Infrastructure transitions towards sustainability: A complex adaptive systems perspective

被引：8
作者：
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, Locked Mail Bag 4, Coolangatta QLD 4225, Australia [1 ]
不详 [2 ]
不详 [3 ]
机构：
[1] School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, Coolangatta QLD 4225
[2] Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, Brisbane QLD 4001
[3] QUT Graduate School of Business, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 4001
来源：
Int. J. Sustainable Dev. | 2012年 / 1-2卷 / 54-71期
关键词：
Complex adaptive systems theory; Engineering asset management; Infrastructure delivery; Procurement; Sustainable infrastructure;
D O I：
10.1504/IJSD.2012.044034
中图分类号：
学科分类号：
摘要：
To ensure infrastructure assets are procured and maintained by government on behalf of citizens, appropriate policy and institutional architecture are needed, particularly if a fundamental shift to more sustainable infrastructure is the goal. The shift in recent years from competitive and resource-intensive procurement to more collaborative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure governance is considered a major transition in infrastructure procurement systems. In order to better understand this transition in infrastructure procurement arrangements, the concept of emergence from complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory is offered as a key construct. Emergence holds that micro interactions can result in emergent macro order. Applying the concept of emergence to infrastructure procurement, this research examines how interaction of agents in individual projects can result in different industry structural characteristics. The paper concludes that CAS theory, and particularly the concept of 'emergence', provides a useful construct to understand infrastructure procurement dynamics and progress towards sustainability. © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
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页码：54 / 71
页数：17
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