Metanetwork analysis for project task assignment

Early studies of project planning endorsed a task-centric method, such as the program evaluation and review technique (PERT), that assigns relationships and tasks based upon the logical sequences of construction. This method works for projects with clearly assigned tasks, specific requirements, finely tuned organizations, and explicit roles and responsibilities for the project team. However, for projects that exist in a fast-paced and complex environment and are performed by temporary organizations, this task-centric method neglects the interdependence between project tasks and project contextual factors, such as project organizations, teams, knowledge, and resources that have considerable effect on task completion and project effectiveness. To investigate the congruence, the matching degree, between task assignment and the project's organizational environment, this study uses a three-dimensional metanetwork analysis (MNA) to model a project's personnel [hereinafter referred to as agents (A)], knowledge (K), tasks (T), and all six interconnected networks: AA, AK, AT, KK, KT, and TT networks. MNA can identify incapable agents and overloaded tasks, which hinder the completion of tasks, and then it can optimize task assignment to achieve better project performance. Cross-case comparative studies of 11 Chinese automobile dealership construction projects were conducted in order to validate the proposed MNA model and optimization strategies. During the project optimization, three key network-level measures - the congruence of agent knowledge needs (COAK), the congruence of task knowledge needs (COTK), and task completion based on knowledge (TCK) - increased by 22.1, 24.6, and 47.3%, respectively. The results demonstrate that MNA can advance project task assignment theory to interactively analyze tasks and relevant organizational factors. Practical implications for diagnosing project organizations and task adjustments are also discussed at the end of the study.