The persistent pay gap between Easterners and Westerners in Germany: A quarter-century after reunification

A quarter of a century after Germany's reunification, Eastern Germans still earn substantially less than Western Germans. This paper revisits the German wage differential and isolates the effect of differing returns to human capital endowments, the possibility of a location effect, and human capital depreciation on the regional wage gap. While the endowment effect, location effect, and human capital depreciation jointly account for the wage differential between Easterners and Westerners living in the West, the same does not hold true for individuals settled in the East, where part of the wage gap remains unexplained.     

Islamic perspectives on conflict management within project managed environments

The purpose of this paper is to examine Islamic perspectives on conflict management within project managed environments. Existing research does not reveal any study that examines empirically the Islamic viewpoint on conflict management in contemporary organisational contexts but does indicate that conflict in Islam is considered to be inevitable and a part of human nature, and, if managed properly, is positive and constructive. This paper aims to address this gap, by presenting an empirical analysis of Islamic models of conflict management. It is argued that the three Islamic models discussed, are partially and covertly in existence in environments not traditional to their own. Consequently, the paper finds that there is scope for investigating explicit applied aspects to these Islamic models. The paper concludes that existence of Islamic models for conflict management is visible and has potential for application by project managers without limitation.     

ConSERV, a project specific risk management concept

Managing risks in design intensive multi-disciplinary capital projects presents unique problems for decision makers within the project environment. Existing risk management tools, tend to employ axiomatic software and as such do not provide any intelligent risk management capability or lead to better informed decision making processes. ConSERV is being developed as a comprehensive project management methodology able to extract project specific risk issues throughout the project life cycle and apply experiential knowledge by using a knowledge-based system to assist in the management of them. A visual representation of the project risks is obtained by employing a more practical non probabilistic approach. ConSERV will provide project managers with on line decision support, at key stages of the project to assist in the management and control of the project specific risks identified.     

High School Graduate Earnings in New York City: The Effects of Skill,Gender, Race and Ethnicity

This article investigates gender and racial/ethnic wage gaps for high‐school‐educated residents of New York City. The study measures local skill requirements in detailed occupations and endeavors to control for space and skill as determinants of group earnings inequality. Wage earnings models show higher returns to observed skills for male high school graduates relative to women and for young white men relative to young black and Hispanic men. A second major source of inequality is the relatively low employment shares of women and young minority men in occupations requiring high levels of occupationally specific vocational preparation. Possible explanations for the group variation include unobserved average productivity differences, segregated job information/recruitment networks and employer wage and hiring discrimination. The article concludes by reviewing local policy options to help bridge the wage gaps.     

Network gaps and project success

Project success and client satisfaction are results of collaborative actions by project actors throughout the entire project life cycle. One principal factor in project success is the application of effective management tools. Gap analysis helps to achieve client satisfaction. However, gap analysis is unable to deal with the organic nature of information exchange between project actors. Social network analysis (SNA) enables the identification and analysis of information exchange and communication patterns in synergy with projects. Two case studies were carried out to identify gaps in the current linear project management approach. Gap analysis and SNA were used to analyse each project and to examine the research hypothesis on the use of SNA to identify network management gaps in projects. The gap analysis showed gaps of execution and conformance, which were confirmed by SNA. There was little evidence of project governance outside the project contractual arrangements during project execution. The current application approach of different management tools is limited in providing a whole‐project view. The combined application of gap analysis and SNA can help practitioners to exceed client expectations.     

Designing and implementing a career path for project managers

Many project managers do not feel adequately respected and compensated for their work. They often see their role as a temporary one and focus more on their advancement in traditional leadership career paths. Although a lot has been done with respect to qualification and certification programs for project managers, the special role of motivation and retention of project managers has not extensively been researched in the past. Moreover, human resource management has neglected career possibilities and career design for project managers so far. Consequently, our research builds on different streams of research from human resource management, project management, and motivational theory to identify the key ingredients for a project managers' career path. A qualitative study with 20 companies that have already implemented a project managers' career path has been conducted. The findings of this research are used to derive key success factors for the design and implementation of a project managers' career path.     

Impact of quality performance ambiguity on contractor's opportunistic behaviors in person-to-organization projects: The mediating roles of contract design and application

Contracts are critical for managing projects. However, studies increasingly found that contracts, albeit well written, might not be thoroughly implemented. This study aims to examine the impact of quality performance ambiguity on contractor's opportunistic behaviors in person-to-organization projects and to investigate the mediating role of contract design and application. A questionnaire-survey of 265 dwelling fit-out projects was undertaken in China. The results showed that quality performance ambiguity has great impacts on project development as it hinders detailed contract drafting, results in ineffective contract application and leads to opportunism. The mediation results showed that contract application rather than the written contract mediates the effect of quality performance ambiguity on contractor's opportunistic behaviors. Thus, it is recommended that project managers should pay attention to project characteristics and the gaps between the design and application of contracts in project management.     

基于WPT的建筑废弃物管理费用研究——以珠三角地区为例

以珠三角地区注册的承包商为列,根据承包商的整体特征,调查研究承包商支付建筑废弃物管理费用的意愿,影响其支付意愿的决定因素,建立了一个基于支付意愿法的建筑废弃物管理费用多元回归模型。研究结果显示：国营企业的承包商比私营企业的承包商更愿意支付管理费;承包商的建设项目经验越丰富,建筑废弃物管理费反而支付得越少;承包商的规模越大,注册资金越多,废弃物管理费支付得越多。研究成果可以进一步完善我国建筑废弃物管理理论,为政府制定建筑废弃物管理经济补偿相关法律、政策提供理论依据。     

How to go global: A transformative process model for the transition towards globally distributed software development projects

We employ design science research to develop a process model for the management of globally distributed software development (GDSD) projects. The model provides guidance for transforming established project frameworks in organizations to cope with additional challenges that a global project scale entails. The model integrates extant GDSD project management knowledge and makes it actionable for project managers, especially those with limited GDSD experience. The model was evaluated and found to be effective in transforming an actual GDSD project with teams in Germany, Poland, and India. Interviews with project managers with and without GDSD experience support the model's wider applicability to other contexts and IT project types. The model can also be used in GDSD project retrospectives to identify areas for improvement. In a research perspective, our model constitutes a novel type and instance of a social meta-artefact intended to transform existing social artefacts to retain their usefulness in evolving contexts.     

The sources of the urban wage premium by worker skills: Spatial sorting or agglomeration economies?

We estimate the respective importance of spatial sorting and agglomeration economies in explaining the urban wage premium for workers with different sets of skills. Sorting is the main source of the wage premium. Agglomeration economies are in general small, but are larger for workers with skills associated with non‐routine job tasks. They also appear to involve human capital accumulation, as evidenced by the change in the wage of workers moving away from denser regions. For workers with routine jobs, agglomeration economies are virtually non‐existent. Our results provide further evidence of spatial density bringing about productivity advantages primarily in contexts when problem‐solving and interaction with others are important.     

Engaging the organizational field: The case of project practices in a construction firm to contribute to an emerging economy

We develop a model of practices undertaken by project managers to address the challenges of organizational fields in an emerging economy context. We anchor the model in a qualitative study of project managers’ activities in a major construction industry firm in India. We make three contributions. First, our study illustrates how the micro activities of project managers, in coordination with the actions of senior management, address the emerging economy challenges, and project managers’ responses hold lessons for the emerging literature on “projects as practice.” Second, we augment the dominant cognitive orientation in the discussion of organizational fields in project management literature with a practice perspective. Finally, we enrich the institutional theory stream in project management. In addition to the mechanisms identified in that stream of literature, our data suggest that the activities of project managers in major construction projects may act as a mechanism of transition in emerging economies. While the project managers in the Indian construction industry firm undertook numerous field building activities that were crucial for their projects’ success, these activities were simultaneously addressing major gaps in the economic infrastructure of India. Thus, our data portray construction industry managers as not merely engaged in project execution, but as active participants in the economic transition of a country.Similarly, labor and supplier markets in India were underdeveloped, and the projects had to bear the cost of this development.     

Stages in project managers’ careers: Learning and growth opportunities

Despite the extensive literature on career development and project management, there is no standalone systematic review examining the career paths of project managers based on academic studies. To fill this gap, we summarize a sample of papers selected from a systematic literature review (SLR), involving research papers published from 1985 to 2019. Based on a review of this literature, we: (1) Characterize three stages within the careers of project managers, namely start-career, interaction-career, and end-career; (2) Use Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS) model to link stages and intra-stage periods with learning and growth opportunities for project managers. We enhance our study through a focus group of 18 senior project managers in order to obtain a richer picture of the career path landscape. Our study adds a new theoretical dimension to career path planning for project managers. It can also benefit organizations in designing their talent management structures for project managers and serve the academic community by providing valuable insights into research on the careers of project managers over time.     

To bridge or to bond? Diverse social connections in an IS project team

Although research has shown that knowledge sharing among project team members is crucial for project performance, achieving knowledge sharing is still challenging. This problem is especially salient in IS project teams. Such teams are temporary organizations that may not progress through the necessary team formation cycle, yet are expected to produce intangible outcomes in a limited time. In this paper, we investigate how bonding and bridging social capital influence knowledge sharing and project performance. Bonding could facilitate cohesiveness within a team and lead a team to achieve project goals. Bridging could facilitate access to various beneficial resources beyond the boundary of a project team, increasing creativity and innovation. However, bridging is costly and can obstruct project performance. Our findings suggest that team members with high bonding social capital are more likely to share their knowledge with their team. Bonding and intention to share knowledge also positively affect project performance. Conversely, bridging social capital can contribute to project performance only through the mediating effect of bonding. This research contributes to theory by empirically examining the two types of social capital and their interdependence, as predictors of knowledge sharing and subsequently project performance. Project managers should form teams composed of members with diverse social connections and consider the balance between bonding and bridging within a team to control the potential disadvantageous effects of bridging social capital.     

浅析对工程项目管理中施工索赔的认识

随着建筑市场的不断规范化,建设单位和施工单位越来越重视工程索赔工作。项目管理者要想成功管理并做到经济效益最大化,就必须重视施工索赔问题,增强索赔意识。因此,探讨和关注工程项目管理中的施工索赔是很有现实意义的。     

EMPLOYMENT CONCENTRATION AND JOB QUALITY FOR LOW‐SKILLED LATINO IMMIGRANTS

ABSTRACT: This article examines the formation, determination, and quality of employment concentration for low‐skilled Latino immigrants. Comparative evidence is drawn from the three metropolitan areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. Using 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), gender‐specific ethnic niches where Latino immigrants disproportionately concentrate are identified and niche effects on wage earnings are analyzed. This study finds that while ethnic niches are evident in all three cities, they are most prevalent among women and newly arrived immigrants, and in the emerging gateway of Washington, D.C. Niche employment is almost uniformly characterized by earnings disadvantage as compared to non‐niche employment, with lower returns premium on workers’ human capital and work experience, especially for men. Niche effects on earnings vary across metropolitan areas in accordance with their economic structure as well as with the size and profile of immigrants.     

MINORITIES AND WOMEN IN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: 1973–1980

The 1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act extended federal prohibitions against discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, and other conditions of employment to state and local governments. This research examines the increase in the number of women and minorities employed by state and local governments between 1973 and 1980. It also examines the increase in the salaries of minorities and women during the same period. The total number of minorities and women in state and local government increased by 20 percent during this period. Most of this increase resulted from the hiring of women, particularly white women. Although the salaries of minorities and women increased more than 50 percent, the salaries of white males increased similarly. The salary gap between white males and minorities and women was not decreased significantly.     

Cross-domain negative effect of work-family conflict on project citizenship behavior: Study on Chinese project managers

This research aims to examine whether and how the bidirectional work-family conflict—work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC)—would influence project citizenship behavior (PCB) among Chinese project managers. We proposed hypotheses regarding the relationships between work-family conflict and PCB and the mediating effects of project commitment, which considered the role of national context. Data collected from 154 Chinese project managers were analyzed using structural equation modeling. It was found that FWC had negative relationships with all the three chosen PCBs, i.e., helping behavior, individual initiative, and relationship maintenance, and project commitment mediated these relationships. However, no negative influences of WFC on the three PCBs and project commitment were found. Further comparisons of effects of WFC and FWC on PCBs and project commitment indicated that Chinese project managers were less subject to the negative impacts of WFC. Overall, our results supported the cross-domain negative effect but rejected matching-domain negative effect of work-family conflict among Chinese project managers. We extend understandings of work-family conflict and PCB in the project context, and verify the importance of national context in interpreting work-family issues. Practical suggestions are also discussed regarding increasing project managers' PCB.     

Mobilizing social capital: Which informal and formal supports affect employment outcomes for HOPE VI residents?

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the relationship between informal social support and formal support services and employment outcomes among residents of a public housing development relocated as part of a HOPE VI project in Charlotte, North Carolina. Informal social supports are resources accessible through family and friends within a neighborhood and formal support services are provided by case managers and service providers. We find that when former public housing residents are enrolled in case management longer and have high satisfaction with their case manager, this leads to better employment outcomes. In addition, having strong bonding ties among public housing neighbors has a negative influence on employment. This study sheds light on how case managers play a role in promoting economic mobility by mitigating social and economic crises and providing bridging capital for poor families.     

浅谈建筑机电安装的施工质量控制

机电安装有着很强的技术性和综合性,需要管理者充分发挥协调、组织和管理能力。机电安装工程施工质量的好坏直接关系到整个建筑工程质量的好坏,所以我们要更加注重机电安装工程的施工质量。