A new perspective paper published in Engineering calls on construction organizations to move beyond a zero-tolerance mindset toward errors and adopt an error management approach that treats unintentional action errors as inevitable and valuable for organizational learning and innovation. The paper emphasizes that action errors, defined as unintended deviations from plans, goals, or adequate feedback processing as well as incorrect actions resulting from lack of knowledge, are unavoidable in construction work, yet the sector widely holds the belief that all errors can and should be eliminated. This zero-tolerance orientation, centered on strict error prevention and punitive responses, risks stifling organizational learning, innovation, and profitability, while discouraging transparent error reporting and hiding systemic problems that enable mistakes.
The authors clarify that action errors differ from intentional violations and judgment-related errors, arising at individual, team, and organizational levels with distinct causes and implications. Individual errors often stem from slips, lapses, or skill-related mistakes; team errors emerge from communication breakdowns and coordination flaws; and organizational errors are rooted in flawed structures, policies, and cultures that increase failure risks across lower levels. A single individual error can escalate into costly project failures when unaddressed by weak team processes and unsupported organizational systems, with consequences amplified by fear of blame and underreporting. In contrast, organizations outside construction have long embraced errors as learning opportunities, a practice the paper argues can be adapted to improve resilience and performance in construction.
Error management, as outlined in the paper, acknowledges errors as inevitable and focuses on open communication, timely detection, shared knowledge, collaborative analysis, and effective resolution rather than blame, with the ultimate aims of learning from mistakes to reduce their future occurrence and mitigating their negative impacts. This approach requires psychological safety, where workers can report mistakes without punishment, and collective responsibility for anticipating and addressing risks. The paper notes that some large construction projects, such as Australia's Level Crossing Removal Project, have implemented integrated error management systems with no-blame cultures and digital platforms for real-time error data sharing, showing potential to reduce rework compared with traditional delivery models.
The paper identifies gaps in empirical research on action errors in construction, including limited data on their nature, frequency, causes, and full costs, as well as a lack of systematic studies on how to build and sustain error management cultures in the sector. It highlights the need for future inquiry into cultivating such cultures, integrating error prevention and management practices, and identifying effective leadership styles to support positive error-oriented outcomes. The paper concludes that shifting to a constructive error orientation can enhance adaptive capacity and long-term performance in construction organizations, though further empirical evidence is needed to validate these benefits.
The paper "Moving Beyond a Zero Tolerance Mindset: Embracing Action Errors in Construction," is authored by Peter E.D. Love, Jane Matthews, Weili Fang. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.10.018
