The contribution of project management offices to addressing complexities in principal construction contracting

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ershadi ◽  
Marcus Jefferies ◽  
Peter Rex Davis ◽  
Mohammad Mojtahedi
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Functional Areas ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Major Project ◽  
Construction Contracting

PurposeThe purpose of this study is twofold: first, to identify major project management (PM) complexities in principal construction contracting; and second, to study the contribution of project management offices (PMOs) to addressing such complexities.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage research design was adopted through a structured literature review (SLR) and a qualitative survey study.FindingsThe two-stage study resulted in mapping out the contribution of 10 functional areas to 15 complexity factors that were retrieved from the literature and categorized using the TOE (technical, organizational and environmental) framework. Six outcomes including (1) facilitated processes, (2) improved decisions, (3) improved coordination, (4) enhanced alignment, (5) addressed uncertainties and (6) integrated oversight were identified that describe how PMOs can contribute to tackling complexities.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar to other qualitative studies, this study has some limitations in terms of the replicability of results. Regarding the exploratory nature of this study to explain the contribution of PMO to complexity, further quantitative surveys can be conducted using a larger sample to statistically examine the significance of proposed relations between capabilities and complexity factors.Practical implicationsThis study provides an understanding of the contribution of PMOs to tackling ever-increasing complexities embedded in construction contracting. The authors suggest requirements to be considered by professionals toward overcoming such complexities.Originality/valueAlthough prior studies have separately investigated PMO functions and PM complexities, this study explores the link between these two spheres to discuss one important application of PMO in this context.

The identity crisis of sustainable development

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalin Ratiu ◽  
Beverlee B. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Identity Crisis ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – There are many different conceptualizations to sustainable development and these different approaches may have led to confusion amongst the public. The purpose of this paper is to explore the identities of the term and how the confused identity may be leading to problems for sustainable development efforts. Design/methodology/approach – The design is exploratory, using both secondary and primary data to understand the different sustainable development concepts. Findings – There is no consistent understanding or use of the term “sustainable development” among various groups. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include a larger sample that is more representative of people from different backgrounds and geographical areas. Practical implications – The public is generally willing to support only projects that it understands. Without a clear understanding of sustainable development, the public will be less inclined to support these efforts. Originality/value – This study examines the perceptions and understandings of the term by the general public representing different generations.

Contrasting profiles of product returners and keepers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Hwan Lee
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Field Survey ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Demographic Profiles ◽  
Post Purchase ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Study Offer

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether the consumers who return a product and those who end up keeping a product after experiencing post-purchase dissonance (PPD) possess distinct underlying characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Field survey study consisting of two separate surveys conducted with consumers of New York City and neighboring areas of New York and New Jersey. Findings Product returners and keepers exhibited disparate demographic profiles regarding gender and household income, along with ethnicity to some extent. The two groups also exhibited different predispositions with regard to confidence in the purchase decision and expectations about their purchase. Finally, returners and keepers were engaged in divergent thoughts, feelings and activities to cope with PPD. Practical implications The findings of this study offer marketing practitioners new knowledge and insight into understanding product returners and keepers and will assist them in developing strategies to reduce and manage increasing product returns by consumers more effectively. Originality/value This study is the first to present empirical evidence that product returners and keepers have distinct profiles of demographic characteristics and predispositions toward purchase. The study also has found divergent PPD coping strategies used by the two types of consumers, which exposes an obsolete understanding of PPD in the marketing literature.

scholarly journals Antecedents of innovation in industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Andre Willey Ramos ◽  
Paulo S. Figueiredo ◽  
Camila Pereira-Guizzo
Keyword(s):  
Work Group ◽  
Creative Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Industrial Companies ◽  
Management Of Innovation ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Statistical Relationships ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Today, organizations must be able to create innovative strategies, and creative performance depends on knowing what hinders or stimulates creativity. This paper aims to determine which factors in the workplace environment positively or negatively affect creativity by analyzing individuals’ perceptions in a sample of Brazilian industrial companies. Design/methodology/approach The discussion is based on the componential theory of creativity and the use of a recognized research instrument (KEYS). A regression analysis was carried out, using eight environmental factors related to creativity. The purpose of the collection is to observe the statistical relationships between the scales of the factors and the results related to creativity. Findings Among the eight factors of the original componential theory, only three were found to have a significant impact on the creative process: organizational incentives, challenging work and support from the work group. Research limitations/implications The sample in this study was relatively small, and a larger sample will be required to undertake factor analysis. Practical implications Possible implications for the management of innovation in the Brazilian context are discussed in light of these results. Originality/value This study contributed to the production of knowledge, still scarce in the country, about the search for creative solutions through the work environment by confirming which factors are significant and determinants of creative performance and challenging factors that had already been proven by other studies in non-Brazilian contexts.

Library graphic design best practices and approval processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana K Wakimoto
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Graphic Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore graphic design best practices and approval processes used by librarians. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used an online, qualitative survey to collect data on librarians’ design processes and best practices. The responses were reviewed to determine categories and themes of librarians’ design processes and best practices to gain an understanding of the state of graphic design in libraries. Findings – The majority of the respondents reported that there were no formal guidelines, design committees or approval processes at their libraries. While some librarians were aware of and used graphic design best practices, many respondents were unsure of what constituted a best practice in graphic design. Research limitations/implications – The paper was exploratory and the respondents cannot be said to be representative of all librarians and, therefore, generalizations to all librarians are not possible. Practical implications – Findings may help librarians who assume design duties in their libraries in exploring best practices and discussing design approval processes. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few papers in the library science literature on graphic design as applied specifically to librarians. It increases our understanding of graphic design in libraries.

Employers' perspectives on work readiness in construction: are project management graduates hitting the ground running?

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1363-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Borg ◽  
Christina M. Scott-Young
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Work Readiness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Empathic Communication ◽  
Construction Knowledge ◽  
Technical Construction ◽  
Industry Needs ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThere is a need for graduates who can quickly adjust and thrive within the current increasingly dynamic project-based workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to present the employers' perspectives on the work readiness of project management graduates entering the Australian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachTo gain the industry's perspective, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants from 18 different construction companies that employ project management graduates.FindingsThematic analysis revealed that from the employers' perspective, work readiness constitutes (1) empathic communication, (2) passion and (3) technical construction knowledge. Graduates' areas of strength (e.g. application of technology) and weakness (e.g. responding to confrontational situations) were identified.Practical implicationsThe findings provide valuable insights into employers' perspectives of the work readiness of project management graduates which can serve as feedback to universities to assist in aligning their educational programmes with industry needs.Social implicationsWhile employers recognize that the responsibility for fostering work readiness should be shared between themselves and universities, this research highlights that currently adequate collaboration does not occur. This paper advocates for both universities and employers to be open to engaging in the conversation to enhance graduate work readiness.Originality/valueNo research to date has investigated the work readiness of project management graduates, nor whether their work readiness levels meet employers' requirements. This paper addresses this gap.

Investigating collective sensemaking of a major project success

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 644-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maude Brunet ◽  
Daniel Forgues
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collective Sensemaking ◽  
Major Project

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a case of collective sensemaking about the project success of the multifunctional amphitheater of Quebec (Canada). Design/methodology/approach For this explorative and qualitative research, the authors started from the post-mortem document and complemented their comprehension with six semi-structured interviews with the main project actors and other public documents regarding this project. Findings According to the respondents, the main success factors of this project can be attributed to: a clear governance structure; proven project management and construction methods; the use of emerging collaborative practices in construction (such as building information modeling (BIM) and lean construction); an adapted policy for procurement; as well as a code of values and ethics shared by all stakeholders. Originality/value The sensemaking perspective has been scarcely mobilized in project management studies, emerging from a constructivist view of reality and being sensitive about material-discursive practices. This exploratory study explores a case of collective sensemaking of a major project success and suggests avenues for major and megaprojects research. Lessons learned and implications for practice are also outlined. The conclusion allows a synthesis and an opening to consider how practitioners and researchers can build on this (and other successful) case(s) for future projects and research.

Research consultation effectiveness for freshman and senior undergraduate students

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Faix ◽  
Amanda MacDonald ◽  
Brooke Taxakis
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Class Rank ◽  
Composition Course ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Freshman Students ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of library research consultations for freshmen and senior undergraduate students, to determine if freshmen or seniors benefit more from these sessions. Design/methodology/approach – This study looks at the results of a survey conducted with students enrolled in a senior level capstone research course and in a freshman level composition course who were required to attend library research consultations. Findings – The study finds that freshman students can be overwhelmed by the amount of resources a research consultation may help them locate, and research consultations for freshmen should be conducted with this in mind. Research limitations/implications – Because the size of our study was small, further research with a larger sample size should also be conducted. Practical implications – If librarians experience high demand for required research consultations, and have difficulty scheduling sessions, then they may take into consideration that senior students benefit more from consultations than freshmen. Research consultations should also be designed to take student class rank into account. Originality/value – This study shows that upper-level students benefit more from research consultation than freshman students. Librarians should take this research into consideration when consulting with faculty about the most effective methods of instruction for students.

The student-customer orientation questionnaire (SCOQ)

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riina Koris ◽  
Petri Nokelainen
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Educational Experience ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study Bayesian dependency modelling (BDM) to validate the model of educational experiences and the student-customer orientation questionnaire (SCOQ), and to identify the categories of educatonal experience in which students expect a higher educational institutions (HEI) to be student-customer oriented. Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs a cross-sectional quantitative survey study, mixed methods research, exploratory factor analysis and BDM. Findings – The validated model of educational experiences and the SCOQ; results indicate that students expect to be treated as customers in some, but not all categories of educational experience. Research limitations/implications – The authors contribute to existing literature on two fronts: the validated model of educational experiences and the categories of educational experience in which students expect to be treated as customers. Practical implications – The validated SCOQ presented in the paper may be used by other HEIs to assess the degree to which students expect a particular HEI to be customer oriented. Also, HEIs should assess students’ expectations concerning student-customer orientation before employing such an approach. Originality/value – The paper presents a validated model of educational experiences and a SCOQ. Additionally, the study does not investigate whether students expect a HEI as such to be student-customer oriented (as most studies have done so far); instead, the aim is to find out whether, in which categories of educational experience and to what extent students expect a HEI to be student-customer oriented. Thus, the study explores the phenomenon of student-customer orientation at a deeper level, i.e. separately at the level of educational experiences.

scholarly journals Qualitative entrepreneurship authorship: antecedents, processes and consequences

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Smith ◽  
Gerard McElwee ◽  
Seonaidh McDonald ◽  
Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Explicit Discussion ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a review of the writing practices and experiences of scholars who have published qualitative papers in the field of entrepreneurship. It evaluates existing knowledge about how “well‐published” entrepreneurship scholars go about writing up qualitative research. It identifies the antecedents, processes, and consequences of qualitative research authorship as self‐described by authors.Design/methodology/approachScholars who had published qualitative papers in the five top‐ranked entrepreneurship journals over a 20‐year period were asked to complete a qualitative survey about their writing practices. A qualitative analysis of 37 usable replies was undertaken.FindingsEntrepreneurship scholars perceive their qualitative research writing to be more enriching and philosophical than quantitative research. Although they feel strong connections with their research subjects, they find qualitative research difficult and time consuming to write up. It is hard to bridge the gap between working with large amounts of transcribed data and the editorial requirements of journals, without losing the vitality of data. Qualitative research and subsequent writing skills have often been learned by trial and error. Many are inspired by specific texts, which may include novels, poems or plays.Practical implicationsThis work shows how useful it is to discuss qualitative writing processes so that we may learn from the “blood, toil, tears and sweat” of those who have already successfully navigated both the writing and publishing of qualitative research.Originality/valueAlthough there is a vigorous debate within the entrepreneurship literature about the prevalence and suitability of different methods and methodological approaches, there is no explicit discussion of how researchers engage with writing up qualitative research for publication. The paper addresses this gap and shares insights and guidance from our community of practice.

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