Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Open Access
Subscription or Fee Access
In search of Empirical Evidence for the Relationship Between Collaboration and Project Performance
Abstract
Existing research suggests a positive relationship between the level of collaboration in projects and project performance in terms of cost, time and quality. However, empirical data to support this are scant and this paper responds to the calls for more empirical research on this specific relationship. In this paper we conducted bivariate analysis on a dataset from 142 Norwegian projects which reported their cost, schedule and quality performance through the 10-10 benchmarking tool developed by the Construction Industry Institute (CII). We found a strong positive relationship between collaboration and project quality performance. Projects with good collaboration experienced fewer errors and deviations and more often delivered according to requirements and client expectations than projects with poor collaboration. We also propose an indicator that practitioners can apply to measure the collaboration quality in their projects.
Keywords
References
Aliakbarlou, S., Wilkinson, S. & Costello, S. B. 2018. Rethinking client value within construction contracting services. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 11(4), pp. 1007-1025. doi:10.1108/IJMPB-07-2017-0076
Andersson, A. 2016. Communication barriers in an interorganizational ERP-project. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 9(1), pp. 214-233. doi:10.1108/IJMPB-06-2015-0047
Arditi, D. & Gunaydin, H. M. 1997. Total quality management in the construction process. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 15(4), pp. 235-243.
Asmar, M. E., Hanna, A. S. & Loh, W.-Y. 2013. Quantifying Performance for the Integrated Project Delivery System as Compared to Established Delivery Systems. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 139(11), pp. 04013012. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000744
Asmar, M. E., Hanna, A. S. & Loh, W.-Y. 2016. Evaluating Integrated Project Delivery Using the Project Quarterback Rating. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 142(1), pp. 04015046. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001015
Badi, S. M. & Pryke, S. D. 2015. Assessing the quality of collaboration towards the achievement of Sustainable Energy Innovation in PFI school projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 8(3), pp. 408-440. doi:10.1108/IJMPB-09-2014-0060
Bagozzi, R. P. & Yi, Y. 1988. On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the academy of marketing science, Vol. 16(1), pp. 74-94.
Barbosa, F., Woetzel, J., Mischke, J., Ribeirinho, M. J., Sridhar, M., Parsons, M., Bertram, N. & Brown, S. 2017. Reinventing construction through a productivity revolution. McKinsey Global Institute.
Bititci, U., Garengo, P., Dörfler, V. & Nudurupati, S. 2012. Performance Measurement: Challenges for Tomorrow*. International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 14(3), pp. 305-327. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00318.x
Bititci, U., Turner, T., Mackay, D., Kearney, D., Parung, J. & Walters, D. 2007. Managing synergy in collaborative enterprises. Production Planning & Control, Vol. 18(6), pp. 454-465. doi: 10.1080/09537280701494990
Bond-Barnard, T. J., Fletcher, L. & Steyn, H. 2018. Linking trust and collaboration in project teams to project management success. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 11(2), pp. 432-457. 10.1108/IJMPB-06-2017-0068
Bryman, A. 2016. Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Busi, M. & Bititci, U. S. 2006. Collaborative performance management: present gaps and future research. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 55(1), pp. 7-25. doi:10.1108/17410400610635471
Buvik, M. P. & Rolfsen, M. 2015. Prior ties and trust development in project teams – A case study from the construction industry. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 33(7), pp. 1484-1494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.06.002
Caniëls, M. C. J., Chiocchio, F. & Van Loon, N. P. a. A. 2019. Collaboration in project teams: The role of mastery and performance climates. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 37(1), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.09.006
Chan, A. P. C., Chan, D. W. M., Chiang, Y. H., Tang, B. S., Chan, E. H. W. & Ho, K. S. K. 2004. Exploring Critical Success Factors for Partnering in Construction Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 130(2), pp. 188-198. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2004)130:2(188)
Chan, A. P. C., Chan, D. W. M. & Ho, K. S. K. 2003. An empirical study of the benefits of construction partnering in Hong Kong. Construction Management and Economics, Vol. 21(5), pp. 523-533. 10.1080/0144619032000056162
Chen, Q., Jin, Z., Xia, B., Wu, P. & Skitmore, M. 2016. Time and Cost Performance of DesignBuild Projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 142(2), pp. 04015074. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001056
Cho, S. & Ballard, G. 2011. Last planner and integrated project delivery. Lean Construction Journal, Vol. 7(1), pp. 67-78.
Choong, K. K. 2014. Has this large number of performance measurement publications contributed to its better understanding? A systematic review for research and applications. International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 52(14), pp. 4174-4197. 10.1080/00207543.2013.866285
Christensen, R. M. 2008. Development Practically Speaking, Learning processes in the Danish Construction Industry. PhD thesis, Aalborg University.
Cicmil, S. & Marshall, D. 2005. Insights into collaboration at the project level: complexity, social interaction and procurement mechanisms. Building Research & Information, Vol. 33(6), pp. 523-535. 10.1080/09613210500288886
Cronbach, L. J. 1951. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. psychometrika, Vol. 16(3), pp. 297-334.
De Koning, P. & Vanhoucke, M. 2016. Stability of earned value management: Do project characteristics influence the stability moment of the cost and schedule performance index. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 4(1), pp. 8-25.
Dietrich, P., Eskerod, P., Dalcher, D. & Sandhawalia, B. 2010. The dynamics of collaboration in multipartner projects. Project Management Journal, Vol. 41(4), pp. 59-78. 10.1002/pmj.20194
Eriksson, P. E. & Westerberg, M. 2011. Effects of cooperative procurement procedures on construction project performance: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 29(2), pp. 197-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.01.003
Fornell, C. & Larcker, D. F. 1981. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of marketing research, Vol. 18(1), pp. 39-50.
Fortune, J. & White, D. 2006. Framing of project critical success factors by a systems model. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 24(1), pp. 53-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2005.07.004
Franz, B., Leicht, R., Molenaar, K. & Messner, J. 2017. Impact of Team Integration and Group Cohesion on Project Delivery Performance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 143(1), pp. 04016088. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001219
Fulford, R. & Standing, C. 2014. Construction industry productivity and the potential for collaborative practice. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 32(2), pp. 315-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.05.007
Haaskjold, H., Andersen, B., Lædre, O. & Aarseth, W. 2019. Factors affecting transaction costs and collaboration in projects. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol., pp.
Haddadi, A. & Johansen, A. 2019. Value Proposition in Different Types of Buildings-Characteristics and Means. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 6(3), pp.
Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B. & Anderson, R. 2014. Multivariate Data Analysis (new int. ed.), Essex, Harlow: Pearson Education.
Hanna, A. S. 2016. Benchmark performance metrics for integrated project delivery. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 142(9), pp. 04016040-1-9. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001151
Henderson, L. S., Stackman, R. W. & Lindekilde, R. 2016. The centrality of communication norm alignment, role clarity, and trust in global project teams. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 34(8), pp. 1717-1730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.09.012
Hoegl, M. & Gemuenden, H. G. 2001. Teamwork quality and the success of innovative projects: A theoretical concept and empirical evidence. Organization Science, Vol. 12(4), pp. 435-449. 10.1287/orsc.12.4.435.10635
Hwang, B.-G., Thomas, S. R., Haas, C. T. & Caldas, C. H. 2009. Measuring the Impact of Rework on Construction Cost Performance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 135(3), pp. 187-198. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2009)135:3(187)
Ibrahim, M., Hanna, A. & Kievet, D. 2018. Comparative Analysis between Project Delivery Systems through Quantitative Assessment of Project Performance. Construction Research Congress 2018.
Icw 2017. Insight into ISO 44001. London: Institute for Collaborative Working.
Iyer, K. C. & Jha, K. N. 2005. Factors affecting cost performance: evidence from Indian construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 23(4), pp. 283-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2004.10.003
Jaafar, K. & Yusof, S. 2019. Evaluating Stakeholder's Level of Involvement in Project Execution Phase. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 7(1), pp.
Josephson, P.-E. & Saukkoriipi, L. 2005. Slöseri i byggprojekt: behov av förändrat synsätt. External organization.
Juran, J. & Godfrey, A. B. 1999. Quality handbook, New York, McGraw-Hill.
Kadefors, A. 2004. Trust in project relationships-inside the black box. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 22(3), pp. 175-182. 10.1016/S0263-7863(03)00031-0
Kalkman, J. P. & De Waard, E. J. 2017. Inter-organizational disaster management projects: Finding the middle way between trust and control. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 35(5), pp. 889-899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.09.013
Kaplan, R. M. & Saccuzzo, D. P. 2009. Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues, Belmont, CA, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Kvålshaugen, R. & Sward, A. R. 2018. Sluttrapport "Samhandling og prosessledelse". Oslo: Handelshøyskolen BI.
Langlo, J. A., Bakken, S., Karud, O. J., Landet, R., Smidt Olsen, A., Andersen, B. & Hajikazemi, S. 2017. Sluttrapport - Prestasjonsmåling i norsk BAE-næring.
Li, H., Arditi, D. & Wang, Z. 2015. Determinants of transaction costs in construction projects. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, Vol. 21(5), pp. 548-558. 10.3846/13923730.2014.897973
Ling, F. Y. Y., Ning, Y., Ke, Y. & Kumaraswamy, M. M. 2013. Modeling relational transaction and relationship quality among team members in public projects in Hong Kong. Automation in Construction, Vol. 36(pp. 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2013.08.006
Liu, L., Bannerman, P. L., Ding, X., Elliott, E.-J., Ewart, G. & Kong, X. 2016. The Motives for and Consequences of Underpricing for Construction Contractors—Evidence from Australia. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 3(3), pp. 36-45.
Lædre, O. 2009. Er Det Noen Sak?, Bergen, Norway, Fagbokforlaget.
Manu, E., Ankrah, N., Chinyio, E. & Proverbs, D. 2015. Trust influencing factors in main contractor and subcontractor relationships during projects. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 33(7), pp. 1495-1508. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.06.006
Maurer, I. 2010. How to build trust in inter-organizational projects: The impact of project staffing and project rewards on the formation of trust, knowledge acquisition and product innovation. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 28(7), pp. 629-637. 10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.11.006
Mcallister, D. J. 1995. Affect-and cognition-based trust as foundations for interpersonal cooperation in organizations. Academy of management journal, Vol. 38(1), pp. 24-59.
Meng, X. & Gallagher, B. 2012. The impact of incentive mechanisms on project performance. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 30(3), pp. 352-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2011.08.006
Meyer, M. W. 2002. Rethinking Performance Measurement Cambridge, University Press.
Molenaar, K. R., Songer, A. D. & Barash, M. 1999. Public-Sector Design/Build Evolution and Performance. Journal of Management in Engineering, Vol. 15(2), pp. 54-62. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(1999)15:2(54)
Mukaka, M. M. 2012. A guide to appropriate use of correlation coefficient in medical research. Malawi Medical Journal, Vol. 24(3), pp. 69-71.
Murphy, K. R. & Davidshofer, C. O. 2005. Psychological testing : principles and applications, Upper Saddle River, N.J, Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Müller, R. & Jugdev, K. 2012. Critical success factors in projects: Pinto, Slevin, and Prescott–the elucidation of project success. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 5(4), pp. 757-775.
Nevstad, K., Børve, S., Karlsen, A. T. & Aarseth, W. 2018. Understanding how to succeed with project partnering. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 11(4), pp. 1044-1065. 10.1108/IJMPB-07-2017-0085
Oakland, J. S. 2012. Oakland on quality management, New York, Routledge.
Park, J.-G. & Lee, J. 2014. Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: Explicating the role of dependence and trust. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 32(1), pp. 153-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.02.004
Patel, H., Pettitt, M. & Wilson, J. R. 2012. Factors of collaborative working: A framework for a collaboration model. Applied Ergonomics, Vol. 43(1), pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2011.04.009
Peterson, R. A. 1994. A meta-analysis of Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Journal of consumer research, Vol. 21(2), pp. 381-391.
Pinto, J. K. 2010. Project Management : Achieving Competitive Advantage, Boston, Pearson Prentice Hall.
Pinto, J. K. & Slevin, D. P. 1988. Project success. Project management journal, Vol. 4(pp. 67-72.
Pinto, J. K., Slevin, D. P. & English, B. 2009. Trust in projects: An empirical assessment of owner/contractor relationships. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 27(6), pp. 638-648. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.09.010
Pmi 2017. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Project Management Institute.
Rahi, K., Bourgault, M. & Robert, B. 2019. Benchmarking Project Resilience. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 7(1), pp. 6-21.
Rezvani, A. & Khosravi, P. 2018. A comprehensive assessment of project success within various large projects. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 6(1), pp. 115-123.
Rousseau, D. M., Sitkin, S. B., Burt, R. S. & Camerer, C. 1998. Not So Different After All: A Cross-Discipline View Of Trust. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 23(3), pp. 393-404. 10.5465/amr.1998.926617
Sarhan, S., Pasquire, C., Manu, E. & King, A. 2017. Contractual governance as a source of institutionalised waste in construction: A review, implications, and road map for future research directions. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 10(3), pp. 550-577. doi:10.1108/IJMPB-07-2016-0058
Schmitt, N. 1996. Uses and abuses of coefficient alpha. Psychological Assessment, Vol. 8(4), pp. 350-353. 10.1037/1040-3590.8.4.350
Schoorman, F. D., Mayer, R. C. & Davis, J. H. 2007. An integrative model of organizational trust: Past, present, and future. Academy of Management Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510.
Silva, A. & Harper, C. 2018. Using Project Team Integration to Predict Cost and Schedule Performance in Public Transportation Projects. Construction Research Congress 2018.
Simatupang, T. M. & Sridharan, R. 2005. The collaboration index: a measure for supply chain collaboration. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 35(1), pp. 44-62. doi:10.1108/09600030510577421
Spitzer, D. R. 2007. Transforming Performance Measurement, New York, AMACOM books.
Sullivan, J., Asmar, M. E., Chalhoub, J. & Obeid, H. 2017. Two decades of performance comparisons for design-build, construction manager at risk, and design-bid-build: quantitative analysis of the state of knowledge on project cost, schedule, and quality. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 143(6), pp. 04017009.
Suprapto, M., Bakker, H. L. M., Mooi, H. G. & Hertogh, M. J. C. M. 2016. How do contract types and incentives matter to project performance? International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 34(6), pp. 1071-1087. 10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.08.003
Suprapto, M., Bakker, H. L. M., Mooi, H. G. & Moree, W. 2015. Sorting out the essence of owner–contractor collaboration in capital project delivery. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 33(3), pp. 664-683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.05.001
Taylor, R. 1990. Interpretation of the Correlation Coefficient: A Basic Review. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Vol. 6(1), pp. 35-39. 10.1177/875647939000600106
Todsen, S. 2018. Produktivitetsfall i bygg og anlegg [Online]. Statistics Norway. Available: https://www.ssb.no/bygg-bolig-og-eiendom/artikler-og-publikasjoner/produktivitsfall-i-bygg-og-anlegg [Accessed 20.08.2018 2018].
Tsiga, Z. D., Emes, M. & Smith, A. 2016. Attitudes to risk management in space projects. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 4(1), pp. 41-51.
Turner, J. R. & Müller, R. 2003. On the nature of the project as a temporary organization. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21(1), pp. 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(02)00020-0
Turner, J. R. & Müller, R. 2004. Communication and co-operation on projects between the project owner as principal and the project manager as agent. European Management Journal, Vol. 22(3), pp. 327-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2004.04.010
Um, K. H. & Kim, S. M. 2018. Collaboration and opportunism as mediators of the relationship between NPD project uncertainty and NPD project performance. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 36(4), pp. 659-672. 10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.01.006
Vaaland, T. I. & Håkansson, H. 2003. Exploring interorganizational conflict in complex projects. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 32(2), pp. 127-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0019-8501(02)00227-4
Von Danwitz, S. 2018. Managing inter-firm projects: A systematic review and directions for future research. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 36(3), pp. 525-541.
Walker, D. & Lloyd-Walker, B. M. 2015. Collaborative Project Procurement Arrangements, Newton Square, Pennsylvania, USA, Project Management Institute.
Walker, D. H. T., Davis, P. R. & Stevenson, A. 2017. Coping with uncertainty and ambiguity through team collaboration in infrastructure projects. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 35(2), pp. 180-190.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.11.001
Walker, D. H. T. & Lloyd-Walker, B. M. 2016. Understanding the motivation and context for alliancing in the Australian construction industry. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 9(1), pp. 74-93. doi:10.1108/IJMPB-07-2015-0065
Yap, J. B. H., Abdul-Rahman, H. & Chen, W. 2017. Collaborative model: Managing design changes with reusable project experiences through project learning and effective communication. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 35(7), pp. 1253-1271. 10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.04.010
Yeung, J. F. Y., Chan, A. P. C. & Chan, D. W. M. 2007. The definition of alliancing in construction as a Wittgenstein family-resemblance concept. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 25(3), pp. 219-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.10.003
Yeung, J. F. Y., Chan, A. P. C., Chan, D. W. M., Chiang, Y. H. & Yang, H. 2013. Developing a Benchmarking Model for Construction Projects in Hong Kong. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 139(6), pp. 705-716. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000622
Young, R. R. 2006. Project Requirements, A Guide to Best Practices, Virginia, USA, Management Concepts.
Yousefi, N., Sobhani, A., Naeni, L. M. & Currie, K. R. 2019. Using statistical control charts to monitor duration-based performance of project. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 6(3), pp. 88-103.
Yun, S., Choi, J., De Oliveira, D. P. & Mulva, S. P. 2016. Development of performance metrics for phase-based capital project benchmarking. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 34(3), pp. 389-402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.12.004
Zhang, X., Azhar, S., Nadeem, A. & Khalfan, M. 2018. Using building information modelling to achieve Lean principles by improving efficiency of work teams. International Journal of Construction Management, Vol. 18(4), pp. 293-300. 10.1080/15623599.2017.1382083
Zidane, Y. & Andersen, B. 2018. Causes of delay and their cures in major Norwegian projects. The Journal of Modern Project Management, Vol. 5(3), pp. 80-91.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Journal of Modern PM (ISSN: 2317-3963) | info@journalmodernpm.com
