Examining the role of transformational leadership of portfolio managers in project performance

Research into the role of transformational leadership in project based organisations has generally focused on project managers or senior managers and less so on portfolio managers who oversee multiple projects to achieve business objectives. This study examines the impact of transformational leadership behaviour of portfolio managers on project performance directly and indirectly through other intervening variables such as climate for innovation and innovation championing. Using a questionnaire survey, data were obtained from 112 project managers in a UK project based organisation. Transformational leadership behaviour of portfolio managers was found to have a positive and significant relationship with project performance. Innovation championing and climate for innovation both partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and project performance. The study confirms the importance of portfolio managers in enhancing project performance and identifies the need for project based organisations to cultivate transformational leadership behaviour among them for enhanced performance. It also highlights the need for further exploration of the role of portfolio managers in improving project performance.     

Visualized EVM system for assessing project performance

This work presents a Web-based visualized architecture, design, and implementation for assessing project performance by integrating earned value (EV) analysis and database management system (DBMS). Particularly, a novel probabilistic multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) process is applied to identify the optimal software for developing the Web-based DBMS based on interviews with domain experts and professional engineers. EV analysis serves as a control technique that helps project managers (PMs) monitor cost overruns and project delays. Leveraging modern technology, Web service enables PMs to access project information without constraints of time or place. The developed management information system (MIS) provides an objective measure of completed work that PMs can use to monitor project progress and assess project achievements by converting project data into manageable information clusters. Additionally, the system offers construction personnel a simple and flexible method of tracking, modifying, and updating cost and time-based project data.     

Towards developing competency‐based measures for project managers in mass house building projects in developing countries

Within the human resource management (HRM) genre, the identification and development of appropriate competency‐based measures is widely seen as the only viable means for validating and engendering managerial best practices. A competency‐based conceptual model is proposed towards the development of a taxonomy of project managers' (PMs') performance measures in mass house building projects (MHBPs). The model reflects elements of both performance behaviours and outcomes in predicting the performance of PMs at the construction phase of the project life cycle. Data were elicited from members of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), whose speciality is the construction of residential buildings, to test the validity of this conceptual model. The findings, which confirm the validity of the model, demonstrate the suitability and potential usefulness of this model for developing a competency‐based agenda towards the professional development of PMs involved in the implementation of MHBPs in developing countries, like Ghana. The model could, therefore, form the basis for curriculum development, recruitment and selection, team deployment and job matching, career development and succession planning to facilitate the achievement of managerial best practices in MHBPs.     

PPP项目中承诺对商业模式创新绩效的#br# 影响：尽善履约的中介作用

PPP项目商业模式创新很大程度上依赖于社会资本的尽善履约行为,而承诺是触发该行为的关键。通过文献分析将承诺划分为经济性承诺与情感性承诺,将商业模式创新绩效划分为创新效率与创新有效性,在此基础上建立以承诺为前因、尽善履约为中介、PPP项目商业模式创新绩效为结果的概念模型;采用情境模拟结合问卷调查的方式采集到116组有效试验数据,并运用分层回归分析的方法进行实证检验。研究结果表明：①尽善履约行为在承诺与PPP项目商业模式创新绩效之间起到完全中介作用;②承诺对尽善履约行为具有显著正向影响,且经济性承诺的影响要大于情感性承诺;③尽善履约行为对创新绩效具有显著正向影响,且对创新效率的影响要大于创新有效性。在此基础上,为我国政府改善PPP项目商业模式创新绩效提出了3点策略建议。     

建筑垃圾PPP项目风险系统稳定性分析

建筑垃圾处理 PPP 模式是建筑垃圾资源化发展的主要趋势。PPP 项目涉及的利益相关者众多,在全生命周期过程 中面临的不确定因素较多。基于建筑垃圾 PPP 项目全生命视角,构建建筑垃圾处理 PPP 项目风险评价体系,以 227 份问卷 调查数据分析为基础,利用应用管理熵理论和 Brusselator 模型,对建筑垃圾 PPP 项目风险系统稳定性耗散性能进行评价。 研究结果表明,建筑垃圾 PPP 项目风险系统处于耗散结构状态。要防范 PPP 项目系统风险非耗散性,未来应从鼓励技术创 新,加强灾害预防,提供政策扶持,加强项目管理等方面改进。     

Structural equation model for assessing impacts of contractor's performance on project success

Contactor's expertise and performance play a significant role in successful delivery of a project. While clients strive hard to make the best decisions in selecting the right contractor for the right job, a clear understanding of the underlying attributes associated with contractors' selection in the context of achieving successful project outcomes is critical. In an attempt to understand these pre-emptive qualification criteria and their links to contractors' performance on a project, a hierarchical structural model is established. By employing the structural equation modelling technique, the model adapts a total of 29 technical attributes across five confirmatory factors namely, soundness of business and workforce (SBW), planning and control (PC), quality performance (QP), past performance (PP) and overall project success (OPS). Based on the survey data collected across medium size construction projects in Australia, the results of the model confirmed that technical planning and controlling expertise of contractor is key in achieving success on projects. With a clear understanding of the significance of these factors in the context of contractors' performance, these findings could potentially contribute to the development of a company's procedures or to enhance existing knowledge of contractor prequalification practices.     

Project management office a knowledge broker in project-based organisations

Current research into project management offices (PMOs) has stressed the PMOs' potential to act as knowledge brokers between projects, and between project and top management. Nonetheless, the literature does not provide sufficient evidence of the brokering role of PMOs. The research reported here aims to examine PMO's functions from a knowledge sharing perspective and explore whether or not these functions reflect the knowledge sharing needs of project managers (PMs). These issues are investigated through a cross-case analysis of seven organisations. The main contribution is insight into how PMs share knowledge and awareness of the need to structure PMOs to align with PMs' nature, needs and expectations in order to improve knowledge sharing in PBOs. Finally, some practical steps for helping PMOs to better adapt their functions to the needs of PMs and their learning and knowledge sharing style are proposed.     

When frameworks empower their agents: The effect of organizational project management frameworks on the performance of project managers and benefits managers in delivering transformation projects successfully

This research examines the role of institutional frameworks in the successful delivery of transformation projects. Based on a survey of 130 firms that adopted ERP, this research found that transformation projects were delivered more successfully when organizations institutionalized their project management and benefits management framework at a higher level, because these frameworks enhanced the power of the role of project manager (PM) and benefits manager (BM) (i.e., business change managers and benefits auditors). Although organizations are investing more in practicing project management frameworks to strengthen the role of PMs more than that of BMs, benefits management frameworks and their missioned power to their agents are significantly more important than project management frameworks with their originating power. The benefits management framework affects the success of digital transformation because the power of the BM's role partially mediates them. Project management frameworks affect success, but the power of PMs does not mediate this relationship. The main implication of this research is that giving the offices of project management and transformation management prominent roles could help organizations improve their readiness for transformation projects.     

Identification and evaluation of the key social competencies for Chinese construction project managers

It is well understood that an individual's competency has a significant effect on his/her performance. While the more traditional “hard” technical skills of project managers have drawn much attention, little light has been shed on the “soft” skills, especially social competencies in the construction context. This study has adopted a well-established competency model from human resource management theories as a basis for the theoretical framework to examine the social competencies of construction project managers. This led to the development of a model via the use of a structural equation modelling approach. Four dimensions of social competencies for construction project managers were identified, i.e. working with others, stakeholder management, leading others, and social awareness. Attention to these attributes will help construction project managers to develop their social competencies, and could contribute towards a better performance in their workplace which will in turn improve the performance of the whole organisation. Implications of adopting this approach were also discussed.     

Achieving the unlikely: innovating in the loosely coupled construction system

Previous research suggests that a characteristic of the construction industry is a lack of technological innovation. Since this is seen as a problem, much theoretical development within construction management focuses on explaining the lack of innovation. Less effort has been expended on using such explanatory theories for investigating those rare exceptions in which construction firms succeed in the unlikely: successfully developing a new technology. This article makes use of the recently suggested framework by Dubois and Gadde. They describe the construction industry as a ‘loosely coupled system’ with four types of couplings, discuss why the particular mix of couplings in the construction system leads to a lack of innovation, and suggest types of couplings that construction firms should experiment with and change in order to boost innovation. A case study of a contractor developing a new technology is presented in terms of Dubois and Gadde's concepts and implications. The findings partly support and partly contradict their hypotheses. It seems that innovation is possible even if only a few of the existing couplings are changed. The most important changes relate to the tightening of intrafirm sequential inter‐project couplings enabling learning from project to project, and contract‐related couplings especially the design‐construction interface.     

Towards developing competency-based measures for construction project managers: Should contextual behaviours be distinguished from task behaviours?

Competency-based measures are increasingly being recognised as the most viable option for engendering the continuing professional development (CPD) of construction project managers (CPMs). Presently, an emerging view from the HRM genre is that, a somewhat robust approach for developing a more rigorous understanding of these measures is to distinguish contextual performance behaviours from task performance behaviours. The contention is that, the contextual–task framework allows for a more fine-grained analysis of managerial behaviour, its effects and measurement. Stimulated by the need to develop performance measures for CPMs in the context of a developing country, the framework has recently been replicated in identifying and developing competency profiles for project managers (PMs) in mass house building projects (MHBPs) in Ghana. Drawing from a positivist-based research approach, structured questionnaires were used to elicit the relevant data from property developers (homebuilders) who belong to the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA). The findings presented potentially reasonable evidence that the contextual–task model has empirical relevance for application in project-based sectors of the construction industry. Subsequently, here, we proposed that the contextual–task framework could be adopted across geographical and project-based sectors by construction management researchers who are in need of an alternative methodology that can further an in-depth understanding of the competency profile of CPMs.     

Structural equation model for investigating factors affecting delay in Indian construction projects

The rapid growth of the Indian construction sector over the last few decades and recurring failure in on-time delivery highlight the need for a systematic analysis of the factors influencing delay. A theoretical structural equation model representing the influence of four key latent variables on project delays in the Indian construction industry has been developed. Data collected from a questionnaire survey and personal interviews, with 77 valid responses from clients, contractors and designers or architects, were used to further formulate and analyse the model. The results of the structural equation model suggest that client’s influence is one of the most significant factors affecting time performance on Indian projects. Client’s influence is also found to be one of the key contributing factors resulting in lack of commitment and contractor’s inefficiency in the project. Lack of efficient construction planning plays the second key role in adverse time performance. While the effect of lack of commitment on contractor’s inefficiency is highly significant, neither of these two factors has any direct impact on time delay in projects. Contrary to the notion that the contractor is the only party responsible for delay in construction projects, the results clearly highlight the importance of the role of clients and technical expertise in planning in achieving satisfactory time performance on Indian projects. It is hoped that these research findings will contribute significantly to the Indian construction industry’s efforts in addressing the root causes of delay and enhancing the time performance on projects.     

Effect of project complexity on cost and schedule performance in transportation projects

Project complexity is a contributing factor to project performance. Understanding how project complexity interacts with management actions and project performance is imperative. This study fills this knowledge gap by empirically exploring the relationship between construction project complexity and project performance and their interaction with resource allocation. Empirical data were collected from 79 transportation projects. Due to its capability to build several regression models by adding independent variables to previous models, moderated hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to identify the underlying effect of resource allocation on the project complexity and performance relationship. The results show that: (i) project complexity was significantly correlated with schedule growth (positive correlation) but not significantly correlated with cost growth; (ii) resource allocation was significantly correlated with schedule growth (negative correlation) but not with cost growth; and (iii) resource allocation had a buffering effect where increasing resource allocation significantly decreases the effect of project complexity on schedule growth. The findings from this study contribute to the extant literature on construction project complexity by empirically showing that the impact of project complexity on schedule performance interacts with the level of resource allocation. This understanding of the role of resource allocation may help construction managers and engineers to better administer and manage their complex transportation projects. The findings also imply that organizations should appropriately evaluate project complexity to allocate necessary resources to achieve project success.     

Selection of risk response actions with consideration of secondary risks

Secondary risk in project risk management refers to the risk that arises as a direct result of implementing a risk response action (RRA). It is important for project managers (PMs) to consider the effects caused by the secondary risks in the process of RRA selection. The purpose of this paper is to propose an optimization method to address the problem of selecting risk response actions (RRAs) with consideration of secondary risk which is seldom considered in the existing studies. The optimization model aims to minimize the total risk costs with time constraint being placed on the project makespan. By solving the model, an optimal set of RRAs along with the earliest start time for each activity can both be obtained. The results show that secondary risk plays an important role in the process of RRA selection. Project managers should allocate more budget for responding the project risk when the secondary risk is considered, and consider all factors relating to both time and cost so as to select appropriate RRAs to mitigate primary risk and secondary risk.     

Searching for value: construction strategy exploration and linear planning

Examined is how contractor or construction manager decision making and judgment in response to client objectives and project constraints can be aided by a structured approach to construction strategy selection and assessment using time-space project process and product modelling. The context studied is one of high-rise construction. Construction strategy is expressed in terms of strategy modes and tactical variables and accompanying values, which in turn are expressed in terms of a formal plan using a linear planning modelling paradigm. Highlighted is the important role that data visualization can play in both formulating strategy and assessing its workability via the medium of linear planning graphics complemented with other data representations that make use of quantitative product model data. Of particular interest is the ability to formulate and assess alternative construction strategies in a relatively fast and cost effective manner in order to achieve best value as a function of project constraints, context, and project participant objectives. Included in the assessment task is consideration of the impact of strategy on construction process productivity and production rates by way of performance metrics that relate directly to strategy workability. The concepts presented are illustrated through their application to a large-scale, mixed-use project.     

Social capital in project-based organizations: Its role, structure, and impact on project performance

The aim of this study is to provide evidence about the role of social capital within project-based organizations. Our assumption is that the social capital of project units increases knowledge integration, producing in turn high levels of performance at the project level. We collected primary data via sociometric questionnaires on 54 projects in the construction field. The analysis has been conducted to study the distinctive structural configuration of projects' social capital, among which we emphasize the role of network cohesion and network range. Our results provide evidence that levels of project performance are significantly associated with the particular structure of projects' social capital.     

基于关系治理的建设项目绩效研究

关系治理能够有效促进建设项目绩效提升,但既有研究缺乏对组织间关系治理与项目绩效机制边界条件的探讨.在建设项目背景下,以知识共享为中介变量,项目经理领导力作为调节变量引入关系治理机制,利用文献综述做出研究假设的基础之上构建具有调节机制的中介模型.实证研究发现:关系治理正向影响建设项目绩效;知识共享在关系治理对建设项目绩效...     

Assessing contractor quality performance

This paper proposes a radical change in industry practice that will improve the quality of the construction process and the levels of customer satisfaction derived from it by evaluating the quality performance of the contractor. An alternative theory is developed of what constitutes quality, client satisfaction, performance, and their interrelationships in the context of the construction industry. It should be noted here that the term construction client includes both the owner (i.e. the agency or organization funding the project) and the end-user of the construction (i.e. the general public). A comprehensive view of construction quality is proposed that deals with both the service (as received by the owner) and product (as received by the end-user) aspects of the construction project as well as the corporate quality culture. Such a dissection of construction activity facilitates developing strategies to define, operationalize, measure and improve construction quality. A frame4 work for the assessment of a contractor's quality performance is established. This involves gathering a list of contractor quality performance (CQP) indicators that are derived from various quality-related practices of the contractor at the corporate and project level. Finally, a contractor quality performance (CQP) evaluation model is introduced that can be used in a contractor prequalification and/or selection system. The CQP indicators are operationalized within the theoretical framework of the CQP evaluation model.