Course syllabus

Course-PM

BOM025 - Construction, Processes and Management lp4 VT25 (7.5 hp)

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

 

Welcome to BOM025!

Dear students,

Welcome to Construction, Processes and Management! The course starts on Monday the 24^th of March, at 13:15-16:00. We are looking forward to meeting you.

BOM025 will be solely held physically (both for the course sessions and the on-site assignments). However, if we do have to implement any significant changes in the course format down the line due to unprecedented situations or changes in the rules by Chalmers, we will notify you in time.

The course's staff wishes you a successful learning experience. We expect you to carry out practical and theoretical assignments to support your learning. Our aim is to prepare you as professionals who can critically reflect on construction processes, production and management - both on the level of the construction site and on higher managerial strata - while adopting multiple perspectives.

 

Contact details

Examiner

Dimosthenis Kifokeris (DK) - Associate Professor PhD, Division of Building Design, ACE, dimkif@chalmers.se, Chalmers profile page

Teachers and supervisors

Martine Buser (MB) - Associate Professor PhD, Division of Building Design, ACE, buser@chalmers.se

Mikael Viklund Tallgren (MVT) - Researcher PhD, Division of Construction Management and Engineering, ACE, mikael.tallgren@chalmers.se

Paula Femenias (PF) - Professor PhD, Division of Building Design, ACE, paula.femenias@chalmers.se 

Special expert practitioner guests

Jan Kohvakka (JK) - Head of Innovation and Research, Incoord, Linkedin

Helena Lidelöw (HL) - Chief Technology Officer, Volumetric Building Companies, Linkedin

Oliver Löfman Nastefski (OLN) - Project Manager, WSP, Linkedin

TBC (to be confirmed)

Student representatives

MPDCPM   Odai Alhossin               alhossin@student.chalmers.se    
MPDCPM   Mirna George Alnahi   mirnage@student.chalmers.se 
MPDCPM   Katharina Bernroider   katbern@student.chalmers.se 
MPDCPM   Felix Ngo                       felixng@student.chalmers.se 
MPDCPM   Martyna Rewt               rewt@student.chalmers.se 

 

Course purpose

The construction industry faces a number of major challenges. Those can be either constant (e.g., competitiveness, sustainability and circularity goals, the need for housing and infrastructure, impacts on the individuals' physical and mental health) or contemporary (e.g., the energy crisis, material shortage). The purpose of this course is therefore twofold: First, develop an understanding of the way construction processes are organized and managed; and second, develop an understanding of the way design and construction companies can implement processes that meet the aforementioned challenges while also minimizing the consumption of resources.

 

Schedule

BOM025 - Construction, Processes and Management: Course plan (VT2025, Study Period 4: Monday 2025-03-24 to Saturday 2025-06-07)

TimeEdit schedule (timetable below is the most current version)

There are 17 course days, including 15 course sessions and 2 supervision sessions. A minimum of 80%+ of physical attendance in the course sessions is required - which means, at least 12 out of 15 course sessions. Included in this 80% are all sessions noted as obligatory (O). However, attending more than just the (O) sessions are needed for you to reach that 80%+.

Week	Course day	Date/time	Persons	Topic	Room
13	1 (O) (course session)	Monday 24 March 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT	Introduction, practical information Processes in construction Introduction to Assignment 1 and 2 Group formation, presentation and course expectations Session literature: Process perspectives	SB-H3
13	2 (course session)	Tuesday 25 March 13:15-16:00	DK	Transformation of matter perspective: productivity and performance measurement Session literature: Transformation of matter (performance & productivity	EE, ED-blocket
14	3 (course session)	Monday 31 March 13:15-16:00	MB	Institutional perspective in construction Session literature: Institutional perspective	SB-H3
14	4 (course session)	Tuesday 01 April 09:00-11:45 & 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT	Lean construction perspective (09:00-11:45) Last Planner workshop (13:15-16:00) Session literature: Lean construction	SB-H4 (09:00-11:45) SB-H8 (13:15-16:00)
14	5 (O) (course session)	Thursday 03 April 09:00-11:45	DK, OLN	Workshop: Applying the three perspectives in a case study Special guest: TBC	SB-H4
15	6 (course session)	Monday 07 April 13:15-16:00	MB	Waste management in construction Session literature: Waste management	SB-H3
15	7 (course session)	Tuesday 08 April 13:15-16:00	DK, JK	Quality, defects and innovation in construction Special guest: Jan Kohvakka Session literature: Quality	HC4
15	8 (supervision session)	Thursday 10 April 09:00-11:45 & 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT, MB	Supervision for Assignment 1 (all groups)	Meetings to be booked with the supervisors
17	9 (O) (course session)	Thursday 24 April 09:00-11:45 & 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT, MB	Presentation of Assignment 1 (all groups)	SB-H6
18	10 (course session)	Monday 28 April 13:15-16:00	MVT	On-site work environment and safety Session literature: Work environment & safety	SB-H3
18	11 (course session)	Tuesday 29 April 13:15-16:00	DK, TBC	Structures of subcontracting in the Swedish construction sector Session literature: Structures of subcontracting	SB-H8
19	12 (course session)	Monday 05 May 13:15 - 16:00	PF, TBC	Renovation processes Special guest: TBC Session literature: Renovation	SB-H4
19	13 (course session)	Thursday 08 May 09:00 - 11:45	DK	Operations strategy and change Session literature: Operations strategy & change	SB-H4
20	14 (course session)	Monday 12 May 13:15 - 16:00	DK, TBC	Industrialization of building processes Special guest: TBC Session literature: Industrialized construction	SB-H3
20	15 (supervision session)	Thursday 15 May 09:00-11:45 & 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT	Supervision for Assignment 2 (all groups)	Meetings to be booked with the supervisors
21	16 (O) (course session)	Thursday 22 May 09:00 - 11:45	MB, DK, TBC	Workshop on diversity and marginalization in the construction sector and on site Special guest: TBC Session literature: Diversity	SB-H3
22	17 (O) (course session)	Tuesday 27 May 09:00-11:45 & 13:15-16:00	DK, MVT	Presentation of Assignment 2 (all groups) Closing plenary sessions	SB-H5

 c

Course literature

The course's literature consists primarily of scientific papers. Most of said literature items are readily available through Chalmers Library, but are also uploaded on the course's Canvas page. The literature items in each Session literature group are divided into mandatory and supplementary (optional) ones. Following a flipped classroom format, the students are expected to have read at least the mandatory items in the corresponding Session literature before each session.

Process perspectives

Mandatory

• Kao, C.C., Green, S., and Larsen, G. (2009). Emergent discourses of construction competitiveness: localized learning and embeddedness. Construction Management and Economics, 27(10), 1005-1017.
• Lundberg, O., Nylén, D., and Sandberg, J. (2022). Unpacking construction site digitalization: the role of incongruence and inconsistency in technological frames. Construction Management and Economics, 40(11-12), 987-1002.

Supplementary

• Chen, X., Chang-Richards, A.Y., Pelosi, A., Jia, Y., Shen, X., Siddiqui, M.K., and Yang, N. (2022). Implementation of technologies in the construction industry: a systematic review. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(8), 3181-3209.
• Cho, K., Hong, T. and Hyun, C.T. (2013). Space Zoning Concept-based Scheduling Model for Repetitive Construction Process. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 19(3), 409-421.

Transformation of matter (performance & productivity)

Mandatory

• Bassioni, H., Price, A., and Hassan, T. (2004). Performance Measurement in Construction. Journal of Management in Engineering, 20(2), 42-50.
• Bröchner, J., and Olofsson, T. (2012). Construction productivity measures for innovation projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138(5), 670-677.
• Windapo, A., Adediran, A., Rotimi, J.O.B., and Umeokafor, N. (2022). Construction project performance: The role of client knowledge and procurement systems. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 20(5), 1349-1366.

Supplementary

• Beatham, S. Anumba, C., Thorpe, T., and Hedges, I. (2004). KPIs: a critical appraisal of their use in construction. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 11(1), 93-117.
• Bourne, M., Neely, A., Platts, K., and Mills, J. (2002). The success and failure of performance measurement initiatives: perceptions of participating managers. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 22(11), 1288-1310.
• Crawford, P., and Vogl, B. (2006). Measuring productivity in the construction industry. Building Research & Information, 34(3), 208-219.
• Dubois, A., and Gadde, L.E. (2002). The construction industry as a loosely coupled system: implications for productivity and innovation. Construction Management and Economics, 20(8), 621-631.
• Li, H., Arditi, D., and Wang, Z. (2012). Transaction-related issues and construction project performance. Construction Management and Economics, 30(2), 151-164.
• Neely, A., Gregory, M., and Platts, K. (2005). Performance measurement system design: a literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 25(12), 1228-1263.

Institutional perspective

Mandatory

• Qiu, Y. and Chen, H. (2022). A systematic review of the knowledge domain of institutional theory in construction project management. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-08-2021-0754.

Supplementary

• Galea, N., Powell, A., Salignac, F., Chappel, S., and Loosemoore, M. (2022). When following the rules is bad for wellbeing: The effects of gendered rules in the Australian construction industry. Work, Employment and Society, 36(1,) 119-138.
• Jeschke, K.N. (2022). Understanding how managers balance the paradoxical nature of occupational safety through a practice-driven institutional lens. Safety Science, 147, 105627.
• Kadefors, A. (1995). Institutions in building projects: implications for flexibility and change. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 11(4), 395-408.
• Oti-Sarpong, K., Shojaei, R.S., Dakhli, Z., Burgess, G., and Zaki, M. (2022). How countries achieve greater use of offsite manufacturing to build new housing: Identifying typologies through institutional theory. Sustainable Cities and Society, 76, 103403.
• Qiu, Yumin, Chen, H., Sheng, Z. , and Cheng, S. (2019). Governance of institutional complexity in megaproject organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 37(3), 425-443.

Lean construction

Mandatory

• Gao, S., and Low, S.P. (2014). The Toyota Way model: an alternative framework for lean construction. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence,  25(5-6), 664-682.
• Kifokeris, D. (2021). Variants of Swedish lean construction practices reported in research: a systematic literature review and critical analysis. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 147(7), 05021005.
• Koskela, L. (2020). Theory of lean construction. In: Tzortzopoulos, P., Kagioglou, M., and Koskela, L. (eds.). Lean construction: Core concepts and new frontiers (1-13). London: Routledge.

Supplementary

• Büchmann-Slorup, R. (2014). Applying critical chain buffer management theory in location-based management. Construction Management and Economics, 32(6), 506-519.
• Green, S., and May, S. (2005). Lean construction: arenas of enactment, models of diffusion and the meaning of ‘leanness’. Building Research and Information, 33(6), 498-511.
• Lohne, J., Torp, O., Andersen, B., Aslesen, S., Bygballe, L., Bølviken, T., Drevland, F., Engebø, A., Fosse, R., Holm, H.T., Hunn, L.K., Kalsaas, B.T., Klakegg, O.J., Knotten, V., Kristensen, K.H., Olsson, N.O.E., Rolstadås, A., Skaar, J., Svalestuen, F., Vaagen, H., Wondimu, P., and Laedre, O. (2022). The emergence of lean construction in the Norwegian AEC industry. Construction Management and Economics, 40(7-8), 585-597.

Waste management

Mandatory

• Andersson, R., and Buser, M. (2022). From waste to resource management? Construction and demolition waste management through the lens of institutional work. Construction Management and Economics, 40(6), 477-496.

Quality

Mandatory

• Love, P.E.D., Smith, J., Ackermann, F., and Irani, Z. (2018). The praxis of stupidity: an explanation to understand the barriers mitigating rework in construction. Production Planning & Control, 29(13), 1112-1125.
• Koch, C., and Schultz, C.S. (2019). The production of defects in construction – an agency dissonance. Construction Management and Economics, 37(9), 499-512.

Work environment & safety

Mandatory

• Grill, M., Pousette, A., Nielsen, K., Grytnes, R, and Törner, M. (2017). Safety leadership at construction sites: the importance of rule-oriented and participative leadership. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health, 43(4), 375-384.
• Koch, C. (2013). From crew to country - local and national construction safety cultures on construction sites. Construction Management and Economics, 31(6), 691-703.
• Thörnqvist, C., and Bernhardsson, S. (2015). Their own stories: How Polish construction workers posted to Sweden experience their job situation, or resistance versus life projects. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 21(1), 23–36.

Supplementary

• Baarts, C. (2009). Collective individualism: the informal and emergent dynamics of practising safety in a high‐risk work environment. Construction Management and Economics, 27(10), 949-957.
• Ju, C., and Rowlinson, S. (2014). Institutional determinants of construction safety management strategies of contractors in Hong Kong. Construction Management and Economics, 32(7-8), 725-736.

Fragmentation of production

Mandatory

• Kifokeris, D., Ahlstrand, R., Chan, E., and Faxberg, G (fo.). From community building to commodity production: A contemporary Marxist analysis of the Swedish building industry. Construction Management and Economics. In review.

Renovation

Mandatory

• Ástmarsson, B., Jensen, P.A., and Maslesa, E. (2013). Sustainable renovation of residential buildings and the landlord/tenant dilemma. Energy Policy, 63, 355-362.
• Femenias, P., Jonsdotter, L., Forsemalm, J., Punzi, E., Bogdanova, E., Thodelius, C., and Granath, K. (2019). Residential movements in connection to renovation of rented multi-residential housing: A pilot study. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 297(1), 1-9.

Operations strategy & change

Mandatory

• Bygballe, L., Håkansson, H., and Jahre, M. (2013). A critical discussion of models for conceptualizing the economic logic of construction. Construction Management and Economics, 31(2), 104-118.
• Koch, C., and Friis, O. (2015). Operations strategy development in project based production – a political process perspective. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management,  26(5), 501-514.

Supplementary

• Styhre, A., and Josephson, P.E. (2006). Revisiting site manager work: stuck in the middle? Construction Management and Economics, 24(5), 521-528.

Industrialized construction

Mandatory

• Brege, S., Stehn, L., and Nord, T. (2014). Business models in industrialized building of multi-storey houses. Construction Management and Economics, 32(1-2), 208-226.
• Linner, T., Bock, T., (2012). Evolution of large‐scale industrialisation and service innovation in Japanese prefabrication industry. Construction Innovation, 12(2), 156-178.
• Uusitalo, P., and Lavikka, R. (2021). Technology transfer in the construction industry. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 46(5), 1291-1320.

Supplementary

• Meiling, J.H., Sandberg, M., and Johnsson, H. (2014). A study of a plan-do-check-act method used in less industrialized activities: two cases from industrialized housebuilding. Construction Management and Economics, 32(1-2), 109-125.
• Viking, A., and Lidelöw, S. (2015). Exploring industrialized housebuilders’ interpretations of local requirements using institutional logics. Construction Management and Economics, 33(5-6), 484-494.

Diversity

Mandatory

• Tatum, B.D. (2000). The complexity of identity: “Who am I?". In: Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W.J., Hackman, H.W., Zuniga, X., Peters, M.L. (Eds.). Readings for diversity and social justice: An anthology on racism, sexism, anti-semitism, heterosexism, classism and ableism (9-14). New York: Routledge.
• Won, D., Hwang, B.G., and Chng, S.J. (2021). Assessing the effects of workforce diversity on project productivity performance for sustainable workplace in the construction industry. Sustainable Development, 29(2), 398-418.

Supplementary

• Manesh, S.N., Choi, J.O., and Shrestha, P. (2020). Critical literature review on the diversity and inclusion of women and ethnic minorities in construction and civil engineering industry and education. In: Construction Research Congress 2020: Safety, Workforce, and Education (175-184). Reston: American Society of Civil Engineers.

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen: Study plan (the description below is the most current version)

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course the student should be able to understand and apply theories, concepts and techniques on construction processes, especially during production and with a managerial perspective. This competence includes:

• The ability to identify and select the proper theory and approach to tackle challenges related to construction process, organisation, and management.
• The ability to draw practical insights from theories on, indicatively, human activities in construction processes, other process theories, and lean construction.
• The ability to analyze of the role of site management and project management, and their relationship to complex environments.
• The ability to appraise productivity and performance concepts (their advantages and disadvantages).

Content

The course integrates theoretical approaches with practical cases, with a focus on how construction processes should be led and organized. Key concepts include, but are not limited to:

• Processes
• Management
• Lean construction
• Industrialized construction
• Performance measurement
• On-site diversity

Organization

The course includes mandatory seminars and presentations, where the Chalmers rules of absense apply. BOM025 consists mainly of the following learning activities:

• Partially flipped lectures
• Guest lectures from the industry and academia
• Cases, seminars and exercises
• Two assignments

 

Examination form

The examination of the course is related to achieving the goals mentioned earlier in the learning outcomes, and is done by two assignments:

• Assignment 1 – Karlatornet case study: A group work counting for 40% of the final grade (10% for the presentation and 30% for the paper). The introduction for Assignment 1 will take place on Monday 24/03 (afternoon), the obligatory workshop connected to it on Thursday 03/04 (morning),  its supervision on Thursday (10/04) (full day), its presentation on Thursday 24/04 (full day), and the final submission of the paper should be done until Monday 05/05 (full day). These are explained in more detail in the "Assignments" tab.
• Assignment 2 – Site study and manager interview: A group work counting for 60% of the final grade (10% for the presentation and 50% for the paper). The introduction for Assignment 2 will take place on Monday 24/03 (afternoon), its supervision on Thursday 15/05 (full day), its presentation on Tuesday 27/05 (full day), and the final submission of the paper should be done until Monday 09/06 (full day). After forming groups at the beginning of the course, you will all be appointed to a site manager working at a construction site, in order to work on this assignment. These are explained in more detail in the "Assignments" tab.

If there are special reasons for doing so, the course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above - e.g. in case a student has acquired a decision from Chalmers on receiving educational support due to disability.

Assessment criteria	Point range
Presentation and peer feedback for Assignment 1	0-10 (0 points for non-attendance)
Paper for Assignment 1	0-30 (0 points for non-submission)
Presentation and peer feedback for Assignment 2	0-10 (0 points for non-attendance)
Paper for Assignment 2	0-50 (0 points for non-submission)
Total	0-100

 

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

 

Instructions on using generative AI tools (like ChatGPT)

BOM025 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: Regulations for the use of AI tools in thesis work (chalmers.se). The page refers to working on theses, but the same principles apply for your regular coursework and assignments.

 

Changes made since the last occasion

The students' assessment from the previous academic year (2023/2024) were taken into thorough account. The course's examiner and staff opted for continuing with the course's content and attributes that gathered a positive feedback (e.g., the partial flipped format in sessions, the literature material), and modified or updated the course content and attributes that received some kind of constructive feedback (e.g., modifying part of the assignments).