Clique to Win: Impact of Cliques, Competition, and Resources on Team Performance
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148, Issue 7
Abstract
This study examines how prior relationships between construction industry project teams influence work outcomes. Drawing on social network literature, we theorize that factors like the frequency of partner interactions, resource requirements, and level of competition impact performance. Using a dataset of public infrastructure projects in the State of California, we test how network structures (structural holes and Simmelian ties) affect project performance. Longitudinal network analyses reveal a strong positive effect of cliques on project performance in the construction industry. Even when tested under varying conditions of stress—competition and access to valuable resources—the positive effect of cliques remained intact. This study links the social networking theory to construction cost overruns and shows that cliques between contractors and subcontractors affect project performance.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148 • Issue 7 • July 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 19, 2021
Accepted: Feb 28, 2022
Published online: Apr 20, 2022
Published in print: Jul 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Sep 20, 2022
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