Short answer
Design and manage construction projects with a clear understanding that prioritizing economic and temporal goals over safety creates inherent risks; proactively integrate safety into all decision-making processes and contractual frameworks.
- Field
- Commercial Production
- Source
- Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) (2014)
- Method
- Qualitative research combining literature review and expert interviews.
- Evidence
- Strong effect
When project objectives like time, cost, and quality are prioritized over safety in construction, it creates inherent conflicts that negatively impact worker well-being. This commercial production research insight is drawn from a 2014 study published in Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo). Using Qualitative research combining literature review and expert interviews., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design and manage construction projects with a clear understanding that prioritizing economic and temporal goals over safety creates inherent risks; proactively integrate safety into all decision-making processes and contractual frameworks.
Conflicting Objectives in Construction Project Interfaces Undermine Safety
When project objectives like time, cost, and quality are prioritized over safety in construction, it creates inherent conflicts that negatively impact worker well-being.
Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) · 2014
Key Findings
- 01The five critical conflicting objectives identified are time, cost, quality, personnel/interest, and safety.
- 02Conflicting objectives stem from physical, contractual, and organizational interface problems.
- 03The prioritization of economic and temporal goals over safety is a significant driver of these conflicts.
Application
Design takeaway
Design and manage construction projects with a clear understanding that prioritizing economic and temporal goals over safety creates inherent risks; proactively integrate safety into all decision-making processes and contractual frameworks.
How to apply
When initiating a design project, map out all key objectives and stakeholders. Identify potential conflicts, particularly between efficiency/cost and safety/well-being, and develop strategies to mitigate these conflicts through clear communication, contractual clauses, and integrated planning.
Project actions
- 01When defining project goals, explicitly list safety alongside time, cost, and quality.
- 02Consider how different stakeholders might have competing priorities and how this could impact safety.
- 03Use case studies of construction accidents to illustrate the consequences of conflicting objectives.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses a critical real-world problem in a high-risk industry.
- +Combines theoretical grounding with empirical investigation.
Limitations
The findings are specific to the construction industry and may not directly apply to all design fields. The qualitative nature of the empirical study means results are interpretive and not statistically definitive.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings may be limited by the qualitative nature of the interviews and the specific context of the construction industry. Validity could be enhanced by triangulating findings with quantitative data on accident rates or project performance metrics.
Think critically
To what extent can safety be truly integrated as a primary objective in highly competitive commercial production environments where cost and speed are paramount?
Design Principles
"Safety must be a primary, non-negotiable objective in project design and management, not a secondary consideration to economic or temporal goals."
Understanding these conflicting objectives is crucial for designing project management strategies and interfaces that proactively mitigate risks. Ignoring these tensions can lead to accidents, delays, and increased costs, impacting the overall success and viability of construction ventures.
What This Means for Your Design
In building projects, trying to finish fast and cheap can sometimes make it unsafe for workers because safety isn't the main focus. This study shows how these different goals clash and why it's a problem.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the trade-offs between different project objectives and their impact on user safety or operational integrity.
- 2.Use the identified conflicting objectives (time, cost, quality, personnel, safety) as a framework for analyzing your own design project's challenges.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research by Liu (2014) in the construction industry reveals that conflicting objectives, specifically between time, cost, quality, and safety, significantly impact project outcomes. The study found that economic and temporal pressures often lead to safety being compromised due to physical, contractual, and organizational interface issues, underscoring the need for integrated safety management.
Source
Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo)
Conflicting Objectives in Interfaces of Construction Project
journal · 2014
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about conflicting objectives in construction project interfaces undermine safety?
- Design and manage construction projects with a clear understanding that prioritizing economic and temporal goals over safety creates inherent risks; proactively integrate safety into all decision-making processes and contractual frameworks. Evidence: Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) (2014).
- Why does "Conflicting Objectives in Construction Project Interfaces Undermine Safety" matter for design?
- Understanding these conflicting objectives is crucial for designing project management strategies and interfaces that proactively mitigate risks. Ignoring these tensions can lead to accidents, delays, and increased costs, impacting the overall success and viability of construction ventures.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design and manage construction projects with a clear understanding that prioritizing economic and temporal goals over safety creates inherent risks; proactively integrate safety into all decision-making processes and contractual frameworks.
- What were the main findings?
- The five critical conflicting objectives identified are time, cost, quality, personnel/interest, and safety.. Conflicting objectives stem from physical, contractual, and organizational interface problems.. The prioritization of economic and temporal goals over safety is a significant driver of these conflicts.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research combining literature review and expert interviews..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2014 journal from Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When initiating a design project, map out all key objectives and stakeholders. Identify potential conflicts, particularly between efficiency/cost and safety/well-being, and develop strategies to mitigate these conflicts through clear communication, contractual clauses, and integrated planning.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's findings are based on a qualitative approach and may not be generalizable to all construction project types or scales. The specific context of the study (e.g., the Oslo construction industry) might influence the observed conflicts.