Project Management Journal

This article proposes a theoretical model to understanding how and why customer participation can promote project performance. The research model was empirically examined by collecting data from 245 software development projects. The research found that knowledge integration mediates the positive relationship between customer participation and project performance. Additionally, project complexity strengthens the main effect of customer participation and an indirect effect of knowledge integration was found. Theoretical and managerial implications for project management and research limitations are also discussed.

We study how co-creation practices influence explorative and exploitative learning in five collaborative construction projects with partnering arrangements. Drawing on a longitudinal case study, our findings reveal two different types of explorative learning processes (i.e., adaptation and radical development) and three different exploitative learning processes (i.e., incremental development, knowledge sharing, and innovation diffusion). Furthermore, co-creation practices enhance adaptation, radical development, and incremental development, which are typical intra-project learning processes. Co-creation practices do not, however, enhance knowledge sharing and innovation diffusion across projects. These findings concur with previous insights that the temporary and one-off nature of projects makes inter-project learning problematic.

There is a consensus among scholars that real options reasoning is crucial for improving project performance but there has been little empirical support thus far; hence, we explore how real options reasoning may influence project timeliness, efficiency, and effectiveness. Our longitudinal analysis of 110 electronic commerce projects, drawn from new technology ventures, indicated the differential effects of real options reasoning on project performance. We find that higher uncertainty does not always lead to a greater use of real options reasoning. Although perceived environmental state uncertainty is positively linked to real options, perceived environmental effect and response uncertainty are not.

Risk analysis is important for complex projects; however, systemicity makes evaluating risk in real projects difficult. Looking at the causal structure of risks is a start, but causal chains need to include management actions, the motivations of project actors, and sociopolitical project complexities as well as intra-connectedness and feedback. Common practice based upon decomposition-type methods is often shown to point to the wrong risks. A complexity structure is used to identify systemicity and draws lessons about key risks. We describe how to analyze the systemic nature of risk and how the contractor and client can understand the ramifications of their actions.

This study aims to investigate the cost premiums and cost performance of green building projects. After an extensive literature review, relevant data from 242 traditional and 121 green building projects performed by 30 different companies were collected through a survey in Singapore. The results indicate that the green cost premiums range from 5% to 10% and that project type and size are significant factors affecting the cost premiums. Furthermore, the cost performance is mostly over budget, ranging from 4.5% to 7%. Finally, this study proposes some feasible solutions for cost premiums reduction and cost performance improvement.

The criteria for measuring the success of public–private partnership (PPP) projects have become very topical because of the global interest in PPP project success. This article empirically investigates the differences and similarities of PPP project success criteria in developing and developed economies, represented by Ghana and Hong Kong, respectively. Results reveal profitability, meeting output specifications, and adherence to budget as the top three success criteria in Ghana, whereas adherence to budget, adherence to time, and effective risk management are considered more important in Hong Kong. The findings inform practitioners of the success measures considered in PPP in developing and developed countries.

Governments are increasingly entering partnerships with the private sector through the public–private partnership (PPP) model for the development of public projects. Value for money analysis is used to assess the viability of these ventures. This research aims to investigate the contribution of the PPP critical success factors to value for money viability analysis. Relevant data were collected through a questionnaire to establish the PPP critical success factors and value for money success criteria. Data were collected from 92 participants. The data obtained were analyzed using mean score, t-test, and regression analysis. The research found that government guarantees, macroeconomic conditions, shared authority between the public and private sectors, social support, and transparent procurement process contributed positively to value for money viability analysis. The results imply that practitioners should consider these key indicators for improving the value for money viability of PPP projects.