Dou, Y.; Zhong, L.; Luo, L. and Lou, H. (2026) Investigating the causes and their interactions leading to supply chain risks in prefabricated construction: Configuration perspective. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 152(6): 04026069, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The additional stakeholders and production environments within the networked supply chains of prefabricated construction (PC) have aggravated multiple causes of supply chain risks (SCRs) and their complex interactions. However, existing research primarily focused on risk identification and assessment, with limited exploration of how SCRs are generated by these causes and their interactions in different configurations. This study develops a hybrid method to investigate the configurational and interactive impacts of these causes on SCRs. First, a literature review was used to identify 35 causes, which were classified into 9 categories. Second, two rounds of questionnaire surveys and an expert interview within China's construction sector were conducted for data collection. Then, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to identify the configurations of causes leading to SCRs. A fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN) model was subsequently developed to explore the causes' interactions under different configurations. Finally, scenario analysis was conducted by the FBN model to identify the optimal SCRs management scenarios (MS). Results reveal two types of configurations of SCRs causes: process and network-oriented, and environment-oriented configurations, in which the environment causes, as well as information and partnerships causes, exhibit mutually substitutive effects in triggering SCRs. Also, the key causal paths triggering SCRs differ across those two configurations, with the former being mainly characterized by planning, procurement, and manufacturing-led paths, and the latter being characterized by environment-led paths. Moreover, addressing the same risk cause in different configurations demonstrates heterogeneous effects on SCRs prevention. In addition, tackling risk causes located in multiple positions (root and non-root nodes) in the FBN model proves to be more effective than focusing on those located in a single position in SCRs prevention. By innovatively integrating both configuration and interaction perspectives to explore the causes leading to SCRs and their interrelationships, this study not only enhances the configuration understanding of SCRs formation in PC, but also quantitatively reveals the heterogeneous influence paths through which those causes collectively contribute to SCRs. The integration of fsQCA and FBN (fsQCA-FBN) framework developed in this study establishes a novel analytical paradigm that can be applied to other project-based industries for SCRs mitigation. Valuable implications for improving risk management effectiveness can also be drawn from the key causal paths and MS for industry practitioners to mitigate SCRs.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | fuzzy Bayesian network; fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis; prefabricated construction; risk causes; supply chain risks |
| Index terms: | literature review, survey, paradigm, interview, scenario analysis, partnership, project-based industry, prevention, interaction, bayesian network, effectiveness, risk management, China, practitioner, risk identification, questionnaire, construction sector, fuzzy set, configuration, exploration, mitigation, integration, qualitative comparative analysis |
| Subjects: | systems engineering, decision-making and optimization, partnership management, financial risk, data analysis and analytics, education and knowledge transfer, policy studies, performance management, organization, behavioral psychology, data collection methods, practitioner, research methods, environmental resource management, risk assessment, Geography, organizational analysis, industry analysis, probabilistic model |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Risk Management, Organizational Design, Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles, Sustainability, Governance, Research Practice, Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, 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