Validation of an Instrument to Measure Governance and Performance on Collaborative Infrastructure Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140, Issue 5
Abstract
Collaborative infrastructure projects use hybrid formal and informal governance structures to manage transactions. Based on previous desktop research, the authors identified the key mechanisms underlying project governance, and posited the performance implications of the governance. The current paper extends that qualitative research by testing the veracity of those findings using data from 320 Australian construction organizations. The results provide, for the first time, reliable and valid scales to measure governance and performance of collaborative projects, and the relationship between them. The results confirm seven of seven hypothesized governance mechanisms, 30 of 43 hypothesized underlying actions, eight of eight hypothesised key performance indicators, and the dual importance of formal and informal governance. A startling finding of the study was that the implementation intensity of informal mechanisms (noncontractual conditions) is a greater predictor of project performance variance than that of formal mechanisms (contractual conditions). Further, contractual conditions do not directly impact project performance; instead their impact is mediated by the noncontractual features of a project. Obligations established under the contract are not sufficient to optimize project performance.
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Acknowledgments
This study is supported by the Alliancing Association of Australasia and the Australian Research Council (Linkage Project 110200110). The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by Joanne Lewis and Deborah Messer in managing the data collection process during the survey, and by Dale Steinhardt and Joanne Lewis in the editing of this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140 • Issue 5 • May 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 12, 2013
Accepted: Dec 18, 2013
Published online: Feb 13, 2014
Published in print: May 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Jul 13, 2014
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