Lena Elisabeth Bygballe

Journal of Management Studies s. 1-34 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12864

To ensure cooperation, parties in inter-organizational relationships (IORs) draw upon both control and trust. Yet, how control–trust dynamics change as IORs evolve remains unclear. This study illuminates the interplay between control–trust dynamics and IOR dynamics by unpacking how control and trust refer to and create one another through action–reaction cycles. We find that conflicting enactments of vulnerability and risk caused by critical incidents lead to tensions between the parties (IOR dynamics) regarding how and when they rely on control and trust. Consequently, coping practices are applied to redefine the controlling and trusting domain and mediate between the multiple and temporal domains to ensure that control and trust refer to and create one another to (re)form positive expectations. The study's main implication is that it makes little sense to study control-trust dynamics in IORs, like other relational phenomena, in isolation and at a single point in time.

Project Management Journal 52(3) s. 278-286 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972820986660

A central issue in project-based organizations (PBOs) is how to balance the need for flexibly responding to changing customer demands and creating consistent performance in the organization at large. This article discusses the relevance of a routine dynamics lens for understanding this dilemma. We show how routine dynamics might help to understand how and under what conditions routines—with their dual capacity for stability and change—produce a variety of performances, some stable and some varying, in the PBO. As such, we contribute to the stream of research that seeks to explain how PBOs build capabilities and how they work.

Magma forskning og viten nr 5(5) s. 104-110

Bærekraft er et ord som favner bredt. Faglitteraturen kaller det den tredelte bunnlinjen, der bærekraft skal gi positive gevinster på samfunns-, bedrifts- og individnivå. For bedrifter innebærer det at man skal realisere gevinster for bedriften selv, men også for miljøet og samfunnet. Denne kompleksiteten gjør det krevende å konkretisere og gjennomføre nye løsninger, og resultatet blir at bærekraft er noe det er lett å snakke om, men vanskelig å gjøre. I denne artikkelen tar vi utgangspunkt i et samarbeid mellom tre aktører om en ny løsning for bærekraftig massehåndtering[1] til og fra bygg- og anleggsprosjekter (BA) i Oslo. Gjennom å mobilisere sine respektive ressurser har aktørene utviklet en løsning som involverer gjenvinning av slike masser og mindre CO2-utslipp knyttet til transport av disse. Men aktørene har støtt på utfordringer i økosystemet rundt, og løsningen er enda ikke realisert. Vi diskuterer dette eksempelet i lys av et industrielt nettverksperspektiv og argumenterer for at mobilisering av ressurser på det vi kan kalle bedriftsnivå, ikke er tilstrekkelig for å realisere bærekraftige løsninger – det må også skje i det omliggende økosystemet. Mobilisering på bedriftsnivå kan imidlertid skape ny dynamikk og gi utviklingsmuligheter som på lengre sikt kan bidra til å realisere slike bærekraftige løsninger.

Praktisk Økonomi & Finans 37(01) s. 63-82 Doi: https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-2871-2021-01-07

I løpet av dette århundret vil klimaet endre seg så betydelig i Norge at vi risikerer at vårt eksisterende bygde miljø ikke vil tåle endringene. Bygg og infrastruktur har et planlagt livsløp som strekker seg langt frem i tid, til et klima som er våtere, villere og varmere enn det vi har i dag. For å sikre at våre hjem, skoler, sykehus, arbeidsplasser, veier og annen infrastruktur er robuste på lengre sikt, må vi allerede i dag planlegge for det fremtidige klimaet. All samfunnsplanlegging og investering skal være velbegrunnet og gjennomtenkt. Samfunnsøkonomiske analyser er ofte et krav og en viktig del av beslutningsgrunnlaget til våre forvaltningsorgan. Men, dagens kost-nytteanalyser fanger verken opp kostnadene av klimaendringene godt nok eller nyttene ved ulike klimatilpasningstiltak. Kost-nytteanalyser generelt er heller ikke velegnet til å sikre helhetlig klimatilpasning og samordning på tvers av sektorer. Til dette trenger vi nye metoder og verktøy.

Construction Management and Economics Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2021.1975041

Lean construction has inspired the AEC industry globally over the last decades, and this manifests within a wide array of contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative-based qualitative analysis of the emergence and impact of Lean construction on a national level, notably in the Norwegian AEC industry. The analysis is based on the concept of paradigm shift and on empirical knowledge in the form of narratives. The narratives of practitioners and researchers provide deep insights into how Lean Construction has inspired the Norwegian AEC industry and academia, respectively. The reflections indicate that the introduction of the Lean construction principles and tools in the Norwegian AEC industry has depended on promoters who have been convinced about its advantages. The role of active promoters – in particular Dr. Glenn Ballard – is underlined as key to successful introduction of Lean Construction. Key cultural features of the Norwegian AEC industry are emphasized as important success factors. Lean Construction in Norway needs to be understood as a phenomenon occurring within a setting that is generally advantageous but also following an effort carried out on several levels. Key elements that can be used within other contexts are (1) the existence of promoters, (2) cooperation between industry and academic circles, (3) a high degree of trust and (4) a predominance of bottom-up organizations within the industry with few levels of hierarchy.

Time, Temporality, and History in Process Organization Studies s. 116-137

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings 19(1) s. 14878-14878 Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2019.14878abstract

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings 19(1) s. 14641-14641 Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2019.14641abstract

The Connectivity of Innovation in the Construction Industry s. 126-142 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781351110198-7

Project Management Journal 50(2) s. 1-16 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818820213

It is widely held that collaborative project delivery models, such as partnering, represent a key means of improving construction project performance. Institutionalizing these models in practice, however, is not straightforward. We suggest that the (in)ability to establish new routines may be one reason for the variance in partnering outcomes. Based on a study of a partnering project, we develop a model of how partnering is institutionalized through the establishment of routines, enabled through common understanding and truces between the partners’ interests. The model illustrates how such routines develop through a balance between top-down structural interventions and emergent social learning processes.

Routledge

Proceedings and Membership Directory - Academy of Management Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2018.13135abstract

Engineering Construction and Architectural Management Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-07-2017-0138

Purpose – Previous research shows that implementing lean construction is not a straightforward task. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of formal and informal mechanisms in implementing lean principles in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a single case study of the implementation of innovative lean principles in a public construction project in Norway. The study is based on qualitative data, including 17 semi-structured interviews with 21 individuals, document analysis, and observations in meetings and seminars, in addition to informal conversations. Findings – Formal mechanisms, including contractual arrangements, have the potential to both facilitate and hamper the implementation of innovative lean principles in a construction project. They might create coherence, but at the same time they might limit the scope of the concept in such a way that others do not accept it. Informal mechanisms, including social and lateral relationships and trust aid implementation, both directly by creating commitment and by modifying the challenges that the formal mechanisms potentially incur. Formal mechanisms may, in turn, nurture the informal ones. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a single case study within the Norwegian public sector, which is dependent on specific public procurement regulations and subject to strong contractual traditions. Originality/value – The research extends the existing knowledge of implementation of lean construction in the construction industry. It helps refining the understanding of the role played by formal and informal mechanisms, and the interplay between them in the implementation process. This knowledge is also relevant for process innovations in construction in general.

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2018.13135abstract

Construction Management and Economics 35(8-9) s. 445-454 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1341052

Lean Construction. Forstå og forbedre prosjektbasert produksjon s. 403-413

Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 23(1) s. 40-53 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2016.04.007

4th Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation "From Research to Actions and Transformation", August 29-31 2016 in Bergen, Norway. Book of Abstracts

International Journal of Project Management 34(8) s. 1479-1492 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.08.006

Geophysical Research Abstracts 18

The IMP Journal 9(1) s. 64-84 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IMP-01-2015-0003

The practice of behavioral strategy s. 127-145

Engineering Project Organization Journal 5(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21573727.2014.992014

Industrial Marketing Management 43(3) s. 512-524 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.12.019

Research highlights - We combine insights from the industrial network approach with the exploration-exploitation dichotomy to study the logic of innovation in construction - A framework is developed that illustrates the exploration and exploitation processes across the project, company, and network levels in construction - The framework is used to analyze findings from research on innovation in the Norwegian and Swedish construction industry - The research shows that the logic of innovation in construction may be explained by the network context in which construction companies act - Appropriate relations must be established both in the internal and external network to achieve a balance between exploration and exploitation

Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction 1 s. 3-14

BI strategy Magazine

Construction Management and Economics 31(2) s. 104-118 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2012.745645

The construction industry has developed a certain economic logic that reflects the way in which tasks, parts, and units are organized and related to each other in order to create economic benefits in the construction process. The present study examines how four different models in the literature that portray this logic complement and constitute alternatives to understandings of the economic logic of construction industry. Along with transaction cost economics, we have identified three more empirically-based models: a project-oriented model, a supply-chain-oriented model, and a network-oriented model. Associated with different streams of research, these models are discussed in terms of the typical problems and key interdependencies in the construction process they address, and the type of solutions they suggest, including organizing principles for how construction parties should relate to each other. The findings show how examining different models provides a comprehensive, albeit non-exhaustive overview and explanation of why the construction process is organized in the way it is. There is a need for increased awareness of the utilization of models (or combinations of models) and the models must also be seen as arguments in a broader discussion of how the construction process could or should function.

Industrial Marketing Management 41(3) s. 394-401 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2011.06.013

Many trading companies have taken a global approach to their supply markets, sourcing from low-cost foreign countries in order to achieve cost reductions. There remains, however, a lack of evidence that sourcing internationally actually leads to improved economic performance. This can be explained by two key challenges in terms of how to achieve a balance between: (1) purchasing and logistics costs; and (2) total costs and customer service. The purpose of this paper is to examine the organisation and management of international supply from a total cost perspective, taking into account both purchasing and logistics costs, as well as customer service and agility. Previous research into a number of Norwegian companies that have sourced from China has identified four configurations for managing international supply. This paper utilises the supply management literature and an example of a Norwegian retail and wholesale company to analyse and discuss these configurations and their effects on total costs and customer service. The paper’s theoretical contribution is the conceptualisation of a total cost perspective on international supply management and the discussion of such costs in relation to customer service. This contribution may, in turn, aid companies that source from foreign, low-cost countries

Magma forskning og viten 15(1) s. 51-60

The IMP Journal 5(3) s. 157-171

Logistikk og ledelse av forsyningskjeder

Supply chain management 15(5) s. 385-393 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/13598541011068314

Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 16(4) s. 239-253 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2010.08.002

There is no unified view as to what partnering in construction actually is. Particularly the relationship dimension of the concept is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature in order to identify the main assumptions about partnering relationships in construction research and practice. The literature is compared to the Construction Industry Institute’s (CII 1991) frequently cited definition of partnering as a long-term commitment between two or more parties in which shared understanding and trust develop for the benefits of improving construction. The literature review reveals a tendency to focus on project partnering in dyads between clients and contractors and there is also an emphasis on formal tools to develop these relationships, even if social aspects and relationship dynamics are recognised. The paper discusses these findings and suggests that, in order to increase the understanding of the substance and function of partnering relationships, it could be useful to incorporate knowledge from theoretical perspectives that are more in line with the CII definition. Two perspectives that seem particularly interesting in this respect are Supply Chain Management (SCM) and the Industrial Network Approach (INA), both of which focus on long-term relationships between actors beyond the dyad. INA also emphasises the informal aspects of relationship development. Incorporating these dimensions of partnering relationships requires processual and longitudinal studies, which are relatively rare in the contemporary partnering literature.

Construction Management and Economics 27(7) s. 695-704

Resourcing in Business Logistics. The Art of Systematic Combining, Jahre et al