Construction managers aim to deliver successful construction projects; however it is
unclear how they perceive construction project success and how they influence that
success.
Focusing on the construction phase of the project, a Systems Conceptual Framework
is induced from the literature review. In-depth interviews undertaken by 10 construction
managers, whose experience accounts for over 130 construction projects, provide data
to derive categories which populate the Systems Conceptual Framework initially
developed. By adopting an unstructured approach to the data collection, a holistic view
of how construction managers impact the success of construction projects is acquired.
The construction managers' influence on success is identified through the skills,
competencies and characteristics which enable success of the construction phase
(enablers).
This inductive-deductive methodological approach allows the identification of
categories and relations between them which, along with the Systems Conceptual
Framework, form the Empirical Model. A Pareto analysis was carried out in order to
determine the relative relevance categories have against each others.
Overall, 56 relations were identified between the 37 categories derived from the data
analysis. The results of the research show that the influence of construction managers
on project success is determined by twenty enablers. According to the Pareto analysis,
6 enablers were most relevant; they are separated into two interrelated sets:
Communication, Leadership and People Management, and Ability to Pull Back,
Experience and Technical Skill. This suggests that construction managers consider
mastering 'hard' and 'soft' aspects of the job are both equally relevant to the success of
the project. The high interconnectivity between the categories is what allows the
Empirical Model to be developed; making it the most important finding of this research.
Evidence indicates that construction managers work with both a subjective (qualitative)
and an objective (quantitative) concept of success. The quantitative concept of success
can have between two and four success factors, which are prioritised according to the
needs of the client; there is always one critical success factors that leads the project.
The subjective concept of success incorporates aspects of the end user and personal
satisfaction, and specific characteristics of the project. The results also show that the
outcomes of construction projects can be three: success, failure, and a third outcome
which is neither, an outcome between success and failure. Participants have identified
this last outcome as being the most frequent.
Date of Award | 2009 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | |
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- construction managers
- project success
- construction industry
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER'S INFLUENCE ON PROJECT SUCCESS
LATORRE, V. (Author). 2009
Student thesis: PhD