Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: Explicating the role of dependence and trust

This study provides empirical evidence for the role of dependence and trust in knowledge sharing in information systems projects. As critical antecedents of dependence and trust among team members, four constructs are included in the study—environmental complexity, domain expertise, similarity of project value, and communication frequency. Partial least square analyses are conducted, using data collected from 135 project teams in two large IT firms. The results confirm that dependence and trust maintain a strong impact on knowledge sharing, leading to good team project performance. This study uses a cross-sectional survey as a research method. Longer term exploration seems necessary to further explore how trust and dependence are actually formed among team members. Findings indicate that team members share their knowledge when they trust their partners and when they feel dependent. Feelings of dependence and trust are influenced by the communication frequency, perceived similarity of the project's value, and the perceived expertise. Project managers need to pay attention to these variables in order to increase the level of knowledge sharing among team members especially in information systems development projects where primary tasks are critically knowledge-intensive.     

跨专业BIM团队的工作程序与动态

BIM将技术与方法论相结合,整合了设计和施工团队,从而优化了生产力和项目成果。跨专业团队的本质特色在于来自不同领域的成员引领着不同的项目目标和进程。建筑和施工专业的教育工作者们正面临着让学生融入跨专业团队环境中的挑战。一项为期三年的研究对跨专业团队在课堂环境中,在多个项目上的工作进行了调查。本文论述了该研究所取得的结果,主要侧重于团队工作程序和团队动态两方面,其中,团队工作程序的内容包括目标设定,沟通方式、备选方案分析、决策制定以及冲突管理,团队动态的内容包括人际关系、信任、冲突、承诺以及凝聚力。这些团队证明了综合战略对项目表现和成果的优化作用。除了关于该项研究成果的讨论外,本文还建议培养一个侧重于团队工作程序和团队动态的跨专业学习环境。     

Modeling relational transaction and relationship quality among team members in public projects in Hong Kong

Prior studies have found that relational contracting (RC) practices are helpful in nurturing good relationships among project team members. These empirical studies, however, did not differentiate by project type (i.e., public or private projects). In reality, the situation faced in public projects would be different from that of private projects since for example, some public sector participants may be indifferent to, concerned about or indeed opposed to, building close relationships with private sector counterparts. In the context of public construction projects, this study aims to develop models to explain the association between relationship quality and the extent to which RC practices are adopted. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey in Hong Kong, China. Using Multiple Linear Regression and Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), models for predicting the relationship quality among project team members were developed. The mathematical equations were validated by a case study. The models show that the relationship quality among project team members can be predicted by the extent to which these RC practices are implemented: (i) adoption of flexible strategies; (ii) readiness to compromise on unclear issues; (iii) willingness to commit on a long-term basis; (iv) attitude towards teamwork; (v) trust among team members; (vi) sharing of project information; (vii) understanding among team members; and (viii) alignment of the objectives of different parties. The models are recommended to public clients, consultants and contractors that aim to achieve good relationships in public projects.     

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.     

Examining the interdependencies among emotional intelligence,trust, and performance in infrastructure projects: A multilevel study

Regardless of the calls for a distinction between individual and team levels of analysis, studies regarding the multiple-level analysis of emotional intelligence are lacking in the project management literature. This research aims to address this shortcoming by examining the relationships between emotional intelligence, trust, and performance through multilevel analysis. Data were derived from 408 participants from 89 project teams in the large scale projects through three different surveys. We used hierarchical linear modeling and we found that emotional intelligence relates positively to performance and to trust at different levels of analysis. We also found that, at the team level, trust does not mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and project team performance. This research offers a more realistic and comprehensive picture of the management and recognition of emotional intelligence in teams and individuals concurrently and addresses the implications for project leaders of inspiring individuals and teams.     

Project team resilience: The effect of group potency and interpersonal trust

Project teams are likely to work under a high degree of stress and interpersonal demands that usually diminish performance. The ability of a team to prosper in these adverse conditions has been studied using the construct of team resilience, but there is still little knowledge about the determinants of team resilience in a project-based environment. Therefore, we propose a model in which interpersonal trust (i.e., cognition and affect-based trust) and group potency drive the perception of team resilience in project team members. We tested the model in a sample of 214 construction project management team members belonging to 50 teams. Our results suggest that affect-based trust and group potency mediate the relationship between cognition-based trust and project team resilience. We discuss the implications of these results for research on project team resilience and, more generally, how these findings could help enrich the literature on project management.     

关系冲突情境下的工程项目团队双元学习动力机制

工程项目团队合作实践存在以任务目标为导向的倾向,忽视项目情境的学习驱动价值增值趋势。整合项目团队冲突理论和组织双元学习理论,考察工程项目团队学习动力因素、关系冲突与学习的内在交互关系,探索关系冲突在动力因素与开发性和开拓性学习关系中所起的中介作用。研究发现:利他、信任、交流分别与开发性和开拓性学习显著正相关,与关系冲突显著负相关;关系冲突与开发性和开拓性学习显著负相关;关系冲突对利他、信任与开发性和开拓性学习的关系起部分中介效应,对交流与开发性学习的关系起完全中介效应,对交流与开拓性学习的关系起部分中介效应。     

The effect of leader emotional intelligence on leader–follower chemistry: a study of construction project managers

Extending Nicolini’s notion of project ‘chemistry’, a ‘leader–follower chemistry’ model associated with the quality of dyadic interpersonal communication in construction projects is developed. The focus is on the project manager as leader in an attempt to deepen understanding of the effect of a project manager’s emotional intelligence (EI) on the quality of interpersonal communication with their followers, being other members of the project team. While a project manager’s EI, with its associated emotional competencies, is often seen as critical in achieving good relationships with members of the project team, it remains a largely understudied concept, particularly in construction projects. Primary data collected using a series of analytical surveys and live observations of site-based project meetings was used to examine the relationship between a project manager’s emotional competencies, particularly sensitivity and expressiveness, and leader–follower chemistry. Overall, 68 construction professionals participated in the study. The findings suggest that a project manager’s emotional sensitivity and expressiveness (particularly head gestures) may explain variance in the quality of leader–follower chemistry. Based on the empirical evidence in the context of team communication, a leader–follower chemistry model is introduced, which emphasizes the importance of leaders’ emotional sensitivity and expressiveness in a leader–follower communication dyad. The model may be particularly salient in complex project networks with a large number of prominent actors.     

Mitigating the negative performance effect of project complexity through an informal mechanism: The conditional mediating role of knowledge hiding

Project complexity consisting of interrelated organizational and technological components is the inherent nature of new product development (NPD) projects. Although substantial empirical research has demonstrated the negative performance effect of project complexity, a handful of studies have provided inconsistent results. Additional in-depth attention is urgently needed to understand the conditional boundaries and internal mechanisms that affect the complexity-performance relationship. Based on a perspective of counterproductive knowledge processes, this study examines the mediating role of knowledge hiding in the linkage between project complexity and project performance as well as the contingent role of informal mechanisms (i.e., trust). Data were collected from a sample of 109 NPD projects in the Chinese high-tech industry. Our findings indicated that project complexity was positively associated with knowledge hiding and exerted an indirect negative influence on project performance via knowledge hiding. Trust was found to significantly moderate the complexity-knowledge hiding and knowledge hiding-performance paths. Moreover, as trust increases, the negative indirect impact of project complexity on project performance was found to become weaker. Finally, theoretical implications, practical guidelines and limitations were discussed.     

Swift trust formation in multi-national disaster project management teams

In recent years there has been growing interest in how project management theory can both inform and be informed by disaster response and recovery projects. Addressing the lack of empirical research into how trust forms within such projects, this exploratory study mobilises swift trust theory to investigate the process of trust formation within a multinational disaster project management team formed in response to tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji in 2016. In-depth content analysis of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with disaster management team members, non-participant observation of the disaster project management teams during the disaster response and analysis of disaster management documentation appear to support the predictions of swift trust theory in relation to the importance of reputation, role and interdependence in building swift trust. However, theoretical predictions around the importance of categorical assumptions, confirmation of assumptions and the leadership role of the contractor did not appear to be supported by our data. It is concluded that while swift trust theory can potentially provide valuable practical and theoretical insights into trust formation in multinational disaster project management teams, it may need to be adapted to more accurately model trust formation in a disaster project management context.     

Knowledge integration in IPPD project: role of shared project mission,mutual trust,and mutual influence

Project integration is an important management issue related to product development performance outcomes. Design, development, production, and commercialization of new products and services require a project team's ability to acquire and integrate different knowledge bases of internal capabilities, customers, and suppliers. A literature gap exists regarding critical drivers of knowledge integration and shared knowledge in product development projects that needs to be identified and scientifically validated. Based on goal setting, social exchange, and information processing theories, the current study identifies antecedents of knowledge integration in terms of a shared project mission, mutual trust, and mutual influence, and investigates key relationships among these antecedents to determine the effect of knowledge integration on integrated product and process development (IPPD) project outcomes. Proposed hypothetical relationships among these constructs were tested on primary data collected from 191 respondents (OEM project managers and team members, suppliers, and customers) from IPPD projects from the U.S. automotive industry. With regards to the antecedents of knowledge integration in IPPD projects, our results indicate a statistically significant positive association between shared project mission, mutual trust, mutual influence and knowledge integration. Further, our results indicate a positive relationship between knowledge integration and performance outcomes measured in terms of IPPD project success and IPPD product success. Our results also indicate a partial mediating effect of mutual trust and mutual influence between the relationships of shared project mission and knowledge integration. Discussion of our empirical results, limitations, and recommendation for future studies in the area of knowledge integration in the area of IPPD projects are also provided.     

Exploring the critical nexus between authoritarian leadership,project team member's silence and multi-dimensional success in a state-owned mega construction project

State-owned mega construction projects are greatly driven by the top-down authoritarian leadership that ironically restricts two-way communication and free flow of ideas. Prominent studies have highlighted various critical success factors of project success; however, the effects of authoritarian leadership and project team member's silence have been completely overlooked, especially in mega construction projects. The present study makes a pioneering effort to address this critical research gap and investigate the effects of authoritarian leadership and project team member's silence on the multi-dimensional success (including project management success, project ownership success and project investment success) in a mega construction project. Drawing on data from 357 project professionals directly associated with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and covariance based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with Mplus, the findings provide new empirical evidence that authoritarian leadership has a significant negative influence on the multi-dimensional success in the CPEC mega construction project. The findings also establish that project team member's silence negatively mediates the relationship between authoritarian leadership and the multi-dimensional mega construction project success. The study implications offer new strategic insights for managing mega construction projects, especially in transition economies that still have deep roots of authoritarian cultures.     

The impact of value diversity on information system development projects

Diversity of personal values among participants in an information system project is typically considered to create harmful team conflict, as do other forms of personal diversity. However, recent research establishes that information and knowledge diversity among project team members contribute to project success, leading one to question accepted thought regarding diversity of values. We model the impact of value diversity on project performance through theoretical layers of diversity, conflict, and teamwork quality. An empirical test supports hypotheses that value diversity adds to both beneficial and detrimental conflict. Project managers should compose teams with diverse project values but must control for potential detrimental effects.     

Shared leadership and project success: The roles of knowledge sharing,cohesion and trust in the team

The role of shared leadership behavior in a project context has received insufficient empirical and theoretical attention. This paper explores its influence on project success, specifically in an IT project context. The paper additionally investigates the mediating role of knowledge sharing, cohesion, and trust in team as moderators. We collected the data of 236 team members in IT projects on two-time points and analyzed the conditional process model through PROCESS after achieving model fit. Results revealed that shared leadership amplifies project success directly and via knowledge sharing and cohesion. Slope analysis revealed that trust in team has an interaction effect with cohesion and knowledge sharing which also affects project success. The study discussed the practical implications and drew conclusions from the results.     

Antecedents of trust in intra-organizational relationships within three Singapore public sector construction project management agencies

This paper examines the role and nature of trust in construction project management performance. Three causes, or antecedents, of trust are identified: results, integrity and concern. A questionnaire survey of construction project team members employed by three public sector infrastructure organizations in Singapore is described. The results confirm the expected correlations. Concluding remarks suggest that enlightened management is needed to keep the three antecedents in reasonable balance.     

基于SNA的工程项目组织网络建设研究

应用建筑信息模型(BIM)的项目有利于项目团队成员之间的信息交换,减少团队内部的冲突和分歧,并在项目成本、三维可视化、施工顺序问题、冲突解决方面具有显著效果。研究考察了BIM项目的社交网络特征,通过分析BIM项目的参与方信息流动特点,从而揭示项目的组织网络特征,然后使用项目绩效作为度量筛选出针对BIM项目而言最优的社交网络结构,最终提出了BIM项目信息流建设的相关意见。研究引入关键绩效指标(KPI)以衡量项目绩效,使用密度、平均度数、直径和平均路径长度等社交网络指标揭示不同BIM项目的网络特征,最后揭示了项目社交网络与KPI之间存在显著相关性。结果表明,高度紧密的组间社会网络更有利于项目绩效的提升,有效提升组间沟通质量是建立最优社交网络的必要条件。然而对于网络的平均度数指标应当辩证性看待,高平均度数代表该网络的沟通能力极佳,但从权力量化角度来看也意味着可能存在高度集权的节点。     

Quality vs risk: An investigation of their relationship in software development projects

Quality, risk and successful software development projects are three concepts which appear to be indisputably intertwined with one another. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between people quality, process quality and risk in the context of software development projects of Greek companies. Project team members with different characteristics were used as key respondents. The final sample consisted of 112 projects from 63 companies. Empirical data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The main results indicate a negative effect of people quality on project risk level. On the contrary, process quality appears to have a slightly limited effect, defining only the risk level associated with the project team. The results contribute in the existing literature underlining the importance of quality on the reduction of the project risk level, thus, creating the necessary background for new similar research attempts in the future.     

The mediation role of leadership styles in integrated project collaboration: An emotional intelligence perspective

Research on integrated project delivery (IPD) has considered collaboration satisfaction as an important factor for improving project outcomes. Yet, the potential mechanism influencing it remains unexplored in construction project management, especially in the aspects of human skills. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether leadership styles mediate the link between the emotional intelligence (EI) of authorized leader and four collaboration satisfaction outcomes perceived by other participants in an integrated team: performance contribution satisfaction (PCS), efficiency satisfaction (ES), relationship satisfaction (RS), and interests satisfaction (IS). Data was collected from 365 samples including project leaders and scholars who possess experience of IPD in China. The results show that transformational and active-transactional leadership fully mediate the relationships of EI with PCS, ES, and IS, and were partial mediators between EI and RS. In addition, the partial mediation role of passive-transactional leadership in the relationships of EI with RS and IS were identified, but its mediating effects between PCS and ES were not found. Similarly, owing to the non-significant effects of laissez-faire leadership on dimensions of collaboration satisfaction, this leadership style does not play mediating role in the relationships of EI with four dimensions of collaboration satisfaction. This paper makes contribution to the mediating mechanism research of revised full range leadership model by proposing collaboration satisfaction criteria and EI model in IPD project.     

Towards the dynamics of trust in the relationship between project-based firms and suppliers

An increasing number of projects crosses organisational boundaries and inter-organisational trust is key to achieving consistent outcomes among different organisations. While research has demonstrated the relationships between trust and managerial practices in project organisations, the dynamics of trust in project ecologies and the driving force behind dynamics have received little attention in empirical research and require investigation. Analysing the relationship between a project-based firm and its supplier at three project data points and from the perspective of structuration theory, the study showed how trust was reproduced and developed in successive interactions. The findings suggested that the dynamics of trust is driven by the interplay of trust-building structures and interactions that generate and maintain a sense of ontological security in the relationship. Moreover, the interplays of structures and interactions were found at individual, project and firm levels of project contexts. To reproduce and develop trust requires consistency between structures and interactions in multilevel contexts, which can be achieved through top-down management interventions and bottom-up learning processes. The study enriches trust theories in project studies by theoretically and empirically explicating the process of trust reproduction and development and the driving force of trust dynamics in the multilevel project contexts.     

Promoting the integration of users and developers to achieve a collective mind through the screening of information system projects

The active and fruitful participation of users in the development projects of information systems (IS) is a crucial factor in achieving success. However, difficulties such as conflict and apathy often plague IS development projects that do not rely on building effective partnerships between users and those responsible for the development. Partnering ideas have been proposed that consider the building of relationships earlier in the life cycle of the development project. With this in mind, we propose going back further to the screening process and build a model that establishes how directed screening of projects to consider user-related criteria can improve the active participation of users by fostering trust, knowledge exchange, and a collective mind in the project team among users and developers. The model is tested with a sample of IS project managers and finds that project performance can be enhanced by attending to screening criteria that consider the user perspective when selecting projects to add to the organizational portfolio.