Anomalies and contradictions in an airport construction project: a historical analysis based on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory

Large construction projects involve the functioning of a complex activity system (AS) in network format. Anomalies such as accidents, delays, reworks, etc., can be explained by contradictions that emerge historically in the system. The aim of this study was to analyze the history of an airport construction project to understand the current contradictions and anomalies in the AS and how they emerged. A case study was conducted for this purpose, combining Collective Work Analysis, interviews, observations, and analysis of documents that provided the basis for sessions in the Change Laboratory, where a participant timeline was elaborated with the principal events during the construction project. Based on the timeline, a historical analysis of the airport's AS revealed critical historical events and contradictions that explained the anomalies that occurred during the project. The analysis showed that the airport had been planned for construction with politically determined deadlines that were insufficient and inconsistent with the project's complexity. The choice of the contract modality, which assigned responsibility to a joint venture for all of the project's phases, was another critical historical event, because it allowed launching the construction before a definitive executive project had been drafted. There were also different cultures in companies working together for the first time in the context of a project with time pressures and outsourcing of activities without the necessary coordination. Identifying these contradictions and their historical origins proved essential for understanding the current situation and efforts to prevent similar situations in the future.