New leadership patterns in construction

In Finland the environment of the construction industry has changed dramatically and competition is harder than ever before. Therefore construction firms must improve quality, raise productivity and reduce costs. The firms can avoid erosion of its competitive advantage through a reconfiguration of their internal competence. This can be achieved through a recognition of the fact that the essence of leadership is widely available to all employees. In this paper leadership is defined as the process of moving a team into a desired direction. Quality circles are examined as a means of increasing employees direct influence on their work.