MANAGING OF CONSTRUCTION-RELATED BUSINESSES IN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE WAYS - A FOCUSED REVIEW OF 62 CONCEPTS

misbe2011 Tracking Number 5

The on-going literature review has revealed a platform of the 62 construction-related business management (BM) concepts, published mainly via the journals between the years 1990-2009. The aim of this paper is to enhance the managing of construction-related businesses in highly environmentally sustainable ways. A focused review resulted in the expected findings, i.e. environmental sustainability is so far being taken into account only by the 8 (13%) BM concepts within the 62-concept population. Academic and practicing concept designers can incorporate sustainability into BM concepts as a dimension, an element, an attribute of managing, and/or a criterion in business decision making. In turn, sustainability is herein enhanced by designing a 5-element, high-sustainability BM concept. The five pioneering firms are used to highlight sustainable elements such as offerings with no negative impacts, business processes with minimal carbon footprints, core competitiveness nurturing based on sustainability foresights, business framing with high-sustainability rules, and dealings with sustainable collaborators. CIB related researchers can both individually and jointly incorporate sustainability in their existing and new BM concepts. It is envisioned that this reviewer be able to report on higher sustainability in managing by the year 2015. Keywords: Business management, construction, design, literature review, sustainability