Shi, Y and Collinge, W (2021) Inter-organisational collaboration in megaprojects: A dynamic model of collaborative and opportunistic behaviour. In: Scott, L and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 37th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-7 September 2021, Online Event, UK.
Abstract
Megaprojects are one-time endeavours costing more than one billion dollars, taking many years to complete, and involving multiple stakeholders. For the development and execution of megaprojects, an unprecedented number of organisations therefore enter into inter-organisational collaboration (IOC) with commitments to sharing common goals and working together. Although there are mechanisms governing IOC by facilitating collaborative behaviour as well as restraining opportunistic behaviour, an insight into how a specific behaviour might emerge and unfold over time remains unclear. Based on System Dynamics (SD), this study presents a conceptual model to understand how collaborative and opportunistic behaviour unfolds over time and induces the dynamics of IOC. SD has shown its feasibility and appropriateness for shedding light on complex relationships between components and feedbacks. A casual loop diagram was developed through three main steps: (1) identifying key parameters related to collaborative and opportunistic behaviour on the basis of the literature; (2) analysing the cause-effect relationships between the identified parameters; (3) identifying feedback loops. The result of this study can deepen the understanding of what happens inside the black box of IOC by showing the dynamic interplay between collaborative and opportunistic behaviour
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | megaprojects; inter-organisational collaboration; collaborative behaviour; opportunistic behaviour; system dynamics; causal loop diagram |
| Index terms: | opportunistic behaviour, megaproject, costing, dynamics, commitment, system dynamics, collaboration, feedback loop |
| Subjects: | computing systems, business, psychology, strategic project management, control systems, accounting and finance, systems engineering, management |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Cost Management, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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