Kiani Mavi, N; Brown, K; Fulford, R G and Goh, M (2025) An MCDM analysis of critical success criteria for medium and large construction projects in Australia and New Zealand. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(8), pp. 5160-5193. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose – The global construction industry has a history of poor project success, with evident and frequent overruns in cost and schedule. This industry is a highly interconnected and complex system in which the components, i.e. suppliers, contractors, end-users, and stakeholders, are delicately linked to each other, the community, and the environment. Therefore, defining and measuring project success can be challenging for sponsors, contractors, and the public. To address this issue, this study develops and analyzes a more comprehensive set of success criteria for medium and large construction projects. Design/methodology/approach – After reviewing the existing literature, this study identified 19 success criteria for medium and large construction projects, which were categorized into five groups. The fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL) method was used to gain further insight into the interrelationships between these categories and explain the cause-and-effect relationships among them. Next, this study applied the modified logarithmic least squares method to determine the importance weight of these criteria using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Findings – 28 project managers working in the construction industries in Australia and New Zealand participated in this study. Results suggest that "project efficiency" and "impacts on the project team" are cause criteria that affect "business success, " "impacts on stakeholders, " and "impacts on end-users." Effective risk management emerged as the most crucial criterion in project efficiency, while customer satisfaction and return on investment are top criteria in "impacts on end-users" and "business success." Originality/value – Although numerous studies have been conducted on project success criteria, multicriteria analyses of success criteria are rare. This paper presents a comprehensive set of success criteria tailored to medium and large construction projects. The aim is to analyze their interrelationships and prioritize them thoroughly, which will aid practitioners in focusing on the most important criteria for achieving higher success rates.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; fuzzy AHP; fuzzy DEMATEL; medium and large projects; project efficiency; project success; success criteria |
| Index terms: | global construction, risk management, return on investment, customer satisfaction, construction industry, project team, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, efficiency, project manager, project success, New Zealand, complex system, Australia, multicriteria analysis, decision-making, methodology, practitioner, history, success criteria, laboratory, large construction project, overrun |
| Subjects: | decision-making and optimization, assessment methods, research management, organizational theory, Geography, research methods, economic analysis, practitioner, strategic management, industry analysis, systems engineering, project controls, decision analysis, service delivery, project management theory and practice, performance management, project delivery, architectural and construction history, risk assessment, profession |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Project Management, Time Control, International Construction, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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