Strategising in Complex Settings: An Exploratory Investigation of Strategic Planning Characteristics and Choice in Irish Construction Firms

The construction sector is highly complex due to the heterogeneity of output, sectoral fragmentation, and inextricable link to economic cyclicality. Despite contributing significantly to global economic growth, there remains a paucity of empirical investigation into how strategic decisions are made in firms operating within the sector. This exploratory research addresses the perceptible gap in existing knowledge of the strategic planning process characteristics and strategic choices made by construction contractor organizations in Ireland. A mixed-methods research strategy was employed for the research, combining an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive and inferential analysis was undertaken to determine the existence of a correlation between variables, and further depth of analysis was garnered through the qualitative analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews. Findings from this research confirm a correlation between organizational structure, size, type and experience with strategic planning approach, formality, flow and participation. The paper provides a theoretical contribution to determining strategy process characteristics and resulting choices in the construction sector; to practice in providing unique insight into competitive behavior and for education providers in informing curriculum content for capability building.