Franz, B W and Olopade, J (2024) Exploring pathways to project success through project delivery team integration: A qualitative comparative analysis. Construction Management and Economics, 42(6), pp. 564-581. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Integration within project delivery teams can improve project outcomes in the building construction industry. However, integration across multiple firms and disciplines can be more challenging to manage, when compared to functionally organized, or siloed, teams. Given that resources to manage integration are limited and that most teams are only partially integrated in practice, this research seeks to explore pathways for their success. Using data collected from ten completed projects in the U.S., a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was performed to identify which combinations of six dimensions of integration were sufficient for improved project performance. The analysis revealed six distinct and highly consistent pathways to success, as evaluated by the criteria of being on-budget, on-time, or achieving the planned sustainable certification. Across all pathways, having a single team focus and equitable team relationships were the only dimensions consistently found in pathways leading to desirable project outcomes. Other dimensions, such as co-location, seamless operation across organizational boundaries, and a no-blame culture were found in pathways to both desirable and undesirable project outcomes, depending on their combination with other dimensions. These results contribute to theories on implementing team integration, suggesting that fully integrated teams are not always necessary for success. Instead, integrated teams that can work collaboratively, while still maintaining organizational separation or autonomy, can be as effective. While the study does not enable the identification of all possible pathways to success, it provides guidance to practitioners by highlighting a small subset of pathways, giving greater flexibility in managing integration within their teams.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | project delivery; project performance; team effectiveness; collaboration |
| Index terms: | practitioner, integration, collaboration, organizational boundary, team effectiveness, integrated team, certification, building construction, qualitative comparative analysis, project performance, co-location, project delivery, dimension, project success, project outcome |
| Subjects: | operations management, project delivery, health monitoring assessment and metrics, project completion, practitioner, organizational analysis, building construction, sociology, administrative processes, management, research methods, project management theory and practice |
| Topics: | Contract Administration, Site Management, Organizational Design, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Project Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Construction Technology |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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