University News Last updated 29 January 2009
Who ever heard of a construction company having a philosopher? Construction seems to be the most distant of any discipline from any notion of philosophy. However, building bosses are being urged to swap their hard hats for thinking caps in a bid to work outside the box during challenging economic times.
As part of the radical and unusual Philosopher in Residence research project Dr. Mark Addis, Reader in Philosophy and David Boyd, Professor of Construction at Birmingham City University have teamed up with three construction companies.
The project, a £34,000 Knowledge Transfer Fellowship grant, is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The AHRC provides funding from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance.
Dr Addis and Professor Boyd are working with Mouchel, Thomas Vale Construction and Rider Levett Bucknall. Under the scheme they will cast a critical eye over the practices of the companies and will regularly meet the firms to help them develop their ideas about practice. Philosophical conceptions about expertise will be used to improve the handling of knowledge and practice in the companies.
Dr Addis said: "We appreciate that these are difficult times for the construction industry but we are confident that this project will encourage a new approach and thinking which will give companies a business edge in these challenging times.
"By using philosophical ideas to look at managing knowledge and practice differently companies could use their resources more effectively and improve business performance."
Professor Boyd added: "Construction is a rich environment which uses expertise at a variety of levels. Those in the industry are continually being told to modify their knowledge and thinking in order to change practice in construction.
"This project will help these companies to do this, and also demonstrate and share their expertise with others in the industry. This will also give us a greater understanding of how philosophy can be used in the workplace."