Overview

Enterprise management covers how businesses that manage projects manage their business and how those organisations that commission projects interface and manage the management of their project interests.

Transferring management theories and concepts into running project businesses and managing projects is far from straight forward due to the nature of the prevailing market, characteristics of projects and attendant understanding and organizational behaviour. This applies whether the research perspective is project businesses or the client or customer sponsoring a project or programme of projects.

Research undertaken in these areas is therefore challenging and relevant to industry and society at large. Research activity covers competitive strategy, core competencies, marketing, supply chain management, mergers and acquisitions, markets, stakeholder management, procurement strategy, programme management and value creation.

Projects

A broad range of research has been conducted in recent years. Notable examples that illustrate the range include those listed below.

Marketing and Behavioural Codes in Influencer and Referral Markets. Dr Hedley Smyth (Principal Investigator) and Ioanna Keki. Funded by government, the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) with VINCI Construction UK.

Developing a Health & Safety Culture. Dr Hedley Smyth (Principal Investigator) with Dr Aeli Roberts, John Kelsey and Adam Wilson. Commissioned and funded by Brookfield Europe.

Information Services in the Knowledge Management Market. Dr Hedley Smyth (Principal Investigator) and Radhika Longbottom. Funded by Government through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the British Cement Association.

People

Dr Hedley Smyth has led this area of work.
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Dr Satu Teerikangas is an active researcher in this area.
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Also contributing to this research theme:

Professor Peter Morris
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Dr Andrew Edkins
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Dr Joana Geraldi
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Dr Stephen Pryke
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Dr Taha El-Hag
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Dr Aaron Anvuur
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Dr Aeli Roberts
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John Kelsey
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Outputs

Outputs take several forms: reports to funding organisations and industry, academic outputs and practical tools and guidance for industry. A sample of recent outputs is listed below.  Further outputs can be traced following staff links.

Anvuur, A. M., Kumaraswamy, M.M. and Mahesh, G. (2011) Building "relationally integrated value networks" (RIVANS), Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 18 (1), 102-120.

Smyth, H. J. and Kioussi, S. (2011) Architecture Firms and the Role of Brand Management, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, in print.

Smyth, H. J. (2011) Managing the Professional Practice, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.

Teerikangas, S. (2010) Dynamics of Acquired Firm Pre-Acquisition Employee Reactions, Journal of Management, October 19, 2010 0149206310383908.

Smyth, H. J., Gustafsson, M. and Ganskau, E. (2010) The Value of Trust in Project Business, International Journal of Project Management, 28 (2), 117-129.

Auch, F. and Smyth, H. J. (2010) Cultural divergence in project firms: the case of a leading main contractor operating from multiple offices, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 3 (3), 443-461.

Smyth, H. J. and Fitch, T. (2009) Application of Relationship Marketing and Management: a large contractor case study, Construction Management and Economics, 27 (3), 399-410.

Smyth, H. J. and Pryke, S. D. (2008) Collaborative Relationships in Construction: Developing Frameworks and Networks, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.

Anvuur, A. M. and Kumaraswamy, M.M. (2007) Conceptual model of partnering and alliancing, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 133 (3), 225-234.

Smyth, H. J. and Edkins, A. J. (2007) Relationship Management in the Management of PFI/PPP Projects in the UK, International Journal of Project Management, 25 (3), 232-240.

Teerikangas, S. and Very, P (2006) The Culture-Performance Relationship in M&A: From Yes/No to How, British Journal of Management, 17, (S1), S31-S48.

Smyth, H. J. (2006) Competition, Commercial Management of Projects: Defining the discipline, Lowe, D. and Leiringer, R. (eds.), Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 22-39.

Winch, G. M. and Kelsey, J. M. (2005) What do construction project planners do? International Journal of Project Management, 23 (2), 141-149.

Smyth, H. J. and Longbottom, R. (2005) External Provision of Knowledge Management Services: the case of the concrete and cement industries, European Management Journal, 23 (2), 247-259.

Smyth, H. J. and Thompson, N. J. (2005) Developing Conditions of Trust within a Framework of Trust, Journal of Construction Procurement, 11 (1), 4-18.

Smyth, H. J. (2004) Managing the External Provision of "Knowledge Management" Services for Projects, Knowledge Management in the Construction Industry: A Socio-Technical Perspective, Kazi, A. S. (ed.), Idea Group, IRM Press, pp. 34-52.

Impact

There has been substantial engagement with industry and its stakeholders that improves performance, covering training, action research and improving best practice, as well as indirect influence through teaching.

Marketing and project business development has been a particular strength. The relationship marketing paradigm entered into management and influenced most industries, especially in business-to-business service markets during the 1980s. Construction and project businesses have lagged these trends. Dr Hedley Smyth led the introduction of relationship marketing as a conceptual rather than intuitively conducted approach into construction in the 1990s. Early work was conducted through the founding of the Centre for Construction Marketing at Oxford Brookes University for training and for disseminating emerging and best practices over a four-year period.

This led to research into relationship marketing, especially trust, which echoed the advocacy of the Latham (1994) and Egan Reports (1998) on collaboration and trust.

Adoption of relationship marketing principles was sporadic and many companies were tentative and some withdrew. However, relationship building became accepted practice amongst many contractors albeit with too much emphasis upon individual responsibility and a lack of systematic processes and protocols embedded into practice.

Work linking knowledge management and marketing was conducted with the British Cement Association's library and information services functions.

Relationship marketing has evolved into training and guidance on relationship management and trust. Research has directly impacted a number of organisations in social housing markets, undertaking PPP/PFI contracts, informed a major property developer in the appointment and management of design teams and a leading civil engineering contracting organization in the UK. Research has directly influenced a network of project businesses in Finland through feedback from a customer relations service as well as a keynote presentation to subscribers of the Project Business Institute, influenced a leading strong ideas architecture practice in Greece, and other international project businesses indirectly through teaching.

The timeline is as follows:-

1995: the founding of the Centre for Construction Marketing

1995-1999: training, consultancy and an annual industry-academic conference held.

1995: International Journal of Construction Marketing launched.

2000: Publication of Smyth, H. J. (2000) Marketing and Selling Construction Services, Blackwell Science, Oxford.

2002-2004: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (formerly Teaching Company Scheme) Information services in the Knowledge Management market with the British Cement Association.

2004-date: various publications on trust.

2006: Consultancy and training for Taylor Woodrow Construction.

2008-2010: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Marketing and Behavioural Codes in Influencer and Referral Markets with Taylor Woodrow Construction, now part of VINCI.

Some of the key outputs not listed earlier pertaining to relationship marketing development and impact include:-

Smyth, H. J. and Kioussi, S. (2011) Client Management and Identification, in Smyth, H. (ed.) Managing the Professional Practice, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 143-160.

Smyth, H. J., Gil, N. and Pinto, J. (2011) Trust and the Management of Projects, Oxford Handbook on the Management of Projects, Morris, P.W.G., Pinto, J. and Söderlund, J. (eds.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 438-460.

Skitmore, M. and Smyth, H. J. (2009) Marketing and Pricing Strategy, Construction Supply Chain Management: Concepts and Case Studies, (ed. S D Pryke), Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 92-112.

Smyth, H. J. (2007) Competitor Analysis: a Report for a major contractor - confidential, hence restricted circulation.

Skitmore, M. and Smyth, H. J. (2007) Pricing Construction Work: A Marketing Viewpoint, Construction Management and Economics, 25, (6), 619-630.

Smyth, H. J. (2005) Trust in the Design Team, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 1, (3), 193-205.

Smyth, H. J. (2000) Marketing and Selling Construction Services, Blackwell Science, Oxford.

Proceedings of the 1st-4th National Construction Marketing Conference, The Centre for Construction Marketing in association with CIMCIG, 1995-1999.

Smyth, H. J. (1998) Innovative Ways of Segmenting the Market: Practice Guide No. 1, Centre for Construction Marketing.

Smyth, H. J. and Thompson, N. J. (1997) Developing Loyal Clients, Centre for Construction Marketing.

Smyth, H. J. and Branch, R. F. (1996) A Client Orientated Service, Centre for Construction Marketing.

Smyth, H. J., Branch, R. F. and McIlveen, A. (1995) Developing Unique Selling Propositions in Fragile Construction Markets, Centre for Construction Marketing.