Sun, J; Wang, C C; Yang, Z; Yu, T; Li, J and Xiong, X (2022) Impact of organizational decentralization degree on job satisfaction and job performance: A hierarchical linear model analysis for construction projects. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 29(4), pp. 1642-1660. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: Modern construction projects are increasingly complex and rely heavily on multi-discipline collaboration, and this leads to a more and more decentralized project-based structure widely adopted in the construction industry. While job satisfaction (JS) and job performance (JP) have been heavily studied previously, few considered the impact of organizational structure and none investigated the relationship between the organizational decentralization degree with JS and JP. This research aims to fill this research gap and investigate the impacts of organizational decentralization degree on JS and JP and facilitate a better project management practice for large-scale construction projects. Design/methodology/approach: This research firstly establishes four hypotheses based on the literature review on general project-based organizations, then the hypotheses are tested by a survey covering 25 large complex construction projects in China. A hierarchical linear model analysis was carried out to analyze the survey data and to study the relationships between organizational decentralization degree, job satisfaction and job performance. Findings: Analysis results show that projects' employees' JS and JP are positively correlated with the construction project organizations' decentralization degree, respectively. The decentralization degree has a higher impact on JS than on JP. Employees' JP is positively correlated with their JS, and a higher decentralization degree leads to a more significant positive impact that JS puts on JP. Originality/value: The findings are new evidence of how construction organization structure and its decentralization degree can affect project employees' JS and JP. This research provides valuable guidance for the industry's management practice and is particularly important for large, complex and highly decentralized construction projects.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction project; decentralization degree; hierarchical linear model; job performance; job satisfaction; organization structure; project-based organization |
| Index terms: | job satisfaction, decentralization, construction organization, construction industry, survey, project-based organization, literature review, organizational structure, project management practice, China, evidence, collaboration, construction project, methodology, management practice |
| Subjects: | data analysis and analytics, organization, evaluation and assessment methods, data collection methods, sociology, political science, industry analysis, research methods, management, project management theory and practice, production management, Geography |
| Topics: | Human Resources, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here