How different strengths of ties impact project performance in megaprojects: the mediating role of trust

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 889-912
Author(s):  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Huiwen Li ◽  
Chunlin Wu ◽  
Zhibin Hu
Keyword(s):  
Project Performance ◽  
Reputation Management ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Strength Of Ties ◽  
Calculative Trust

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationships between the different strengths of ties (strong ties and weak ties), types of trust and project performance in megaprojects.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted with various experts and professionals involved in megaprojects, and 350 valid responses were received. Data was analyzed by means of structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that both strong ties and weak ties have positive impacts on trust in megaprojects, but weak ties have a more significant positive effect than do strong ties. Unexpectedly, the introduction of interorganizational trust significantly weakens the effect of the strength of ties on project performance. The indirect influence of the strength of ties on performance has different paths. Weak ties have an indirect effect via calculative trust and relational trust. However, in a strong ties network, inferior stakeholders lack the information necessary to complete a megaproject, and they believe that calculative trust will not promote project performance until the megaproject is successfully delivered. Thus, the effect of calculative trust on project performance is not significant.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings provide evidence in regard to strength of ties governance being a part of the effective strategy in improving megaprojects’ performance. It also demonstrates the mediating function of trust and advances the current understandings of the underlying mechanism of the strength of ties on project performance, thus providing implications for researchers and practitioners. However, this study has some limitations. For example, the strength of ties and trust between organizations are a dynamic process in megaprojects. This study does not conduct in-depth analysis of the evolution mechanism and investigate the different levels of trust at different stages of the megaproject. Future research can be guided by these directions.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is fourfold. First, this study enriches the literature on strength of ties by accentuating the roles of trust in megaproject context. Second, this study contributes to the theoretical development of a conceptual model for explaining the interrelationships among strength of ties, types of trust and project performance. Third, this study responds to the call “which dimension (i.e. strong ties or weak ties) is more influential” by exploring the direct and indirect effects of strength of ties on project performance. Finally, this study breaks through the limitation of traditional cognition that megaproject management can be met by relying on rigid contracts. In other words, trust can supplement the weakness of rigid contract by forming contract flexibility with different strength of ties. Meanwhile, the specific strategies to establish and maintain trust are given, such as building information model (BIM) collaboration platform and reputation management mechanism.

How does strength of ties influence project performance in Chinese megaprojects?

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 753-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Junwei Zheng ◽  
Xianbo Zhao ◽  
Jian Zuo
Keyword(s):  
Project Performance ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strength Of Ties ◽  
Process Conflict

Purpose This study aims to investigate how the strength of ties (i.e. strong ties and weak ties) in megaproject networks influences project performance in terms of types of conflicts. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was undertaken with professionals in Chinese megaprojects and 445 valid responses were received. A conflict-based theoretical model was developed and tested with structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that task conflict had a constructive effect on project performance, whereas relationship conflict and process conflict had destructive effects. Both strong and weak ties positively affected project performance, and that weak ties exerted greater effects on performance. The introduction of conflicts significantly weakened the effect of strong ties on project performance. Strong ties indirectly affected project performance via task conflict and relationship conflict, whereas weak ties affected performance only through task conflict. Task conflict had a constructive effect on project performance, whereas relationship conflict and process conflict had destructive impact. Research limitations/implications This study identified the positive effect of strength of ties on project performance as well as the constructive and destructive roles of conflicts. Furthermore, the findings provided evidence that strength of ties and conflicts were critical factors for project performance. While, there are still limitations. There are other attributes of megaproject networks, such as network nodes’ characteristics and network structure, which may influence conflicts and project performance. Future research would be conducted to explore the role of these variables. Meanwhile, because different types of conflicts may mutually transform under certain conditions, future research would also address this issue in megaprojects. Practical implications As for the management strategies, project stakeholders should know the existence of project networks, exactly assess their resource endowment, especially their external and internal relationship network. In accordance with changes of the project network, stakeholders should share knowledge and learn techniques about how to respond to relationship disturbances, thus reducing relationship conflict and process conflict. Furthermore, stakeholders should place an emphasis on fostering and reinforcing communication and trust, thus effectively resolving task conflict, ambiguity and uncertainty engendered from network ties in a megaproject network. Originality/value The main contribution of this study is threefold. First, this study will enrich the literature on strength of ties by accentuating the roles of conflicts in megaproject context. Second, this study contributes to the theoretical development of a conceptual model for explaining the interrelationships among strength of ties, conflicts and project performance. Third, this study will respond to the call “which dimension, i.e. strong ties or weak ties, is more influential” by exploring the direct and indirect effects of strength of ties on project performance.

How does the strength of ties influence relationship quality in Chinese megaprojects? The mediating role of contractual flexibility

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhibin Hu ◽  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Xianbo Zhao ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Shicong Wen
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Process Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Indirect Influence ◽  
Strength Of Ties

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of the strength of ties (strong ties and weak ties) on contractual flexibility (term flexibility and process flexibility) and relationship quality among stakeholders in a megaproject network.Design/methodology/approachThis study, via a questionnaire survey, collected 380 valid responses from megaproject professionals (including project managers, department managers and project engineers). The data were analyzed using least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that both strong ties and weak ties have positive effects on relationship quality. The introduction of contractual flexibility can help improve relationship quality by combining the positive effects of the strength of ties. Interestingly, the indirect influence of strong ties on relationship quality is mainly due to term flexibility. However, the influence of process flexibility is not significant, while weak ties have an indirect influence through term flexibility and process flexibility.Research limitations/implicationsThis study, while helpful to megaproject management both in theory and practice, is nevertheless subject to several limitations. First, this study only considers the impact of the strength of ties on contractual flexibility and relationship quality; other factors, such as environmental uncertainty, are not explored. Second, the sample data are limited to just a few regions of China. Future research should cover other influencing factors, in order to make the model more substantial; data should also be collected from different cultural and industrial sources, thereby extending and further verifying the results.Originality/valueThis study makes three contributions to extant megaproject literature. First, this study provides a deep and nuanced understanding of the strength of ties. With the distinction between strong ties and weak ties clearly explained, this research furnishes a subtler understanding of relationship governance than has previously been achieved. Second, by precisely identifying the mechanism of how contract flexibility improves contract control and coordination functions, this research offers a complementary view of how contractual flexibility positively contributes to cooperation and relationship quality. Third, this study identifies which dimension of the strength of ties is more influential. This brings a new explanation for the previous controversy and offers some insight into the determinants of how to improve relationship quality in Chinese megaprojects.

The process of crisis information dissemination: impacts of the strength of ties in social networks

Kybernetes ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuchang Wei ◽  
Bing Bu ◽  
Xiumei Guo ◽  
Margaret Gollagher
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Cellular Automation ◽  
Strength Of Ties ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Entire Network

Purpose – The strength of ties between individuals influences the speed and spread of crisis information dissemination (CID). By constructing networks of strong and weak ties, this paper aims to innovatively explore the impacts of strong and weak ties on the CID at the macro level. Design/methodology/approach – To better understand the rules of CID in different kinds of social networks, this paper constructs a CID model based on the strength of ties in social networks and cellular automation, using simulations of CID speed and spread in an entire network, strong tie network and weak tie network generated by MATLAB. Findings – As the article's major theoretical contribution, the results demonstrate that CID is more efficient in a network of weak ties than in a network of strong ties, and that the spread of CID has a positive correlation with the believability of the information disseminated and the dissemination tendency coefficient. Furthermore, the difference of dissemination speeds between strong and weak tie networks varies regularly with information believability and the dissemination tendency coefficient. Originality/value – This study provides more effective public mechanisms for rapidly evaluating the believability of crisis information and responding to crises in real time. The findings also have some valuable implications for government agencies to improve the efficiency and effect of CID.

Community-based disaster communication: how does it become trustworthy?

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwie Irmawaty Gultom
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Information Diffusion ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Network Ties ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Disaster Communication ◽  
Disaster Information

Purpose – Trust in disaster communication is significant because a lack of trust will prevent the transformation of information into usable knowledge for an effective disaster response. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the culture and network ties of an affected community can encourage trust and participation in disaster communication. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case study of Jalin Merapi (JM) was conducted by interviewing 33 research participants in the Mt Merapi surroundings. Findings – The findings indicate that culture-embedded disaster communication plays important roles in increasing the effectiveness of disaster information and encouraging trust in the authenticity of locally based disaster information at the individual level. The findings also identify that strong ties and weak ties play different roles in disaster communication. The strong ties are more effective in facilitating information diffusion and encourage trust and community participation within the affected community. Furthermore, the weak ties are more effective in disseminating information to wider audiences, and have an indirect influence in encouraging trust by extending the offline social network owned by the affected community. Originality/value – Most literature on disaster communication focusses on the construction of disaster messages to encourage effective disaster response. Less attention has been paid to the information receivers regarding how disaster information is considered to be trustworthy by the affected community and how it can increase collective participation in community-based disaster communication.

Believe they can succeed, and they will: intrapreneurial behavior and leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Farrukh ◽  
Fanchen Meng ◽  
Ali Raza
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Pharmaceutical Chemical ◽  
Participative Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Member Exchange

PurposeA leader's job is not to put greatness into people, but rather to recognize that it already exists and to create an environment where that greatness can emerge and grow (Smith, 2014). Based on Brad Smith's quote, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the leader's expectations, leader-member exchange (LMX) and organizational climate for innovation in fostering the intrapreneurial behavior (IB) of employees.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from employees and their supervisors working across industries such as pharmaceutical, chemical, engineering and manufacturing. Collected data were then analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe authors’ results show that LMX and leaders' expectations are positively linked to employees' IB. Moreover, this association is mediated by organizational climate.Practical implicationsThis study's findings contribute to the literature on intrapreneurship and may also help practitioners formulate interventions to foster IB in organizations that will ultimately lead to higher performance.Originality/valueThis study attempted to investigate the effect of LMX and the Pygmalion effect on IB through employees' perception of organizational climate for innovation. The literature in this field is scarce and theoretical development is weak because traditional collaborative or participative leadership approaches are more relevant to an outcome than innovation.

Chinese perception and willingness to buy Taiwanese brands

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nizar Souiden ◽  
Riadh Ladhari ◽  
Liu Chang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Brand Quality ◽  
Willingness To Buy ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine ethnocentrism and animosity in a special context of two societies that share cultural, historical, ethnic and geographical characteristics. In particular, it first investigates the relationships between Chinese ethnocentrism and animosity toward Taiwan, and then it examines the impact of these two factors on the Chinese perception of Taiwanese brand quality and their purchase intent. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of 605 respondents from China, data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that although Chinese animosity toward Taiwan is moderate, it is significantly driven by ethnocentrism, which has a significant and negative effect on willingness to buy, but not on the perception of Taiwanese brand quality. The Chinese animosity toward Taiwan, however, has negative and significant effects on their perception of Taiwanese brand quality and their intention of purchasing Taiwanese brands. Research limitations/implications The immense size of the country has impeded the representativeness of the authors’ sample and the generalizability of the results. Also, the study covers only one type of product. Practical implications Forming partnerships with local Chinese businesses and developing strong ties with local communities could be considered as a solution to minimize or circumvent the effect of animosity and might help foreign companies appear more “local.” Originality/value In contrast to past studies that investigated ethnocentrism and animosity in the context of countries presenting several differences (e.g. China vs USA), this study investigates the effect of ethnocentrism and animosity in the context of two countries (China and Taiwan) that share cultural, historical, ethnic and geographic characteristics. Despite the strong ties between the two countries, the Chinese have a certain animosity, though moderate, toward Taiwan and consequently are less inclined to buy Taiwanese brands. This implies that Chinese animosity toward a country may be toned down or pronounced, depending on whether they have strong or weak ties with that country.

A meta-analytic model on the role of organizational support in work-family conflict and employee satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3767-3786
Author(s):  
Xinyuan (Roy) Zhao ◽  
Jiale Wang ◽  
Rob Law ◽  
Xinping Fan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Family

Purpose This study aims to illustrate how organizational support can reduce work-family conflict (WFC) and improve job/life satisfaction by synthesizing the empirical findings among hospitality employees. Design/methodology/approach Previous empirical papers were searched through tourism and hospitality journals and 54 studies were ultimately selected. The correlation coefficients were coded and examined through meta-analysis, after which they were used to test the hypothesized model via meta-analytic structural equation modeling. Findings Findings demonstrated that organizational support plays a critical role in helping employees release WFC and improve life satisfaction but not job satisfaction. The number of children is a salient factor at the individual level on predicting WFC, whereas gender relates only to life satisfaction. The asymmetric permeable roles of WFC dimensions among work, family and life domains were also shown. Practical implications The findings can help hospitality managers be aware of the critical roles of organizational support in assisting employees to handle WFC and improve job and life satisfaction. Originality/value The relationships among organizational support, WFC and job/life satisfaction of frontline employees have been examined for the first time via meta-analytic SEM. In this manner, previous consistent and inconsistent findings can be synthesized for future theoretical development.

Modeling the contingent role of technological optimism on customer satisfaction with self-service technologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-578
Author(s):  
Abdul Kadir Othman ◽  
Muhammad Iskandar Hamzah ◽  
Lailatul Faizah Abu Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Customer Group ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology

PurposeBased on the E-Service Quality (E-SQ) model, this study investigates the effects of self-service technology (SST) quality attributes, specifically automated teller machines (ATMs), on customer satisfaction. The interaction effects of technological optimism on the abovementioned link are also examined. SST usage is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct that consists of five dimensions (reliability, security, convenience, functionality and responsiveness).Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a survey of a sample of Malaysian participants who used cash-recycling ATMs. The proposed theoretical model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results suggest that reliability, convenience, and functionality are critical factors that affect customer satisfaction in using ATMs. Technological optimism was found to weaken the relationship between reliability and customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsConsidering the relative novelty of cash-recycling ATMs in the market, banks should ensure a smooth, error-free and accessible functioning of the system. Special attention has to be given to tech-savvy consumers whose higher level of optimism, with an increase of perceptions of reliability, may suppress their heighten sense of fulfillment. This customer group could be offered interactive digital engagement through mobile applications and social networking channels.Originality/valueThe E-SQ model is a helpful tool to understand the reasons underlying user satisfaction with cash-recycling ATMs. The results also contribute to the theoretical development of the E-SQ model through the integration of technological optimism as a contingent factor.

Does employee-perceived reputation contribute to citizenship behavior?

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Fu ◽  
Yaoqi Li ◽  
Yanhong Duan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Reputation Management ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Citizenship Behaviors ◽  
Employee Perception ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to propose and verify a research model that investigates the mediating role of organizational commitment on the relationship between hotel employee-perceived reputation and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). Design/methodology/approach – Based on the data obtained from a sample of 323 hotel employees in China, the reliability, validity and hypothesized relationships in the model were tested through structural equation modeling using LISREL 8.70. Findings – Empirical results show that different dimensions of corporate reputation affect OCBs differently. Social responsibility reputation has both direct and indirect effects on OCBs, while there is no direct link between employee-treatment reputation and OCBs. The relationship between corporate reputation and OCBs is mediated by organizational commitment. Practical implications – Hotel managers should pay more attention to employee perception of the hotel’s reputation. Reputation management is as important as reputation building. Favorable perception of hotel’s reputation contributes to positive behavioral intentions. Originality/value – Most recent research has explored the relationship between corporate reputation and customer behaviors. However, few studies take employee perception of reputation into consideration. This study tried to fill this void. Also, this study contributes to the current knowledge of both the reputation literature and citizenship literature by exploring the mediation of organizational commitment on the relationship between employee-perceived reputation and citizenship behaviors through data obtained from Chinese hotels.

The influence of “Facebook friends” on the intention to join brand pages

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 580-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariola Palazon ◽  
María Sicilia ◽  
Manuela Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Tie Strength ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Past Behavior ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Level Of Experience ◽  
Source Of Information

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the role of Facebook friends on the intention to join brand pages in this social network site (SNS). SNSs have grown in both popularity and use. They allow individuals to articulate their social networks by developing a list of other members on the site with whom they share a connection. These platforms also allow companies to create profiles to promote their brands. However, many firms have jumped into SNSs by creating a “brand page” without fully understanding how to spread it successfully. Design/methodology/approach – Two experiments were developed. In the first one, the authors manipulated how the individual comes to know about brand pages. Participants discovered a brand page through a friend with whom they have either a strong tie or a weak tie. In the second experiment (2 × 2), the authors manipulated tie strength (strong vs weak) and the type of recommendation (active vs passive). Findings – Results of the first study show that as the individual has more experience in Facebook (measured in this paper through satisfaction, past behavior of following brands and Facebook intensity), the effect of tie strength on the intention to join a brand page dilutes. The second study confirms Study 1 and shows that strong ties exert more influence than weak ties when the brand page is actively recommended by Facebook friends. Practical implications – This paper shows that the influence of strong ties is particularly important for individuals with low levels of experience in Facebook. As experience in SNSs is expected to continue growing, managers should not forget the role of weak ties as a source of information for their networked friends. Strong ties only remain more influential than weak ties when the information about the brand page is received through an invitation. Originality/value – This paper explores the interpersonal influences in Facebook, asserting that the influence of tie strength depends on the level of experience in the SNS, and on the way, information about the brand page is received.

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