An institutional analysis of how the construction industry's complexity affects waste: an alternative response to future market demands for sustainability

As a main consumer of resources and an important economic driver, supranational authorities (UN/EU) are expecting the construction industry to address sustainability issues, making the construction process an extremely complex activity. A response to this complexity is often expressed through technologies, strategies, and organizations. However, the effect of waste, defects, and failures affecting both productivity and sustainability has increased due to e.g. tough competition, temporary exchanges and individual utility maximization. This has been discussed for many years, where knowledge on the institutional causes for waste is still needed to qualify and target future initiatives stressing the 'Build Back Wiser' theme. We analytically address the waste phenomenon through a lens of institutional theory and a mixed-method inquiry; interviews, literature search and index data linking societal expectations and industry responses. We contribute with understandings on how strategic partnerships can be a response to supranational authorities and future market demands for sustainability.