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Papers by simon sherratt
Building Research & Information, 2021
Construction work is often unsafe, unhealthy and bad for worker wellbeing. Governments and compan... more Construction work is often unsafe, unhealthy and bad for worker wellbeing. Governments and companies have sought to address this, the former through legislation, the latter through their compliance. More recently there have been efforts by larger construction companies to ‘go beyond’ minimum standards, incorporating worker Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) within their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) remit, seeking innovations and improvements in practice. Yet this has brought challenges of commodification, worker health enhancement and wellbeing initiatives readily packaged and used to support the corporate brand and increase organisational attractiveness. Furthermore, when viewed through a Marxist lens such commodification increases in complexity, workers contributing a portion of their own HSW as part of the necessary increase in exchange value found within the capitalist mode of production. Yet this reveals the fundamental conflict between capitalism and worker HSW, imply...
Construction Management and Economics, 2020
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are joint ventures in which the private sector works in partne... more Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are joint ventures in which the private sector works in partnership with government bodies to deliver public sector projects with the intention to deliver them more quickly, efficiently and with better value for money. They are also one of the most contentious project delivery mechanisms to have been mobilised in recent decades. Research has demonstrated the lack of realised value within many such projects, yet construction management academics continue to examine ways of increasing, implementing and optimising this approach in practice, even encouraging its adoption worldwide despite growing social and political dissatisfaction. Here, we go beyond what we see as myopic construction management perspectives, placing our body of work firmly within wider economic, political and social contexts. We challenge uncritical academic compliance with a process that demonstrably contributes to economic inequalities, opportunism and exploitation. We confront the lack of criticality in construction management research of PPPs, and call for construction management academics to broaden their research focus and engage in more robust critique and analysis of construction systems, as they are realised in practice.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law, 2020
Construction 4.0 is bringing change to our industry through digitization and technological innova... more Construction 4.0 is bringing change to our industry through digitization and technological innovation. Such change deliberately impacts 'traditional' ways of working, as it actively seeks to disrupt the norm and so enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of construction project delivery. Yet technology is not neutral, it brings with it an autonomy and an amorality that is potentially cause for concern. Here we draw on Ellul's theory of technique, as associated with technology, to unpack Construction 4.0 from critical perspectives and explore the potential it has to bring social and ethical challenges to our industry, and specifically its people. For example, trade workers may become usurped by technologies that automate their work, whilst professionals may find their roles within the design, engineering and construction processes become more heavily influenced and shaped by the technologies themselves. Indeed, the role of the 'technology owner' may become more powerful than any traditional profession in the future, as they become dominant actors within the construction industry space. This paper aims to stimulate discussion and debate in this area, and encourage the development of a more critical voice to supplement the technocratic optimism that currently surrounds Construction 4.0.
Building Research & Information, 2021
Construction work is often unsafe, unhealthy and bad for worker wellbeing. Governments and compan... more Construction work is often unsafe, unhealthy and bad for worker wellbeing. Governments and companies have sought to address this, the former through legislation, the latter through their compliance. More recently there have been efforts by larger construction companies to ‘go beyond’ minimum standards, incorporating worker Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) within their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) remit, seeking innovations and improvements in practice. Yet this has brought challenges of commodification, worker health enhancement and wellbeing initiatives readily packaged and used to support the corporate brand and increase organisational attractiveness. Furthermore, when viewed through a Marxist lens such commodification increases in complexity, workers contributing a portion of their own HSW as part of the necessary increase in exchange value found within the capitalist mode of production. Yet this reveals the fundamental conflict between capitalism and worker HSW, imply...
Construction Management and Economics, 2020
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are joint ventures in which the private sector works in partne... more Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are joint ventures in which the private sector works in partnership with government bodies to deliver public sector projects with the intention to deliver them more quickly, efficiently and with better value for money. They are also one of the most contentious project delivery mechanisms to have been mobilised in recent decades. Research has demonstrated the lack of realised value within many such projects, yet construction management academics continue to examine ways of increasing, implementing and optimising this approach in practice, even encouraging its adoption worldwide despite growing social and political dissatisfaction. Here, we go beyond what we see as myopic construction management perspectives, placing our body of work firmly within wider economic, political and social contexts. We challenge uncritical academic compliance with a process that demonstrably contributes to economic inequalities, opportunism and exploitation. We confront the lack of criticality in construction management research of PPPs, and call for construction management academics to broaden their research focus and engage in more robust critique and analysis of construction systems, as they are realised in practice.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Management, Procurement and Law, 2020
Construction 4.0 is bringing change to our industry through digitization and technological innova... more Construction 4.0 is bringing change to our industry through digitization and technological innovation. Such change deliberately impacts 'traditional' ways of working, as it actively seeks to disrupt the norm and so enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of construction project delivery. Yet technology is not neutral, it brings with it an autonomy and an amorality that is potentially cause for concern. Here we draw on Ellul's theory of technique, as associated with technology, to unpack Construction 4.0 from critical perspectives and explore the potential it has to bring social and ethical challenges to our industry, and specifically its people. For example, trade workers may become usurped by technologies that automate their work, whilst professionals may find their roles within the design, engineering and construction processes become more heavily influenced and shaped by the technologies themselves. Indeed, the role of the 'technology owner' may become more powerful than any traditional profession in the future, as they become dominant actors within the construction industry space. This paper aims to stimulate discussion and debate in this area, and encourage the development of a more critical voice to supplement the technocratic optimism that currently surrounds Construction 4.0.