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Prof Hedley Smyth
Emeritus Professor of Construction & Project Management
The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
Faculty of the Built Environment
- Joined UCL
- 5th May 2022
Research summary
Dr Smyth is the Director of Research and Director of Postgraduate Research, covering PhD and MPhil programmes. As Director of Research for the Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, he coordinates the Research Strategy, mentors and helps encourage research initiatives and bids. As Director for Postgraduate Research he organises admissions, supervision and seminars for MPhil and PhD students.
His theoretical interests focus around aspects of core competencies and social capital in the management of project enterprises and at the interface with the industrial network and its clients. Applied research focuses upon:
- Marketing and project business development,
- Relationship management, trust and confidence,
- Knowledge management,
- Organisational culture,
- Client and customer identification.
Dr Smyth has supervised 4 students who have successfully completed their studies. He currently is first supervisor for 4 doctoral students (August 2013): Joan Gutes – Trust in FM Organisations; Caroline Fabianski – Cultural Analysis of PPP/PFI Projects; Tony Fei Deng – Perforamnce Management Systems in Construction; Illona Kusuma – Interplay of Culture on Megaprojects.
He is second supervisor for 5 PhD students.
Teaching summary
Dr Smyth is responsible for the enterprise management stream of teaching and teaches on three Masters Programmes:
- MSc Construction, Economics and Management (CEM)
- MSc Project and Enterprise Management (PEM)
- MSc Strategic Management of Projects (SMP)
He is module leader for:
- PE08 Principles of Enterprise Management (Core Module for CEM & PEM)
- CM7 Managing Professional Practice (Option Module for CEM & PEM)
- PMF Marketing and Project Business Development (Option Module for CEM & PEM)
- GIM2 Relationships and Marketing (Core Module for SMP)
He is joint Module leader for:
- PMB The Construction Firm and Subcontractors (Joint Module Leader for the Option Module for CEM & PEM)
- PMA Capturing and Delivering Value (Joint Module Leader for the Option Module for CEM & PEM)
BE1 Supervision of Student Dissertations (Core for CEM, PEM and SMP)
He also teaches a number of undergraduate sessions each year.
Dr Smyth teaching interests include:
- Enterprise Strategy and Competitive Advantage of Project Orientated Companies: Strategy development, resource allocation, implementation.
- Core Competencies and Organisational Behaviour: Relationship management theory and the corporate-project interface; knowledge management and organisational learning, including: external provision and effective delivery at the client-contractor interface.
- Construction Economics: The linkage between investment, resource allocation, transaction costs and effectiveness, added value and service experience.
- Construction Marketing: Marketing theory and practice in projects in relation to strategy, competencies, transaction costs, procurement and business development.
- Procurement: Relational contracting and social capital.
Education
- Oxford Brookes University
- Other Postgraduate qualification (including professional), Certificate in Education | 1994
- University of Bristol
- Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy | 1982
- University of Sussex
- First Degree, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) | 1979
Biography
Dr Smyth is Director of Research and a Senior Lecturer in Construction and Project Management in the Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management.