Organizational culture and willingness to share knowledge: A competing values perspective in Australian context

A considerable amount of research has confirmed the relationship between organizational culture and knowledge sharing behaviours. However, less research has been conducted on the impact of project sub-cultures in relation to the sharing of knowledge between projects, particularly in project based organizations (PBOs). The unique structures and contexts characterized by PBOs indicate the need to investigate further the impact of cultures present within PBOs and their effect on knowledge sharing. We report on a rich case study of four large Australian-based PBOs whereby the cultural values of these large organizations were seen to impact significantly on whether project teams were more or less likely to improve inter-project knowledge sharing. Furthermore, this research demonstrates the utility of using Cameron and Quinn's (2005) Competing Values Framework to evaluate culture in the context of PBOs.     

Knowledge leadership to improve project and organizational performance

Conceptualizing knowledge leadership and customer knowledge management (CKM) in the project context is still rudimentary. Thus, the first objective of this study is to assess the associations among knowledge leadership, customer knowledge management, the performance of a precision instrument sales (PIS) project, and organizational performance. The second objective is to determine whether project performance may mediate the effect of customer knowledge management on organizational performance. The third objective is to examine the moderating role of data complexity in the relationship between customer knowledge management and project performance. This study empirically investigated a sample of precision instrument sales projects in Taiwanese high-tech industry. The findings indicate that adoption of knowledge leadership is associated with customer knowledge management. In addition, these analyses suggest that implementation of customer knowledge management influences organizational performance via project performance. The results also show that the positive relationship between customer knowledge management and project performance depends on data complexity.     

Is the evolution of building sustainability assessment methods promoting the desired sharing of knowledge amongst project stakeholders?

Building sustainability assessment methods (BSAM’s) seek to help project stakeholders understand the predicted and actual sustainability performance of their buildings but are often applied reactively and isolated from project decisions. The last decade has seen BREEAM at the forefront of evolving assessment practice towards a framework approach to help shape project decisions and promote stakeholder learning. The research explores the nature and extent this transition is being realized in practice within four case studies applying BREEAM spanning a 15-year period. Process and knowledge mapping techniques are applied to explore the flow of knowledge required to enable sustainable decisions, stimulate the sharing of understanding, mediation of views and to promote learning amongst stakeholders. Evidence suggested that when applied in progressive projects that the flow of knowledge is strongest when supported by sustainability leadership, a framework approach aligned with project management, an improvement and engagement culture and a strategy for promoting knowledge flow. As practice matures care is needed to ensure engagement remains high and stakeholders are not isolated from the flow of knowledge as projects increasingly rely on sustainability advisors thus losing the opportunity to learn and shape decisions.     

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...     

Maximizing strategic value from megaprojects: The influence of information-feed on decision-making by the project manager

Large projects are notorious for erosion of value during execution. Decisions made by project managers have a significant impact on the strategic value of the asset delivered, and those decisions depend on the information feed on which they are based. This study uses theories of organizational behavior, decision-making and program management to investigate the impact of information feed used by project managers on the strategic value delivered by mega projects in the oil and gas industry. A global survey of 69 managers of mega-projects was conducted. Results showed that information feed to project managers significantly influences the strategic value created by megaprojects. Also some moderating effects of contextual factors on this relationship were found. The contextual factors that influenced project manager decision-making relate to what they perceived to be Senior Management drivers for their projects. However the hypothesized moderating influence of project manager experience on decision-making was not found—an interesting observation. It was found that the extent to which project managers feel in control should influence the scope and quality of information-feed that should be sought. Four risk areas were observed as significant to long-term value creation from megaprojects: government relations; host community relations; contract management and procurement; and the influence of multi-location execution.     

工程管理组织内部知识共享影响因素的实证研究

通过文献研究和理论假设,从主体因素、客体因素和环境因素3 个维度,构建了工程管理组织内部知识共享效果的影响因素模型。通过开发测量量表,编制调研问卷,开展广泛调研,并利用SPSS 统计分析软件对调研数据进行了描述性统计分析、信度和效度分析、相关分析以及回归分析,并对研究假设进行了实证检验。研究结果表明:成员间信任、组织文化和领导支持等对工程管理组织内部知识共享效果具有显著的正向影响,而知识内隐性、成员间差距和组织单元独立性等对工程管理组织内部知识共享效果具有显著的负向影响。     

Business transformation: Leadership,integration and innovation – A case study

The Cornerstone Program represented a significant business transformation for Hydro One. Just as a cornerstone helps determine the position of an entire structure; the Cornerstone Program has helped shape the future strategic position of Hydro One. This strategy and vision includes supporting the business infrastructure through improvements to rapidly respond to business needs, enabling rapid access to information for strategic decisions, and streamlined business operations enabling the organization to deal with growing requirements. This case study introduces a conceptual framework that draws from theoretical change models but is also grounded in the reality of the change environment at this organization. Realizing major organizational change is a complex process influenced by the characteristics of an organization, the integrated project and change management framework, and the importance of key leadership roles throughout the change process. Results from this study suggest that effective change implementation was enabled by leadership, program management, and change ownership, integrated with project implementation.     

Enhancing project managers’ strategy commitment by leader-leader exchange: The role of psychological empowerment and organizational identification

Projects are considered an important means of implementing strategies in project-based organizations (PBOs). Project managers need to lead projects following organizational strategies in PBOs. As a result, project managers’ commitment to strategy, which reflects their intention to perform strategic behavior, plays an important role in strategy implementation in PBOs. This study examined the role of leader-leader exchange (LLX), psychological empowerment, and organizational identification of project managers in enhancing strategy commitment. Survey data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. The results show that both LLX and psychological empowerment of project managers enhance their strategy commitment. Besides, this study reveals project managers’ psychological motivational mechanisms by investigating the mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderating role of organizational identification. This study contributes to PBOs strategy implementation literature by extending the enhancers of strategy commitment. It generates useful insights by revealing project managers’ psychological mechanisms between LLX and strategy commitment.     

Strategic change towards cost-efficient public construction projects

The cost of public construction projects is a central topic in project management. However, studies have primarily focused on cost at the project level, not on cost management at the portfolio level. In this paper, we take the perspective of a government agency, conducting a strategic initiative to increase cost-efficiency in their portfolio of construction projects. We use an action research approach to investigate the dynamics of the initiative and the implementation of resulting actions to achieve lasting change towards cost-efficiency. Co-creating actions for cost-efficiency together with the project teams was important for the success of the strategic initiative. For successful implementation, alignment of the objectives of the initiative with organizational strategy, and knowledge transfer between projects is central. This study expands the project management literature regarding strategic cost management of portfolios of construction projects and provides practical guidance for organizations.     

Project governance and stakeholders: a literature review

Despite the importance of stakeholders in project governance, project management literature lacks from an inclusive framework which defines the roles, relationships and positions of internal and external stakeholders inside and outside of the organization's governance structure. This paper has the purpose to report a review on project governance literature to draw attention to the context within which the stakeholders are positioned, to extract their roles and relationships inside and outside of the organization and to develop new avenues for research regarding stakeholders in project governance. The conducted thematic analysis reveals that there are three contexts influencing organization's approaches towards stakeholders: success, megaprojects and ethics. The developed conceptual framework illustrates that organizations are in direct contact with external stakeholders at the organizational level and project level. Strategic decisions made at the organizational level are operationalised at the portfolio level and influence the approach towards external stakeholders at the project level. Considering the lack of theories to support general doctrine of stakeholder theory, this research suggests that future governance researchers adopt a broader view in selection of theoretical lenses in order to include the social and psychological aspects of the management of external stakeholders.     

多项目环境下工程管理组织内部知识共享影响因素识别

知识共享作为知识管理的核心要素,在工程管理领域越来越受到研究人员和各类工程管理组织的重视。为了理清制约工程管理组织内部知识共享效果的各类影响因素,在分析工程管理组织知识共享特点的基础上,构建了多项目环境下工程管理组织内部知识共享模型,从共享主体、共享客体和共享环境3 个维度,分析识别出多项目环境下工程管理组织内部知识共享的常规影响因素以及特有影响因素,并利用专家访谈法最终确定出17 个方面的影响因素,建立了多项目环境下工程管理组织内部知识共享影响因素概念模型,为继续开展有关影响机理的实证研究奠定了基础。     

Revisiting a programmatic planning approach: managing linkages between transport and land use planning

The body of knowledge on transport and land use planning shows considerable overlap with management theories and practices. Notable examples can be found in project management and strategic management. Recently, in the field of management theory, the idea of programme management has gained prominence in response to the need to coordinate on a tactical level. Programme management links to both strategic management and project management, as it focuses on the coordinated management of related projects in order to realize strategic objectives. In line with the tradition to integrate management theories into spatial planning, the aim of this paper is to explore the power of a programme management approach in a transport and land use planning context. We investigate whether and how a programme management approach when applied in transport and land use planning can deal with three important interrelated challenges that emerge between the strategic and operational level in transport and land use planning: (1) linking strategic goals to operational projects, (2) developing the accompanying joint organizational structures, and (3) moulding fixed and separate procedures into more adaptive joint decision-making processes. To do so, we conducted an in-depth case study of two recent programme management approaches in Dutch transport and land use planning. We show that both programmes function as platforms where different parties come together and where a wide range of management and monitoring tools are used to guide the programme in a specific direction.     

The project-oriented organization and its contribution to innovation

This paper presents a new conceptualization of the project-oriented organization. The project-oriented organization is conceptualized as an entrepreneurial, future- and stakeholder-oriented innovating organization, which uses projects as temporary, task-focused organizations, to define, develop, and implement its strategies, to transform its structure, culture and behavior, and to define and develop new products, services, and business models. The concept of the project-oriented organization consists of the three segments (1) values, (2) structures, and (3) people. For each segment three important areas are described, which characterize a project-oriented organization. The model is theoretically based on a wide spectrum of management disciplines: (1) The orientations in the value segment have been developed in entrepreneurship, strategic management and technology and innovation management; (2) The foundations for the design of the socio-technical artefacts in the structure segment of derived from organizational design, planning and controlling, and ICT systems theory; (3) The foundations for the elements of the human side come from organizational behavior, human resource management, and knowledge management theories. Our model shows a clear linkage to these theories, references key articles, and gives special consideration to empirical studies in the realm of projects, programs, project portfolios, and project-based or project-oriented organizations. Thus, our assumption that the elements of our model are supposed to increase project success, innovation success, and business success is based on empirical evidence.     

Success factors of knowledge management in temporary organizations

The prevalence of temporary forms of cooperation and project-based work is increasing. Likewise, the knowledge-intensity of work contents is growing. However, the unique and temporary nature of projects and programs does not support knowledge transfer from, between and within projects.This research aims at spotting success factors of knowledge management in temporary organizations. Based on a cross-industry sample with 414 organizations, we apply the partial least square (PLS) method to test the influence of cultural, organizational, structural, and process-related factors on knowledge management effectiveness.Besides IT-support and formal elements of the organization, it is cultural factors that strongly influence knowledge management success. In temporary organizations they compensate for the lack of organizational routines and organizational memory. Our results contribute to a more differentiated understanding of knowledge management in project environments.     

监理违约责任若干问题

对监理的履约，违约行为方式以及监理违约责任的适用归责原则进行了较为深入的研究，探讨了现行法律法规存在的问题，并就相关问题提出了自己的看法。     

IPD 模式下设计施工方合作动力演化分析

针对集成交付（ IPD）中合作组织间合作创新动力因素及如何协调的问题，运用计划行为理论分析合作动力的影响因素，基于 IPD 模式特殊的协作方式和利益分配方式构建了施工承包方及设计方的演化博弈模型，分析参与方跨组织管理能力、管理效率、收益池分配比例、违约奖惩对合作概率的影响。据此，从主动力、源动力及助动力 3 个角度出发，提出提升合作动力的建议。     

Construction industry clients: A survey of their attributes and project management practices

The recent growth of interest in the strategic decisions made by clients as to how to organize and manage their projects has not as yet been matched by any extensive and systematic analysis of clients' attitudes and approaches towards project management. This paper seeks to help redress this imbalance by presenting findings from a survey of 138 client organizations drawn from both the private and public sectors. Focusing upon their experiences on a recently completed, comparatively large (£1 million plus) project, the paper examines similarities and differences in the ways in which clients organize and manage their projects and assesses the impact of these practices on project performance. Differences in the type, size and typicality of the projects are also taken into account in the analysis. The main conclusions drawn from the data are that client experience has an important impact upon many of the decisions made, that strategic decisions are often internally driven as opposed to project-based, that additional work and inadequate briefing still continue to cause problems during construction, and that there is little direct evidence in favour of alternatives to traditional managerial and contractual arrangements.     

A power‐based leadership approach to project management

The concept of leadership relates to power structuring whereby the project leader may lead and motivate through power disposition. Power, in its diverse guises, combines interpersonal and structural elements and can be enhanced through political manoeuvring. Power may also be distributed unevenly between individuals in the project team. In this article a power‐based model of project leadership is developed, underpinned by a behaviour‐performance‐outcome approach and an appropriate methodology is developed for testing the construction enterprises in China using structural equations modelling. The fitness indices show that the resulting model which postulates that the motivational function of good leadership operates through managing power gaps by means of power‐sharing and power‐amassing is acceptable. The effects (both predominant magnitudes and statistical significance) from the project managers' referent power to power‐sharing and power‐amassing show that the project manager's inherent personal traits and credentials are critical to his/her power exercising so as to motivate members to secure management effectiveness.     

Governing projects under complexity: theory and practice in project management

In this paper we argue that the fledgling field of project and program governance has the potential to make a major scholarly and practical contribution. One that not only has the potential to mainstream project management within the broader business and management field, but to also cement its place as a dominant voice in the successful governance of the strategic intentions of organizations, societies, and nations. With this argument in mind three themes organize present discussion in this issue of International Journal of Project Management: the first concerns how we should make sense of governance, something that is clarified through a review of the current state of play in the literature; the second theme comprises papers that report research conducted on governance in projects, using insights from surveys, case studies and other systematic forms of empirical observation. The third theme focuses on theoretical models of governance, ranging from distributed knowledge management and learning perspectives on project governance to systems engineering approaches. While we do not claim that this issue is exhaustive, we do believe it provides a sign post about the current state of play, and the potential future of governance in project and program management as a mainstream domain of research, theory and practice.     

基于ISM的心理契约对虚拟企业知识共享影响研究

虚拟企业作为一种新的组织形式日益引起人们的关注,其成功组建的重要基础是成员企业间的知识共享。然而,在信息化时代,科技迅猛发展,虚拟企业在知识共享过程中受到一些来自内外部因素的影响;与此同时,在分析企业及个人活动时,运用心理契约的理论知识成为学术界的一种潮流。从心理契约的角度出发,通过构建ISM模型对虚拟企业知识共享影响因素进行分析与讨论,进而探寻各因素在知识共享过程中所起的作用,并得出具有普遍意义的一般结论,为知识管理理论提供补充,为企业制定决策提供参考。