Individual Learning in Construction Projects: Professions and their Approaches

Main Article Content

Ingeborg Wasif
Per-Erik Josephson
Alexander Styhre

Abstract

New materials, use of sophisticatedtechnologies and increased customerdemands, in combination with growingcompetition among construction companies,have led to a high degree of specialization. Forsuccessful integration of the differentprofessional specialists, there is a need forshared learning between project co-workers.Based on twenty eight interviews in sixdifferent Swedish construction projects, thispaper illustrates strategies for individual andshared learning, among different actors andacross various organizational boundaries. Theresults indicate that personal networks are themost common source of learning for allprofessions. While clients, architects, anddesigners also engage in reading andattending courses, site managers and workersare less engaged in these activities.Experimenting and organizing for learningappear to be underutilized strategies by allprofessions. This leads to the conclusion thatattempts to increase learning have to addressthe differences in learning behaviors of thevarious groups. Further, focus onexperimenting and organizing for learning is apossibility to change the learning behaviorfrom learning as a consequence of problemsto learning for future improvement.

Article Details

How to Cite
Wasif, I., Josephson, P.-E., & Styhre, A. (2012). Individual Learning in Construction Projects: Professions and their Approaches. Construction Economics and Building, 8(2), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v8i2.3006
Section
Articles (Peer reviewed)
Author Biography

Ingeborg Wasif, Chalmers University of Technology

Senior Lecturer