Unterhitzenberger, C (2017) Organizational justice and its impact on project performance: an explanatory framework in the context of the construction industry. PhD thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Abstract
Despite the constant improvement of project management tools and methodologies the performance of projects is decreasing. Considering the forecast that the volume of projects undertaken will roughly double by 2025 this is a considerable issue for the profession. Therefore this work focuses on the psycho-social relationships in projects, in particular organisational justice (climate) and their impact on performance in order to present an alternative approach to increase project performance and to highlight this under-researched area. Three studies were conducted for the purpose of this work: first, a questionnaire was used to explore the relationships between organisational justice (climate) and different aspects of performance, mediated through antecedents of project performance. The questionnaire produced a final sample of 194 cases and was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Second, focus groups were administered to better understand how organisational justice (climate) effects performance. A phenomenological analysis was conducted to explore the lived experience of the participants. And third, a case study was undertaken to explain how organisational justice (climate) relates to various antecedents of project performance. The case study was analysed using propositions and pattern matching. All three studies revealed that there are significant and strong relationships between organisational justice (climate) and project performance. These relationships are complex and manifold, but it can be concluded overall that the adoption of fair principles and procedures in projects improves the project performance. Based on the triangulation of the three studies an explanatory framework was developed, which includes details on all the different aspects. In essence, this research showed that next to tools and methodologies it is important to pay attention to the psycho-social relationships in projects in order to be able to face the upcoming challenges of the profession.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Bryde, D; Fearon, D and Cotgrave, A |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | case study; focus group; project management; project performance; structural equation modelling |
| Index terms: | face, structural equation modelling, justice, focus group, triangulation, methodology, questionnaire, case study, construction industry, project management, profession, project performance |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, research design and methodology, industry analysis, statistical analysis, project management theory and practice, psychology, legal systems, institututions, research methods |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Project Management, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 CTEA |
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