Team composition in relational contracting (RC) in large infrastructure projects: a Belbin’s team roles model approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farshid Rahmani ◽  
Christina Scott-Young ◽  
Allen Tadayon ◽  
Jacobus Daniel van der Walt
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Key Management ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Relational Contracting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Performance Project

PurposeThe aim of this study is to broaden the understanding of the set of knowledge, skills, attributes and experience (KSAE) that teams should demonstrate and the necessary roles they need to play within the team in Relational Contracting (RC). This research seeks to answer three questions: first, what KSAEs are required in a team operating under RC, second, which of the identified KSAEs are more important to enable an integrated team to perform effectively and third, how do these required KSAEs correspond to the major role clusters identified in Belbin’s team role model?Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews with 25 experts and key management representatives in infrastructure construction in Australia were conducted to enable detailed discussion of the research questions.FindingsSixteen behavioural traits and four knowledge and experience areas were identified. The findings highlight that in RC, team members and especially leaders and managers need to be competent in people-oriented roles, above all others.Research limitations/implicationsThis research mainly captured the perspectives of personnel working in state government infrastructure departments. Further research is recommended to explore the perceptions of employees in private construction companies.Practical implicationsBy aligning the roles required for RC with the team role clusters of the Belbin’s team roles assessment tool, this study will be useful for identifying suitable members to form high-performance project teams.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper can inform government infrastructure organisations and construction companies as to which roles are more critical when selecting fit-for-purpose teams to successfully deliver large infrastructure projects procured under the RC method.

Explaining work motivation through perceived transformational leadership: what to expect in a sample of female employees?

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 585-599
Author(s):  
Modesta Morkevičiūtė ◽  
Auksė Endriulaitienė
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Intellectual Stimulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Employees ◽  
Transformational Leadership Style

Purpose This paper aims to deal with a study aimed at clarifying the relationship between the dimensions of the perceived transformational leadership style and work motivation in a sample of female employees. Design/methodology/approach A total of 168 Lithuanian employees participated in the empirical study. Work motivation was assessed using the work extrinsic and intrinsic motivation scale (Tremblay et al., 2009). The perceived transformational leadership style was assessed with the help of the transformational leadership inventory (Podsakoff et al., 1990). Findings The results revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation of female employees was enhanced when the leader was perceived as a person articulating the vision of the future, providing an appropriate role model, fostering the acceptance of group goals and applying intellectual stimulation. High-performance expectations of the transformational leader lead to an increased level of women’s extrinsic motivation. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited empirical research into the role of discrete dimensions of transformational leadership in determining both intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation of female employees.

Development of an assessment tool for team integration in alliance projects

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim ◽  
Seosamh B. Costello ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Interviews ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
Team Integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a doctoral thesis that developed an Alliance Team Integration Performance Index (ATIPI), an assessment tool for measuring team integration performance in alliance projects. It provides a summary of the thesis findings, shares the candidate’s doctoral journey and discusses both the thesis “with publication” format and the doctoral programme at the University of Auckland. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a qualitative and quantitative research methodology (mixed methods research). Research methods applied as reported in this thesis include the Delphi questionnaire survey, interviews and empirical questionnaire surveys with the alliance experts involved in road infrastructure projects. Findings – Results from the thesis indicate that the ATIPI is characterized by three elements: first, the most significant Key Indicators (KIs), signifying their dominant influence; second, the suitable quantitative measures for each of the KIs, to promote objective assessment over time; and third, the performance-level boundaries for each KI, to reduce the subjectivity of assessment and promote consistency. The assessment tool was found to be both practical and applicable based on a validation interview and subsequent testing with alliance experts on real life alliance infrastructure projects. Practical implications – As team integration is the central tenet of alliance projects, the ATIPI is an ideal assessment tool to facilitate the measurement of team integration performance consistently and objectively over the life cycle of alliance projects. Also, the ATIPI is expected to make a fundamental and positive difference towards improving the integration practice of alliance teams. Originality/value – This study extends the team integration literature by providing significant insights into the practical evaluation of team integration performance, specifically in alliance projects.

The relation between manager type and high-performance achievement

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
André de Waal ◽  
Erjen van Nierop ◽  
Laurens M. Sloot
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Specific Work ◽  
Organizational Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Change ◽  
Study Results

PurposeOne of the most important factors for the success of an organization is the quality of its managers. However, this is a rather general statement, because there are many different types of managers with different work styles. This begs the question: are all types of managers, regardless of their work styles, important to organizational success or only managers with specific work styles? This study aims to investigate the answer to this question by examining the relationship between two specific elements of managers' work styles – the role a manager plays in the work team and the preferred manner of change management a manager applies – and their effect on the level of performance of their organization, as measured by the high-performance organization (HPO) framework.Design/methodology/approachThis study was part of a larger study into the drivers of success of franchise supermarkets in The Netherlands. A questionnaire was constructed, in which, among others, the following were explored: the level of performance (according to the HPO Framework), the preferred team role of the franchiser (using the Belbin team role model) and the change management approach of the franchiser (using De Caluwe and Vermaak's color theory). The questionnaire was sent to 400 Dutch supermarket franchisers, and the data received were subject to statistical analysis.FindingsThe study results clearly indicated that certain types of managers are important to organizational success in the supermarket sector. There are specific types of managers – in the sense that these managers have specific roles they play and specific change styles they apply – that seem to be more effective in creating and maintaining an HPO. These roles, as described by Belbin, are chairman and plant; the change style is De Caluwe and Vermaak's color red.Research limitations/implicationsThe study results add to the literature on high performance and HPOs, because team roles and color change styles have not been related to the factors for high performance to date.Originality/valueAlthough the fact that certain types of managers, in certain contexts, are more effective than others is not a new finding, this is the first time specific team roles and a specific change style have been found that would enable managers to create and maintain an HPO.

Information systems project teams: factors for high performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Moura ◽  
Caroline Dominguez ◽  
João Varajão
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Performance Project

Purpose The purpose of this research is twofold: identify and gain a better insight on factors that can influence high performance of Information Systems (IS) project teams from the perspective of IS professionals (i.e. team members and leaders), and thus contribute to the general discussion on high-performance project teams; and offer both IS project team members and their project managers some feedback on how to build and manage teams more constructively and to enhance team performance in today’s demanding business environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an exploratory case study of a small-size holding company and a qualitative analysis of the data to address the research questions. Findings Results show a set of perceived factors that can influence high team performance in IS projects. Participants’ perceptions barely coincide. For instance, mutual trust was the only factor suggested as facilitating high team performance by 5 participants (out of 13). Differences may be because of participants’ characteristics (e.g. time on the job). All perceived factors are classified in the literature as nontechnical (i.e. having to do with behavioral and/or socio-organizational matters of project management). Originality/value This paper is among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on high-performance IS project teams (e.g. it is still unclear if there are IS project team-specific factors that influence high performance). For the highly technical IS industry, this study came across human-centric factors transversal to different project teams.

PROMETHEE-based ranking of project managers based on the five personality traits

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1083-1102
Author(s):  
Georgios N. Aretoulis ◽  
Jason Papathanasiou ◽  
Fani Antoniou
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Multicriteria Decision Making ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Preference Ranking ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The One ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose This paper aims to rank and identify the most efficient project managers (PMs) based on personality traits, using Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) methodology. Design/methodology/approach The proposed methodology relies on the five personality traits. These were used as the selection criteria. A questionnaire survey among 82 experienced engineers was used to estimate the required weights per personality trait. A second two-part questionnaire survey aimed at recording the PMs profile and assess the performance of personality traits per PM. PMs with the most years of experience are selected to be ranked through Visual PROMETHEE. Findings The findings suggest that a competent PM is the one that scores low on the “Neuroticism” trait and high especially on the “Conscientiousness” trait. Research limitations/implications The research applied a psychometric test specifically designed for Greek people. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is based on the personality characteristics to rank the PMs and does not consider the technical skills. Furthermore, the type of project is not considered in the process of ranking PMs. Practical implications The findings could contribute in the selection of the best PM that maximizes the project team’s performance. Social implications Improved project team communication and collaboration leading to improved project performance through better communication and collaboration. This is an additional benefit for the society, especially in the delivery of public infrastructure projects. A lot of public infrastructure projects deviate largely as far as cost and schedule is concerned and this is an additional burden for public and society. Proper project management through efficient PMs would save people’s money and time. Originality/value Identification of the best PMbased on a combination of multicriteria decision-making and psychometric tests, which focus on personality traits.

Process conflict management among Indian software employees

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-160
Author(s):  
Swati Alok ◽  
Jayasree Raveendran ◽  
Anil Kumar Jha
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Software Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Tpb Model ◽  
Structural Assurance ◽  
Conflict Handling ◽  
Process Conflict

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the possible influence of the Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting conflict-handling intentions during process conflict episodes. Conflict situations are often to be managed with limited time in software projects. With this cue, the study is conducted in the context of software companies in India. Design/methodology/approach – Five variables of the TPB comprising attitude, injunctive subjective norms, descriptive subjective norm, conflict efficacy (CE) and structural assurance (SA) have been studied in relation to the two standard conflict-handling intentions: integrating and dominating approach. By developing vignettes on process conflict, salient beliefs towards process conflicts were elicited among software employees in India. A questionnaire using Ajzen’s guidelines was administered. Structural equation modelling for 150 responses is used for testing path suitability and significance. Findings – Employees with positive attitude towards conflict, high CE and high SA intend to integrate during process conflict. Employees with low efficacy and who are influenced by the action of their role model intend to dominate during process conflict. Research limitations/implications – The study is contextualized to Indian software employees. Findings should not be generalized until replicated in samples from other settings. Practical implications – This study will help practitioners in understanding the various elements that play role in a process conflict and also help in developing appropriate interventions in managing conflicts. This can be done by identifying and resolving issues related to unfavourable attitude and behavioural norms towards process conflicts. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine the efficacy of the TPB model in predicting multiple conflict-handling intentions among Indian software companies.

scholarly journals Rough diamonds in emerging markets: legacy, competitiveness, and sustained high performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-386
Author(s):  
Seung Ho Park ◽  
Gerardo R. Ungson
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Emerging Markets ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Institutional Voids ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to uncover the underlying drivers of sustained high performing companies based on a field study of 127 companies in Brazilian, Russian, Indian and Chinese (BRIC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) emerging markets. Understanding these companies provides a complementary way of appraising the growth, development and transformation of emerging markets. The authors synthesize the findings in an overarching framework that covers six strategies for building and sustaining legacy that leads to the succession of intergenerational wealth over time: overcoming institutional voids, inclusive markets, deepening localization, nurturing government support, building core competencies and harnessing human capital. The authors relate these strategies to different levels of development using Prahalad and Hart’s BOP framework. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the underlying drivers of sustained high-performance companies based on field studies from an initial set of 105,260 BRIC companies and close to 500 companies in ASEAN. The methods employed four screening tests to arrive at a selection of the highest-performing firms: 70 firms in the BRIC nations and 58 firms from ASEAN. Following the selection, the authors constructed cases using primary interviews and secondary data, with the assistance of Ernst & Young and with academic colleagues in Manila. These studies were originally conducted in two separate time periods and reported accordingly. This paper synthesizes the findings of these two studies to arrive at an extended integrative framework. Findings From the cases, the authors examine six strategies for building and sustaining legacy that lead to high performance over time: overcoming institutional voids, creating inclusive markets, deepening localization, nurturing government support, building core competencies and harnessing human capital. To address the evolving state of institutional voids in these countries, the authors employ similar methods to hypothesize the placement of these strategies in the context of the world economic pyramid, initially formulated as the “bottom of the pyramid” framework. Originality/value This paper synthesizes and extends the authors’ previous works by proposing the concept of legacy to describe the emergence and succession of local exemplary firms in emerging markets. This study aims to complement extant measures of nation-growth based primarily on GDP. The paper also extends the literature on institutional voids in shifting the focus from the mix of voids to their evolving state. Altogether, the paper provides a complementary narrative on assessing the market potential of emerging markets by adopting several categories of performance.

scholarly journals Examining the implementation of ISO 9001 in Indonesian construction companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debby Willar ◽  
Vaughan Coffey ◽  
Bambang Trigunarsyah
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Iso 9001 ◽  
Quality Management Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Main Motive ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Management Attitude

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) of Grade 7 (G-7) Indonesian construction companies. This includes the initial motives that have driven the development of QMSs, barriers to effective QMS implementation, the current practice and integration of QMS-ISO 9001 principles and elements, and the performance of contractors implementing such QMSs. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted involving 403 respondents (Quality Management Representatives, Managers, and Project and Site Engineers) from 77 G-7 as well as ISO 9001 certified Indonesian construction companies. Findings – The main motive for G-7 contractors in establishing and implementing ISO 9001 based QMSs are identified as being to effectively and efficiently control project activities. Respondents apparently do not often experience problems related to QMS implementation. However, issues of management attitude and purpose are identified as barriers that may affect effective QMS implementation. The study highlights the ISO 9001 principles and elements that still require to be more critically applied by G-7 contractors in order to fully implement and improve their current QMS effectiveness. The findings also suggest that, although certified, many G-7 contractors have not yet achieved a satisfactory level of performance to be truly competitive in global markets outside Indonesia. Originality/value – To date, only limited research has been conducted into the application of ISO 9001 in the Indonesian construction industry. The research findings reinforced the value of pursuing more effective QMS implementation. They also support current attempts to introduce ISO 9001 QMSs to a much wider base of Indonesian construction companies, particularly small and medium sized contractors and builders.

scholarly journals In VitroActivities of Daptomycin-, Vancomycin-, and Teicoplanin-Loaded Polymethylmethacrylate against Methicillin-Susceptible, Methicillin-Resistant, and Vancomycin-Intermediate Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 5480-5484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhan Chang ◽  
Wen-Chien Chen ◽  
Pang-Hsin Hsieh ◽  
Dave W. Chen ◽  
Mel S. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Bone Cements ◽  
Antibacterial Effects ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cements loaded with daptomycin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin against methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus(MSSA), methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA), and vancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) strains. Standardized cement specimens made from 40 g PMMA loaded with 1 g (low-dose), 4 g (middle-dose) or 8 g (high-dose) antibiotics were tested for elution characteristics and antibacterial activities. The patterns of release of antibiotics from the cement specimens were evaluated usingin vitrobroth elution assay with high-performance liquid chromatography. The activities of broth elution fluid against differentStaphylococcus aureusstrains (MSSA, MRSA, and VISA) were then determined. The antibacterial activities of all the tested antibiotics were maintained after being mixed with PMMA. The cements loaded with higher dosages of antibiotics showed longer elution periods. Regardless of the antibiotic loading dose, the teicoplanin-loaded cements showed better elution efficacy and provided longer inhibitory periods against MSSA, MRSA, and VISA than cements loaded with the same dose of vancomycin or daptomycin. Regarding the choice of antibiotics for cement loading in the treatment ofStaphylococcus aureusinfection, teicoplanin was superior in terms of antibacterial effects.

scholarly journals Overproduction of Ristomycin A by Activation of a Silent Gene Cluster in Amycolatopsis japonicum MG417-CF17

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 6185-6196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Spohn ◽  
Norbert Kirchner ◽  
Andreas Kulik ◽  
Angelika Jochim ◽  
Felix Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gene Cluster ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Genome Mining ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Von Willebrand Disease ◽  
Biosynthesis Gene Cluster ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bioinformatic Tools

ABSTRACTThe emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria within the last decades is one reason for the urgent need for new antibacterial agents. A strategy to discover new anti-infective compounds is the evaluation of the genetic capacity of secondary metabolite producers and the activation of cryptic gene clusters (genome mining). One genus known for its potential to synthesize medically important products isAmycolatopsis. However,Amycolatopsis japonicumdoes not produce an antibiotic under standard laboratory conditions. In contrast to mostAmycolatopsisstrains,A. japonicumis genetically tractable with different methods. In order to activate a possible silent glycopeptide cluster, we introduced a gene encoding the transcriptional activator of balhimycin biosynthesis, thebbrgene fromAmycolatopsis balhimycina(bbrAba), intoA. japonicum. This resulted in the production of an antibiotically active compound. Following whole-genome sequencing ofA. japonicum, 29 cryptic gene clusters were identified by genome mining. One of these gene clusters is a putative glycopeptide biosynthesis gene cluster. Using bioinformatic tools, ristomycin (syn. ristocetin), a type III glycopeptide, which has antibacterial activity and which is used for the diagnosis of von Willebrand disease and Bernard-Soulier syndrome, was deduced as a possible product of the gene cluster. Chemical analyses by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed thein silicoprediction that the recombinantA. japonicum/pRM4-bbrAbasynthesizes ristomycin A.

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