Zeitschrift für Stahlkonstruktionen und Konstruktion

The Role of Systems Thinking in Integrating Innovation in Construction with a Journey Towards Sustainable Development

Abstract

Corina Shika Kwami

The economic environment has altered due to globalisation. It establishes new links across national economies and denationalises access to data, technology, expertise, markets, and inancial resources. A national sector or economy now has two distinct ways to compete in global markets: By developing more advanced technology, which may or may not be introduced irst in niche markets and by implementing costcutting strategies that entail increased economies of scale, the elimination of labour and frequently ignoring health, safety and environmental risks. Others have warned about a "race to the bottom" and an ever-increasing desire to trade on environmental (and labour) externalities, while some have claimed that globalisation also raises the need for stronger protective environmental and labour policies globally