Effect of Interorganizational Teamwork on Project Outcome

Many empirical studies have examined factors leading to project success, and project participants' satisfaction on project performance. However, few of them reported how the participants felt about their jobs in the projects. This study aimed to explore the relationships among overall project performance, interorganization teamwork, project participants' job satisfaction, and their personal views on the design∕build (D∕B) procurement method. Bivariate correlation analysis of data provided by 53 participants of public-sector projects through a questionnaire survey was conducted. The findings reveal that if interorganizational teamwork is fostered in D∕B projects, (1) successful project performance could result; (2) project participants would develop a positive view of the D∕B procurement method; and (3) their job satisfaction would be higher. Researchers and practitioners are advised to focus not only on the functional aspects of project performance, but also on the human aspects. More empirical studies on interorganizational teamwork should be undertaken.     

Critical Factors Affecting Schedule Performance: Evidence from Indian Construction Projects

Over 40% of Indian construction projects are facing time overrun ranging from 1 to 252 months; the reasons for which are being studied by researchers to suggest possible remedial measures. This paper identifies 55 attributes responsible for impacting performance of the projects. These attributes were then presented to Indian construction professionals in the form of a questionnaire. Statistical analysis of responses on the attributes segregated them into distinct sets of success attributes and failure attributes. Factor analysis of sets of success attributes and failure attributes separately grouped them into six critical success factors and seven critical failure factors. In order to understand the extent of contribution these factors have on the outcome of a construction project, a second stage questionnaire survey was also undertaken. The analyses of responses of the second stage questionnaire led us to conclude that two success factors and one failure factor: commitment of project participants; owner’s competence; and conflict among project participants contribute significantly in enhancement of current performance level of the project. The extent of their contribution has, however, been observed to vary for a given level of project performance. The analyses results are expected to help project professionals to focus on a few factors and get the optimum results rather than giving attention to all the factors and not getting the proportionate results.     

Determinants of International Architectural, Engineering, and Construction Firms’ Project Success in China

As China becomes a member of the World Trade Organization, many international architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are undertaking or expected to undertake projects there. This study identifies the significant factors that contribute to the successful performance of projects undertaken by international AEC firms in China. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from foreign (non-Chinese) AEC firms that have completed projects in China. Personal interviews with 27 experts were also conducted to supplement and test the survey findings. The findings reveal that the variable that affects the most number of success measures is the AEC firm’s ability to understand the client’s requirement. Achieving this brings about good project quality performance and owner satisfaction. Furthermore, firms that have superior product or service quality would also achieve better project performance. The interviewees also exhorted the importance of having core competencies as a critical success factor for projects in China. Practitioners may use the findings to help them manage their projects in China, so as to achieve higher levels of success.     

Demystifying Moderate Variables of the Interrelationships among Affective Commitment, Job Performance, and Job Satisfaction of Construction Professionals

Project goals expressed in terms of time, cost, and quality requirements are seldom disputed. However, it is not easy to ensure that the defined goals will be implemented by all parties involved in the implementation process as goal commitment is one of the key variables in project success and participant satisfaction in construction projects. In order to ensure professional commitment in the management process and optimize construction performance in the complex situation, it is necessary to identify the moderate variables and clarify the interactions among affective commitment, job performance, and job satisfaction of construction professionals. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Hong Kong. Both correlation analysis and hierarchical regression models were applied. The results revealed that both job acceptance/contribution and specificity/teamwork are moderate variables influencing the relationships between affective commitment and job performance and between job performance and job satisfaction. A series of conditional relationships is revealed in detail in this study and some suggestions, such as formal briefing sessions, regular formal meeting, and value engineering workshop, are recommended.     

Factors Affecting Construction Project Outcomes: Case Study of Vietnam

Due to the demand for built products from foreign investors and the growing economy, Vietnam’s construction industry experiences strong growth. While some of the construction projects are successfully executed, others faced difficulties. The aim of this study is to examine the factors that lead to successful outcomes in construction projects in Vietnam. Using the case study research design, three successful projects and another three unsuccessful projects were investigated. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with several project participants in each project and archival data. The results show that major enablers that lead to project success are foreign experts’ involvement in the project, government officials inspecting the project, and very close supervision when new construction techniques are employed. A factor which leads to poor performance is the lack of accurate data on soil, weather, and traffic conditions. The findings may be useful to construction professionals operating in Vietnam to put in place factors that can lead to good project performance. For foreign practitioners entering Vietnam’s market, the study may assist them in focusing on the more important factors to achieve good project outcomes.     

Framework of Success Criteria for Design/Build Projects

Success has always been the ultimate goal of every activity, and a construction project is no exception. Due to the ambiguous definition of project success and the different perceptions of participants toward this concept, it may be difficult to tell whether a project is successful as there is a lack of consensus. Time, cost, and quality have long been the success criteria used to evaluate the performance of a construction project. However, such a list has been criticized as not being comprehensive. Even studies of the project success of a particular construction method, such as the design/build procurement system, are lacking in most previous research considering construction projects in general. This paper sets out to establish criteria for project success for a design/build project in construction, first by identifying relevant measures of project success for a construction project in past studies, with particular emphasis on design/build projects, and then by establishing a comprehensive assessment framework for project success for design/build projects. The significant impacts on the construction field of study, in terms of educational value and practical use, are also presented. With little research in the project success of design/build projects, the writers suggest a research focus for the study.     

Exploring Critical Success Factors for Partnering in Construction Projects

The construction industry is a very competitive high-risk business. Many problems, such as little cooperation, lack of trust, and ineffective communication resulting in adversarial relationships between contracting parties, are facing the construction industry. Partnering is perhaps one of the most innovative developments in delivering a project efficiently and reducing construction disputes. It provides a sound basis for a “win-win” climate and synergistic teamwork. Project partnering in the Hong Kong construction industry has gained in popularity since 1994. A number of potential factors contributing to partnering success have emerged and deserve further study. This paper presents a review of the development of the partnering concept in general and identifies critical success factors for partnering projects from the Hong Kong perspective in particular. Through a postal questionnaire survey geared toward project participants with hands-on partnering experience, the opinions of various parties—clients, consultants, and contractors were sought and evaluated in relation to partnering success factors. The relationship between the perception of partnering success and a set of success factors hypothesized in the study was derived using factor analysis and multiple regression. The results indicated that certain requirements must be met for partnering to succeed. In particular, the establishment and communication of a conflict resolution strategy, a willingness to share resources among project participants, a clear definition of responsibilities, a commitment to a win-win attitude, and regular monitoring of partnering process were believed to be the significant underlying factors for partnering success. Such an identification of success factors could well formulate effective strategies for minimizing construction conflicts and improving project performance.     

Using Benchmarks and Metrics to Evaluate Project Delivery of Environmental Restoration Programs

The United States is in the middle of a large environmental restoration effort that is hampered by a lack of knowledge on how to measure the performance of the project delivery process. This study evaluates one environmental restoration program’s ability to deliver projects: the Environmental Management Program (EMP), a federally sponsored program managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Project performance metrics are compiled and used to measure two types of program improvements made in project delivery: trend improvements over time, and the ability to reach established benchmarks. The benchmarks come from both agency guidance and construction industry benchmarks. The metrics measure the program’s ability to accurately estimate the required resources (time and money) to accomplish the project, estimate the cost to operate and maintain the project, and meet the customers’ design requirements. To build the metrics, estimates from the project planning documents are compared against the actual results. Currently, the Corps of Engineers has established some benchmarks and does evaluate projects for design success, but the benchmarks do not include all aspects of project delivery and are not universally applied. Analysis of the metrics shows that the Corps has made improvements in the delivery of projects, but some major components of the process should be improved. Establishing benchmarks would provide the Corps with information to improve the project delivery of the EMP and other environmental restoration programs across the country. This study provides an example of applying business principles to a governmental program.     

Project-Specific Web Sites: Friend or Foe?

Recent research has shown that one of the keys to project success is effective communication. Today, project communication is becoming increasingly complex, and the rapid transmission of project information is vital to project performance. Unfortunately, our current information network is based on project “push”—where information is moved sequentially to and from each member of the project team. The alternative to push communication is “pull” communication, where individuals access project information from a single central source. Project-specific Web sites (PSWSs) give construction personnel new ways of pulling the information needed to design and build today's complex projects. This paper will describe information push and pull, and discuss its applications in project-specific Web sites. Additionally, the paper will outline a case study approach that uses a social network analysis to study push∕pull on three major construction projects. The research found that PSWSs can speed information flows on construction projects, but can also generate information “overload” that limits its effectiveness. More important, the study found that the success of new Internet-based technologies depends on the participation of key members of the project team. When one of these key players refuses to participate, then Internet-based project management systems quickly lose their effectiveness.     

Empirical Comparison of Design/Build and Design/Bid/Build Project Delivery Methods

This study compares the performance of design/bid/build and design/build to see if one project delivery method is superior in regards to time and cost. Similar military buildings were used to identify two samples of projects delivered with each of the two delivery methods. These projects provide a meaningful comparison because they include buildings of the same typology (i.e., U.S. Navy Bachelor Enlisted Quarters) delivered using similar design models. Project duration, project duration per bed, project time growth, cost growth and cost per bed were statistically compared. Upon completion of the analysis, the hypothesis that design/build projects are superior to design/bid/build projects in regards to time and cost was tested. Design/build projects were proven superior in performance in almost every measure. Other findings, including recommendations to practitioners and researchers, will be provided as well.     

Why We Need Renaissance Engineers: Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Phase II Case Study

In today’s world of specialization, civil engineers may benefit from a return to an earlier period when breadth of knowledge, skills, and attitudes were appreciated: the Renaissance era. A broad set of skills is especially important in meeting the challenges of restoring deteriorating infrastructure and working with restricted financing. This paper presents the case of the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Phase II Project to illustrate how important it is for civil engineers to possess solid technical expertise coupled with a cross-disciplinary knowledge of design and construction to achieve project success. These qualities allowed the engineers to integrate construction knowledge into the design process and design knowledge into the construction process, in spite of the project’s traditional design-bid-build delivery method. Of equal importance to the success were the engineers’ commitment, integrity, and persistence. The Phase II Project involved modifying the 70-year-old bridge’s five south approach structures. By applying modern earthquake engineering standards, these structures are now capable of withstanding a seismic event comparable to the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The final outcome was a complex yet cost-efficient seismic upgrade of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, a project that was constructed within budget and without claims. In 2007, the project received the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Outstanding Civil Engineering Award.     

Partnering on Defense Contracts

Contracting on government construction projects has historically been structured and adversarial. The decade of the 1990s saw the advent of a new attitude in government contracting that emulated success stories from the private sector. After witnessing several high-profile success stories such as constructing the Atlanta Olympic Park, the government embraced the concept of partnering as a primary method of contract administration. The private sector consistently demonstrated an ability to contract for services while realizing a marked decrease in claims and litigation costs with partnering. Their success was founded in the building of trust within the project team by creating a common bond between previously dissociated parties. This was achieved through developing a mutual understanding of the other parties’ interests and goals in the project while maintaining a team focus on the ultimate goal of a successful project. The government espied partnering as a way to improve its relationships with contractors and reduce the volume of litigation that seemed to only be increasing in the industry. The government began a paradigm shift by instilling a new attitude of openness and communication with contractors as well as implementing several broad contract administration changes. This paper examines the process of partnering, its key elements and core competencies, and how various agencies apply these principles in their construction management. The paper further researches stakeholder goals and important issues when entering into a partnering relationship on government contracts and what barriers are perceived that preclude the process from working as effectively as possible.     

Global Dimension of Robust Project Network Design

Managing the increased complexity, emerging uncertainties, and diversity of cultures on global projects is creating significant challenges for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. In global projects, differences in “institutions”—including language, beliefs, values, group norms, work practices, professional roles, industry organizations, and legal frameworks—among team members from different national backgrounds can lead to misunderstanding and conflicts that cause delays, increase costs, and reduce quality. Previous research has examined risk factors associated with international project execution. However, little research to date has explored whether reconfiguring project networks might mitigate such risks. Project organizational simulation tools have been combined with “robust design” experimental techniques to design robust project networks that can perform reliably in uncertain conditions. This paper extends project network design research to examine whether robust designs for given project networks differ between “domestic” and “global” projects, given differing organizational uncertainties. The results demonstrate that robust project network designs may differ for global project networks. This finding has significant implications for the design of project networks in an industry where firm participation in global project networks is increasing, both domestically and abroad.     

Success/Failure Factors and Performance Measures of Web-Based Construction Project Management Systems: Professionals’ Viewpoint

This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted to refine the writers’ previous findings on potential factors that may influence performance of commercial Web-based project management systems (WPMSs) and potential measures that might be used to assess performance of such systems. Data used in this study were obtained from 39 professionals who had practical experience with WPMSs in construction projects. The results of the study confirm 42 factors that can potentially affect performance of WPMSs and 36 measures that can be used to evaluate such performance. These 42 factors are categorized into four distinct groups: characteristics of the project, the project team, the service provider, and the specific WPMS system used in the project. The 36 measures reflect performance of WPMSs in six different perspectives: strategic, schedule/time, cost, quality, risk, and communication. Findings presented in this paper can be used by researchers as a starting point for future research in the area of WPMS implementation and performance evaluation and may be used by practitioners in the industry as a useful guide to increase the likelihood of a successful WPMS adoption.     

Budget and Schedule Success for Small Capital-Facility Projects

The project management environment of small capital projects is unique in many ways. One unique aspect is the total administrative burden they place on resources for approvals, reviews, and execution relative to the overall value of the capital works program. Administratively, many organizations follow a prescribed approval process for all capital project expenditures regardless of size. For these organizations, small capital projects constitute 80% of the projects executed per year but only account for approximately 16% of the capital projects’ budget expenditures. The opportunity to improve organizational performance through more effective project execution on small capital projects could provide substantial savings within individual small capital-project programs. This paper reports on data collected from active small project-program personnel as well as project success factors identified in the literature. By means of analysis and comparison between the data collected and the project success factors identified in the literature, a comprehensive list of small-project success factors was developed. Sixteen factors were identified from project success factors listed by various authors in project management literature. These factors are used as a baseline for evaluating the findings from a questionnaire and interview process conducted with a diverse group of project management personnel. The paper concludes that the factors on small projects are not unlike those on large projects. The key differences noted were related to the frequency of process implementation, which affects the timing and execution of the project work phases for small projects. The area holding the greatest potential for performance improvement for small projects is the front-end planning process.     

Managing the Decision-Making Process during Project Planning

In today's projects, the project team's decision-making process is critical to project planning. When making these decisions, however, the team must contend with the insidious elements of uncertainty and demand for speed that so often affect project performance and success. The project manager's principle role is to manage his∕her team's decision-making and not to make the decisions. By defining the constraints under which the team must operate, he or she can influence their decisions. A valuable tool is suggested to manage the decision-making process, in an atmosphere of uncertainty, with instructions for its application to any project. The tool is a dynamic table that is continuously modified as the project progresses. It is not only a prioritized checklist, but also gives a total view of the project so that the team can collect missing information and make timely decisions to ensure project success.     

Personal Construct-Based Factors Affecting Interpersonal Trust in a Project Design Team

Interpersonal trust is an important factor affecting the performance of the design team in a construction project. To improve the team’s performance, factors affecting interpersonal trust need to be identified thereby increasing trust between team members. A questionnaire survey of architects in project design teams is conducted in Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, People’s Republic of China. Based on the personal construct theory, the survey collects personal construct-based factors which may affect interpersonal trust. Then the factors are tested using structural equation modeling method. Two significant factors i.e., “social interaction” and “attitude on work” are identified. The results suggest that team managers should enhance the social interactions between team members and provide guidance to team members about the correct attitude on work such that the level of interpersonal trust can be improved.     

Implementation Issues In Project Web Sites: A Practioner's Viewpoint

Project Web sites comprise a new and rapidly growing category of software tool in the design and construction industry. There are now dozens of firms selling these tools and hundreds if not thousands of project teams using them. As this product category matures, it is relevant to question what we have learned and look to make improvements in the design and implementation of project Web sites. As a practitioner, the author has closely observed the development and use of the first generation of project web-sites. This paper summarizes his observations about the key issues in implementing these sites on projects. The central thesis is that project Web sites need to be better integrated into the job activities of project team members and that the current "one-size fits all team members" model that most Web sites ascribe to does not maximize the value of this technology.     

Relating Cost Growth from the Initial Estimate to Design Fee for Transportation Projects

Intuitively, there should be a relationship between the size of the design fee for a transportation project and the quality of the resulting design. This study sought that relationship by looking at the fee expressed as a percentage of the construction cost and the final construction cost growth from the engineer’s initial estimate of the construction cost at the time the design contract was awarded. The research team analyzed 31 projects from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority with a total construction value of $90 million. The projects were divided into road and bridge projects. Based on the results of the analysis, it seems that as the design fee decreases, the absolute percentage of construction cost growth from the engineer’s early estimate increases. The relationship is strongest for bridge projects, which tend to be more technically complex to design than roadway projects. This confirms for U.S. projects the result of an earlier study in Saudi Arabia. This paper concludes that the design fee should be viewed as an investment at a point in time where the ability to impact the project is the highest and can accrue the benefit of reduced cost growth.