Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China
In the project-based construction industry, organizations build collaborative relationships through specific projects. The owners and contractors who are the key project stakeholders have gradually formed a complex project-based industry-level collaborative network in many different projects, closel...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/3/732 |
| _version_ | 1827750852698308608 |
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| author | Fangliang Wang Min Cheng Xiaotong Cheng |
| author_facet | Fangliang Wang Min Cheng Xiaotong Cheng |
| author_sort | Fangliang Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the project-based construction industry, organizations build collaborative relationships through specific projects. The owners and contractors who are the key project stakeholders have gradually formed a complex project-based industry-level collaborative network in many different projects, closely related to knowledge exchange and industry development. Based on the data set of the National Quality Engineering Award (NQEA) projects in China from 2013 to 2021, we empirically analyze the characteristics and evolution of project-based collaborative networks between owners and contractors in the construction industry by using social network analysis (SNA) and network motif analysis (NMA) method. The results show that (1) the owner–contractor collaborative network exhibits small-world network characteristics. The island effect caused by small groups in the network makes the overall connectivity of the network low. During the study period, the collaborative network became more compact. (2) State-owned construction companies, such as China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, China Construction Eighth Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, and China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, with high degree centrality and betweenness centrality, are the core companies in the collaborative network. In China, state-owned construction enterprises are favored by owners and have established collaborative relationships with many owners and contractors. (3) There are two local collaborative patterns in the collaborative network: motif and anti-motif. Motifs include some triangle-based tight collaborative patterns, while anti-motifs involve some loose binary collaborative patterns. The results help understand the structure and evolution of the industry-level collaborative relationship network between owners and contractors and can provide references for owners and contractors to develop relationship cultivation strategies more effectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:49:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0eec1f0268254e7b8800844f28215887 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:49:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-0eec1f0268254e7b8800844f282158872023-11-17T10:03:23ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092023-03-0113373210.3390/buildings13030732Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in ChinaFangliang Wang0Min Cheng1Xiaotong Cheng2Department of Management Science and Engineering, School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, ChinaDepartment of Management Science and Engineering, School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, ChinaDepartment of Management Science and Engineering, School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, ChinaIn the project-based construction industry, organizations build collaborative relationships through specific projects. The owners and contractors who are the key project stakeholders have gradually formed a complex project-based industry-level collaborative network in many different projects, closely related to knowledge exchange and industry development. Based on the data set of the National Quality Engineering Award (NQEA) projects in China from 2013 to 2021, we empirically analyze the characteristics and evolution of project-based collaborative networks between owners and contractors in the construction industry by using social network analysis (SNA) and network motif analysis (NMA) method. The results show that (1) the owner–contractor collaborative network exhibits small-world network characteristics. The island effect caused by small groups in the network makes the overall connectivity of the network low. During the study period, the collaborative network became more compact. (2) State-owned construction companies, such as China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, China Construction Eighth Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, and China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Corporation Limited, with high degree centrality and betweenness centrality, are the core companies in the collaborative network. In China, state-owned construction enterprises are favored by owners and have established collaborative relationships with many owners and contractors. (3) There are two local collaborative patterns in the collaborative network: motif and anti-motif. Motifs include some triangle-based tight collaborative patterns, while anti-motifs involve some loose binary collaborative patterns. The results help understand the structure and evolution of the industry-level collaborative relationship network between owners and contractors and can provide references for owners and contractors to develop relationship cultivation strategies more effectively.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/3/732social network analysis (SNA)network motif analysis (NMA)collaborative relationshipownercontractor |
| spellingShingle | Fangliang Wang Min Cheng Xiaotong Cheng Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China Buildings social network analysis (SNA) network motif analysis (NMA) collaborative relationship owner contractor |
| title | Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China |
| title_full | Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China |
| title_short | Exploring the Project-Based Collaborative Networks between Owners and Contractors in the Construction Industry: Empirical Study in China |
| title_sort | exploring the project based collaborative networks between owners and contractors in the construction industry empirical study in china |
| topic | social network analysis (SNA) network motif analysis (NMA) collaborative relationship owner contractor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/3/732 |
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