Loughborough University
Browse
IJCSCM paper.pdf (533.83 kB)

An emergent form of client-led supply chain governance in UK construction: clans

Download (533.83 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2015-06-05, 12:50 authored by Scott FernieScott Fernie, Stuart Tennant
Drawing inspiration and legitimacy from the traditions of organisational theory and in particular alternative mechanisms of organisational governance, the research explores an emergent, clan form of client-led supply chain governance in UK construction. Clan mechanisms of organisational governance are described as hybrid structures of exchange, neither pro-market nor organisational hierarchy. Not to be mistaken with alternative mechanisms of exchange such as networks, clan forms of client-led supply chain management are readily distinguishable by their highly socialised marketplace, enduring relationships and community of practice. A qualitative research strategy is adopted for this exploration of clan forms of client-led supply chain governance. Data collection uses semi-structured interviews, recorded, coded and analyzed. Participants include senior industry figures from a cross-section of construction stakeholder organisations, including client bodies, first tier service providers and construction contractors. In contrast to much of the prevailing work in construction supply chain management research, the findings draw specific attention to a hybrid form of organisational governance rarely discussed: namely clans. In light of challenging economic conditions, the recognition and potential contribution of clans as an alternative mechanism of governance is a timely and valuable contribution to the ongoing construction supply chain management debate.

Funding

Work on this paper was supported by the EPSRC [grant number EP/G048606/1].

History

School

  • Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Published in

International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management

Volume

2

Issue

1

Pages

1 - 16 (16)

Citation

FERNIE, S. and TENNANT, S., 2012. An emergent form of client-led supply chain governance in UK construction: clans. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management, 2 (1), pp. 1 - 16.

Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Publisher statement

This work is made available according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Full details of this licence are available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Publication date

2012

Notes

This article was published in the serial, International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management and is available here with the kind permission of the publisher.

ISSN

1179-0776

Publisher version

Language

  • en