Course syllabus

ACE585 Strategic management and decision making in construction lp2 HT24 (7.5 hp)

Course Syllabus

The course is offered by the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE).

Examiner

Dilek Ulutas Duman, DUD, senior lecturer, Construction Management ACE, dileku@chalmers.se

Lecturer

Mathias Gustafsson, MG, associate professor, Construction Management ACE, mathias.gustafsson@chalmers.se 

Guest lecturers

Max Tran, MT, Senior Project Manager, responsible for Development, Processes, and Procurement at Lidl

Per Höglin, PH, and Johannes Ris, JR, Projektledare, Byggstyrning

Peter Samuelsson, PS, Operation manager, Skanska

Stein Kleiven, Division Head of Large Civil Engineering Projects, Trafikverket

Stuart Green, SG, Professor, School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading, UK

Course purpose

The construction sector today faces a range of complex challenges. In addition to cost, quality, and time-related problems, companies must now address issues like climate change, sustainability, circularity, and digitalization. Hence, AEC firms need to continuously update their knowledge, adapt practices, and develop their organizations to stay competitive. Strong strategic management and decision-making skills are now critical for addressing these evolving challenges and ensuring long-term success in the construction sector.

The aim of this course is to enable students to develop their skills and knowledge of decision-making and strategic management in the construction sector, focusing especially on the project level. The course enables students to learn and understand strategy and decision-making related concepts and apply relevant methods to analyze complex situations and develop appropriate solutions.

Schedule

Week	Day	Date	Time	Location	Teaching form	Topic	Lecturer
45	Tuesday	05/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-H5	Lecture	Course introduction and overview Introduction to assignment Levels – Sector/Organization/Project	DUD, MG
	Thursday	07/11/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-M415	Lecture	Classical approach to strategic management – Macro environment analysis	DUD
	Friday	08/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L200	Lecture	Resources, Competences and Capabilities – Inside the organization	DUD
46	Tuesday	12/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-H5	Lecture	Risk and Uncertainty	MG
	Thursday	14/11/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-L400	Lecture	Perspectives on decision-making	MG
	Friday	15/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L111	Lecture	Processes approach to strategy	DUD
47	Tuesday	19/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L208	Lecture	The practice of strategy	DUD
	Tuesday	19/11/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-L200	Supervision*	In class supervision	DUD, MG
	Thursday	21/11/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-M415	Lecture	Heuristics and Biases	MG
	Friday	22/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L200	Seminar*	Decision making – Lidl case	MT, DUD, MG
48	Tuesday	26/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L300	Lecture	Strategic misinterpretation	MG
	Tuesday	26/11/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-L200	Mid-term assessment*	Mid-Course Assessment & Supervision	DUD, MG
	Friday	29/11/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L200	Lecture	Strategy as discourse	DUD
49	Tuesday	03/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-H5	Seminar*	Strategy making the sectoral level: Role of policy narratives	SG, DUD, MG
	Thursday	05/12/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-M415	Seminar*	Strategy making in a contracting firm	PS, DUD, MG
	Friday	06/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L200	Seminar*	Strategy making in a client organization	SK, DUD, MG
50	Tuesday	10/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-H3	Lecture	Planning fallacy and sunk cost	MG
	Thursday	12/12/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-M415	Lecture	Three domains of project organizing and group decision-making	DUD, MG
	Friday	13/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-M415	Supervision*	In class supervision	DUD, MG
	Friday	13/12/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-M415	Seminar*	The role of digitalization in decision and strategy-making	PH, JR, DUD, MG
51	Tuesday	17/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-H3	Presentations*	Presentations	DUD, MG
	Tuesday	17/12/2024	13:15-16:00	SB-L300	Presentations*	Presentations	DUD, MG
	Friday	20/12/2024	09:00-11:45	SB-L400	Lecture	Closing – Christmas party	DUD, MG

TimeEdit

*The course schedule outlined in this table may be adjusted. Any changes will be promptly communicated through announcements and updated on the Canvas page.

Course literature

The primary course materials will include scientific papers and selected excerpts from the books listed below, all of which are available through the Chalmers Library.

Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (2023). Exploring strategy (13th ed.). Pearson. 

https://research.ebsco.com/c/lu54te/search/details/jpqvuc75tf?q=exploring+strategy&isEbscoSignIn=false

Winch, G., Maytorena-Sanchez, E., and Sergeeva, N. (2022) Strategic project organizing, Oxford University Press. 

https://research.ebsco.com/c/lu54te/search/details/dleny5zyzflimiters=FT1%3AY&q=Strategic%20project%20organizing

A complete list of reference articles, organized by session, will be uploaded to Canvas before the course begins.

Lecture handouts will be uploaded to Canvas before or after each lecture.

Course design

In this course, we will be exploring two critical and interrelated areas: decision-making and strategy development within the construction sector. Rather than addressing these topics in isolation, we will shift between them, examining how decisions inform strategic direction and, in turn, how strategy shapes key decisions, particularly under conditions of constant change and uncertainty. We’ll explore both normative and descriptive models of decision-making, and consider how these theories play out in real-world construction environments.

We will explore strategy-making through different lenses, starting from macro-level analysis and moving to the micro-level practices of strategizing. A central theme will be strategy-making in project-based organizations, with a focus on how strategic thinking is applied to real-world construction projects and firms. 

Throughout the course, the goal is to sharpen your critical thinking in the areas of judgment, decision-making, and strategic management, providing you with the tools to address complex challenges in construction projects. 

Course content

• Introduction to strategy and decision making - Looking at different levels (Sector/Organization/Project)
• Classical approach to strategic management – Macro environment analysis
• Resources, Competences, and Capabilities – Inside the organization
• Risk and Uncertainty
• Perspectives on decision-making 
• Process approach to strategy
• The practice of strategy
• Heuristics and Biases
• Strategy as discourse 
• Strategic misinterpretation
• Planning fallacy and sunk cost
• Three domains of strategic project organizing and group decision making 

Teaching methods 

• lectures
• seminars
• in-class reflection exercises
• project work
• supervision and feedback

The ACE585 Canvas page will serve as our main communication channel throughout the course. You will find all essential course information and materials organized within the Modules section, including sections for Information, Lectures, and Assignments. Please make sure to check the course page and announcements regularly for any updates or important information.

Attendance 

Participation in mandatory course activities* (or a relevant compensation assignment in agreement with the examiner) is a prerequisite for passing the course.

Students must participate in at least 80% of the course sessions, attendance will be controlled during the class.

Learning objectives

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• account for and explain different decision-making strategies and their usefulness in project organizing.
• critically evaluate common biases that affect the decision-making process and exhibit knowledge on how to mitigate the effects these biases
• consider how risk and uncertainty affect decisions and how to assess risks in an unbiased fashion.
• describe the concept of strategy and discuss the significance of strategic management in the construction management practice.
• explain and compare different approaches to strategic management and discuss how they can benefit from different perspectives in their managerial practice.
• apply the concepts within different strategic management approaches to the construction sector specific cases.
• critically evaluate the key domains and interfaces of strategic project organizing.

Examination form

The course includes several examination forms as written lecture reflections, individual assignments, and group work.

Written Lecture Reflections (1.5 hp)

Students will be required to submit written reflections on selected lectures throughout the course. These reflections should summarize key points from the lecture, provide personal insights, and critically engage with the material. The aim is to encourage deeper understanding and foster connections between the lecture content and broader course themes. Detailed guidelines for these reflections will be announced in the first week. 

Grading scale: U/G

Mid-Course Assessment (10% of the final project)

At the midpoint of the course, we will have a mid-course assessment to evaluate your grasp of the material covered so far. This is not just an opportunity to assess your understanding, but also a chance to provide feedback on the course and your learning experience. We’ll provide more details on the format and expectations in the first week. 

Grading scale: TH

Individual Written Final Report (2.5 hp)

At the end of the course, you will be required to submit an individual written final report. This report is your opportunity to showcase your understanding of the course material and your ability to apply key concepts to a real-world context. You will be expected to analyze a relevant issue or case in the construction sector, using the tools and strategies we’ve covered throughout the course. Please see the assignment brief in Modules.

Grading scale: TH

Final assignment as a group project work (3.5 hp)

In the final project, you will work in groups to apply the theories and concepts you learned during the course. Each group will select a case to analyze, with guidance from the teaching team. This project will allow you to work collaboratively, applying your knowledge to real-world challenges in the construction sector.

• Oral Presentation: On the final presentation day, each group will deliver an oral presentation of their project. 
• Group Written Report: Each group will submit a completed project in the form of a written report, incorporating the feedback received during the presentation day.

Grading scale: TH

Please see the assignment brief in Modules.

Grade limits

Grade	Point range
5	85-100
4	70-84
3	55-69
Fail	< 55

 

Instructions on using generative AI tools (like ChatGPT)

ACE585 follows the general stance of Chalmers’ Executive committee for education, which is that bachelor's and master's education should reflect a real working situation within the professional field as much as possible, including access to AI tools. However, it is not always appropriate to use them, and when they are used, it is a prerequisite that AI tools are employed in a responsible and transparent manner. In this page, you can find instructions and implications on using AI for your course work: https://www.chalmers.se/en/education/your-studies/masters-and-bachelors-thesis/regulations-for-the-use-of-ai-tools/Links to an external site.. The page refers to working on theses, but the same principles apply to your regular coursework and assignments.

Communication

Feel free to contact the examiner (dileku@chalmers.se) anytime you need assistance. However, please avoid asking questions that are already covered in the course documents on Canvas.