Defining Vulnerability of Complex Construction Projects from the Wittgenstein Family-Resemblance Philosophy

In order to understand the general definition of vulnerability in construction management, 50 articles were screened and reviewed from different kinds of construction projects. Besides, content analysis was used in depth, from which 11 core elements of vulnerability were identified. Based on the principle of family-resemblance proposed by Wittgenstein, whose idea is that a complex concept can be understood as a network of overlapping similarities, the four core elements of project characteristics, sensitivity, adaptability, and exposure are regarded as the “flowers” of the sunflower and seven non-core elements such as risk-related, adverse change, potential loss, internal state, robustness, resilience, and complexity are used as “petals” to construct the image of the sunflower model and intuitively express the connotation of the vulnerability of complex construction projects. Then the validity of the model is tested by using relevant authoritative literature. Results shows that four core elements of project characteristics, sensitivity, adaptability, and exposure can be promoted as a common vocabulary for the vulnerability of complex construction projects. This research provides a theoretical reference and practical basis for project risk managers to grasp project characteristics, reduce project vulnerability, and manage large and complex construction project risks.