Technical Papers
Oct 28, 2017

Empirical Analysis of Firms’ Willingness to Participate in Infrastructure PPP Projects

Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144, Issue 1

Abstract

Private participation is the key element in forming a public-private partnership (PPP). Numerous studies have identified the factors of private participation in infrastructure projects, but the results have rarely focused on the willingness of the private sector to participate in infrastructure PPP projects. This research examines the factors of the private participation in a PPP with the consideration of the willingness to participate as a function of internal (e.g., the firm’s nature) and external factors (e.g., institutions, the government’s behavior, and project characteristics). Using the logistic regression model and the data from a questionnaire survey, this research found that nine variables have a significant coefficient, e.g., profitability, political connections, government intervention, government support, project complexity, and project experience; in particular, those companies with more project experience, more political connections, and higher profitability are more likely to be willing to participate in PPP projects. In contrast to previous studies, this research finds no support for the effect of the institutional environment and public support on a firm’s willingness to participate in PPPs. These findings can serve as a valuable reference in shaping the private sector’s motivation to participate in PPPs. The factors of private participation in PPP projects are explained and discussed in the context of the Chinese PPP experience and practice.

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Data Availability Statement

Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29CO.1943-7862.0001263.

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Go to Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144Issue 1January 2018

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Received: Jul 8, 2016
Accepted: Jun 8, 2017
Published online: Oct 28, 2017
Published in print: Jan 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Mar 28, 2018

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Professor, School of Construction Management and Real Estate, Chongqing Univ., Chongqing 400045, China (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Shiying Shi, Ph.D.
Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering, Henan Polytechnic Univ., Jiaozuo 454003, Henan, China.
Heap-Yih Chong, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Construction Management, School of Built Environment, Curtin Univ., GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
Xiao Fu, Ph.D.
School of Economics and Management, Chongqing Univ. of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China.
Lihong Liu
Ph.D. Candidate, School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong Univ., Beijing 100044, China.
Qiong He
Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Engineering, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

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