Sungjoo Hwang, Seungjun Ahn and SangHyun Lee
Both system dynamics (SD) and agent-based modeling (ABM) have been used in simulation-based group dynamics research. To combine the advantages of both simulation approaches, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Both system dynamics (SD) and agent-based modeling (ABM) have been used in simulation-based group dynamics research. To combine the advantages of both simulation approaches, the concept of SD-ABM hybrid simulation has been proposed. However, research efforts to compare the effectiveness of modeling approaches between the hybrid and non-hybrid models in the context of group dynamics study are rare. Against this background, this study aims to propose an agent-embedded SD (aeSD) modeling approach and demonstrate its advantages when compared to pure SD or ABM modeling approaches, based on a research case on construction workers’ social absenteeism.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors introduce an aeSD modeling approach to incorporate individual attributes and interactions among individuals in an SD model. An aeSD model is developed to replicate the behavior of an agent-based model previously developed by the authors to study construction workers’ group behavior regarding absenteeism. Then, the characteristics of the aeSD model in comparison with a pure ABM or SD model are demonstrated through various simulation experiments.
Findings
It is demonstrated that an aeSD model can capture the diversity of individuals and simulate emergent system behaviors arising from interactions among heterogeneous agents while holding the strengths of an SD model in identifying causal feedback loops and policy testing. Specifically, the effectiveness of the aeSD approach in policy testing is demonstrated through examples of simulation experiments designed to test various group-level and individual-level interventions to control social absence behavior of workers (e.g. changing work groupings, influencing workgroup networks and communication channels) under the consideration of the context of construction projects.
Originality/value
The proposed aeSD modeling method is a novel approach to how individual attributes of agents can be modeled into an SD model. Such an embedding-based approach is distinguished from the previous communication-based hybrid simulation approaches. The demonstration example presented in the paper shows that the aeSD modeling approach has advantages in studying group dynamic behavior, especially when the modeling of the interactions and networks between individuals is needed within an SD structure. The simulation experiments conducted in this study demonstrate the characteristics of the aeSD approach distinguishable from both ABM and SD. Based on the results, it is argued that the aeSD modeling approach would be useful in studying construction workers’ social behavior and investigating worker policies through computer simulation.
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Krishnan Mysore, Konstantinos Kirytopoulos, Seungjun Ahn and Tony Ma
Adverse situations negatively impact project stakeholders’ engagement. Past research has sporadically investigated adverse situations affecting stakeholder engagement but lacks a…
Abstract
Purpose
Adverse situations negatively impact project stakeholders’ engagement. Past research has sporadically investigated adverse situations affecting stakeholder engagement but lacks a thorough empirical investigation. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
A web survey was designed to address the knowledge gap of the identification of the impactful adverse situations during multi-stakeholder engagement. The research yielded 144 completed responses from multi-stakeholders engaged in globally distributed ICT projects.
Findings
Exploratory factor analysis revealed eight factors that underpin 26 adverse situations. The top factors, ranked in terms of importance according to their Relative Importance Index (RII) are: dysfunctional conflicts, dearth of reasoning, glitches in project governance, clash of personalities.
Research limitations/implications
This research reveals the factors that can impact engagement in the form of meaningful clusters and dimensions and opens-up a future research agenda toward causation and mitigation studies related to adversarial stakeholder engagement. The study focuses on globally distributed ICT projects and has not explored generalizability in other sectors.
Practical implications
This research enables project managers and stakeholder analysts to get an understanding on the importance of different dimensions of adverse situations in the way stakeholders think, act and emote.
Social implications
Awareness on the potential adversarial stakeholder engagement helps in effectively managing the sustained stakeholder relationships and mental well-being of project stakeholders.
Originality/value
This research contributes to project management practice, as it reveals the underlying factors of adverse situations occurring during multi-stakeholders’ engagement, provides clarity on their components and ranks them in terms of importance for their overall effect on stakeholders’ engagement.
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Sylvia Odusanya, J. Jorge Ochoa, Nicholas Chileshe and Seungjun Ahn
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic view of the link between the identification of complexity contributing factors, the application of project management approaches…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic view of the link between the identification of complexity contributing factors, the application of project management approaches and their impacts on the performance of Information Technology (IT)-enabled change projects.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach of an embedded single-case design comprising three IT-enabled change projects delivered in Australia was used to explore the impact of complexity contributing factors and project management approaches on project performance measures. Semi-structured interviews were used as the main data collection method. Thematic analysis was used as the data analysis approach.
Findings
The results from the thematic analysis highlight that complexity contributing factors are related to two categories of complexity defined in this paper: technical uncertainties and uncertainty in goals and deliverables, both have an impact on the performance of IT-enabled change projects. It also highlights key project management approaches such as the use of an adaptive management approach and good communication as key to managing complexity. It also identifies a misalignment between stakeholder perception of success and the project management success measure for complex IT-enabled projects.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on data collected from Australian participants involved in three case studies. Additional data collection and reviews from practitioners in the field of project management could further refine and improve this research.
Practical implications
The research facilitates the identification of specific complexity contributing factors at the early stage of a project to ensure that the appropriate project management approaches and success measures are used.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to rethinking the pathways towards improving project performance in the IT sector by expanding the identification of project complexity to understanding how complexity and the management approaches impact project performance.
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Abid Hasan, Seungjun Ahn, Raufdeen Rameezdeen and Bassam Baroudi
While mobile Information and Communication Technologies (mobile ICTs) have been adopted by many construction organisations, research on the usage of mobile technologies in the…
Abstract
Purpose
While mobile Information and Communication Technologies (mobile ICTs) have been adopted by many construction organisations, research on the usage of mobile technologies in the context of construction project management has been scarce. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of how Construction Management Professionals (CMPs) currently use mobile ICTs at work and the factors affecting their usage of mobile ICTs in the context of the Australian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, the aim is addressed by a survey-based empirical research approach. A questionnaire was used to collect data about CMPs’ current mobile ICT usage and the factors affecting the usage. Then, relative importance index, factor analysis and χ2 test were used to identify the most significant factors affecting their mobile ICT usage.
Findings
This research found that user characteristics such as age or years of experience are not the major factors affecting CMPs’ mobile ICT usage. The research also found that there are several barriers hindering an effective usage of mobile ICTs, namely work-family spillover, system quality issues, inconsistency in the way of using mobile ICTs among CMPs and the lack of organisational support.
Originality/value
The results of this research imply that to fully reap the potential benefits of mobile ICTs in construction projects, those barriers need to be addressed appropriately at the individual, organisational and industry levels. Also, this research informs construction organisations of how mobile ICTs can be deployed and used in the most cost-effective way in their projects.