11. Examining Organizational Culture Within Professional Engineering Asset Management Firms: The Competing Values Framework

This paper reviews the extant literature about engineering asset management (EAM), which highlights that organizational and cultural change may be required to develop effective asset management practices. As such, this study uses the competing value framework (CVF) and professional theories to reposition the role of professional and organizational culture and support changes in the workplace practices of engineers working in asset management organizations. In particular, a process is proposed for assessing the current organizational culture of asset management firms to determine whether the environment is conducive for supporting improvements in the overall asset management performance. The methods suggested in this paper include interviews and the development of a survey instrument, comprising the OCAI and other relevant questions about EAM employees’ work practices. This tool is yet to be tested and applied to examine organizational culture within a professional asset management context. The evidence-based information from this study can be used by management to identify current and preferred work practices. In particular, the information is used to identify whether and what change is required to maximize employees’ performance. The study expects to identify new information about best work practices required to support the successful implementation of asset management practices. This information can be used as a platform to provide evidence-based strategies for realigning organizational goals with the goals of the individual employees to improve asset management capability.