Liu, B; Xue, B; Meng, J; Chen, X and Sun, T (2020) How project management practices lead to infrastructure sustainable success: An empirical study based on goal-setting theory. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(10), pp. 2797-2833. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The sustainable success of infrastructures is becoming a driving force for advancing urbanization globally. However, to achieve infrastructure sustainable success (ISS), how project management practices (PMPs) play their role remains unexplored in current literature. To this end, an empirical study on whether PMPs play significant impacts on the accomplishment of ISS was conducted. Design/methodology/approach: This research is based on an empirical survey of domestic and overseas infrastructure projects managed by Chinese companies. 162 data samples were collected and further analyzed deploying structural equation modeling (SEM) on the basis of goal-setting theory. PMP factors derived from the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) ideology, i.e. culture, strategy, implementation and reflection were hypothesized and validated to have direct and indirect relationships with ISS. Findings: The results of this study indicate that both culture and reflection can directly drive the PMPs toward ISS. Furthermore, it is revealed that by affecting mediator factors of strategy, implementation and reflection, culture is found to present an indirect influence on ISS; by affecting mediator factors of implementation and reflection, Strategy is found to present an indirect influence on ISS and by affecting the mediator factor of reflection, implementation is found to present an indirect influence on ISS. Originality/value: These findings contribute to the body of knowledge in measuring sustainability success of project management performances by clarifying critical relationships of how PMPs lead to ISS. Prospectively, the outputs of this research will generate informative insights for practitioners to improve their PMPs in the process of pursuing ISS in future infrastructure management practices.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | empirical study; infrastructure sustainability; project management practice; structural equation modeling |
| Index terms: | project management practice, strategy, structural equation modelling, survey, methodology, practitioner, body of knowledge, mediator, urbanization, infrastructure management, infrastructure sustainability, becoming, empirical study, reflection, implementation, infrastructure project, project management |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, practitioner, dispute resolution, urban planning, contractual arrangements, knowledge management, research methods, management, professional development, infrastructure engineering, project management theory and practice, sustainable engineering, statistical analysis, philosophical process, infrastructure and transport systems |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Governance, Procurement, Roles and Professions |
| 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