Abstract
Construction projects are known to be complex, due to being subject to uncertainty and variability. The use of buffers to protect them from the detrimental impact of variability has been well-researched. A key managerial choice is not whether or not to buffer variability, but rather how to define the necessary combination of buffers. Slack is a concept related to buffers but has been used in the literature to describe a broader range of strategies for coping with complexity. It allows an organisation to adapt to internal pressures for adjustment or to external pressures for change in policy. This paper aims to further develop the concept of slack and to unveil its relationships with other concepts and ideas that are partly overlapping such as buffers, resilience, robustness, flexibility, and redundancy. A concept map was devised in order to articulate the nature of the slack concept. This paper explores in detail this concept map and proposes a conceptual role for slack in the realm of Lean.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Proceedings of 29th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) |
Subtitle of host publication | Lean Construction in Crisis Times: Responding to the Post-Pandemic AEC Industry Challenges |
Editors | Luis Fernando Alarcon, Vincente A. Gonzalez, Danny Murgula, Xavier Brioso |
Place of Publication | Lima |
Publisher | The International Group for Lean Construction |
Pages | 187-196 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISBN (Print) | 9786124802546 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 14 Jul 2021 |
Event | 29th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Virtual Duration: 14 Jul 2021 → 17 Jul 2021 Conference number: 29 https://www.iglc.net/Home/ActiveConference |
Publication series
Name | Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction |
---|---|
Publisher | International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) |
ISSN (Print) | 2309-0979 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2789-0015 |
Conference
Conference | 29th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction |
---|---|
Abbreviated title | IGLC2021 |
City | Virtual |
Period | 14/07/21 → 17/07/21 |
Internet address |