New success factors for construction projects: a systematic review of post-2004 literature

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn H. Charles ◽  
Alice Chang-Richards ◽  
(Kenneth) Tak Wing Yiu

Purpose The purpose of this study is to elicit the success factors from empirical evidence, as construction industry requires an improved understanding of factors for managing projects to positive outcomes. Increased stakeholder involvement, including the new technologies, achieving sustainability and safeguarding health and safety, whilst at the same time facing uncertainties, it is crucial to examine whether there are new factors that drive construction projects to succeed, especially from a value-driven perspective. Design/methodology/approach Using a systematic review approach, this research reviewed 172 studies published after 2004. When compared to a comprehensive project success factor framework presented by Chan et al. in 2004, 19 factors are considered new since 2004. Findings Though several scholarly outputs highlighted significant improvements to project operations and innovations in equipment and techniques, there has not been a comprehensive oversight since Chan’s et al. (2004) conceptual framework. This paper investigates 16 years of industry changes and identified two new success factors categories (innovation and sustainability) and 19 new factors that add to Chan’s et al. (2004) study. Consequently, a new framework of factors affecting project success was developed. Originality/value This paper was very specific in its attempt to find the new and additional success factors for managing construction projects. A new conceptual framework, which includes the newly identified factors, was then developed that will create a greater awareness of stakeholders’ concerns and ultimately contribute to significant improvement in developing project objectives and defining success measures.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 562-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yitbarek Takele Bayiley ◽  
Getachew Kahsay Teklu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the results of a survey that aims to explore and identify the European Union (EU) Development Cooperation project success factors and criteria and explain the relationship between the critical success factors (CSFs) and project success as perceived by the project managers and team members of the organizations participated in the survey. Design/methodology/approach – The research followed interpretive research philosophy, abductive approach, survey as a strategy, a cross-sectional time horizon and questionnaire as data collection instrument. It also employed exploratory design to identify CSFs and explanatory design to explain relationships between success factors and project success. Both primary and secondary data were used to gather data. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the project team members of EU delegation to Ethiopia, government organizations and NGOs while the secondary sources of data included extensive review of literature. Findings – Using principal component analysis the study identified a specific set of four CSFs for projects funded by EU: intellectual capital, sound project case, key manpower competency and effective stakeholder engagement. Moreover, the descriptive statistics of the survey highlighted five critical success variables: clear policy of donors and recipient government, strong local ownership of project, effective consultation during planning, high motivation and interest, and compatible rules and procedures. The study ranked relevance, impact, effectiveness, sustainability, and efficiency according to their level of importance by the participants of the survey. Research limitations/implications – The research is temporally, spatially, and contextually delimited to EU funded projects from the period 2010 to 2014 that are completed and still ongoing. Moreover, the current study focusses only on aid projects funded by EU in Ethiopia which might limit its generalizability into ID projects in developing countries funded by bodies other than EU such as World bank, United Nations and its different bodies, African Union, Japanese government to mention some. Social implications – The current study has clearly identified intellectual capital which covers social capital as the most important success factor for projects funded by EU in Ethiopia. Accordingly, the study underscored the importance of securing continuous support from all stakeholders and holding effective consultations of stakeholders during planning, implementation and closing phases of EU funded projects. Originality/value – The study identified new CSFs specific to projects funded by EU and the incompatibility in the perceived importance of project success criteria among different stakeholders implicating differences in the priority they set.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1799-1804

For the successful implementation of the construction projects, researchers have tried to analyze the success factors. In the available literature, there is no clear indication to the success factors that are related to the projects related to construction. Many major construction journals were included to review the project success factors and developed a framework including six groups of independent variables, namely PRF, PMTMRF, PMRF, CLRF, CORF & EF and one dependent variable, i.e., CPS. The main purpose of this research is to test the developed conceptual framework on the CSFs in construction projects. Further the scale is tested for validity and reliability and finally SEM is applied and it is found that CSFs have 70.8% impact on the CPS. And also it is found that PMRF has the maximum impact in the success of construction projects.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Liu ◽  
Miroslaw J. Skibniewski ◽  
Qianqian Ju ◽  
Junjie Li ◽  
Hongbing Jiang

PurposeThis study aims to explore the innovative capabilities of building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects. The objectives are to construct an inclusive conceptual framework of BIM-enabled construction innovation, identify the status and trends of innovation-related research in BIM publications, synthesize research pertaining to BIM-enabled construction innovation and discover core research requirements in the related body of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes a comprehensive theoretical framework, named innovation pyramid, comprising context, actor, artifact, process, structure and innovative task for exploring and analyzing the innovative capability of BIM in construction projects. Accordingly, mixed methods were used to perform a systematic review of research on the topic of BIM-enabled construction innovation.FindingsThe findings reveal that BIM innovation-related articles have predominantly considered BIM as an innovation from a technological standpoint, while the innovative capabilities of BIM have remained under-researched with a fragmented research focus. Fertile grounds for research have emerged and call for research pertaining to entities of “structure” and “innovative task” as well as interaction, interrelations and mutually adjusting effect among the entities.Practical implicationsThe framework proposed may be useful for subsequent research design and for assisting project management practitioners in the use of BIM to achieve innovation more efficiently.Originality/valueThis research provides an insight into the innovative capabilities of BIM based on the BIM–collaboration–construction innovation logic chain. It contributes to the body of knowledge by devising an inclusive conceptual framework of BIM-enabled construction innovation, synthesizing the state of the art and exposing the research needs in this area.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Asgari ◽  
Ali Kheyroddin ◽  
Hosein Naderpour

For improving the conditions of project intended purpose and reaching high score in the project success, project Stakeholders (including employer, contractor, consultant and its users) try to comply with the implementation of project Critical Success Factors(CSFs) at the beginning of each project. This implementation is in two terms: economic and executive. Artificial neural networks are one of the new methods which have been developed to estimate and predict parameters by using inherent relationship among data. In this research, it tried to propose a model to determine the project success score by using radial basis neural networks. For reaching this purpose, firstly, the key indicators of project success (employer, contractor and consultant) among the main elements involved in the industry of macro-civil construction projects in Iran reviewed. Secondly, ten CSFs key project success indicators were recognized in five categories: (i) financial, (ii) interaction processes, (iii) manpower, (iv) contract settings and (v) characteristic nature of the project (based on conditions of the present research in Iran). Then, some projects were selected by random sampling of projects operated during the last 5 years in the country's Ministry of Energy. Among those projects, project information was collected by managers of large projects. After training the designed neural network, the project success model was provided based on an assessment of project objectives including factors of Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality of the projects. For facilitating other researches’ use, the applied equation of the model was presented as well. Outputs, calculated by the proposed model, were in good agreement with the actual number of projects assessed in Iran. The results of this study may be used as a tool in implementing projects for the rapid assessment of achieving project goals’ facilities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ephrem Girma Sinesilassie ◽  
Syed Zafar Shahid Tabish ◽  
Kumar Neeraj Jha

Purpose Time overrun is one of the most significant issues being faced by Ethiopian construction industry today. For effective time performance, the successful execution of construction projects and keeping them within prescribed schedule is very important. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors responsible for impacting performance of Ethiopian public construction projects. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature and personal interviews of key construction professionals in Ethiopia, a list of 35 project performance attributes having strong effect on performance of the projects were identified and a questionnaire using these attributes were prepared and administered in Ethiopia. Statistical analysis of responses on the attributes segregated them into distinct sets of success attributes and failure attributes. The attributes were also subjected to factor analysis separately for better understanding and it resulted into six success factors and six failure factors. The relative importance of these factors was established with multiple regression analysis. Findings It is concluded that the success factor “owners’ competence” can significantly contribute to schedule performance of Ethiopian public construction projects. On the other hand, “conflict among project participants,” “poor human resource management,” and “project manager’s ignorance and lack of knowledge” are detrimental to schedule performance of Ethiopian public construction project. Research limitations/implications As with any other opinion-based study, the present study also has some limitations. The majority of respondents have evaluated the projects in their execution stage only and very few have evaluated the performance of projects in planning and operation stages and also the study has been carried out in the Ethiopian context. Hence the study has a limitation in these regard. Originality/value The results presented in this study provide sufficient evidence and useful understanding to researchers and industry practitioners to focus on a few factors than giving attention to all the factors and take proactive measures for the timely delivery of public construction projects.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahim Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem ◽  
Siddra Qayyum Siddiqui ◽  
Muhammad Bilal Khurshid

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of implementation of Six Sigma (SS) in the construction industry of Pakistan along with the current state of affairs and the challenges, and opportunities for a successful implementation. Design/methodology/approach The research is purely exploratory in nature. Based on published work, critical success factors are gathered, and a number of questionnaire surveys and interviews are conducted to refine and quantify their impact. A system dynamics framework to assess the SS influence on project success is developed and case study project are simulated. Findings The construction industry of Pakistan is still functioning in a traditional way; marred with low level of awareness and ad hoc approaches, the findings point to a huge improvement opportunity. Further, when under planning projects are exposed to SS, the chances of project success improve better than under execution projects. Research limitations/implications The limited level of awareness possessed by the respondents constrains the possible outreach of this work in industrially developed contexts. However, this work may become an impetus for further research in managing quality in construction industry. Practical implications The findings can be used to improve the quality provision of construction projects. Originality/value This work may trigger an important debate over the research and implementation of SS in the construction industry of developing countries that may greatly benefit by improving the quality of their projects and rectify their diminishing reputation for project success.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Christofi ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Erasmia Leonidou

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the authors aim to identify all the product- and brand-related factors that promote cause-related marketing (CRM) success. The second part of this research aim is, to undertake a product innovation theory application into the context of CRM, examine the degree and nature of its theoretical and practical consonance, and develop an integrated conceptual framework for CRM success. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual and incorporates and interrelates the findings of existing CRM research as applied within the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically this paper accumulates the state of prior wisdom on CRM success through the identification of several product- and brand-related success factors, based on a systematic review of the literature. In doing so, it introduces the concept of product innovation as a CRM success factor and integrates those distinct fields into a conceptual framework. Findings – The authors develop an integrative framework and a propositional inventory that represents a consolidated foundation for the systematic development of a theory for successful CRM strategies, along with the integration of product innovation within the field of CRM. Research limitations/implications – Towards this direction, the objective of this study is theory construction rather than theory testing. Thus, much work remains to be done in terms of empirically testing our research propositions. In conclusion, this paper posits a set of research directions designed to enable scholars to further advance the integration of product innovation and CRM from both problem-driven theory development as well as theory-driven practice management perspectives. Originality/value – The value of this paper accumulates the state of prior wisdom on CRM success, a notion with increasing use by corporations in recent years. Furthermore, this paper appears to be the first of its kind to examine, from the theorist perspective, the dynamics implied by synthesizing these, so far, distinct concepts. Additionally, the research adds appreciable value to academic knowledge on the fundamental discussion of the bidirectional relationship between CSR and innovation, also contributing an analogous CRM success framework to the existing wisdom.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 690-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Jing Yang ◽  
Sajani Jayasuriya ◽  
Chathuri Gunarathna ◽  
Mehrdad Arashpour ◽  
Xiaolong Xue ◽  
...  

Purpose The complicated nature of megaprojects requires appropriate analysis of multiple stakeholders to achieve project objectives and to accommodate stakeholder interests. During the last two decades, many stakeholder theories and empirical studies have sprouted. Although previous studies have contributed to the development of stakeholder theory, it seems that these theoretical advances have not been fully adopted and acknowledged in practices, especially in megaprojects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the evolution of stakeholder analysis and engagement practices adopted in the Australian megaprojects over the last two decades. Design/methodology/approach Four mega construction projects are described and analysed in this study. Secondary data were first assembled in order to get general knowledge of each case. Interviews were conducted with the project directors. Project documents were collected from the project teams and reviewed. Wherever the project information was unclear, e-mails were sent to the directors and the team members to confirm the details. Findings Project teams have started to apply snowball rolling and stakeholder attribute assessment methods to analyse stakeholders. However, there is still a way to adopt the “network” analysis perspective because the project teams are reluctant to use complicated tools which need specialists’ assistance. The stakeholder engagement practices have evolved to an extent where the project teams monitor the dynamics of stakeholders’ requirements. Projects teams have identified the importance of continuity to manage stakeholders in these massive projects. However, a structured method selection mechanism for stakeholder engagement has not been developed. Originality/value This study will help academics to understand the adoption progress and status of stakeholder management methods.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesam Salah Alaloul ◽  
Khalid M. Alzubi ◽  
Ahmad B. Malkawi ◽  
Marsail Al Salaheen ◽  
Muhammad Ali Musarat

PurposeThe unique nature of the construction sector makes it fall behind other sectors in terms of productivity. Monitoring construction productivity is crucial for the construction project's success. Current practices for construction productivity monitoring are time-consuming, manned and error prone. Although previous studies have been implemented toward reducing these limitations, a gap still exists in the automated monitoring of construction productivity.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to investigate and assess the different techniques used for monitoring productivity in building construction projects. Therefore, a mixed review methodology (bibliometric analysis and systematic review) was adopted. All the related publications were collected from different databases, which were further screened to get the most relevant based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.FindingsA detailed review was performed, and it was found that traditional methods, computer vision-based and photogrammetry are the most adopted data acquisition for productivity monitoring of building projects, respectively. Machine learning algorithms (ANN, SVM) and BIM were integrated with monitoring tools and technologies to enhance the automated monitoring performance in construction productivity. Also, it was observed that current studies did not cover all the complex construction job sites and they were applied based on a small sample of construction workers and machines separately.Originality/valueThis review paper contributes to the literature on construction management by providing insight into different productivity monitoring techniques.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Zavari ◽  
Mohammad Reza Afshar

PurposeIn the construction industry, site managers are responsible for the day-to-day on-site running of a project. Site managers are required not only to ensure that work is done safely, on time, within budget and to the right quality standards, but also to manage any delays or problems encountered on-site during a construction project. Thus, a site manager has a significant position in the success of a construction project. However, there is a lack of studies considering the role of the leadership style of a site manager in construction project success. In this study, not only the effect of the transformational leadership (TL) style of site managers on the success of construction projects is assessed, but also the mediating role of team-building (TB) and team innovation between TL and project success is studied.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed hypotheses are tested by comparing the performance criteria of construction projects with the TL style of site managers. The success criteria of the projects are examined using project documents and client opinions, and the TL of site managers, TB aspects and team innovation in projects are assessed by asking from their subordinates. The Pearson correlation coefficient is employed to investigate the relation between every two variables.FindingsThe results illustrate that the TL of a site manager is directly related to project success; thus, the findings would confirm the importance of selecting appropriate site managers for construction projects. Moreover, while there is a mediating role of TB between TL and construction project success, team innovation does not have a mediating impact in design-bid-build (DBB) construction projects.Originality/valueAs there is a lack of studies assessing the TL effects on the success of construction projects and the significant role of site managers, this study is one of the first researches that tested these impacts and evaluated the mediating role of TB and team innovation between TL and project performance.


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