Future challenges in construction management: Creating cultural change through education

The next wave of industrial development will necessarily incorporate the adoption and utilisation of innovative technological processes and developments, and see the emergence of highly environment demands a responsive and dynamic construction industry with the diversity to cope with and initiate change, that is capable of employing a range of approaches to the procurement and delivery of construction projects. This will necessitate a much stronger emphasis on innovation than ever before and this must start in the Construction Management Schools. Education is the key and fresh approaches in education need to be developed. The suggestions made in this paper are based on an extensive study of the Australian Construction Industry and the following issues are discussed in this paper, in terms of how the education process can create cultural change and foster innovation in the construction industry.