Model for Construction Budget Performance—Neural Network Approach

A neural network approach is used to identify the key management factors that affect budget performance in a project. Field data of project performance has been used to build the budget performance model. This approach allows the model to be built even if the functional interrelationships between input factors and output performance cannot be clearly defined. Altogether eight key determining factors were identified covering areas related to the project manager, project team, and planning and control efforts, namely: number of organizational levels between project manager and craftsmen, project manager experience on similar technical scope, detailed design complete at start of construction, constructability program, project team turnover rate, frequency of control meetings during construction, frequency of budget updates, and control system budget. The model is able to give good predictions even with previously unseen data and incomplete information on the key factors. The model can be used to evaluate various management strategies and thus resources can be effectively deployed to strengthen these aspects of project management.     

Optimal Project Organizational Structure for Construction Management

This study relies on the trend model to investigate various modes of coordination among team members of construction projects. According to the project network developed based on the characteristics of a project, the trend model establishes an activity relationship matrix (ARM) to identify the activity relationships within the construction process. ARM is used to construct an organizational structure for project management and a communication resistance matrix that shows the efficiency of communication and coordination among the members of the project team. To evaluate various organizational structures and their coordination efficiencies, this study utilizes the analytical hierarchy process to quantify the strength of an organizational structure and identify the optimal structure for project management. Through quantitative modeling of communication efficiency among organizational team members, an objective function for calculating the total resistance index is used to determine the optimal organizational structure available to execute the project. This study demonstrates how the trend model may be applied in the future for evaluating the coordination efficiencies of various organizational structures.     

Leadership and Organizational Vision in Managing a Multiethnic and Multicultural Project Team

To meet the demands of managing complex projects, project leaders face challenges of daily leadership behavior and organizational vision to manage a project team. The challenges are compounded when the task of creating a project culture is also influenced by cultural, ethnic and corporate differences. A program management team involves many disciplines: project management, planning and engineering, cost estimating, scheduling, material procurement, program controls, management information systems, administration, construction inspection, and others. Different personality types often gravitate to predictable areas of function during the course of their careers. Managing these differing personality types is one challenge of program leadership. Another equal challenge is managing people of widely differing cultural and ethnic backgrounds. What is regarded as a routine order by one culture can be considered as an extreme insult by another. Good natured American jokes about one group can deeply offend members of that group even though the intentions may not be malicious. In addition to these ethnic and cultural sensitivities, the personalities attracted to the individual disciplines can be even more magnified. The greatest challenge of leadership lies in identifying strengths and similarities while valuing the differences to accomplish the common program management goals. The program management team used as an example in this paper consists of native born Caucasian Americans, African-Americans, African-Caribbeans, Middle-Easterners, Asian-Indians, Mexicans, Cuban-Americans and other Latin-Americans. The paper discusses the experiences of adopting different leadership styles, behavior and communication links to improve the performance of individual leaders and management team.     

Project Organizations as Social Networks

High-performance teams achieve outcomes that exceed the expectations of the project and often demonstrate unique or innovative approaches within a final solution. The foundation of this high performance is the ability to focus on the success of the team over individual objectives. However, the recognition of this emphasis is based on the establishment of professional trust and strong communications between the team members. The social network model of construction introduced a dual-focused approach to enhancing these elements and creating high-performance project teams. The approach emphasizes balancing both a traditional project management emphasis on efficiency of communications with a focus on the social factors that move the project team from efficient to effective. In this paper, the model is extended to present the results of four studies of organizations that are full-service engineering companies that also provide construction oversight services. The paper presents the results of these studies in terms of the social network model and the achievement of high performance in the project teams. Analytical and graphical results are presented based on social network analysis techniques to provide a multiperspective analysis of the project teams.     

Implementation of Project Management in Public Engineering Organization

The Bureau of Engineering is a part of the City of Los Angeles' Department of Public Works and is responsible for the planning, design, and construction management of capital improvement projects for the city. In February 1997, the Bureau of Engineering executive staff and the Board of Public Works mandated a dramatic shift to improve project delivery. All of the non-wastewater elements of the Bureau were organized into a program-based matrix organization with a Project Manager as the focus for project delivery with project conception-to-conclusion responsibility. This paper describes the project management method of project delivery being implemented at the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and explains the implementation elements and their status. The paper reviews the new project management organizational structure and the organizational options considered by the Bureau. The work details the roles and responsibilities for the project delivery team members. The new tools used to manage projects are described, and the problems and solutions encountered are documented for use on future engineering management efforts.     

Competency-Based Model for Predicting Construction Project Managers’ Performance

Using behavioral competencies to influence human resource management decisions is gaining popularity in business organizations. This study identifies the core competencies associated with the construction management role and, further, develops a predictive model to inform human resource selection and development decisions within large construction organizations. A range of construction managers took part in behavioral event interviews where staff were asked to recount critical management incidents, decisions, and actions from which their key competencies could be identified. By delineating the sample according to their levels of performance measured against a range of role-specific performance criteria, the competencies defining superior management performance could be determined. These were then used to construct a logistic regression model from which a project manager’s performance can be predicated. The validated results reveal that “self-control” and “team leadership” are the most predictive behaviors of effective project management performance within the framework of the model. The paper explores the potential role and application of the framework to underpin human resource management decision making with regards to recruitment, performance management, succession planning, and resource allocation.     

Facility Management Value-Adding Functional Analysis Model

Project management functions in facility management groups include design, construction, and renovation of facilities. The organizational structure and processes of such project management group affect the cost, quality, and duration of any project. The group's functions directly add to the overhead of the parent organization and therefore only value-adding functions are needed. The focus of this paper is to describe a value-adding functional analysis model and its application to develop a strategic direction for a parent organization. The paper presents the foundation for the analysis model, describes its application process to define and support the value-adding functions, and concludes with recommendations for organizational improvement strategy. The paper shows that value-adding functions are usually related to working closely with customer needs while considering the parent organization's requirements in project planning and control. In addition, it was found that any form of closed-market reliance on the internal resources in design and construction constrained the various processes and induced a high level of process uncertainty, which reflected negatively on project delivery time and cost.     

Benchmarking Studies on Construction Safety Management in China

This paper presents information by which to measure safety management performance on construction sites. In China, the conventional construction safety benchmarking approach is to assess safety performance by evaluating the physical safety conditions on site as well as the accident records, while no attention has been paid to the management factors that influence site safety. This paper is to identify the key factors that influence safety management and to develop a method for measuring safety management performance on construction sites. Based on the survey and interview data collected on safety management factors in 82 construction projects in China, the safety management index as a means to evaluate real-time safety management performance by measuring key management factors was developed. The quantified factors were compared with the commonly accepted physical safety performance index, which was derived from inspection records of physical safety conditions, accident rates, and the satisfaction of the project management team. Multifactor linear regression was conducted and the result indicates that safety management performance on site is closely related to organizational factors, economic factors, and factors related to the relationship between management and labor on site. Based on this benchmarking study, a practical safety assessment method was developed and then implemented on six construction projects. The results show that this method can be an effective tool to evaluate safety management on construction projects.     

Design Error Classification, Causation, and Prevention in Construction Engineering

Construction and engineering practitioners have found it increasingly difficult to learn from their mistakes, particularly with regard to the prevention, identification and/or containment of design errors. Yet, design errors have been the root cause of numerous catastrophic accidents that have resulted in the death and injury of workers and members of the public. This paper examines and classifies the nature of error and design error causation in construction and engineering projects. A review of the normative literature revealed that design errors are caused by an array of factors that can work interdependently. A generic framework is developed that classifies design error according to people, the organization, and project is presented. The paper suggests that people, over and above organizational and project management strategies, have the greatest propensity to reduce errors through the process of situated learning and knowing. This is because the working environment provided by an organization and the processes used to deliver construction and engineering projects influence the nature and ability of people to undertake tasks. Consequently, there is no single but rather a multitude of strategies that need to be adopted in congruence to reduce design errors so that safety and project performance are ameliorated.     

Examining the Relationship between Organizational Learning Styles and Project Performance

A review of literature on organizational learning suggested that organizations mainly exhibit three types of learning styles: single-loop learning (SLL), double-loop learning (DLL), and deutero learning (DeuL). SLL refers to the detection and correction of errors without adjusting one’s underpinning assumptions about performance requirements. DLL refers to improvement actions which are undertaken in response to the change of one’s underpinning assumptions. DeuL refers to the establishment of a system which propels continuous learning. It has been advocated that effectuating these learning styles are critical for attaining continuous project performance improvement. This paper reports a study that aimed to examine the relationship between organizational learning styles and performance improvement in construction projects. A conceptual model for the same was first developed. Data about the contracting organizations’ practice of learning styles and project performance were collected through a questionnaire survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the significance of the relationship between organizational learning styles and project performance improvement. It was found that the attainment of project performance improvement was positively related to the practice of DLL. Further, DeuL was found essential for facilitating the practice of SLL and DLL.     

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.     

Project Management in the Chinese Construction Industry: Six-Case Study

Originating from the West, project management was introduced into China after the country’s economic reforms in the 1980’s and has since spread quickly throughout the whole country, particularly in the construction industry. However, despite the wide adoption of project management practices by construction organizations and the growing recognition of the importance of project management as an enabler of organizational success, empirical studies on project management in the context of the Chinese construction industry have been inadequate. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of six Chinese construction organizations in order to come to a more comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of project management practices in the Chinese construction industry. The findings revealed: (1) a good appreciation of the role of projects and project management and satisfaction with current project management practices; (2) 11 key aspects of project management implementation; (3) 12 resultant value and benefits; and (4) five aspects of the main challenges facing the organizations. Meanwhile, variations in project management practices and the resultant organizational value were identified, first between the three owner- and the three contractor-case study organizations, then between the two construction contractor organizations and the one design contractor organization.     

Interorganizational Teamwork in the Construction Industry

Interorganizational teamwork has attracted considerable attention over the years and is one of the characteristics of the construction industry. However, most of the research has just focused on the factors necessary for team success, rather than investigating human perceptions of interorganizational teamwork and what factors affect the individual’s perception that they are working in a team. Building on a modified model, the effects of cultural and context factors (individualism and power distance) and employee attitudes (task interdependence and trust) on team orientation (the individual’s perception of working in a team) were investigated in this research. Data were collected via questionnaire surveys from a sample of construction practitioners working in interorganizational project teams in Hong Kong. Using correlation and multiple regression analyses, the findings indicated that, as hypothesized, there were positive relationships between team orientation and contractual trust, competence trust and task interdependence, but there was a negative relationship between team orientation and opportunism. The results further suggested that the influence of team orientation was moderated to a certain extent by individualism and power distance in some employees’ attitudes.     

Project Management and Green Buildings: Lessons from the Rating Systems

Building sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions around the globe. Being green, or sustainable, is one pressing issue coming from both internal and external drivers for construction and engineering companies. Green building has experienced rapid growth in the past several years. To assess how green, or sustainable, the building is, several green rating systems have been developed. Among these rating systems, more similarities exist than differences. One noteworthy difference—project management—serves as the motivation behind this investigation. To identify the role of project management that is less related to technology and engineering in developing green building rating systems, this research centers on a comparison between the LEED, the Green Globes, and the BCA Green Mark to obtain an understanding of current practices, and more importantly, to address the significance of project management in achieving green or sustainable construction. The findings suggest that project management adopted in green building construction involves both the practice and the process. Although the practice—mainly represented through the project management body of knowledge—is currently the focus of green building construction, the importance of the process, such as managing people, organizational structure, building commissioning, performance documentation, and so on, cannot be neglected, as can be seen from the evolution of the green rating systems. It is recommended that the construction and engineering companies take project management in terms of both the process and the practice into consideration when fulfilling requirements of being green.     

Constructing Relationally Integrated Teams

Worldwide initiatives to improve construction industry performance converge on the common need for more effective teamworking. This is increasingly critical in the context of complex multiparticipant construction projects. Clashes of organizational, operational, national, and/or professional cultures point to the need for “relational integration” as a prerequisite for such synergistic teamworking. This paper draws on recent approaches to promoting trust and cooperation through (1) basic teambuilding techniques in general and (2) partnering and alliancing in construction projects. It then focuses on analyzing the views of Singapore-based contractors as derived from a survey to elicit the hypothesized 28 factors facilitating relationally integrated teambuilding, and 31 factors deterring such integration in construction project teams. On the whole: (1) 27 of the 28 factors facilitating integrated project team, and 26 of the 31 factors deterring integrated project team, are significant; (2) these two sets of factors could be represented by four and five “broad factors,” respectively; and (3) except in a few cases, respondents from large and medium companies, as well as with and without experience in RC, have similar perceptions of the importance levels of different factors. These two sets of critical factors, as identified in this paper, complement two other previously isolated sets of factors that facilitate or deter a “relational contracting” culture. Taken together, they feed into a consolidated strategy for releasing the latent energies and potential synergies that should yield the much higher construction project performance levels that have been called for worldwide.     

Stakeholder Management during Project Inception: Strategic Needs Analysis

The project inception stage has been the focus of intense research activity for a number of years. The need to establish the project parameters and performance requirements has been an imperative in many organizations. Predesign processes and activities are being instituted that work through client strategic and organizational issues, needs, and requirements before the design team is involved. The participation of stakeholders in predesign workshops is a common feature of these project inception approaches. These approaches prepare a clear and workable statement of the project requirements in performance terms that the client group has agreed and committed itself to. This document can then provide a sound basis for the development of the design. One approach to these early stages of the project is strategic needs analysis. This approach uses a workshop setting to focus stakeholder involvement in proposing and identifying a range of strategic options for the proposed project. A case study of strategic needs analysis involving university faculty relocation to a new site is presented. The developments of organizational strategic options are described with the development of user performance indicators to guide the design development process.     

浅析装饰工程项目管理组织机构的形式

根据目前装饰施工企业项目管理中普遍采用的组织机构形式，结合作者多年来项目管理实践，着重分析了各种项目的组织特征和优缺点，并依据项目性质，提出选择项目组织形式的参考因素，从而为装饰施工企业项目管理的组织机构设置、管理方式提供一些借鉴。     

Improving Employees’ Work-Life Balance in the Construction Industry: Project Alliance Case Study

Work-life conflict has a damaging effect on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, productivity turnover, and absenteeism. On an individual level, work-life conflict is associated with employee burnout, mental health issues, substance abuse, and diminished family functioning. Thus, work-life balance is an important issue to the construction industry, in terms of both organizational effectiveness and occupational health. Long and inflexible work hours are the most consistent predictor of work-life conflict among construction employees, particularly those working on-site or in a project office. There is considerable resistance to the adoption of new ways of scheduling work within the industry. This paper describes the post hoc evaluation of a compressed work week (reducing the length of the working week, but increasing the length of the working day) in a case study project alliance in Queensland, Australia. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented to demonstrate the beneficial impact of the initiative on employees’ work-life balance. The evaluation provides prima facie evidence that alternative work schedules can improve construction employees’ work-life balance, creating benefits for construction employees and organizations. The paper concludes that project alliances provide an ideal environment in which work-life balance initiatives can help to create high-performance work systems in the construction sector.     

Cost and Schedule Monitoring of Industrial Building Projects: Case Study

Performance measurement is a helpful tool for taking corrective actions and controlling a project as far as this enables accurate time and cost forecasts during the first stages of the construction effort when the management team still has opportunities to make adjustments. This paper overcomes the dilemma of practicability and predictability of traditional estimates at completion based on early progress measurement by presenting the empirical results from the construction project of an industrial facility. The case may be a reference practice for assessing time and cost performance measurement of any building, whose layout can be reasonably partitioned into repeatable portions. In such circumstances, an effectively-managed traditional earned value method and appropriate metrics for computing performance provide project managers with accurate forecasts as useful tools for successful project management and control.     

Authority Structures for Construction Project Management

Many practitioners believe that how one organizes to support a major construction project will have a significant impact on the successful completion of the project. This paper provides a primer on authority structures. The basic corporate organizational forms are described and construction examples are given. The basic authority structures for project management are also described. These forms are the functional, pure project, and matrix. For each form, the advantages and disadvantages as they relate to the project manager's ability to support the project are cited. Nine factors that influence the choice of authority structure are discussed. The role of the project manager is described. His effectiveness as a manager is related to the organizational form, hierarchy within the organization, authority gap, management style, and the ability to resolve conflict. Six principles for developing a project organization and selecting a project manager are given.