Cynthia Lee is currently a Senior Lecturer in Quantity Surveying with the London South Bank University. Her academia career started when she worked as a Research Assistant with the Department of Building and Natural Environment in Glasgow Caledonian Univesity in 2003. Upon obtaining her PhD in 2008 from Glasgow Caledonian University, she worked briefly as a Cost Manager with Turner & Townsend LLP.
She graduated with distinction from the MSc IT Management in Construction course from the University of Salford and has been actively involved with academic activities at the university as a Student Ambassador, Mentor for the Excellence Challenge Mentoring Project and Student representative for postgraduates in the Staff and Student Committee.
She worked in building maintenance and as a quantity surveyor on a variety of construction projects in Singapore. Her experience in the construction industry includes all aspects of quantity surveying; providing feasibility studies, pre and post-contract services and contract administration. Additionally, she is also a probation member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Her recent research project looks at an interactive approach to teaching quantity surveying measurement.
In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers... more In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e.
collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with
potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge
management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of
knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations,
with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related
organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these
organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper presents and discusses some of the findings from an on-going
18-months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research
project adopts the use of IT in assisting SMEs to build their knowledge assets through
capturing their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the
participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In
addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be
highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for
practice and for academia are documented.
ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it ... more ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it is necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations, with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order to stay competitive. This paper attempts to present and discuss some of the findings from an on-going 18- months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research project adopts a simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for practice and for academia are documented.
Early career experience can play a significant part in lifelong professional capability and the s... more Early career experience can play a significant part in lifelong professional capability and the support and knowledge gained during the early years of graduate employment can influence future career direction and success. Whilst there are prescribed models of graduate development relative to the surveying professions, for example, those relating to the Assessment of Professional Competence utilised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), there has been little evaluation in terms of their relative contribution to career success. Through the use of a questionnaire survey, the issue of learning and development for new graduates in their early career, the extent to which new graduates perceive themselves to be competent in various major quantity surveying activities and correspondingly, the range of graduate training provided by the employer were explored. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that: new graduates exhibit a high level of self-doubt in professional competence; task competence is influenced by frequency of application, years of postgraduate experience and the mode of study taken by graduates in entering the QS profession. There is a difference between training received by graduates working for consultant and contracting employers. Graduates who enter the QS profession via full-time study tend to receive more training from their employers compared to graduates who entered the QS profession through part-time study.
The conventional approach in teaching ‘Measurement’ module involves the lecturer trying to explai... more The conventional approach in teaching ‘Measurement’ module involves the lecturer trying to explain the construction technology on a drawing, the prescriptive set of rules and showing students the measurement (also called taking-off) process to quantify the work. Little technology, other than the use of PowerPoint to illustrate the drawings, is adopted to teach ‘Measurement’ module. This paper investigates the use of video and interactive PowerPoint as a teaching method to present anatomic information to aid learning and enable students to acquire the skills to measure and define construction works. Questionnaires were used as an instrument for measuring varying degrees of respondents’ opinion of using video and interactive PowerPoint as a tool to support students’ learning. Research findings indicated that the teaching methods have helped the delivery of the module more efficiently, students’ learning experience was enriched and students were able to understand the module better. However, skills required for interpreting construction drawings has to be developed separately. As the quantity surveying programme is one which requires a lot of drawings to illustrate the construction process and to aid students to grasp the subject, the use of video and interactive PowerPoint would be of great benefit and help in supporting students’ learning in their own time.
In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers... more In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e.
collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with
potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge
management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of
knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations,
with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related
organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these
organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper presents and discusses some of the findings from an on-going
18-months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research
project adopts the use of IT in assisting SMEs to build their knowledge assets through
capturing their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the
participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In
addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be
highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for
practice and for academia are documented.
ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it ... more ABSTRACT: With the increasing pressure for competitiveness on the construction organisations, it is necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented; promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations, with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order to stay competitive. This paper attempts to present and discuss some of the findings from an on-going 18- months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research project adopts a simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for practice and for academia are documented.
Early career experience can play a significant part in lifelong professional capability and the s... more Early career experience can play a significant part in lifelong professional capability and the support and knowledge gained during the early years of graduate employment can influence future career direction and success. Whilst there are prescribed models of graduate development relative to the surveying professions, for example, those relating to the Assessment of Professional Competence utilised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), there has been little evaluation in terms of their relative contribution to career success. Through the use of a questionnaire survey, the issue of learning and development for new graduates in their early career, the extent to which new graduates perceive themselves to be competent in various major quantity surveying activities and correspondingly, the range of graduate training provided by the employer were explored. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that: new graduates exhibit a high level of self-doubt in professional competence; task competence is influenced by frequency of application, years of postgraduate experience and the mode of study taken by graduates in entering the QS profession. There is a difference between training received by graduates working for consultant and contracting employers. Graduates who enter the QS profession via full-time study tend to receive more training from their employers compared to graduates who entered the QS profession through part-time study.
The conventional approach in teaching ‘Measurement’ module involves the lecturer trying to explai... more The conventional approach in teaching ‘Measurement’ module involves the lecturer trying to explain the construction technology on a drawing, the prescriptive set of rules and showing students the measurement (also called taking-off) process to quantify the work. Little technology, other than the use of PowerPoint to illustrate the drawings, is adopted to teach ‘Measurement’ module. This paper investigates the use of video and interactive PowerPoint as a teaching method to present anatomic information to aid learning and enable students to acquire the skills to measure and define construction works. Questionnaires were used as an instrument for measuring varying degrees of respondents’ opinion of using video and interactive PowerPoint as a tool to support students’ learning. Research findings indicated that the teaching methods have helped the delivery of the module more efficiently, students’ learning experience was enriched and students were able to understand the module better. However, skills required for interpreting construction drawings has to be developed separately. As the quantity surveying programme is one which requires a lot of drawings to illustrate the construction process and to aid students to grasp the subject, the use of video and interactive PowerPoint would be of great benefit and help in supporting students’ learning in their own time.
Uploads
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e.
collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with
potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge
management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of
knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations,
with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related
organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these
organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper presents and discusses some of the findings from an on-going
18-months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research
project adopts the use of IT in assisting SMEs to build their knowledge assets through
capturing their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the
participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In
addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be
highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for
practice and for academia are documented.
necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects
to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented;
promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for
one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate
new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected,
structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the
wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the
market. However, the increasing attention of knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very
large multinational organisations, with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at
construction-related organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of
SMEs, these organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper attempts to present and discuss some of the findings from an on-going 18-
months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research project adopts a
simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the
significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge
accessible to a wider audience. In addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture
process will be highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for practice and for
academia are documented.
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e.
collected, structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with
potential benefits to the wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge
management tools and solutions on the market. However, the increasing attention of
knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very large multinational organisations,
with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at construction-related
organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of SMEs, these
organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper presents and discusses some of the findings from an on-going
18-months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research
project adopts the use of IT in assisting SMEs to build their knowledge assets through
capturing their learning experiences, explicate the significant knowledge embedded in the
participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In
addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture process will be
highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for
practice and for academia are documented.
necessary to capture, transfer and reuse project knowledge and use lessons learned from previous projects
to improve project performance. Much of construction work is project-based, short-term and task-oriented;
promoting a culture where continuous learning is inhibited. Specialist and technical knowledge is lost for
one project to the next and arguably stifling an organisation’s ability to develop knowledge and generate
new ideas. In this knowledge driven global economy, knowledge itself can be seen as a commodity that
offers the only ‘true sustainable competitive edge’. If knowledge is effectively managed i.e. collected,
structured and disseminated, it will bring significant benefit to organisations, with potential benefits to the
wider construction industry. There are a plethora of knowledge management tools and solutions on the
market. However, the increasing attention of knowledge management is unsurprisingly targeted at very
large multinational organisations, with little at the small medium enterprises (SMEs); and even less at
construction-related organisations. With over 99% of the construction industry in the UK made up of
SMEs, these organisations are in need of knowledge management just as much as large enterprises in order
to stay competitive. This paper attempts to present and discuss some of the findings from an on-going 18-
months project, funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The research project adopts a
simple and yet robust approach in assisting SMEs to capture their learning experiences, explicate the
significant knowledge embedded in the participants’ experiences; and transform it into knowledge
accessible to a wider audience. In addition, the challenges participants face in their knowledge capture
process will be highlighted. The paper will also reflect on the role of information technology (IT) in
knowledge capture and communication in SMEs. Conclusions and recommendations for practice and for
academia are documented.