Building "relationally integrated value networks" (RIVANS)

Purpose - Advocacy for the re-integration of highly differentiated, at times fragmented, construction project "teams" and supply chains has increased in this era of network competition, yet industry targets remain elusive. This paper aims to report on findings of research focused on the development and validation of the building-blocks for relationally integrated value networks (RIVANS) that seeks to redress this issue. Design/methodology/approach - Complementary theoretical streams are identified through an extensive literature review, and are used to shape and inform discussions of the key RIVANS themes of value objectives, network management, learning, and maturity. Four moderated focus groups hosted in each of two workshops in Hong Kong, are used to validate these themes. Each workshop typically comprised thematic focus group sessions in between introductory presentations and a plenary consolidation session. Findings - The findings indicate strong support for the comprehensive coverage, appropriateness and practical relevance of the key RIVANS themes. The findings also suggest that public sector clients and procuring agents need empowerment to provide adequate leadership and create the environmental contexts required in RIVANS. Research limitations/implications - The chosen research approach and context may temper the generalisability of the findings reported in this paper. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed RIVANS concepts in other contexts. Practical implications - Implications for the development of basic implementation templates for RIVANS are discussed. Originality/value - This paper responds to a clearly identified need for integrative value-based models of competitiveness in construction.