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Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are crucial to the procurement of global infrastructure projects. Moreover, a price mode based on a cluster of core concessionary items is key to the delivery of value-for-money and successful project outcomes. However, existing research has yet to fully identify PPP concessionary items, nor yet described the range of practical price modes. This study provides taxonomy of core concessionary items impacting PPP projects, systematically classifies price modes, and assesses the applicability and risk impacts of those price modes on PPP projects.

This study adopts a comparative case study method in analyzing core concessionary items and alternative price modes. China is taken as the context, as it is one of the world’s largest PPP markets. In ensuring research validity and reliability, diverse data sources are utilized, with a graphic content analysis tool developed to capture the structure of price modes.

Eight PPP price modes are identified. These are: (1) UP (Unit Price) mode, (2) ALS (Annual Lump Sum) mode, (3) IRR (Internal Rate of Return) mode, (4) RP (Return for Investing Capital (RIC) - Profit Rate of O&M (PROM)) mode, (5) RFP (RIC - Financing Interest Rate (FR) - PROM) mode, (6) RFPL (RIC - FR - PROM - Lower Limit of User Charge (LLoUC)) mode, (7) RFL (RIC - FR - Lump Sum/Fixed Unit Price O&M Contract (LSOM/FUP)) mode, and (8) RFLL (RIC - FR - LSOM/FUP - LLoUC) mode. Other main findings are as follows: (1) Five risk allocation configurations can be achieved via these price modes. Yet while different price modes enable the allocation of specific risks, these do not always align with contracting parties’ original intentions. (2) IRR and RP modes may be less applicable in general because of their vulnerability in allocating critical risks and capacity for spurring opportunistic behavior.

By depicting the paths by which concessionary items in price modes affect cash flow, a systematic analysis of price modes was conducted exposing structural characteristics, along with risk allocation choice implications. The study is unique in: (1) Providing a systematic classification of PPP price modes used in PPP projects, (2) Presenting a comprehensive identification and streamlining of concessionary items in PPP practice, and (3) Analyzing the risk effects of different price modes. Together, these outcomes offer a hitherto unavailable perspective on PPP project risk management. The value of the study lies in the following: (1) Existing studies employ diverse concessionary items, but their applicability varies. This study offers an overarching framework facilitating decision-making in selecting appropriate PPP price modes and in determining concessionary items. (2) This study adds to the understanding of PPP price modes in significant ways that will aid local governments and potential sponsors in crafting and administrating more workable contract designs.

Previous research has advanced in two-stage construction project productivity (CPP) evaluation by integrating site efficiency (SE) in the delivery and utilisation effectiveness (UE) in the post-delivery stages. The literature has separately addressed the factors affecting these three constructs. However, the interrelationships among them are rarely discussed together. This study aims to systematically identify the influencing factors of CPP, SE and UE and disentangle interrelationships among the three constructs.

The paper first reviews the literature about the two-stage project productivity evaluation framework for government construction projects. Then this paper proposes hypotheses regarding the relationships between the three constructs and identifies influencing factors associated with the constructs. Based on questionnaire survey from over 200 government construction project professionals in China, the structural equation modelling is adopted to validate the hypotheses.

The paper provides empirical insights that CPP can be directly influenced by UE to a large extent but indirectly impacted by SE through its effects on UE. The findings indicate that CPP is not a simple sum of SE and UE, and consequently reveals the complex, non-linear and indirect relationships between SE and CPP.

Future research should further extend the timeframe boundary to merge the pre-delivery stage (e.g. design and planning), findings of which may propose a more generalised understanding and reduce the bias resulting from pre-delivery activities.

This paper contributes to construction facility management literature by explaining the mediating role of UE on the relationship between SE and CPP. Therefore, this paper offers practitioners an integrated management logic in strategically combining project and facility management into government project management.

The Public–Private Partnership (PPP) modality plays an important role in the procurement of global infrastructure projects. Regarding PPP's complex transaction structure, pricing of a PPP project is critical to both parties where the government pursues a high value for money (VFM) and the investor strives to maximize its financial gains. Despite the straightforward win–win principle, a formidable compromise is often the case to end up with a fairly acceptable price, subject to many determinants such as the risk profile, expected return, technological innovation and capacities of both parties. Among them, this study chooses to examine the “managing flexibility” (MF) capacity of investors in pricing of a PPP project, in light of the widely recognized importance of a real-option perspective toward the long term, complex and uncertain PPP arrangement. This study addresses two major questions: (1) how is MF in PPP projects to be valued and (2) how are PPP projects to be priced when considering a project's MF value.

A binomial tree model is used to evaluate the MF value in PPP projects. Based on the developed MF pricing model, net present value (NPV) and adjusted VFM value are then calculated. Finally, a multi-objective decision-making method (MODM) was adopted to determine the optimal level of returns based on invested capital (ROIC), return on operation maintenance (ROOM) and concession period.

The applicability and functionality of the proposed model is investigated using a real project case. For a given return, extended NPV and adjusted VFM value were calculated and analyzed using sensitivity analysis. Factor influence is shown by the model to be dependent on factor impact on cash flow. Subsequently, a multi-objective decision-making (MODM) model was adopted to determine the optimal level of returns, where the solution approximates the real-world bidding price. Results confirm that the pricing model provides a reliable and practical PPP proposal pricing tool.

This study proposes an integrated framework for valuing MF in PPP projects and thus more accurately determine optimal pricing of PPP projects than revealed in extant research. The model offers a practical tool to aid in the valuation of PPP projects.

The shape of a product plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior. Despite the voluminous research on factors influencing consumers’ shape preferences, there remains a limited understanding of how the busy mindset, a mentality increasingly emphasized by marketing campaigns, works. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the relationship between a busy mindset and the preference for angular-shaped versus circular-shaped products and brand logos.

This research consists of seven experimental studies using various shape stimuli, distinct manipulations of busy mindset, different assessments of shape preference and samples drawn from multiple countries.

The findings reveal that a busy mindset leads to a preference for angular shapes over circular ones by amplifying the need for uniqueness. In addition, these effects are attenuated when products are scarce.

This research represents one of the pioneering efforts to study the role of a busy mindset on consumers’ aesthetic preferences. Beyond yielding insights for practitioners into visual marketing, this research contributes to the theories on the busy mindset and shape preference.

This paper aims to study the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ to improve the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel with microporous channels.

M50 matrix self-lubricating composites (MMSC) were designed and prepared by filling Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ in the microporous channels of M50 bearing steel. The tribology performance testing of as-prepared samples was executed with a multifunction tribometer. The optimum hole size and lubricant content, as well as self-lubricating mechanism of MMSC, were studied.

The tribological properties of MMSC are strongly dependent on the synergistic lubrication effect of MXene–Ti₃C₂ and Sn–Ag–Cu. When the hole size of microchannel is 1 mm and the content of MXene–Ti₃C₂ in mixed lubricant is 4 wt.%, MMSC shows the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate. The Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ are extruded from the microporous channels and spread to the friction interface, and a relatively complete lubricating film is formed at the friction interface. Meanwhile, the synergistic lubrication of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ can improve the stability of the lubricating film, thus the excellent tribological property of MMSC is obtained.

The results help in deep understanding of the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ on the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel. This work also provides a useful reference for the tribological design of mechanical components by combining surface texture with solid lubrication.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0381/

The aim of this study is to find the governance mechanism that matches the EPC project governance model as well as the performance criteria for measuring the quality governance of EPC projects so as to improve the level of quality of EPC project delivery.

An in-depth questionnaire survey of 199 EPC engineering practitioners and quality control units was conducted and the survey data was analysed using SPSS 24.0 software.

The results show that administrative governance, industry governance and internal project governance have direct effects on the quality governance performance of EPC projects. Administrative governance has a positive impact on the quality governance performance of EPC projects through industry governance and project internal governance.

This study enriches the research on engineering quality governance in the context of EPC projects, discusses how to improve the performance of EPC engineering quality governance and will provide certain reference and information for other EPC projects to establish an adapted engineering quality governance mechanism.

This paper exploratively proposes EPC administrative governance mode, industry governance mode and internal project governance mode and analyzes the logical relationship between them and EPC project quality governance performance and constructs a theoretical model influencing the improvement of EPC project quality governance performance.