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As construction projects become more complicated, practitioners and researchers always deliberate on performance improvement. However, it is ambiguous for the definition of performance and how to measure it. Researchers with different theoretical backgrounds develop the functional performance measurement models from independent perspectives. However, these frameworks coexist simultaneously because every framework merely studies one of the multi-facets of performance with an obscure classification principle. Through critically reviewing literature from 1987 to 2020, 17 latent variables and 54 observable factors are identified covering broad aspects including finance, operation, quality, safety, client satisfaction, and development potential. A research method is required in conjunction with purpose; therefore, a quantitative method is used in this research to proceed with theory testing underpinned by a set of epistemological foundations with a large sample size. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is justified owing to its competency in effectively imputing the relations between unobservable and observable constructs. After data collection from UK contractors, High-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (HCFA) through software named Mplus is implemented for data analysis. Model simplification, comparison and modification are determined based on the discussion of data analysis results. This research gives clear theoretical contributions by filling the research gap, which is the lack of the integrated construction project performance measurement model. HPMMCP model is developed to comprehensively consider financial and non-financial performance, internal and external stakeholders, current performance and developmental potential, for UK construction projects from the contractor perspective. In practice, utilising HPMMCP model assists the UK contractors to evaluate the to-date performance and manage stakeholders. HPMMCP model could further be coded as a plug-in of computer software to evaluate project performance automatically and momentarily. Keywords: Construction Projects; Performance Measurement; Construction Contractors; Structural Equation Modeling with Mplus; Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

When resolving disputed construction claims, contractors may insist on pursuing their rights or may instead concede to a certain extent. These two behavioural strategies have their respective advantages and disadvantages, resulting in a dilemma for contractors. An issue worth investigating arises from this practical problem, i.e. how should contractors adjust their behavioural strategies? Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of contractual governance as well as conflict and dispute management, this research project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of contractors' selection of behavioural strategies by empirically examining the impacts of multiple factors and the contingent use of behavioural strategies. A literature review and a semi-structured questionnaire survey were utilised to identify potential influential factors. Quantitative data were then collected via a structured questionnaire survey, with a total of 248 valid questionnaires completed by Chinese contractors. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the relationships between identified factors, behavioural strategies, and the dispute resolution outcome. Next, a subgroup analysis was conducted to explore how these factors influence behavioural strategies in the good outcome subgroup. The results show that favourability of evidence, time pressure, and reputation exert the largest impacts on the contractual approach and the relational approach regarding obliging and compromising, respectively. Obliging behaviours are negatively correlated with procedural fairness but positively correlated with occurrence time of the dispute. The contractual approach improves the outcome, whilst obliging behaviours have the opposite effect. Among contractors who achieve a good outcome, the existence of other ongoing project(s) positively affects both obliging and compromising behaviours, whereas future cooperation only increases compromising behaviours. This research project enriches contractual governance research from the reactive perspective and, particularly, regarding influential factors of contract application in problem situations. It also complements the construction dispute management literature on drivers of behavioural strategies and adds to the current body of knowledge on conflict and dispute management by uncovering the relationships matching drivers with behavioural strategies. Practically, contractors need to be aware of the influential factors behind their behavioural decisions. The findings provide contractors with guidance on appropriate behavioural strategies to improve outcomes. Deep awareness of contractors' possible actions additionally enables adjustment of owners' responses. The findings also offer both contractors and owners insights into their ex-ante attention on the drivers facilitating subsequent dispute resolution.

Construction disputes are recognised as unpleasant for diverting valuable and limited project resources from the overall aim of project management. A model predicting the occurrence of construction disputes is desirable in this case. Prediction dictates sufficient understanding of the mechanism of dispute formation, including causation, origination, and development. Therefore, this thesis aims to establish a predictive model based on a validated formation mechanism of construction disputes. A literature review was conducted to identify factors that were critical to the formation of construction disputes. An analogy was drawn between construction disputes and clinical diseases in order to understand the interactions among and the roles of these identified factors in the dispute formation process. The mechanism of dispute formation was proposed based on this analogy and later validated via Bradford Hill criteria and transaction cost theory. Based on the validated mechanism, the structure of the predictive model was established. The research then sought to quantify the structure to render it functional for prediction purposes. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the necessary data. 1287 respondents from top 20 construction companies in the UK were invited, and 233 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 18.1%. Using these collected questionnaires as the input for data analysis, the structure quantification was realised by applying Bayesian network analysis. Thus, a predictive model was produced. The model's prediction accuracy was tested with both complete and incomplete input data. When all the required input information was available, the model showed an accuracy rate of 93.9%. Five scenarios were proposed to simulate the possible conditions of missing input data. The results showed that the predictive model accommodated these five conditions well, with accuracy rates ranging from 87.9% to 93.9%. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to understand the efficiency of project management effort in dispute prevention. The gap between the service required by the project and that acquired by the client and contractor was found to be critical for shaping management strategies. It was suggested that effort should be shifted from improving the client's and contractor's respective services to enhancing the interactive processes between client and contractor when this gap emerged. This predictive model can be used to assist decision making before and during the construction process. It not only predicts the probability of the occurrence of construction disputes but also simulates the results of the management measures about to be taken. If the predicted probability of the occurrence of disputes is rather high, a user may identify possible improvements and then iteratively simulate the results of the improvements in the model until a satisfactory probability is achieved.

The adoption of risk management during strategic planning has been positioned as a value-adding process for organisations. However, the consideration of risk during the strategic planning process is overlooked. There is a call for a deep investigation of risk consideration during the strategic planning process. This thesis brings together the fields of risk management and strategic planning, an overlap that is particularly underdeveloped in the extant literature. Current research has argued that strategic risk management is the integration of risk management and strategic management which address risk and strategy together for decision-making. However, there is a limitation on the understanding of the complex dynamics of risk management activities and interactions relating to the risk phenomena of strategic planning while developing scenarios during the strategic planning phase. In response to this dilemma, this thesis aims to provide insight into how practitioners manage risk in the context of strategic planning. Adopting a grounded theory approach by Strauss & Corbin in 1990 & 1998, rich qualitative data were collected through documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with practitioners from 23 multinational companies in China. Through the development of a conceptual framework, the research has discovered that, whilst operating within the Chinese context, risk is managed within two levels by a loop of the same four activities. Moreover, in addition to context evaluation and risks being identified and assessed, risk tolerance is revealed as the center of the proposed framework which is as a link between the 'corporate strategy development' level and the 'unit business planning' level for developing and shaping the final scenarios. It is also demonstrated that individuals tend to transpose their risks to the organisation while the organisation leans towards sharing risks with other organisations. As a result, this research provides theoretical and practical contributions to secure the efficiency of risk management within strategic planning.

This thesis looks at the Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of office buildings in Saudi Arabia by involving end users through the use of a shortened Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method. The literature reviewed shows that POE studies are severely lacking in Saudi Arabia and that the business culture tends to exclude end users from decision making. This creates a unique opportunity for developing and testing a method that will allow end users to voice their concerns and reflect their experiences with their offices. Accompanying this is the need for the method to avoid disrupting work activities so as to enhance the possibility that company managers will allow the application of this tool and possibly adopt it for future POE applications. This tool is developed to give building stakeholders a prioritised set of recommended changes that will enhance the work productivity and environment of end users. Three case studies of office buildings in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia were used. Each case study involved an interview with a member of management who was knowledgeable of the office's design criteria. Next, an employee focus group was conducted to obtain employees' feedback on the office layout and work environment. Specific focus was given to the problems affecting daily business functions from the end user perspective. From the focus group transcriptions, negative comments were identified. Comments clustering was carried out using the affinity diagram method. A pre-planning matrix was used to help choose priority comments from end users. The chosen comments were then moved to a House of Quality (HoQ) matrix. Next, the technical requirements addressing each comment were developed and the relationships between each entry in the HoQ matrix were established. More than 38,400 words in the transcriptions and a total of 60 comments from the case studies resulted in a maximum of three issues per case study to be selected with a recommended solution. The determinant of the recommended issues was a combination of values, which were: the importance value, the difficulty level of the related technical requirement, the other affected comments, and the overall change willingness derived from the management interview. The study concludes by significantly reducing the problems presented to management and providing a ranked, traceable set of issues to tackle. This study also contributes by providing an easy method for POE, with a focus on end users' perspective of their work environment. The member checking method was used to validate the results in each case study. A limitation of the research is the manual data analysis of the transcriptions. This is due to the high context dependency involved in identifying negative comments. For future research work, it is possible to modify the data analysis method and automate it more. It is also possible to include end users in the analysis process, as this might produce a slightly different list of recommendations.

This research investigates project management methods (PMMs) and, in particular, how UKbased organisations choose and implement them. Through the development of a life cycle model of PMMs comprising five distinct stages: Select, Embed, Tailor, Operate and Develop, this research focuses on the first two stages. The impact of the 'Select' and 'Embed' stages on those stages which follow in the life cycle highlights the importance of this research, an area currently unstudied in project management literature. This research uses an exploratory, deductive, mixed methods design underpinned by a pragmatic ontology and epistemology. Qualitative data was collected from 18 interviewees and quantitative data from 71 respondents. For the 'Select' stage, the findings are that PMMs have many potential benefits but that organisations do not set out with a clear vision of what the PMM is to achieve. Organisations select PMMs quickly and the decision is heavily influenced by the past experiences of those involved. The dominant reason for selecting a method was process improvement. For the 'Embed' stage, it was found that organisations do not analyse the change situation before embarking on the implementation and that change management tools are not used. Embedding is a long stage that continues while the PMM is in use and is characterised by intermittent actions to encourage the change, the nudging of project staff and reactions to driving and restraining forces in the environment as they arise. In looking at whether the espoused method was the same as the in-use ways of managing projects, it was found that project staff's use of their own processes could be viewed as either positive or negative depending on the perspective taken. The findings show that organisations do not set goals for PMMs and thus are unable to assess the success of either selection or implementation. Three environmental variables, maturity, culture and organisational structure were found to have no, strong and weak influences respectively on the 'Select' and 'Embed' stages. The many factors that comprise culture and the flux over time suggest that the selection and embedding of PMMs is unique to organisations and that there is therefore no single, best way to carry out these stages. This research makes a contribution to academic knowledge due to the gap it fills between research on why organisations select PMMs and the benefit that PMMs bring to organisations. Understanding how organisations select and embed PMMs bridges this gap and helps to provide explanations for the results from using PMMs. From a practitioner perspective, the research provides assistance including lists of the performance criteria, risks relevant to PMMs and a descriptive model of how these stages are managed in reality, information that can be used to improve the selection and embedding and, ultimately, the performance of PMMs.

A large number of natural disasters affects hundreds of thousands of people each year in their housing around the world. Therefore, there is a call to find more appropriate strategies for housing reconstruction following a disaster. This study aims to reduce the construction time and cost of housing affected by such disasters. The academic literature on the 3 Dimensional Lightweight Panels construction system (3D-LPs), Building Information Modelling system (BIM) and experiences gained in post-disaster housing reconstruction strengthens the argument that here is an opportunity to contribute to solve the housing reconstruction problem. The study points out that the combination of these systems and community participation presents an option to produce both affordable and sustainable housing in the shortest time on a large scale by the affected people after overcoming the emergence phase of a disaster. A holistic philosophy was used to study the housing reconstruction problem as a whole to understand all parts of the problem and three research questions were set up to explore the possible solution to this problem. The research strategy to address the problem was based on a survey of worldwide experts, interviewing a forum of lightweight concrete panel manufacturers and the modelling of a basic housing prototype in BIM. Research question (1) How can displaced people use their own labour to save money and time? and research question (2) How does the 3D-LPs construction system contribute to housing recovery after natural disasters? Research questions (1) and (2) were answered by 17 open-ended questions conducted with 22 housing experts from 11 countries and 7 semi-structured interviews composed of 14 questions with 7 manufacturers of construction materials respectively which collected rich qualitative data (15,419 words) that were analysed in Nvivo 10 through pattern matching and validated by triangulation techniques to give reliability to the study. The housing prototype modelling was used to answer the research question (3) Can the BIM model show the cost-benefit in building housing with the 3D-LPs construction system and displaced people's own labour?The main findings of this study are that a housing prototype built with 3D-LPs is 36.82% cheaper in comparison to houses built with bricks and reinforcement elements and could be built by unskilled people in 90 days. The study provides novel in-depth knowledge of how unskilled people from communities affected should participate in housing reconstruction and how new construction systems can be implemented after disasters, which contributes to the body of knowledge. In addition, the study provides guidelines to implement a system directed at unskilled people and also Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in a novel way, to help to solve the housing reconstruction problem and engage the displaced people in the housing reconstruction.

Mediation has been regarded as one of the effective dispute resolving techniques. However, the issues pertaining to the development of mediation have been overlooked and are therefore less well known. There has been limited discussion about mediation and some of the theoretical explanations about its development in the construction industry were not well investigated or documented. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the development of mediation by focusing on investigating the barriers which impede the use of mediation in resolving construction industry disputes in the UK. Gaps in the literature were identified in the research but no hypothesis was generated. The interpretive research model was an ideal paradigm for this research as it assisted in structuring the whole process of the investigation. A grounded theory strategy was adopted as it helped to capture the overall mediation phenomenon in a construction environment. Semi-structured interviews, with sixteen leading mediators from around the UK, were used for this study. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory analysis, through manual coding techniques. From the findings, two categories of barriers were identified: barriers arising from the public (lack of social awareness, disputatious culture, process barrier, insufficient planning, security and the introduction of adjudication) and barriers caused by the disputants’ legal advisors (ignorance, personal agendas and the conventional method of resolution). The study also explores some information on the mediation system such as financial issue was the main dispute in construction industry; facilitative mediation is the most appropriate mediation process and in appointing the mediator, excellence in mediating skills is more important than his or her professional background; also it is inappropriate/ counterproductive to impose mandatory mediation on construction disputes. The limited amount of literature dealing with mediation in the UK construction industry is one of the limitations of the research, as it complicated the process of designing the interview questions. Some potential sources of bias for the research are identified through the areas of data presentation and data interpretation. This research has provided theoretical and practical contributions to mediation development within the context of the UK’s construction industry. Further research is suggested to validate the research findings and to evaluate the quality of the mediation process, based on the gender and professional background of the mediator.

The main purpose of this research project is to bridge the existing knowledgegap in the empirical identification and understanding of the most frequentcorrupt actions and the causes behind during procurement of infrastructureprojects in Pakistan, in addition to exploring the ways to enhance institutionalbasedtrust between the participants of the procurement process. Consequentlythe study aims to provide a conceptual framework to control corruption ininfrastructure procurement while proposing the institutional trust-buildingmechanisms. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are utilised in thisstudy to achieve this research aim. Quantitative research data is collected usinga questionnaire survey. A total of 450 questionnaires were sent to variouspeople engaged in procurement of infrastructure projects in Pakistan. Theresponse rate was 36.7% (n=165). The questionnaire comprises of two mainquestions; one is about the most frequent corrupt actions in traditional andPublic Private Partnership (PPP) infrastructure procurement processes whileother question asks about the perceived institutional trust-building mechanismsin context of infrastructure procurement market in Pakistan. Various appropriatestatistical methods, including Mean Ranking and ANOVA were utilised toanalyse the collected data. The questionnaire survey was followed by 15 indepth semi-structured interviews with a variety of stakeholders. Theseinterviews provided information on various causes of corruption and reasons asto why people do not for example report a known incident of corruption. A traditional content analysis approach was used to analyse the data collectedusing interviews. From the analysis a cyclical framework of corruption controlemerged, and this is outlined within the thesis. The goal of this framework is tofacilitate procurement stakeholders (individuals, groups, or organisations), toimprove their anti-corruption plans from project to project. This research studyhas filled the knowledge gap through identifying the top twenty potentialcorrupt practices in traditional and PPP infrastructure procurement processes inPakistan and explored the causes behind their occurrence. The study alsorecommends the solutions to mitigate this problem throughout the life cycle ofprocurement process. In addition, the study proposes the institutional trustbuildingmechanisms in the context of infrastructure procurement market inPakistan to cater for the likely loss in trust due to perceived level of corruptionin this sector. The study has also introduced a conceptual framework to controlcorruption in infrastructure procurement process in general and particularly inPakistan. The framework does not intend to introduce new alternatives butinstead builds on existing practices so that users can more easily adapt to theimprovement. The findings of this research are believed to be useful for allpractitioners who are either considering or currently involved in infrastructureprocurement process in Pakistan and trying to avoid or minimise the influenceof corruption.

This thesis aims to understand how owner-managers of SMEs in a developing country manage their organizations in a turbulent environment, and how they seek to create resilience in their organizations in this context. Specifically, this thesis investigates the major factors influencing the management strategies of infrastructure construction sector SMEs in North Cyprus. The primary data for the research was collected from owner-managers of infrastructure construction SMEs in North Cyprus that held a Class-1 classification in the sector, allowing them to participate in infrastructure projects in North Cyprus. Twelve SMEs with Class-1 classification are identified in the Building Construction Association of North Cyprus (CT-BCA), of which nine out of twelve consented to participate in the research. A qualitative research approach was adopted, with primary data gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with these owner-managers; the collected data was then subjected to thematic analysis. The research found that the most influential factors influencing the management strategies of SMEs in North Cyprus were the macro characteristics of the socio-political environment, the individual characteristics of the owner-managers, and the characteristics of the infrastructure construction sector itself. These factors, which are linked in deep and nuanced ways, were discovered to impact the perceptions of the owner-managers and to affect their approaches towards the management of their SMEs. By evaluating the interaction between these factors, this research identified that infrastructure construction SMEs in North Cyprus operate in a complex system, where the approach to their management is identified as dissipative. Overall, the findings indicate that SMEs in North Cyprus take a reactive approach to management within this complex system, an approach that is itself related to ever-changing relationships between the key individual and environmental factors mitigating owner-managers' personal, sectorial and wider country circumstances. In this complex context, these SMEs cannot follow a systematic approach to management. Therefore, the resilience of these SMEs is found to lie in the adaptation of management strategies of SME owner-managers in the presence of disturbances, by experimenting and adjusting themselves in the existence of disturbances throughout their history.

The construction industry has been identified with fragmentation, adversarial relationships, opportunism, and high rates of disputes. Therefore, there has been a call for the improvement of inter-firm relations in the sector through more appropriate governance strategies. This study drew upon transaction cost economics theory and new economic sociology in relation to the problem of inter-firm opportunism in economic relations. The study argues that depending on how patterns of inter-firm opportunism are viewed, different governance strategies may be formulated. Through a critical review of the prior publications concerning the problem of opportunism in the sector, the study argues that the construction management literature used theoretical works at both normative and explanatory levels. However, little is known about the construct of inter-firm opportunism itself and how it materialises within the construction industry. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insights into how practitioners in the construction industry conceptualise inter-firm opportunism and its patterns. Such insights extend the knowledge of how they approach governance strategies, and generally why they do what they do. To build a conceptual framework of inter-firm opportunism in the construction industry, this study was guided by a constructivist grounded theory. Rich qualitative data were constructed through 20 semi-structured interviews with practitioners involved in the construction industry who were working in the UK in either construction law firms, construction companies, construction development companies, or construction consultancy firms. The qualitative data were analysed following the Charmaz (2003 and 2006) guideline. In relation to the construct of inter-firm opportunism, the findings of the study indicate that there are considerable variations between the constructs of inter-firm opportunism. However, regardless of these variations, a win-lose relationship feeling is central to practitioners’ construct of inter-firm opportunism. The study argues that in response to the risk of inter-firm opportunism through setting up contractual governance, parties usually conduct a casual cost-benefit trade-off. In relation to the patterns of inter-firm opportunism from the points of view of the practitioners in the sector, the study provides a conceptual framework grounded in the data. This framework places emphasis on the dynamics of different types of power constructed between the client and its first tier suppliers in the pre- and post- contract stages. This framework is the study’s contribution to the body of knowledge concerned with the inter-firm relations in the construction industry.

There is a long history of criticising the construction industry for its lack of innovation as a source of competitive advantage. However, through a critical literature review, it was found that the problem with managing innovation in construction has its roots in a misconception of innovation and indeed the industry is a source of new ideas. This thesis draws on prior publications in the field of innovation management, organisational narratives and sensemaking theory and aims to analyse innovation perception within the construction industry, focusing on the meanings attributed by the industry’s practitioners and policy makers. In contrast to the dominant positivist and rationalistic approach in studying construction innovation, this research employs a qualitative, interpretative, social constructionist perspective. Data is incorporated through twenty semi-structured interviews with practitioners who work within the UK construction firms as well as UK government reports published regarding the progress review of performance of the construction industry. The findings of the study indicated that there is a disconnection between managerial frameworks of innovation and practitioners’ action and their narratives. Through the viewpoint of sensemaking theory, this study argues that the construction of meaning of innovation is a dynamic process that can be changed constantly over a period of time. In narrating innovation, the practitioners draw on their own real-world experiences of a situation and the characteristics of the organisations which they work in. Moreover, individuals’ stories often are associated with the dominant popular examples of innovation mobilised with the organisational strategic settings and government initiatives in order to provide a shared perspective. This study demonstrates a discursive model of innovation, assigning the individuals’ innovation within an organisation as ‘situational innovation’ and ‘contextual innovation’ and the government report and policy makers’ innovation as ‘rhetorical innovation’. There has been limited application of a narrative approach to innovation in the domain of the construction industry. This thesis has provided theoretical and practical contributions through the application of narrative and innovation within the context of the construction industry. It has also demonstrated the value of the narrative approach to understanding innovation perception within a construction industry context, while identifying its limitations as a research method. The findings of the research further recommend implications for construction industry policy makers. Policy makers can tap into the ‘situational innovation’ and ‘contextual innovation’ to promote government programmes and policies, especially those concerned with change and innovation in the industry.

The construction industry is notorious all over the world for disputes and claims. In large scale projects these claims are often more frequent and more expensive. The contract is the legal frame work of the project and forms project culture, therefore is a logical starting point for any attempt in reducing project claims. This research initially intended to study the possibility of drafting a robust contract which can prevent claims in major projects, and the main characteristics of such contract. However a review of contract related theories (transaction cost economics, agent theory and relational contracting) revealed that there is no such thing as perfect contract; and that contracts are invariably incomplete and prone to formation of claims. Traditional management theory considers disputes in project as pathological and tries to prevent them. The development and use of standard forms of contract was an attempt to tackle the problem of claim in the construction project, yet today more than 50 standard forms are in use in the UK alone and the rate of claims is at its highest ever. Much of the literature introduces partnering as a panacea for the current plague of disputes and claims. However this idea is seriously challenged by some scholars. Complexity science maintains that projects are complex systems and conflict occurs naturally. Conflicts are neither good nor bad by themselves; however the system needs re-adjustment after such conflicts. Flexibility of contracts or error controlled regulation can enhance such readjustment measures in the system. To get first hand information about the nature of claims from practitioners in major projects different methods of data gathering have been used. Three case studies, a set of interviews and a questionnaire survey have been conducted. Using a grounded theory like approach some repeating patterns of forming claims in the oil, gas and petrochemical projects are identified. Considering that all data have been gathered from Iranian projects, Iranian national culture has also been studied. The research concludes that contracts cannot prevent claims no matter how well they are drafted; nevertheless a poorly drafted contract can cause dispute. Some areas for improvement have been identified in the Iranian oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. By analysing the data and studying standard contracts some suggestions are made. In practice, stake holders try to preserve flexibility and rearrange relationships to keep continuity of contract and complete their projects.