For good measure? A discourse analysis of social value in the UK nuclear decommissioning sector

Mulholland, Cara and Chan, Paul W (2017) For good measure? A discourse analysis of social value in the UK nuclear decommissioning sector. In: 15th Engineering Project Organization Conference, 5 June 2017 - 7 June 2017, Stanford Sierra Camp, California, United States.

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Abstract

The nuclear sector is characterised by large, complex engineering technologies involving a myriad of stakeholders both locally and nationally with oftentimes competing and contradictory needs. As such, the UK nuclear decommissioning programme now must respond to the Public Services (Social Value) Act, 2012, intended to align social objectives alongside the technological and economic. This paper explores discourse as a space for the emergence and construction of social value. Attention was placed on documentation found in the public domain to examine how ‘social value’ is presented through its discourse documentation A total of 294 texts from the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, consisting of online publications and blog posts, were included in the analytical sample, providing snapshots of discourse engaging with their stakeholders as they undertook work on decommissioning and site remediation. This work is significant in demonstrating how a megaproject can broaden the understanding of complex social issues with alternative methods, contributing to the understanding of social value arguing it is a discursive practice that existed previously in different forms. The paper raises questions of how organisations navigate through the multiplex of relationships, unpacking the motives behind the actions that reinforce the social value agenda.