On June 30th, 2018, the first Chinese Construction Management Research International forum was held at 9:30 am in conference room 210, School of Construction Management and Real Estate, Chongqing University. The initiator of this conference is the Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management and the organizer is the School of Construction Management and Real Estate, Chongqing University.

This international forum was supported by the members of Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management. They presented international research frontiers, research methodology and new perspectives in construction management field.

Three keynote speakers professor Shen Liyin, professor Patrick Zou and professor Roger-Bruno RICHARD gave us a speech in this international forum.

Professor Shen Liyin---Research Future for Construction Management

Professor Shen Liyin predicted and elucidated the research future of construction management from three aspects, namely, need for disciplined research leaders, need for research,and address challenging research questions from new perspectives.

Firstly, need for disciplined research leaders. Professor Shen pointed out that CRIOCM provided disciplined research leaders who could bring disciplined outcomes. Furthermore, he emphasized the disciplined research leaders needed beliefs and values, research visions, confidence of research career, research attitudes, international perspectives, strong leadership sense for research, and passion for research.

Secondly, need for research. He explained what a research team is, how to build a research team, and how to sustain team research.

Lastly, address challenging research questions from new perspectives. Professor Shen introduced the development of construction management theories along with time. At first, the scientific management in the 1900s was transformed into human relation management in the 1930s, systems approach in the 1950s, Contingency management in the 1970s, and then the Information management in the 1990s. Professor Shen also demonstrated construction management from the perspectives of project, human, enterprise, industry, and government.

The next section was Q & A (question and answer) discussion. Guests and students here had a heated discussion on how to understand disciplines and how to foster the leadership and communicate with other members in a team.

Professor Shen answered that the development of organization is a natural process. Patrick added that leadership has two meanings, one is leading the entire organization and another is leading a new generation of young scholars.

Professor Patrick Zou---Construction Management Research Methodology

Professor Zou made a wonderful report on the research methodology in construction management area. Firstly, he pointed out that research is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to increase understanding of a phenomenon. Research has some characteristics. For example, it originates from a research question or problem and requires clear connection of a research goal, etc.

Then, he introduced typical research processes which include identifying research problem, determining research aim and objectives, reviewing literature, developing model or hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and discussing results and findings. As for research methodology, Professor Zou indicated that there are two main philosophical assumptions in social research. One is ontology and the other is epistemology. Ontological questions are concerned with the nature of social entities under investigation. There are two contrasting ontological positions, which are objectivism and constructivism. Epistemology questions are the process of understanding the social phenomena and exchanging the knowledge to others. Subsequently, Professor Zou explained differences between quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research methodology typically tries to establish relationships among variables in a numerical way by using standardized instruments. Contrast to quantitative research, qualitive research develops interpretive narratives from its data in an effort to capture the complexity of social phenomena. At last, professor Zou discussed with the teachers and schoolmates on research methodology.

Professor Roger-Bruno RICHARD---Industrialised Building Systems: Construction Management perspective

Professor Roger-Bruno claimed that generic organization(s) aggregated a market large enough to amortize processes capable of simplifying the production in order to deliver affordable products (buildings). The goal of industrialization is to achieve more efficient and economic production. The end product is not a building but an Industrialized Building System. Finally, he talked about the industrialized BLDG system being sustainability.

The First Chinese Construction Management Research International forum ended up successful.