Zhang, P.; Sing, M. C. P. and Guo, S. (2026) What drives the adoption of quality management behavior? Evidence from owners in China's construction industry. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 24(3), pp. 692-712. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose – Owner involvement in quality management is essential to guaranteeing construction quality. However, what drives project owners' adoption of quality management behavior remains unclear, which is not conducive to effective construction quality management. This study aims to explore the determinants of owners' quality management behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to underpin the development of a hypothetical model that encapsulated the potential factors influencing owners' quality management behavior. Practitioners' perceptions were gathered through a questionnaire survey, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to test the conceptual model. Findings – The results indicated that project constraints and behavioral intention directly influenced owners' quality management behavior; moreover, behavioral intention was affected by perceived behavioral control. However, governmental supervision was not a determinant of owners' quality management behavior adoption. Research limitations/implications – The study is subject to limited contextual factors and region-specific investigation, which may hinder a comprehensive understanding of quality management behavior. Future research should incorporate a broader range of influencing factors (e.g. organizational culture and regulatory environments), and conduct a comparative study in other countries. Originality/value – To bridge the gap on the determinants of quality management behavior, this exploratory study developed a novel conceptual model based on the TPB. The extended TPB model serves as an instrument for deciphering the decision-making mechanisms of owners' quality management behavior and informs the development of targeted strategies for effective quality management tailored to project owners.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction quality management; determinant; exploratory study; owners; quality management behavior |
| Index terms: | methodology, survey, comparative study, determinant, project constraint, decision-making, exploratory study, supervision, strategy, structural equation modelling, organizational culture, evidence, owner, China, quality management, planned behaviour, construction quality, influencing factor, practitioner, questionnaire, partial least square, construction industry, investigation |
| Subjects: | sociology, data collection methods, decision analysis, research design and methodology, control systems, quality assurance, evaluation and assessment methods, research methods, industry analysis, management, Geography, behavioral psychology, practitioner, statistical analysis, risk assessment |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, Quality Management, Project Management, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Business Strategy, Risk Management, Organizational Design |
| 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