A business approach to construction research

Problems faced by construction management researchers include: 1) The construction industry's resistance to participate and implement research developed systems, 2) The inability to secure adequate funding for extensive research tests needed to solve complex issues, and 3) Insufficient time to devote to research due to teaching and administrative responsibilities. The Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) was given a ten year opportunity to overcome these difficulties by identifying a new research structure, including funding mechanisms, the redesign of teaching/administration responsibilities, research methodologies, promotion and tenure approaches, and measurement of success. The new approach has resulted in worldwide expertise in the area of best value procurement, construction industry performance measurement, construction industry structural analysis, and construction management/administration. It has also produced 146 publications in refereed conferences/journals, $6.8M in research funding, 530 tests delivering $583M of construction services, 441 presentations to 6,200 industry personnel, 50 different industry research partners, and significant research results showing how to minimize client management/risk control by up to 90%, while simultaneously increasing contractor profit by 5%. The new research approach has led to the diffusion of construction delivery related concepts to other service sectors, and is currently being tested at two of the largest U.S. universities (Arizona State University and University of Minnesota) to transform both the structure and the function of the university offices. This paper identifies the departures from the traditional research model, the methodology employed, resistance from within and without, the performance measurements of the methodology, and the resulting impact on industry participation and implementation of systems.