34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0108

The contents-procedures-human relationships triad: reconceptualizing Lean implementation

Maggie Y. Gao1, Damian L. Balingit2, Bak Koon Teoh3 & Robert L. K. Tiong4

1Research Associate, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0006-2523-7604
2Engineer, Commuter Facilities Management, Land Transport Authority, Singapore, [email protected]
3Senior Lecturer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-7513-4279
4Associate Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-0291-9534

Abstract

Despite widespread Lean Construction adoption, implementation success remains inconsistent. This study investigates reciprocal influences among three project management domains—Contents (specific requirements), Procedures (systematic methodologies), and Human Relationships (interpersonal dynamics)—to explain persistent Lean implementation challenges. Mixed-methods research combining surveys (n=21) and interviews (n=22) with Singapore construction professionals examined cross-domain interactions integrating Lean thinking with traditional project management constraints. Results suggest hierarchical influence patterns: Technical contents appear to exert strong, deterministic influence on procedures, with procedures reciprocally constraining technical design through operational realities. However, critical asymmetry emerges regarding Human Relationships, enabling technical and procedural effectiveness through trust, communication quality, and collaborative norms. Conversely, technical sophistication and procedural rigor demonstrate weak influence on relational development, indicating Contents and Procedures cannot autonomously generate the collaborative culture Lean requires. Interview analysis identified relational dysfunction rather than technical inadequacy as primary implementation failure mode, while communication breakdowns prevented collaborative planning, authentic commitment-making, and honest waste identification despite technically correct tool deployment. This research empirically grounds Human Relationships as an enabling foundation requiring deliberate cultivation, challenging technical determinism in construction management practice. Effective Lean implementation requires establishing collaborative culture before deploying technical tools, necessitating reconceptualized approaches prioritizing relational development alongside technical and procedural refinement.

Keywords

Human relationships, asymmetric influence, relational capabilities, project management, Lean Construction.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Gao, M. Y., Balingit, D. L., Teoh, B. K. & Tiong, R. L. K.. (2026). The contents-procedures-human relationships triad: reconceptualizing Lean implementation. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 922–933). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0108

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Gao, M. Y., Balingit, D. L., Teoh, B. K. & Tiong, R. L. K.. (2026). The contents-procedures-human relationships triad: reconceptualizing Lean implementation. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0108

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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