Understanding project interdependencies: The role of visual representation,culture and process

Project portfolio management is central to many organizations' strategic processes and requires consideration of multiple factors and the ability to envision alternative future consequences to support strategic project portfolio decision making. Complex project portfolios with multiple project interdependencies are characteristic of many project environments, yet existing methods do not provide the clear understanding of project interdependencies that is required.     

工程项目风险多维度量方法研究

在回顾项目风险度量传统方法的基础上,提出多维风险度量方法.该方法从风险事件的发生概率、风险损失、风险的不可预测性、风险的不可管理性、风险信息的不对称度等五个方面全面度量工程项目风险;并运用模糊集理论和专家调查法对风险事件各维度进行量化,对各维度进行算术平均和几何平均得到风险因素的风险值;进而评价项目的综合风险状况为决策...     

Measuring project team performance: A review and conceptualization

Performance measurement has been a central topic of study in project management research for many years. However, the literature on project team performance measurement is fragmented and underdeveloped. To address these limitations, we conducted a systematic literature review aimed at organizing the state-of-the art, providing a better conceptualization of project team performance measurement, and strengthening theory in the field. We used an inductive approach to synthesize the literature and, building upon the performance measurement design literature and the Input-Mediator-Outcome (IMO) model of team effectiveness, we propose a theoretical framework that organizes project team performance measures around two axes: the nature of performance (i.e., efficiency or effectiveness), and the nature of the measure (i.e., tangible or intangible). By combining these two axes, we propose a 2 × 2 performance measurement structure composed of four dimensions: (1) project team processes, (2) project team emergent states, (3) project team tangible outcomes, and (4) project team perceptual benefits. Our study advances theory by offering a comprehensive and integral understanding of project team performance measurement and providing an evidence-based framework that could help practitioners improve the design of performance measurement systems for project teams.     

大视野 大项目 大效益——中建总公司频频中标特大型工程项目探秘

商场如战场。众多的国内建筑企业在市场竞争中拚杀得你死我活,中建总公司却以国际化大视野,在国际国内两大市场的竞争中,追求一种“竞争共赢化”,使公司频频中标大型或特大型工程项目,实现了经济效益的最大化。     

The effects of project uncertainty and risk management on IS development project performance: A vendor perspective

The structural contingency perspective has been widely used in information systems development (ISD) project risk management research. This paper develops an integrative model to explore the moderating effects of uncertainty on the relationship between risk management and IS development project performance from a vendor perspective, rather than the client perspective that is mainly employed in the literature. A survey-based research design is used to collect data to test the proposed model. The results reveal that project uncertainty can moderate the effects of project planning and control on process performance and the effects of user participation on product performance. More specifically, the results indicate that project planning and control makes a greater contribution to process performance when there is a low level of inherent uncertainty and that user participation makes a greater contribution to product performance when there is a high level of inherent uncertainty. The results of this study contribute to a more acute understanding of the contingency approach to ISD project risk management.     

Discovering complexity and emergent properties in project systems: A new approach to understanding project performance

An integrated performance assessment framework based on consideration of complexity and emergent properties in project systems is proposed in this study. The fundamental premise of the proposed Complexity and Emergent Property Congruence (CEPC) framework is that a greater level of congruence between project emergent properties and complexity can potentially increase the possibility of achieving performance goals in construction projects. Two dimensions of project complexity (i.e., detail and dynamic complexity) and three dimensions of project emergent properties (i.e., absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities) in the proposed CEPC framework were verified through information collected from in-depth interviews with nineteen senior project managers. In addition, contributing factors to different dimensions of project complexity and emergent properties were identified from the interviews. The results highlight the significance of the CEPC framework in understanding complexity and emergent properties in project systems and providing a new theoretical lens for project performance assessment.     

公共项目管理绩效评价研究

公共项目管理绩效评价是绩效改善的标尺和基础,历来都是研究的热点和难点。在总结和分析了公共项目管理绩效评价研究的现有成果的基础上,将其发展历程划分为四个阶段,并指出了传统项目管理绩效评价研究中所存在的不足,提出了公共项目管理绩效过程的评价思想,指明了公共项目管理绩效评价研究的发展方向。     

Effects of cooperative procurement procedures on construction project performance: A conceptual framework

In this paper, we develop a testable holistic procurement framework that examines how a broad range of procurement related factors affects project performance criteria. Based on a comprehensive literature review, we put forward propositions suggesting that cooperative procurement procedures (joint specification, selected tendering, soft parameters in bid evaluation, joint subcontractor selection, incentive-based payment, collaborative tools, and contractor self-control) generally have a positive influence on project performance (cost, time, quality, environmental impact, work environment, and innovation). We additionally propose that these relationships are moderated or mediated by the collaborative climate (i.e. the trust and commitment among partners) in the project and moderated by the overall project characteristics (i.e. how challenging the project is in terms of complexity, customization, uncertainty, value/size, and time pressure). Based on our contribution, future research can test the framework empirically to further increase the knowledge about how procurement factors may influence project performance.     

论项目团队情商与项目团队绩效

项目团队情商对项目团队的绩效有着重要的影响,而项目团队的绩效直接决定着项目目标的实现.鉴于此,分析了项目团队情商对项目团队绩效的影响,并提出了建设高情商项目团队的措施.     

A performance-based approach to project assignment and performance evaluation

Project assignment and performance evaluation have been addressed as two important and separate research issues in project management. This paper develops a new performance-based approach for integrating the project assignment and the performance evaluation processes in a project-based organization. An objective-oriented preference-based assignment process is developed to assign a project to a project manager. An optimal project assignment model is developed to maximize the total weighted contribution value of all new projects to the organizational objectives. An efficiency-based evaluation process is developed using data envelopment analysis to measure the relative performance efficiency of the completed projects and of the project managers. The approach provides a proactive mechanism for facilitating objective-focused management of projects. The outcomes of an empirical study conducted provide managerial insights in assigning projects to project managers and in evaluating the performance efficiency of both projects and project managers.     

A hierarchical structural model of assessing innovation and project performance

Research in construction innovation highlights construction industry as having many barriers and resistance to innovations and suggests that it needs champions. A hierarchical structural model is presented, to assess the impact of the role of the project manager (PM) on the levels of innovation and project performance. The model adopts the structural equation modelling technique and uses the survey data collected from PMs and project team members working for general contractors in Singapore. The model fits well to the observed data, accounting for 24%, 37% and 49% of the variance in championing behaviour, the level of innovation and project performance, respectively. The results of this study show the importance of the championing role of PMs in construction innovation. However, in order to increase their effectiveness, such a role should be complemented by their competency and professionalism, tactical use of influence tactics, and decision authority. Moreover, senior management should provide adequate resources and a sustained support to innovation and create a conducive environment or organizational culture that nurtures and facilitates the PM's role in the construction project as a champion of innovation.     

Yield-to-BIM: impacts of BIM maturity on project performance

How does organizational experience (maturity) with building information modelling (BIM) impact on the broad implementation of BIM and on company performance? A survey of Dutch architectural, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) professionals (n?=?890) is used to examine their perceptions of the impact of BIM maturity on firm performance. Survey items included measures of BIM element maturity (i.e., strategy, BIM uses, process, information, infrastructure and personnel), and key performance indicators (time, cost and quality performance). Surprisingly, the maturity of the BIM implementation strategy was the only reliable predictor of time, cost and quality performance. The result suggests that the impact of BIM maturity on project performance may be limited and it cautions against overoptimistic appraisals of BIM. In addition to the contribution to the literature on BIM performance, the paper should be of interest to the practitioner contemplating BIM investments.     

Project manager's emotional intelligence and project performance: The mediating role of project commitment

Emotional intelligence is considered to be important for project managers to affect project performance, but emotional intelligence does not always play an effective role. Based on conservation of resource theory, this article explores the impact of project managers’ emotional intelligence on project performance. The results show that the emotional intelligence of project managers affects project performance through the mediating effect of project commitment, and project complexity negatively moderates the impact of project managers’ emotional intelligence on project commitment. This article provides practical guidance on how project managers can handle emotional intelligence in different complex situations and serves as a reference for the selection and appointment of project managers in complex projects.     

The impact of project capabilities on project performance: Case of open source software projects

Open Source Software (OSS) projects are contingent on volunteer developers and voluntary contributions from users, accordingly, traditional performance measures used for software projects, like being on time and budget, and satisfying specifications, may not be relevant for such projects. Although researchers have studied some predictors of OSS project performance, there is a lack of empirical work that studies the impact of project capabilities on the performance of OSS projects. Therefore, this paper studies project capabilities as potential predictors of OSS project performance. The data, gathered from 607 OSS projects over time (in two snap-shots), were consistent with Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT). In other words, the results showed that in order to achieve higher project performance, OSS projects need to have strong capabilities in terms of proactive and efficient defect-removal as well as proactive and efficient functionality-enhancement. The implications of these results for the OSS research community are discussed, followed by recommendations for OSS practitioners.     

Occupant behavior models: A critical review of implementation and representation approaches in building performance simulation programs

Occupant behavior (OB) in buildings is a leading factor influencing energy use in buildings. Quantifying this influence requires the integration of OB models with building performance simulation (BPS). This study reviews approaches to representing and implementing OB models in today’s popular BPS programs, and discusses weaknesses and strengths of these approaches and key issues in integrating of OB models with BPS programs. Two key findings are: (1) a common data model is needed to standardize the representation of OB models, enabling their flexibility and exchange among BPS programs and user applications; the data model can be implemented using a standard syntax (e.g., in the form of XML schema), and (2) a modular software implementation of OB models, such as functional mock-up units for co-simulation, adopting the common data model, has advantages in providing a robust and interoperable integration with multiple BPS programs. Such common OB model representation and implementation approaches help standardize the input structures of OB models, enable collaborative development of a shared library of OB models, and allow for rapid and widespread integration of OB models with BPS programs to improve the simulation of occupant behavior and quantification of their impact on building performance.     

Improving building project performance: how buildability benchmarking can help

Although the buildability of building designs has not been commonly taken as an important parameter in design quality assessment, previous studies have linked buildability to time, cost, quality and safety performance in many ways. Based on this observation, the question arises of how buildability can be benchmarked and which aspects of project performance can be improved. After identifying available benchmarking tools, the relative correlations are investigated between different buildability attributes and construction performance in terms of time, cost, quality and safety. Based on a questionnaire survey, it was found that construction time performance has strong positive correlations with buildability in the design of external wall elements, simplicity of assembly and installation considerations, while other design attributes affect cost, quality and safety performance to varying degrees. With this understanding, it is postulated that best practice can be promoted among design teams for enhancing buildability, which would in turn raise project performance. Three experienced practitioners have been interviewed for verifying the practicality of buildability benchmarking. As an incentive to improve buildability, benchmarking would help construction stakeholders reap their desired benefits by focusing on the related design attributes in the pre‐construction stage, particularly for functionally oriented buildings.     

A new hard rock TBM performance prediction model for project planning

Among the models used for performance prediction of hard rock tunnel boring machines two stand out and are often used in the industry. They include the semi theoretical model by Colorado School of Mines and the empirical model by Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU). While each have their strong points and area of applications, more accurate prediction has been sought by modifying one of the existing models or introduction of a new model. To achieve this, a database of actual machine performance from different hard rock TBM tunneling projects has been compiled and analyzed to develop a new TBM performance prediction model. To analyze the available data and offer new equations using statistical methods, relationships between different geological and TBM operational parameters were investigated. Results of analyzes show that there are strong relationships between geological parameters (like UCS, joint spacing and RQD) and TBM performance parameters specially Field Penetration Index (FPI). In this study, a boreability classification system and a new empirical chart, for preliminary estimation of rock mass boreability and TBM performance is suggested.     

A case study approach for developing a project performance evaluation system

Prior project management research has identified a wide variety of measures that describe the outcomes of a project and the input characteristics that impact outcomes. In practice however, project schedules are still used as the sole project performance measure in some firms. Although the use of project schedules is still a good practice for some companies, for other companies the use of project schedules as the sole project performance measure can result in industrial projects falling behind schedule and coming in over-budget. In order to examine how the evaluation of project performance can be improved, a two-step approach is documented that was used to design a new project performance evaluation system at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (FM&T) that would enable managers to audit a project and determine where improvements could be made. Lessons learned from the development of a project performance evaluation system at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies are then discussed.     

建设工程项目最优价值中标法的比较研究

本文按照现行招投标制度和建设法规,分析建设工程项目采用经评审最低价中标法存在的问题,从项目管理的角度提出最优价值招投标中标法的理念,结合建设工程项目管理的案例,强调采用这种新理念对建设工程项目进行评标的重要意义和价值。