Managing the project learning paradox: A set-theoretic approach toward project knowledge transfer

Managing project-based learning is becoming an increasingly important part of project management. This article presents a comparative case study of 12 cases of knowledge transfer between temporary inter-organizational projects and permanent parent organizations. Our set-theoretic analysis of these data yields two major findings. First, a high level of absorptive capacity of the project owner is a necessary condition for successful project knowledge transfer, which implies that the responsibility for knowledge transfer seems to in the first place lie with the project parent organization, not with the project manager. Second, none of the factors are sufficient by themselves. This implies that successful project knowledge transfer is a complex process always involving configurations of multiple factors. We link these implications with the view of projects as complex temporary organizational forms in which successful project managers need to cope with complexity by simultaneously paying attention to both relational and organizational processes.     

The formation of a collaborative project identity in an infrastructure alliance project

Inter-organizational projects struggle to build a sense of joint belonging and a culture of cooperation. In evaluating the social processes of collaboration in inter-organizational projects, organizational identity is considered a core concept. To extend existing knowledge of how collaborative identity is formed in inter-organizational infrastructure projects, the study investigates how the specific characteristics of temporary organizations (time, team, task and context) influence identity formation activities. A case study of the first Finnish infrastructure alliance project identifies six key activities supporting the formation of collaborative project identity: (1) articulating a joint vision for collaborative project identity; (2) converging on mutual conceptions of collaborative project alliance philosophy; (3) attaining a shared collaborative mentality; (4) designing ways of working with multiple identities; (5) attaining distinctiveness and (6) legitimizing activities. The findings indicate that identity formation activities are context-dependent, and that the formation of organizational identity differs between temporary and permanent organizations. The findings illuminate how managers can build a collaborative project identity.     

Organizing external stakeholder engagement in inter-organizational projects: Opening the black box

External stakeholder engagement is crucial for delivering value to diverse stakeholders in inter-organizational projects, however, it is not straightforward to organize this in a way that adds value. The intra-organizational focus of previous research offers limited insights into the relevant roles, responsibilities, arrangements and activities in inter-organizational contexts. Moreover, comprehensive empirical studies of the phenomenon are rare. This study explicates how internal stakeholders organize external stakeholder engagement in inter-organizational projects. Our multiple-case study of two infrastructure projects in Northern Europe identified three organizing solutions based on governance, values and dynamism. While governance-based solutions provide an overall structure for organizing external stakeholder engagement, value-based solutions ensure genuine cooperation and dynamism-based solutions facilitate timely organizing. The study develops propositions that constitute a model of how external stakeholder engagement can be organized in inter-organizational projects. The findings have implications for project stakeholder management and mainstream stakeholder research.     

Quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance: Moderating effect of governance mechanisms

While research on the relationship between quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance has found inconsistent results, few studies have considered the contextual factors of quality management practices. Inter-organizational projects involve external participants in quality management and thus, this study tested the moderating role of governance mechanisms (contract governance and trust) on the relationship between quality management practices and inter-organizational project performance. Results of 265 valid questionnaires from China indicated that quality management practices contribute to inter-organizational project performance. Contract governance magnifies the positive effect of quality management practices on inter-organizational project performance while the moderating effect of trust is insignificant. The moderating effect of contract governance indicates a means for strengthening the effect of quality management practices in inter-organizational projects. Further research on more contextual factors of quality management practices should be conducted.     

Mobile social media in inter-organizational projects: Aligning tool,task and team for virtual collaboration effectiveness

Inter-organizational projects face unique challenges and opportunities due to team diversities and task complexity. Mobile social media like WhatsApp and WeChat emerge as new-generation collaboration tools in such endeavors. Based on a literature review, this study posits that how well team-tool, task-tool and team-task relationships are handled shape virtual collaboration effectiveness. The conceptual framework, validated with the interviews from inter-organizational project team members in China and the USA, leads to a research model. The results of a larger-scale survey confirm that tool usability, task fit and team connectivity contribute to virtual collaboration effectiveness, which affects project management success and team appreciation. In addition, there are noticeable cross-country differences, especially the opposite moderating effects that degree of use imposes on the relationship between virtual collaboration effectiveness and project management success. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

工程承包联营体柔性分析及案例研究

联营体工程承包模式在大型复杂工程项目中多有应用,将管理柔性理论引入到工程承包联营体研究中,根据联营体特点并结合项目管理理论,提出了联营体的柔性定义和柔性特征。在借鉴企业组织柔性量化分析方法基础上,建立了联营体的环境动荡性分析和柔性分析的框架和方法。对承包两个大型国际项目工程承包联营体进行了实证研究和对比分析,得出其环境动荡性和柔性度评价结果。为分析和改善工程联营体的运营和管理提供了新的视角和有效的分析工具。     

How to build trust in inter-organizational projects: The impact of project staffing and project rewards on the formation of trust,knowledge acquisition and product innovation

The importance of trust in projects that involve multiple project partners is widely acknowledged. This research analyzes both outcomes and antecedents of trust in inter-organizational projects. On the outcome side, the findings show that trust between project team members working on an inter-organizational project positively impacts the acquisition of external knowledge which, in turn, promotes product innovation. With respect to the antecedents of trust data reveal that a stable pool of project team members and objective project reward criteria facilitate the formation of inter-organizational trust.     

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...     

Structuring inter-organizational R&D projects: Towards a better understanding of the project architecture as an interplay between activity coordination and knowledge integration

The architects of inter-organizational R&D projects organize collaboration by structuring the activities and the knowledge base of the project. How do these two dimensions interplay and what are the implications on the project execution? The paper aims at developing new perspectives on inter-organizational multi-actor R&D projects using an exploratory inductive multi-case study of projects funded by the European Union's Research and Innovation Programmes. The projects have been studied simultaneously in terms of activity coordination and knowledge integration as well as the implications of their interplay on collaboration, project resilience and project management. The paper provides empirical evidence about six patterns of project architecture. The workflow-integrated architecture disintegrates the knowledge base, provides a lower collaboration potential and may require high management efforts, while a workflow-decomposed architecture makes project management easy but provides little added value from the inter-organizational setting. Nearly decomposable architectures offer the highest collaboration potential under contingent conditions.     

建设项目跨组织知识共享对项目绩效的影响机制研究

知识共享能促进组织绩效,但现有研究缺乏其在跨组织情境中的影响效应和机理探讨。基于建设项目业主、施工方、咨询监理等参建主体的213份调查问卷,从项目整体利益出发,揭示建设项目跨组织知识共享对项目绩效的影响机制。结果表明,建设项目跨组织知识共享对参建方的知识资本和项目绩效有显著的正向影响,相对于隐性知识共享,显性知识共享对项目绩效的促进作用更大;在显性知识共享和项目绩效的关系中,参建方知识资本的3个维度人力资本、结构资本和关系资本分别起到部分中介作用,而在隐性知识共享和项目绩效的关系中,仅有结构资本起到部分中介作用。     

Modeling strategic alignment in project networks

This paper explores the challenges that occur when collaborating organizations seek to align multiple strategic objectives through a single construction project and examines those factors that influence the strategy of a project network. Unlike intra-organizational projects that operate in the boundaries of a single organization, a project network operates in an environment of overlapping boundaries whereby multiple organizations simultaneously seek to ensure their strategic objectives are realized through a single strategic project. A model presenting a hierarchy of inter-organizational strategic objectives is developed from the empirical findings of a study of four construction projects. Internal and external tensions influencing the project strategy of the network are identified. The study finds that effective project governance, leadership and taking account of client complexity are important in the strategic alignment of inter-organizational projects, and this informs the development of the new model.     

组织间信任视角下机会主义对项目联盟绩效的影响

为了缓解传统项目管理模式中各参与方的零和博弈行为和竞争对抗关系,组织间建立项目联盟已成为一种可行的管理模式,但由于联盟成员之间信任缺乏和机会主义问题的存在,其成功率仍然较低。基于组织间信任理论和交易成本理论,分析了组织间信任对机会主义和项目联盟绩效的影响。采用 SPSS 23.0 和 AMOS 21.0 软件对问卷数据进行了处理和分析,实证研究的结果表明,组织间信任能够提高项目绩效和联盟成员合作满意度,而机会主义则会负向影响项目联盟绩效。同时,适度的组织间信任能够在一定程度上抑制机会主义,而过高或过低都会使联盟成员处于机会主义的风险之中,即组织间信任和机会主义呈倒 U 型关系。该研究为提高项目联盟绩效提供了一定理论借鉴与参考。     

工程监理走向项目管理的必然趋势

随着经济的发展,工程监理逐渐会被淘汰,而项目管理会逐渐壮大,在工程项目中发挥独特的优势。本文分析研究工程监理与项目管理之间的区别,阐述工程监理为什么会必然走向项目管理。     

A new governance approach for multi-firm projects: Lessons from Olkiluoto 3 and Flamanville 3 nuclear power plant projects

We analyze governance in two contemporary nuclear power plant projects: Olkiluoto 3 (Finland) and Flamanville 3 (France). We suggest that in the governance of large multi-firm projects, any of the prevalent governance approaches that rely on market, hierarchy, or hybrid forms, is not adequate as such. This paper opens up avenues towards a novel theory of governance in large projects by adopting a project network view with multiple networked firms within a single project, and by simultaneously going beyond organizational forms that cut across the traditional firm-market dichotomy. Our analysis suggests four changes in the prevailing perspective towards the governance of large projects. First, there should be a shift from viewing multi-firm projects as hierarchical contract organizations to viewing them as supply networks characterized by a complex and networked organizational structure. Second, there should be a shift in the emphasis of the predominant modes of governance, market and hierarchy towards novel governance approaches that emphasize network-level mechanisms such as self-regulation within the project. Third, there should be a shift from viewing projects as temporary endeavors to viewing projects as short-term events or episodes embedded in the long-term sphere of shared history and expected future activities among the involved actors. Fourth, there should be a shift from the prevailing narrow view of a hierarchical project management system towards an open system view of managing in complex and challenging institutional environments.     

Development of a benchmarking framework for pharmaceutical capital projects

Benchmarking is a proven technique for improving project performance and, as such, is a critical component of any mature project delivery system. Competitive benchmarking requires industry‐specific metrics in absolute terms since processes vary by industry, and any metrics used within a single industry must be attuned to its particular processes. A framework is developed for evaluating pharmaceutical capital facility projects using metrics specific to the characteristics of these unique projects. Establishment of the framework made possible the development of a set of industry‐specific metrics and a flexible data collection and reporting system for measuring project performance. Preliminary findings from an initial sample of 40 pharmaceutical projects confirm that meaningful industry‐specific metrics can be produced for pharmaceutical capital facilities benchmarking. Developing such a framework enables the industry to measure project performance more accurately, get meaningful project performance comparisons, and ultimately establish credible norms for project performance.     

大型梯级水电项目开发知识管理研究

通过对大型梯级水电项目知识管理模型的构建与验证,揭示了知识管理体系、知识应用和业务能力对项目绩效的影响机理,主要结论包括:知识管理体系对项目绩效的直接影响显著,企业应建立完善的知识管理体系,为项目的实施、技术与管理创新提供支持;完善的项目管理信息系统,有助于推动知识与信息在梯级水电项目间的传递,促进项目参与方知识的应用;知识应用对项目绩效的正向影响很大程度通过业务能力实现,企业应通过加强知识管理不断增强自身能力,以适应变化的外部环境;风险管理知识应用很大程度上代表了项目整体知识管理水平,企业应建立有效的利益与风险分担机制,促进风险信息在组织间和组织内的共享,以提升水电项目风险管理水平。     

Exploring safety management challenges for multi-national construction workforces: a UK case study

Large construction projects frequently operate with multi-national workforces, utilizing migrant workers to provide both skilled and unskilled labour. Multi-national workforces are also brought together through joint ventures, as companies from different countries collaborate and share their expertise to construct large and complex construction projects. A multi-national joint venture in the UK provides the case study for an examination of the safety management challenges found on such projects. Whilst language and communication issues amongst workers are typically primary concerns, here they have not been prioritized. Instead, findings are presented that illuminate more nuanced and unquantifiable problems that faced the safety management team. An ethnographically informed approach was mobilized, with the lead researcher spending three years on the site with the safety team gathering data. Analysis revealed several challenges: problems with non-UK company compliance with UK legislation and standards; differences in working practices amongst both non-UK workers and their managers; differences associated with national cultures; and problems of poor worker welfare. It is suggested that awareness of these challenges should inform both the way in which such projects are initially contracted, as well as the development of more sophisticated safety management systems that better support multi-national construction projects in practice.     

项目信息门户在大型建设项目中的应用探讨

通过对项目信息门户在大型建设项目中的应用研究,得出大型建设项目信息管理是项目管理者成功完成项目的基础,项目信息门户为解决大型建设项目信息管理的难题提供了解决方法,组织在运用项目信息门户时应遵循科学合理的应用程序。     

浅谈园林绿化工程的项目管理优化

近年来,随着城市化建设的不断发展,城市生态园林建设越来越重视其绿化工程的建设。本文以项目管理的基本方法为基础,就园林绿化工程的管理方法进行了科学系统的分析和阐述,并对现有园林绿化工程的项目管理提出了一系列的优化措施。     

如何理解建筑工程中项目成本控制的概念

在工程项目建设过程中,应对项目成本控制引起足够的重视,并正确理解工程项目成本控制的概念。同时应将项目成本控制作为成本管理的必要手段,结合工程建设实际,努力提高工程项目成本控制效果,保证工程项目成本得到合理控制,满足工程建设需要。