Determining the relationship between conflict factors and performance of international construction projects

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyad Zouher Al-Sibaie ◽  
Ali Mohammed Alashwal ◽  
Hamzah Abdul-Rahman ◽  
Umi Kalsum Zolkafli
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
International Construction ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – Conflict was recognized as a major cause of inefficiency and limited performance of construction projects. Factors pertaining to conflict in construction are vast; however, there have been less recognition of these factors in international construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to provide in-depth understanding of conflict in this context and analyze how it influences project performance. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 161 professionals working in Malaysian companies, which are undertaking construction projects overseas. Findings – Analyzing the data using factor analysis revealed six new factors of conflict: external, internal, control-related, knowledge-related, mismanagement, and social conflicts. Further analysis of the data using partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) affirmed a significant relationship between project performance and two factors of conflict only: internal and social. The results also showed that conflict contributes to about 27 percent of the variance in project performance. Originality/value – This paper provided a clear picture for project managers and team members about specific aspects of conflict and how to mitigate them to attain better performance of international construction projects.

Effects of team diversity on project performance in construction projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Xianbo Zhao ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
George Zillante
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Diversity ◽  
Different Types ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is fourfold: first, to investigate the effect of team diversity on different types of conflicts; second, to determine if team diversity is significantly correlated with project performance; third, to investigate the mediating effect of project conflicts on the relationship between team diversity and project performance and fourth, to examine the relationship between different types of conflicts and project performance in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model was developed and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 246 professionals. The structural equation modeling technique was applied to analyze the data. Findings The results showed that: team diversity was positively associated with project performance; the introduction of conflicts significantly weakened the effect of diversity on performance; conflicts have both constructive and destructive effects on project performance; and team diversity affected project performance through the mediating effects of task conflict and relationship conflict, thus adding both positive and negative effects on performance. Research limitations/implications There are other factors which may affect conflicts and project performance such as communication, trust and contract. Future research could be conducted to determine the role of these variables in determining the effects of team diversity on performance. Practical implications It is necessary to reduce the relationship conflict whereas maintaining a “healthy” level of task conflict. In light of this, the conclusions of this study highlight practical implications as follows: project teams should attach importance to diverse partner selection and select cooperative partners whose value orientations are similar; when implementing a construction project, the structure of diverse project teams should keep relatively stable, avoiding too many teams entering or exiting the project in a short period; project teams should make greater efforts to deal with destructive conflicts via relational governance such as trust and communication. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature in three areas. First, this study investigated the dynamic mechanism between team diversity, conflicts and performance in construction projects. Second, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on validating the mediating effects of conflicts on the relationship between team diversity and performance. Third, this study validated the positive and negative effects of team diversity on performance with different types of conflicts as mediation variables in construction projects.

I rather share my knowledge

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasha Afshar Jalili
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Reward System ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Organizational Procedures

Purpose This paper aims to propose an approach by understanding how Oil Industries’ Commissioning and Operation Company (OICO) company fostered its knowledge sharing (KS) by using gamification approach and nudge theory. It also ascertains the process and challenges that OICO confronted during its three-year journey for improving its organizational knowledge performance. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative research method and case study design. Data were collected from several sources, including the first-hand experiences and observations of the author during contributing in the company’s canonical action research, several in-depth face-to-face interviews conducted with the KM Department team members, the data gathered from the company’s KM software and studying the related organizational procedures and documents. Findings The results reveal that the gamification approach suits for developing KS reward system and knowledge performance management. It also explains that informing project managers about their project’s knowledge performance accompanied by emoticons would lead to higher supports of KM. The proposed approach by this case study improved the organizational KS and performance by 22 per cent semi-annually. Practical implications The described case is detailed deeply and would help KMers to follow it easily. The study would spark some ideas of how to use nudge theory in KM context. Besides, KMers can design a KM reward system based on the explained case. Originality/value This study contributes to the KS and KM rewarding system, especially in project-based organizations, as limited studies have been conducted to investigate the roles that the gamification approach can play in this field. Moreover, this is the first time that use of nudge theory and choice architecture is investigated in the context of KM.

Assessment of performance of teamwork in construction projects delivery in South-Southern Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Tayo Adu ◽  
Akintayo Opawole
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Item Score ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Implementation Stages

Purpose Effort towards improving project performance has necessitated the need for effective teamwork among the stakeholders in the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major attributes of effective teamwork and the challenges encountered by the team during construction with a view to improving performance of projects. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were obtained through 420 structured questionnaires, which were administered to a sample of project participants including clients’, contractors’ and consultants’ organizations’ representatives in South-Southern region of Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean item score and Kruskal–Wallis rank test. Findings The findings revealed leadership skills, top management support and interpersonal dynamics of the team among the critical attributes for effective teamwork. The prevailing challenges of effective teamwork were identified as essentially; poor leadership, poor rapport among team members and lack of effective communication. Practical implications The study ultimately provides implication for effective team building among clients’, consultants’ and contractors’ organizations towards efficient delivery of construction projects. Moreover, the stakeholders in the industry would find the results of this research useful in managing human and non-human components of construction projects through the understanding of the attributes and challenges of teamwork with ultimate aim of achieving effective project performance. Originality/value The findings reveal that all the key stakeholders’ organizations; clients, consultants and contractors’ organizations exhibit similar perceptions of the attributes and challenges confronting teamwork in construction project delivery. The empirical evidence provided on the attributes and challenges would therefore offer robust information in building effective project team by stakeholders during the planning and implementation stages, which is a right step towards enhancing construction project performance.

Aspects of project learning in construction: a socio-technical model

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammed Alashwal ◽  
Hamzah Abdul-Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variable ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Measurement Models ◽  
Project Learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the measurement constructs of learning within construction projects' milieu. The literature indicated some mechanisms of learning in projects under four aspects, namely knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, team action to learn, and learning support. The empirical study attempts to verify whether intra-project learning can be measured through these aspects. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a survey method to collect the data from 36 mega-sized building projects in Malaysia. In total, 203 questionnaires were collected from professionals working in the sites of these projects. The data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the constructs of intra-project learning. Partial least squares-path modeling was used then to confirm the results of PCA and determine the contribution of each construct to intra-project learning. Findings – The results affirmed two constructs of intra-project learning, named, social and technical and each consisted of four indicators of learning. Originality/value – The paper emphasized the socio-technical perspective of learning and contributed to developing a hierarchical measurement model of learning in construction project. A project manager can propose new initiatives in response to the new perspective of learning for team building and continuous development. Lastly, the paper provides a comprehensive presentation of how to estimate the hierarchical measurement models of project learning as a latent variable.

How project managers can encourage and develop positive emotions in project teams

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Emil Berg ◽  
Jan Terje Karlsen
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Engineering Industry ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Signature Strengths ◽  
Positive Meaning

Purpose – This study provides insight into how project managers can use leadership tools to encourage and develop positive emotions among the project team members toward greater overall project success. The purpose of this paper is to provide the engineering industry with a closer look at how positive emotions can create good team member relations, reduce stress, develop clearer roles, creativity and joy at the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were obtained using in-depth interviews of three experienced project managers. Findings – The empirical data give insight as to how project managers can use their signature strengths. Additionally, the data also show how they can evolve and draw on positive meaning, positive emotions and positive relations. Various examples of positive meaning, positive emotions, positive relations and signature strengths have been identified and discussed. Research limitations/implications – Future research should apply a more comprehensive research design, for example a survey using a larger sample, so that these findings may be generalized. Practical implications – The paper contributes to portray and analyze positive psychology in a project management setting. Additionally, the paper assists understanding the connections among positive meaning, positive emotions, positive relations and signature strengths by presenting and discussing a model. Originality/value – This research extends current understanding of how project managers use their signature strengths to encourage and develop positive emotions in project teams.

Factors affecting the delivery of optimum health and safety on construction projects during the covid-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benviolent Chigara ◽  
Tirivavi Moyo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of construction professionals relative to factors that affect the delivery of optimum health and safety (H&S) on construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a quantitative design which entailed the distribution of a web-based questionnaire among construction professionals, namely, architects, construction/project managers, engineers, H&S managers and quantity surveyors working for contractors and construction consultants in Zimbabwe. The data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Factor analysis was used to reveal interrelated significant sets of factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S. Findings Factor analysis revealed nine components/factors: change and innovation-related, monitoring and enforcement-related, production-related, access to information and health service-related, on-site facilities and welfare-related, risk assessment and mitigation-related, job security and funding-related, cost-related and COVID-19 risk perception-related factors as the significant factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe. Research limitations/implications The results highlighted the need for social dialogue among construction stakeholders to support initiatives that will enhance the delivery of H&S on construction projects. Construction stakeholders may find the results useful in highlighting the areas that need improvement to protect workers’ H&S during the pandemic. However, the small sample limits the generalisability of the results to construction sectors in other regions. Originality/value The study investigated factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 to inform interventions to enhance H&S.

scholarly journals Integrated model for the stressors, stress, stress-coping behaviour of construction project managers in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamil George Naoum ◽  
Carlos Herrero ◽  
Charles Egbu ◽  
Daniel Fong
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Structural Equation Modelling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Stress Coping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose It is axiomatic that construction is a fast-paced and competitive industry, which goes hand in hand with many construction professionals suffering from stress including construction project managers (C-PMs). The role of C-PMs is crucial to achieving project success as they are responsible for planning the project, organising human resources, controlling operations and the budget, and forecasting probable difficulties. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the causal relationships between stressors, stresses, stress-coping behaviours and their impact on the performance of C-PMs. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the relationships between stress and performance among C-PMs, a questionnaire was designed based on the extensive literature, and was sent to 150 C-PMs who had amassed at least five years’ direct working experience in the construction industry. A total of 44 completed questionnaires were returned. Correlation analysis and structural equation modelling were employed to understand the integrated relationships between these factors. Based on the data collected and analysis of the results, an integrated structural equation model of the stresses and performances of C-PMs was developed using AMOS version 22.0. Findings The results of structural equation modelling reveal the following: burnout is the type of stress that has the highest impact on the performance of C-PMs, being detrimental to their interpersonal performance (IPP) and positive for their organisational performance (OP), whereas physiological stress worsens the task performance of C-PMs and objective stress improves their IPP. The most active stressor towards the performance of C-PMs is “workgroup cooperation”, which has an impact on the IPP in a positive way but is detrimental to the OP. Career-developing environment, poor organisational structure and role conflict affect both stress and performance together. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the impact of various types of stress on the performances of C-PMs. The result constitutes a significant step towards the stress management of C-PMs in the dynamic and stressful construction industry.

A hybrid approach for investigating impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Luo ◽  
Limao Zhang ◽  
Xian Zheng ◽  
Guangdong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
The State ◽  
Organizational Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Construction ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThis paper proposes a novel hybrid simulation approach that incorporates the structural equation model (SEM) and system dynamics (SD) to investigate the impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance under different scenarios.Design/methodology/approachSEM is used to identify and validate a correlation between leadership variables and project performance statically. On this basis, the SD model is constructed to depict a system model connecting the leadership and project performance. Different scenarios are simulated to dynamically model the variation in leadership on the evolution of project performance.FindingsResults indicate that (1) leadership can be divided into personal ability, relationship atmosphere and organizational strategy in complex construction projects; (2) personal ability, relationship atmosphere and organizational strategy positively correlate with project performance over time; and (3) L1 (stress management ability), L7 (team building) and L17 (institution support) are the leading factors influencing project performance and should be paid more attention under limited resources.Originality/valueThis research contributes to (1) the state of the knowledge by proposing a hybrid methodology that can systematically model the impacts of leadership dynamics on project performance over time and (2) the state of the practice by gaining a better understanding of the strategy of resource distribution for enhancing project performance in complex construction projects.

Cultural values, entrepreneurial team structure and performance of SMEs

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bashokuh-E-Ajirloo ◽  
Bahman Khodapanah ◽  
Mehdi Alizadeh ◽  
Mehdi Ebrahimzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Structure ◽  
Entrepreneurial Teams ◽  
Reliability Indicator ◽  
Entrepreneurial Team ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe main objective of this study is to explain the relationship between members' cultural values on structure and performance of the entrepreneurial teams that located in Tehran.Design/methodology/approachData used in this study are collected by a questionnaire distributed among managers and other executive members of SMEs located in Tehran. One hundred and thirty-nine participants completed the questionnaires, and their responses were analyzed using partial least squares technique. Measures showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha, as reliability indicator for all measures, is at the acceptable level.FindingsResearch finding shows that all hypothesis supported in Iran contex. Entrepreneurial team members' cultural values have positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial team structure. Entrepreneurial team members' cultural values have significant effect on the entrepreneurial team performance and also, the structure of the entrepreneurial team has a positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial team performance.Originality/valueThese studies mostly focused on technical dimensions of entrepreneurial teams and overlooked the cultural values of their members.

FACTORS CAUSING PROBLEMS IN MANAGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN A COUNTRY UNDER MILITARY OCCUPATION: Contractors’ Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 05 (07) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Akram Subhe Suleiman ◽  
Jafar Subhi Hardan Abahre
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Military Occupation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
The Impact

An exhaustive literature search revealed that not much research has been done on factors causing problems in managing a construction project in a country under military occupation like Palestine. So, it is the main goal of this research is to identify these factors which could be used by the decision makers to select the appropriate project manager who bosses the suitable skills and competencies to deal with these problems. The study is a step toward determining means to improve the effectiveness of projects through identifying project manager competencies. It is important for Palestinian construction industry to progress in terms of project success; the problems that face the project managers must be determined and identified, in order to achieve the best results with less risk. A clear understanding of such problems helps the Palestinian construction industry of finding the suitable solutions to overcome these problems. A questionnaire survey was carried out to achieve the main aim of this research. The respondents were engineers have more than 3 years in the position of project manager in the Palestinian construction industry. The survey was based on factors drawn from findings of another researches in different countries, together with special factors identified as potentially affecting Palestine. The results identified many factors created problems; they were clustered in eight groups. These groups were arranged according to respondents in descending order as follows: the political situation of Palestine, lack of consultants` technical competencies, lack of resources, insufficient planning, team members uncommitted, conflicts between departments, breakdowns in communications, and changes in goals. As a result of this study one could conclude that managing a project in Palestine is as difficult as the complication of the political situation of the country. The project manager should have a complicated mixture of skills and competencies from dealing with Israeli occupation to dealing with stakeholders to lack of resources and unclear goals. The study has recommended to the Palestinian government to improve the regulations and laws to meet the impact of closure and segmentation of the Palestine.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document