Organizational cultural compatibility of engineered wood products manufacturers and building specifiers in the Pacific Northwest

Organizations are significantly influenced by the corporate cultures of organizations with which they interact. Both the construction and engineered wood products (EWP) manufacturing industries are generally known for operating in a traditional environment maintaining conservative corporate cultures, which can create friction when they try to interact with a more liberal set of specifiers. This study assesses the cultural disparities and communication barriers between specifiers and EWP manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest of the US. The study follows a semi-structured interview protocol to decipher the cultures of companies and professionals from the two industries. The responses are qualitatively analyzed and consolidated to identify specific patterns of organizational behavior. A number of factors are identified that affect the interaction between specifiers and manufacturers, chief among which is the consistent presence of distributors as key intermediaries in the supply chain. Low profit margins, lack of engineering and design competency, and risk-aversion are challenges faced by the manufacturing sector. Consolidated organizational behavioral knowledge from this study will benefit EWP manufacturers, specifiers and policy makers alike to close the gap in communication and improve the cultural compatibility between these two members of the construction value chain.