Delineating the Implications of Dispersing Teams and Teleworking in an Agile UK Construction Sector

Burton, Ed and Edwards, David J. and Roberts, Chris and Chileshe, Nicholas and Lai, Joseph H. K. (2021) Delineating the Implications of Dispersing Teams and Teleworking in an Agile UK Construction Sector. Sustainability, 13 (17). p. 9981. ISSN 2071-1050

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Abstract

A scientometric analysis of extant literature is conducted to elucidate upon the practicality of teleworking throughout industry as a prelude to prescribing a bespoke conceptual adoption model that embeds innovative digital technologies to facilitate teleworking for construction professionals. The model is premised upon the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) work stages and illustrates how technologies are being used at each incremental stage. An interpretivist philosophy and inductive reasoning were adopted using a sample of longitudinal secondary data contained within pertinent extant literature, where each publication constitutes a unit of analysis. The qualitative scientometric software VOSviewer and Voyant Tools were utilised to examine emergent research trends, with further manual review of prominent papers contained within the sample dataset. Four distinct historical advances are delineated in a timeline that describes the evolution of home working from the 1970s through to the present day (and during the global COVID-19 pandemic). Key milestones delineated indicate how technological advances have created new opportunities for teleworking. The research indicates that an acceleration of digital advances has engendered modernity in contemporary work location patterns and that these offer potentials to reduce the environmental impact of anthropogenic activities. This unique study highlights how COVID-19 and available digital technologies have shaped the future of teleworking from home and the potential environmental impact of such. This concludes by signposting directions for future research into the adoption of teleworking at the organisational level and establishing the cost and environmental savings to businesses from abandoning the traditional model of employer-based working

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.3390/su13179981
Dates:	Date Event 3 September 2021 Accepted 6 September 2021 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	teleworking; construction industry; scientometric analysis
Subjects:	CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional)
Divisions:	Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > College of Built Environment
Depositing User:	David Edwards
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2021 10:04
Last Modified:	20 Jun 2024 11:45
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12257

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