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Article
Publication date: 10 June 2020

Mouxuan Sun, Fangwei Zhu and Xiuxia Sun

The present study investigated how different factors interact and work in concert to influence construction professionals’ burnout (hereafter CPs’ burnout) in China.

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study investigated how different factors interact and work in concert to influence construction professionals’ burnout (hereafter CPs’ burnout) in China.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential mixed-method approach was chosen for this research. Twenty-two interviews were conducted and analysed, and we identified ten influencing factors associated with CPs’ burnout. Subsequently, a sample of 232 questionnaires was analysed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to ascertain the eight configurations of CPs’ high and low burnout.

Findings

The key findings include the following: first, perceived workload, role ambiguity, role conflict, emotional demand, work-home interference, relationships with supervisors, autonomy, fairness of rewards, support from project team and self-efficacy are the ten factors influencing CPs’ burnout; second, experienced and less experienced construction professionals take different paths towards high or low burnout; and third, among construction professionals, perceived workload and burnout are not necessarily correlated. We found that autonomy plays a crucial role in this process.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to adopt a configurational approach for understanding influencing factors of CPs’ burnout. The strength of the present study is its sequential mixed-method approach, which forms a loop between the qualitative and quantitative studies.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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Article
Publication date: 28 February 2019

Fangwei Zhu, Mouxuan Sun, Linzhuo Wang, Xiuxia Sun and Miao Yu

The complexity caused by conflicting values of stakeholders is a critical issue influencing the performance and sustainability of stock public–private partnership (SPPP) projects…

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Abstract

Purpose

The complexity caused by conflicting values of stakeholders is a critical issue influencing the performance and sustainability of stock public–private partnership (SPPP) projects, which is a special type of public–private partnership (PPP) project in China. The purpose of this paper is to focus on value conflicts between local government and private sector, which are two major stakeholders in SPPP projects, and investigate exchange rules to resolve value conflicts.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed method approach, 55 semi-structured interviews were conducted for 15 stakeholders involved in a representative SPPP project. Social network analysis was then adopted to outline the value conflict network based on data drawn from focus group discussions. Finally, 24 value conflicts between local government and private sector were analyzed through another 13 semi-structured interviews in an abductive approach.

Findings

Results show that value conflicts between local government and private sector are dynamic and intertwined within and across three project phases, based on which six exchange rules, rationality, Altruism, power consistency, competition, group gain and reciprocity, are identified. Two sets of situational factors which potentially influence exchange rules adopted by the two parties are revealed, namely, urgency and professionality for local government and short-term interests and long-term interests for private sector. A summary of paired exchange rules is provided to predict if value conflicts between the two major stakeholders will be resolved or not.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretical implications are twofold. First, the results provide a contribution to PPP project management by investigating value conflicts between local government and private sector, which deepen the understanding on the unique characteristics of SPPP projects. Second, the findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of social exchange theory by suggesting a summary of condition-based and pair-based exchange rules.

Originality/value

One strength of the study is in the concentrated analysis of a single case which allows for a deep understanding of value complexity between local government and private sector in SPPP projects from a dynamic and networked perspective. A guideline is provided for both parties when a value conflict is found hard to resolve. Besides, this study is also among the first that addresses value issues in SPPP projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Xiuxia Sun, Fangwei Zhu and Mouxuan Sun

This paper aims to explore the ways to solve the dilemma of balancing between efficiency and flexibility in project-oriented organizations (POOs). It investigates the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the ways to solve the dilemma of balancing between efficiency and flexibility in project-oriented organizations (POOs). It investigates the characteristic of the relationship between efficiency and flexibility in the context of POOs. Based on the framework of organizational design, this study tries to open the “black box” of how POOs make a balance between efficiency and flexibility, and examines the influence of organizational design in this process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a comparative multiple case study based on four project-oriented enterprises, whose relationships between efficiency and flexibility are diverse from one another. It follows the process of building theory from case study, applying within-case and cross-case analysis and replication logic in shaping hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that the relationship between efficiency and flexibility in POOs can be divided into four different situations. The contradictory factors are identified as functional structure and project structure, standardized process and temporary plan, as well as strategic-level centralization and project-level decentralization. It is found that the key to achieve a balance between efficiency and flexibility is to coordinate the relationship of contradictory factors through the effective integration of organizational level and project level.

Originality/value

This study introduces the framework of organizational design in solving the dilemma of balancing between efficiency and flexibility, responding to the call for developing the project management theory from a strategic perspective. It provides theoretical support for POOs to achieve balancing between efficiency and flexibility, and suggests an effective synergy of organizational design in both organizational and project level.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2021

Zhixiu Wang, Junying Liu and Xinya Guan

Although the global construction industry has made great contributions to economic development, industry corruption is a challenge for governments all over the world. This paper…

498

Abstract

Purpose

Although the global construction industry has made great contributions to economic development, industry corruption is a challenge for governments all over the world. This paper aims to investigate the causal complexity of organizational corruption by exploring the configuration effect of multiple induced conditions of corruption in the construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is focused on bribery, a specific form of corrupt behavior through a scenario-based survey role-playing game in which participants encounter bribery. A total of 400 Chinese construction sector participants were randomly recruited to complete this survey.

Findings

Compared with studies that have identified a number of factors associated with corruption in the construction sector, this study found asymmetry and complexity in the causality of organizational corruption. That is, when a variable causing corruption changes from one condition to its opposite – for example, from fierce to mild competition – the degree of corruption is not necessarily reduced as one may expect.

Practical implications

Anti-corruption measures should not rely solely on the net effects of discrete conditions and the interactions between multiple factors should not be ignored. In other words, anti-corruption strategies should not be implemented in isolation of their context, and pairing control measures with configurations is critical in controlling corruption. Finally, multiple configuration paths should be reconsidered when considering the degree of corruption reduction.

Originality/value

This study proposes a comprehensive analysis framework for addressing organizational corruption in the construction sector by investigating configuration effects of multiple induced conditions and offers a useful method for addressing corruption.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 29 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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