The disintegration and reintegration of building contractors' management systems

This study examines the progress of building contractors towards documentation and integration of formal management systems for quality, health and safety and the environment. One main hypothesis and three sub-hypotheses are generated as a result of the literature review and are tested. The research methodology employed to test the hypotheses involves three stages: (1) Postal Survey. The sample selected is surveyed through a postal questionnaire. The results of the survey allow individual organisations to be placed on the Model of Route to IMS. (2) Interviews. Individual organisations are selected from the survey results and representatives are interviewed to determine how and why they had adopted their chosen approach to formal management systems. The experiences gained by the organisations are discussed. (3) Cross Case Analyses. Different approaches to formal management systems are compared. Common approaches and examples of apparent good practice are investigated. The study concludes that: The majority of building contractors disintegrate their informal management systems to create separate formal systems. They then integrate the separate formal systems into one formal integrated management system. Approximately half of the smaller building contractors have not yet started to create formal documented management systems at all. Size and financial status of building contractors influences the approach taken to formal management systems, but geographic location of the organisations does not influence the approach. Two theoretical models and practical advice for building contractors intending to document and/or integrate formal management systems are developed from the study.