The NEC and the culture of the industry: some early findings regarding possible sources of resistance to change

Abstract

This paper describes some current research into the impact of the New Engineering Contract (NEC) on the culture of the industry. The intention is to explain the purpose of this research, describe the methodology used and report on some early findings. In the early sections, the authors outline the thinking behind the research and some of the difficulties involved and briefly consider the limitations of a conventional approach and compare it with an outline of the authors' own. They then look at the analysis of data, with reference to some findings of this and a previous study. In doing so, the authors focus on some cultural patterns which may be resistant to the changes the NEC is intended to promote and they go on to discuss some of the ways in which culture is transmitted between individuals, since, if the NEC is to be successful, it will involve changes in these patterns. In the final section, the authors discuss some implications for the future of the NEC.

Citation

ROOKE, J. and SEYMOUR, D. (1995), "The NEC and the culture of the industry: some early findings regarding possible sources of resistance to change", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 287-305. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb021016