I often get confused when I see questions or claims about the culture of the construction industry. Culture is not something that has been consciously chosen; it is a consequence of a myriad behaviours and habits.
I might be out on a limb here, but my view is that culture is not a cause, but an effect. It is an abstract concept that seems to represent a complex array of customs, conventions, and habits. Largely it is an undefined box into which we can pop things that are inexplicable.
As a question, it may be an invitation to people to talk about whatever they want to talk about. I tend not to think of culture in itself as an issue that can be planned or managed, even though it is certainly amenable to analysis and critique. In terms of realizing change in behaviours, though, it might be more important to focus on something tangible that we can inspire people to do (or to avoid doing). I am interested in what people mean by culture, but I do not see culture as an agent for change.
Examples of specific issues that could inform the potential for changing behaviours could be late payment, lack of rationality in decision-making, failures in leadership and establishing audit trails for liability and decisions… Take your pick!
My feeling is that culture is a very difficult approach to the agenda of transformation of behaviours in construction business practices.
Management and Economics in Construction 