Influence of Organization on Project Implementation

Despite the importance of proper organizational structure and procedures in the successful implementation of civil engineering projects, little attention appears to have been given to this by the profession. This apparent lack of interest is most notable when examining cases of project failure. Only the few inquiries into tragic and very expensive failures have been concerned with organizational matters as distinct from purely technical problems. Four cases in which organizational matters were of importance are briefly described. A review is made of efforts (principally in sociology) to determine desirable properties of organizations and the related but limited work in the building industry. This is compared to the requirements of civil engineering projects and a suggested approach for research is outlined. It is also suggested that complementary studies might follow a pathological approach to organizational study, although this would require a greater openness in accident investigation.