyme industriales españolas: efectos en la innovación, calidad de la oferta y resultados empresariales , 2009 .

[22]  Luz Jeannette Quintero-Campos.  Aportes teóricos para el estudio de un sistema de innovación , 2010 .

[23]  Andrew Davies,et al.  Innovation in Megaprojects: Systems Integration at London Heathrow Terminal 5 , 2009 .

[24]  Abdulaziz A. Bubshait,et al.  Design Quality Management Activities , 1996 .

[25]  E. Pellicer,et al.  Organizational Improvement Through Standardization of the Innovation Process in Construction Firms , 2012 .

[26]  Eugenio Pellicer,et al.  Survival Factors for Subcontractors in Economic Downturns , 2014 .

[27]  Víctor Yepes,et al.  Factores determinantes y propuestas para la gestión de la innovación en las empresas constructoras Determinant issues and proposals for the management of innovation in construction companies , 2007 .

[28]  Amrik S. Sohal,et al.  The adoption of continuous improvement and innovation strategies in Australian manufacturing firms , 2000 .

[29]  P. Amparo López-Jiménez,et al.  Thermal behavior analysis of different multilayer façade: Numerical model versus experimental prototype , 2014 .

[30]  Timo Hartmann,et al.  Goal and Process Alignment during the Implementation of Decision Support Systems by Project Teams , 2011 .

[31]  J. Barlow,et al.  Innovation and learning in complex offshore construction projects , 2000 .

[32]  Cristina Torres-Machi,et al.  Current Models and Practices of Economic and Environmental Evaluation for Sustainable Network-Level Pavement Management , 2014 .

[33]  Enno Koehn,et al.  Quality, Environmental, and Health and Safety Management Systems for Construction Engineering , 2003 .

[34]  Luis F. Alarcón,et al.  Modeling project performance for decision making , 1996 .

[35]  Javier González-Benito,et al.  The intervening effect of business innovation capability on the relationship between Total Quality Management and technological innovation , 2009 .

[36]  D. Gann,et al.  Innovation in project-based, service-enhanced firms: the construction of complex products and systems , 2000 .

[37]  Víctor Yepes,et al.  Model for Systematic Innovation in Construction Companies , 2014 .

[38]  J. Nash,et al.  Strategic decisions and innovation in construction firms , 2003 .

[39]  Víctor Yepes,et al.  Enhancing R&D&i through standardization and certification: the case of the spanish construction industry , 2008 .

[40]  K. Lewin.  Field theory in social science , 1951 .

[41]  Durai Anand Kumar,et al.  A study on ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certifications – Reasons behind the failure of ISO certified Organizations , 2011 .

[42]  Clyde B. Tatum,et al.  Strategies for Technology Push: Lessons from Construction Innovations , 1992 .

[43]  Clyde B. Tatum,et al.  Organizing to Increase Innovation in Construction Firms , 1989 .

[44]  C. Anumba,et al.  Knowledge Management in UK Construction: Strategies, Resources and Barriers , 2004 .

[45]  Mary Hardie,et al.  Environmentally driven technical innovation by Australian construction SMEs , 2013 .

[46]  Karen Manley,et al.  Key influences on construction innovation , 2004 .