SOCIOLOGICAL PARADIGMS AND BUILDING PROCUREMENT

S. D. GREEN

Department of Construction Management & Engineering, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 219, Reading, RG6 6AW, UK

Abstract

The paper considers the sociological paradigms and associated organisational metaphors which underlie current approaches to building procurement. It is contended that the adopted procurement strategy depends upon the implicit metaphors which are used to understand client organisations. Different approaches to client briefing are seen to be characterised by their underlying metaphors. It is further hypothesised that practitioners develop particular 'paradigms of practice' according to their own experience. However, whilst such approaches may well have proved successful in some situations, they are very often unsuccessful in others.

The dominant practice of building procurement during the 1980s reflected the functionalist paradigm of sociology. Clients were invariably assumed to be unitary and the existence of a pre-determined set of objectives was often taken for granted. Within this frame of reference, building design is essentially a technical process. In contrast, it is the interpretive paradigm which is appropriate for the industry of the 1990s. Clients are increasingly pluralistic and design is seen to be a social process based on iteration and learning. The underlying ontological position is one of social constructivism. It is contended that the recognition of alternative sociological paradigms has important implications for both building procurement practice and research.

Keywords: Building procurement, social reality, ontological assumptions, sociological paradigms, paradigms of practice