Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/04/2025
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join Nuclear @ McMaster for a special lecture on April 8th! Following opening remarks by Dr. John Preston, this presentation from Dr. Goran Calic explores the pivotal role that project management plays in nuclear power plant construction and showcases findings that challenge conventional narratives. Light refreshments will be offered before the presentation starts.

Date: Tuesday April 8

Time: 3pm-5pm

Location: ABB 163 AND Livestreamed online

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/WdDRVw1s5W

The talk will be livestreamed for those who can’t attend in person, but room capacity is limited.

The Burden of Organizational Experience: How Codification Creep Undermines Speed of Nuclear Power Plant Construction 

In the domain of nuclear power plant construction, the accumulation of experience is conventionally expected to yield reductions in construction duration. Contrary to this expectation, our research identifies a phenomenon we designate as codification creep, wherein greater experience with a standard reactor design results in longer nuclear power plant construction. Moreover, unexpected disruptions during construction have a magnified negative impact on the most experienced contractors. Our findings challenge conventional assumptions about learning curves in the construction of nuclear power plants.

More about Dr. Calic: 

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1580596

Dr. Goran Calic is currently the Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership at the DeGroote School of Business and a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School. He holds a PhD from Purdue University and an Honours degree from the University of Ottawa. His research interests are in innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability and his teaching interests are in innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic management.