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Do actors’ incentives obstruct sector-wide long-term productivity in the design and production of bridges in Sweden?
Chalmers University of Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0239-8150
Chalmers University of Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8141-9759
NTNU.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4604-8299
Chalmers University of Technology.
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2025 (English)In: Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, ISSN 1392-3730, E-ISSN 1822-3605, Vol. 30, no 1, p. 85-96Article in journal (Other academic) Published
Abstract [sv]

En ökad produktivitet är nödvändig för att minska de ekonomiska kostnaderna i broprojekt. Tidigare forskning visar att produktiviteten i byggsektorn har minskat sedan 1960-talet. En kvantitativ studie genomfördes för att undersöka hur incitamenten hos de tre huvudsakliga aktörerna – beställare, entreprenör och projekterande ingenjör – kan utgöra hinder för långsiktig produktivitet i den svenska brobyggnadsindustrin. Studien genomfördes som en självadministrerad enkät och fick 151 svar. Resultaten visar att entreprenörernas medarbetare anser att vinst i ett enskilt projekt är viktigare än företagets vinst över tid. Därmed motverkar projektens incitament innovation och standardisering, vilket skulle kunna gynna framtida projekt och därigenom öka den långsiktiga produktiviteten och företagets lönsamhet över tid. Till skillnad från entreprenörerna värderar projekterande ingenjörer och beställare företagets långsiktiga lönsamhet högre än vinst i ett enskilt projekt, och de ser kvaliteten på levererade produkter som den viktigaste faktorn för ökad långsiktig produktivitet.

Abstract [en]

An increase in productivity is necessary to reduce economic costs in bridge projects. Previous research indicates that construction productivity has decreased since the 1960s. A quantitative study was performed to find out how the incentives of the three major actors (client, contractor, and design engineer) could be obstacles to long-term productivity in the Swedish bridge construction industry. The study was performed as a self-completed questionnaire and received 151 responses. The results show that the contractors’ employees find profit in a single project more important than the company’s profit over time. Thus, the project´s incentives obstruct innovation and standardization, which could benefit future projects and thereby increase long-term productivity and the company’s profit over time. In contrast to contractors, design engineers and clients value company profit more than profit in a single project, and they value the quality of delivered products as the most important factor for increased long-term productivity.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2025. Vol. 30, no 1, p. 85-96
Keywords [en]
productivity, incentives, obstacles, early contractor involvement, design-build, design-bid-build
Keywords [sv]
Byggande, Forskning & innovation, Infrastruktur, Bygga
National Category
Infrastructure Engineering Construction Management
Research subject
FOI-portföljer, Bygga
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:trafikverket:diva-22372DOI: 10.3846/jcem.2024.22720OAI: oai:DiVA.org:trafikverket-22372DiVA, id: diva2:2099392
Projects
Industriell konstruktion, upphandling och produktion av byggnadsverk och andra tekniska detaljer
Funder
Swedish Transport Administration, TRV 2020/65121Available from: 2026-09-08 Created: 2026-09-08 Last updated: 2026-09-08

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Do actors’ incentives obstruct sector-wide long-term productivity in the design and production of bridges in Sweden?(3148 kB)16 downloads
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Lagerkvist, JohanBosch-Sijtsema, PetraLaedre, OlaRempling, Rasmus
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Citation style
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