Associate Professor
Karen Manley

Biography

Dr Manley currently leads three large research projects in the construction management area. These projects are funded by industry partners and the Australian Research Council. They comprise (1) collaborative contracting for public infrastructure provision, (2) innovative products for road construction, and (3) manufactured housing for improved sustainability outcomes. Dr Manley has also recently held the positions of Director of Higher Degree Research Students in the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment; and Co-Chair of the Program Committee for the CIB World Building Congress. She was formerly Research Program Leader at QUT’s Project Management Academy. She specialises in analysis of innovation and industry growth. Her most influential work focuses on Australia’s industrial structure and project management performance in a variety of industries, including the construction industry. Her research has had a significant impact on Australian public policy. At the same time, her academic contributions to international debate have advanced our understanding of the challenges facing project-based industries. She has produced over 100 internationally refereed journal and conference papers, seven book chapters and over 30 specialist industry reports. She is in high demand for industry presentations and receives many invitations to speak each year from construction industry stakeholders across Australia. She has won numerous research grants amounting to over $1.5m. Over the past few years, Dr Manley has conducted extensive research in the following areas:

• relational contracting to improve trust and knowledge flows
• client competence as a determinant of project performance
• drivers of best practice in project-based industries
• interactive innovation systems
• small firm contributions to construction projects
• business strategies supporting construction innovation