Rating defense mega-project success : the role of personal attributes and stakeholder relationships

In this paper, we develop and test a model of the relationships between mega-project leaders’ personal attributes and their ratings of project success in the context of the Australian defense industry. In our model, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and systemic thinking were hypothesized to be related to project success ratings, mediated by internal and external stakeholder relationships. We tested the model in an online survey study of 373 mega-project leaders. Results were that emotional intelligence and cognitive flexibility were found to be related to the quality of mega-project leader’s relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; and that these relationships in turn were found to be associated with the project leaders’ ratings of project success. We found however that systemic thinking had no relationship with either stakeholder relationships or ratings of project success. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and make recommendations for future research. In particular, additional research is needed to examine the contribution of a wider range of competencies on stakeholder relationships and project success in mega-projects, and that there is also a need for research in future to attempt to use more objective ratings of project success.

Does project culture matter? A comparative study of two major hospital projects

Purpose - Cultural issues in the construction industry have attracted growing attention from both practitioners and academia. However, there are few studies on culture issues at the project level. The influence of project culture has not traditionally been on the research radar. This research aims to investigate the impacts of project culture on the performance of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach - A case study approach, utilising questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews and review of project documents, was employed to investigate project culture and its associated impacts in two major hospital projects. Findings - The results indicated that project culture played an important role in achieving harmonious relationships between project participants and better project outcomes in terms of schedule, functionality, satisfaction with the process, satisfaction with the relationships, environmental issues addressed commercial success, further business opportunities and overall performance. Case 1 outperformed Case 2 in these performance indicators. Similarly, it became clear that the project’s culture should be developed from the outset and sustained during the project period. Furthermore, it was also highlighted that the project culture should be translated to all levels of the supply chain i.e. sub-contractors and suppliers. Practical implications – The findings enabled the client to understand the role of project culture and actively commit towards the development and maintenance of the project culture from very early on. It also helps project teams to understand how to deal with cultural issues at the project level. Originality/value- This study is one of limited empirical studies that offer in-depth insights of how project culture affects the performance of construction projects. It is also the first study of hospital projects on the research topic.

The modulus of elasticity of steel - is it 200 GPa?

In cold-formed steel construction, the use of a range of thin, high strength steels (0.35 mm thickness and 550 MPa yield stress) has increased significantly in recent times. A good knowledge of the basic mechanical properties of these steels is needed for a satisfactory use of them. In relation to the modulus of elasticity, the current practice is to assume it to be about 200 GPa for all steel grades. However, tensile tests of these steels have consistently shown that the modulus of elasticity varies with grade of steel and thickness. It was found that it increases to values as high as 240 GPa for smaller thicknesses and higher grades of steel. This paper discusses this topic, presents the tensile test results for a number of steel grades and thicknesses, and attempts to develop a relationship between modulus of elasticity, yield stress and thickness for the steel grades considered in this investigation.

Recent innovations in cold-formed tubular sections

Cold-formed tubular sections are widely used in many modern steel structures. Two innovative cold-formed sections have been introduced to the Australian building industry. They are the 'in-line' galvanized rectangular hollow section (RHS) tubes and the hollow flange beams (HFB). They offer significant advantages but at the same time provide challenges to designers because of their special characteristics. The application, manufacturing, advantages and characteristics of these two sections are described.

GO423 - the second Game On / brIGDA Independant Game Symposium

GO423 was initiated in 2012 as part of a community effort to ensure the vitality of the Queensland Games Sector. In common with other industrialised nations, the game industry in Australia is a reasonably significant contributor to Gross National Product (GNP). Games are played in 92% of Australian homes and the average adult player has been playing them for at least twelve years with 26% playing for more than thirty years (Brand, 2011). Like the games and interactive entertainment industries in other countries, the Australian industry has its roots in the small team model of the 1980s. So, for example, Beam Software, which was established in Melbourne in 1980, was started by two people and Krome Studios was started in 1999 by three. Both these companies grew to employing over 100 people in their heydays (considered large by Antipodean standards), not by producing their own intellectual property (IP) but by content generation for off shore parent companies. Thus our bigger companies grew on a model of service provision and tended not to generate their own IP (Darchen, 2012). There are some no-table exceptions where IP has originated locally and been ac-quired by international companies but in the case of some of the works of which we are most proud, the Australian company took on the role of “Night Elf” – a convenience due to affordances of the time zone which allowed our companies to work while the parent companies slept in a different time zone. In the post GFC climate, the strong Australian dollar and the vulnerability of such service provision means that job security is virtually non-existent with employees invariably being on short-term contracts. These issues are exacerbated by the decline of middle-ground games (those which fall between the triple-A titles and the smaller games often produced for a casual audience). The response to this state of affairs has been the change in the Australian games industry to new recognition of its identity as a wider cultural sector and the rise (or return) of an increasing number of small independent game development companies. ’In-dies’ consist of small teams, often making games for mobile and casual platforms, that depend on producing at least one if not two games a year and who often explore more radical definitions of games as designed cultural objects. The need for innovation and creativity in the Australian context is seen as a vital aspect of the current changing scene where we see the emphasis on the large studio production model give way to an emerging cultural sector model where small independent teams are engaged in shorter design and production schedules driven by digital distribution. In terms of Quality of Life (QoL) this new digital distribution brings with it the danger of 'digital isolation' - a studio can work from home and deliver from home. Community events thus become increasingly important. The GO423 Symposium is a response to these perceived needs and the event is based on the understanding that our new small creative teams depend on the local community of practice in no small way. GO423 thus offers local industry participants the opportunity to talk to each other about their work, to talk to potential new members about their work and to show off their work in a small intimate situation, encouraging both feedback and support.

The ISR and ESR scales : measures of the project manager-stakeholder relationship

In this paper, we develop two stakeholder relationships scales. These scales assess project managers’ perceived competence in establishing and maintaining high quality, effective relationships with people internal to the project as well as those stakeholders who are external to the project. We developed the scales using an online survey study of three hundred and seventy three complex project managers from a sub-set of the Australian Defence Industry. Both the internal stakeholder relationships’ scale and the external stakeholder relationships’ scale demonstrated validity and reliability. This research has implications for the interpersonal work relationships’ literature and the stakeholder management literature. We recommend future research tests these scales with multiple samples, across different project types and project industries. The stakeholder relationships’ scales should be versatile enough to be applied to project management generally but are best suited to large-scale complex project environments.

Achieving world leadership in sustainable buildings - a Brisbane case study

In Australia, the building and construction industry is taking significant steps towards the enhancement of environmental performance of the built environment. A large number of world class sustainable buildings have been constructed in recent years, offering researchers and practitioners alike a good opportunity to identify the best practices and real life experiences in delivering high performance buildings. A case study of ONE ONE ONE Eagle Street, a 6 Star Green Star office building in Brisbane, was conducted to investigate the best practice in achieving this “world leader” green office building. The study identified a number of key factors relating to project delivery system, contractor selection method, client’s early commitment, design integration, communication as major contributors to the successful delivery of this project. Additionally, key environmentally sustainable features and their cost implications were explored through in-depth interviews with the main contractor. The findings of this study will shed lights on the successful delivery of sustainable buildings and provide practical implications for different stakeholders.

Rating defence major project success : the role of personal attributes and stakeholder relationships

In this paper we develop and test a model of the associations between major project managers' personal attributes and project success in the context of the Australian Defence industry. In our model, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility and systemic thinking were hypothesised to relate to project success, mediated by internal and external stakeholder relationships. The model was tested in an online survey with 373 major project managers. Emotional intelligence and cognitive flexibility were found to be related to the development, quality and effectiveness of major project managers' relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; and these in turn were associated with their ratings of project success. Systemic thinking, however, had no relationship with either stakeholder relationships or project success. Additional research is needed to examine the contribution of a wider range of personal attributes to stakeholder relationships and project success, and to assess whether this model is applicable in other industries and types of projects.

Validation of an instrument to measure governance and performance on collaborative infrastructure projects

Collaborative infrastructure projects use hybrid formal and informal governance structures to manage transactions. Based on previous desk-top research, the authors identified the key mechanisms underlying project governance, and posited the performance implications of the governance (Chen et al. 2012). The current paper extends that qualitative research by testing the veracity of those findings using data from 320 Australian construction organisations. The results provide, for the first time, reliable and valid scales to measure governance and performance of collaborative projects, and the relationship between them. The results confirm seven of seven hypothesised governance mechanisms; 30 of 43 hypothesised underlying actions; eight of eight hypothesised key performance indicators; and the dual importance of formal and informal governance. A startling finding of the study was that the implementation intensity of informal mechanisms (non-contractual conditions) is a greater predictor of project performance variance than that of formal mechanisms (contractual conditions). Further, contractual conditions do not directly impact project performance; instead their impact is mediated by the non-contractual features of a project. Obligations established under the contract are not sufficient to optimise project performance.