Held at Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

September 23 - 26, 2007

To understand procurement policy, process and practice issues researchers are crossing disciplinary boundaries. Procurement is underpinned by the organisational strategy which brings together multidisciplinary teams at all levels in the supply chain. This conference seeks to explore research and practice intersections between the traditional internal built environment disciplines (architecture, construction management, construction economics, property, facilities management) and the external traditional humanities disciplines (economics, business, sociology, law, design, linguistics, management).

Researchers tend to borrow, hybridise and develop new common ground. Disciplines carry images of being static, controlled, rigorous, conservative and well grounded but can also be too specialised, lack real world applicability, simplistic, rigid and lacking in innovation. Interdisciplinarity carries connotations of and is valued as being dynamic, flexible, liberal and innovative and yet can be vague, lacking in 'discipline' and rigour. How do researchers develop greater insight and capacity to understand procurement issues through interdisciplinary practice and observing multidisciplinary problems?

Conference Themes

* Interdisciplinary context and discourse

* Interdisciplinary patterns of study: borrowing, hybridisation and common ground

* Interdisciplinary intersections: ontology, epistemology, methodology, modelling and methods

Topics: Policy, process and practice

* International Procurement: working across space, time and physical boundaries

* Built Environment Professionals: new professionals arising from intersections of disciplines

* Project delivery: working within multidisciplinary teams

* SMEs: social, cultural and economic influencing factors on design, construction and management firms

* Technology and systems: 'others' involved in the designing, constructing, procuring and managing of built assets through technology and systems

* Supply chain procurement: projects crystallise various supply chains linking diverse firm types

Keynote Speakers

* Professor Roger Flanagan, Reading University

* Professor Steven Kelman, Harvard University

Posted by pichu at September 23, 2007 3:04 PM