Qian, Q; Li, Q and Cao, T (2021) Impact of regulatory focus on opportunistic behavior in construction projects. In: Scott, L and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 37th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-7 September 2021, Online Event, UK.
Abstract
Opportunistic behaviour, an obstacle to close collaboration, is common in construction projects. But little is known about how the parties' characteristics impact their tendency to commit opportunistic acts. This study applies regulatory focus theory (RFT) to describe clients' inherent motivation orientation and examines the effects of regulatory focus on their opportunism. The questionnaire data from clients in construction projects were analysed with Partial-Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to verify the theoretical hypotheses. The results show the promotion focus of clients can increase their tendency to conduct opportunistic behaviour, but their prevention focus has no significant effect on it. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by empirically confirming that parties' inherent characteristics play a significant role in predicting their opportunistic behaviour. The findings can help parties to understand and predict other parties' decision behaviour by figuring out their motivation orientations, so as to wisely and rationally employ project management approaches under various circumstances.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | project management; transaction cost economics; organization; client |
| Index terms: | structural equation modelling, motivation, opportunism, promotion, transaction cost, body of knowledge, prevention, project management, collaboration, construction project, opportunistic behaviour, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | business, data collection methods, psychology, knowledge management, management, project management theory and practice, financial risk, production management, statistical analysis, financial analysis |
| Topics: | Information Management, Research Practice, Project Management, Cost Management, Human Resources, Organizational Design |
| 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