Shen, W; Tang, W; Wang, S; Duffield, C F; Hui, F K P and You, R (2017) Enhancing trust-based interface management in international engineering-procurement-construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(9): 04017061, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) method is gaining more acceptance worldwide as a project delivery strategy due to the construction efficiencies gained through making one organization responsible for integration of the processes of design, procurement, and construction. Such EPC projects are not without their difficulties - for example, the time pressures frequently brought by overlapping design, procurement, and construction increase uncertainty and complexity in managing the multiple interfaces between different interacting stakeholders. This paper aims to quantitatively and systematically examine how trust, openness, and communication interrelate to improve interface management performance in international EPC projects. A conceptual model is developed and tested with data collected from a questionnaire survey and interviews. The path analysis demonstrates that trust not only can be directly conducive to interface management but also has a positive impact on interface management through enhanced interorganizational openness and communication. Social network analysis visualizes contractors' industrial relations and reveals different impacts of stakeholders in trust and interface networks of international EPC contractors. This study advances previous research by developing a systematic framework on the basis of trust for understanding and promoting interface management. Understanding the in-depth underlying interrelations of trust, openness, and communication can contribute to improving alignment between stakeholders and to appropriately applying interface management in practice.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; contracting; engineer-procure-construct; information sharing; interface management; organizational boundary; social network; trust |
| Index terms: | efficiency, industrial relation, interorganizational, information sharing, project delivery, path analysis, interview, social network analysis, social network, strategy, survey, integration, construction project, engineer-procure-construct, questionnaire, interface management, complexity, organizational boundary |
| Subjects: | business, data collection methods, psychology, project delivery, contractual arrangements, performance management, data exchange, research methods, management, production management, sociology, organizational analysis, systems engineering, statistical analysis |
| Topics: | Procurement, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Project Management, Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Quality Management |
| 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