The development and application of a process model for R&D project management in a high tech firm: A field study

In R&;D organizations of high tech firms, multiple R&;D projects are executed concurrently and timeliness of project completion - i.e., developing the right products at the right times - is a matter of serious concern. Given that the priority of R&;D projects and the interdependencies between the projects in a high tech firm change dynamically, high tech R&;D project management is a complex and challenging endeavor. To improve the understanding and management of high tech R&;D projects, this paper reports the findings of a field study where we, first, develop and empirically estimate a model that relates project priority over time with the generative mechanisms of market pull and technical challenge associated with R&;D projects. Next, we develop and demonstrate the application of a process model within which the time-varying project priority model is embedded. The process model makes it possible to allocate fixed resources among competing projects with time-varying interdependencies, thereby improving the timeliness of project completion. This research was conducted in collaboration with a major U.S. high tech firm. The corporate R&;D center of the firm served as the research setting for the field study. We present an application of the process model to delineate the evolution of the R&;D organization with the merger of its (technology driven) parent firm with another (market driven) high tech manufacturing firm. The application of the process model generates theoretical insights that are used to develop testable propositions. Implications of the study findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

高速公路项目PPP模式的物有所值决策研究

为大力发展PPP模式在高速公路项目领域的应用,采用物有所值评价方法分析PPP模式在该类项目中是否适用是决策阶段不可或缺的部分。通过实地项目调研及文献研究,归纳总结高速公路PPP项目的政府与社会资本合作模式,确立相应的物有所值定性评价指标体系,采用模糊综合评价法进行定性评价,结合定性评价和定量评价论证高速公路PPP项目的可行性,选取ZN高速公路PPP项目为案例论证该项目的物有所值,为我国PPP项目建设的物有所值评价提供一定借鉴意义。     

Project interface choice and knowledge creation: Evidence of international science cooperation in Taiwan

To heed the recent calls for more inquiries into the endogenous nature of governance decisions, this study aims to develop a comparative perspective on the performance implication of the project interface design in the context of international scientific cooperation. Using Heckman's two-stage model in a sample of 217 international scientific cooperation projects sponsored by the Taiwanese government, this study shows that project performance characterized by the collective knowledge creation is explained more by team competence and inter-team social capital than by the project interface choice per se. Furthermore, the knowledge co-creation performance is impaired in the presence of project interface misfit, either over- or under-guarding the knowledge exchange in science cooperation. The findings not only yield implications for managing international cooperation in scientific research but offer comparability and equivalency with the organization-level studies characterized by knowledge exchange/creation and governance difficulties.     

权衡理论下我国BOT项目资本结构对项目公司价值的影响

本文以权衡理论分析公司价值的模型为基础,通过分析项目融资中BOT方式的融资特点,着重考察我国BOT项目资本结构对项目公司价值的影响与改变项目公司资本结构的动因,提出了评估BOT项目公司在给定条件下估计项目公司价值的模型;通过对公司财务困境成本的分析判定当前我国BOT项目最优化结构在理论上的存在;归纳了我国BOT项目公司提前偿债的动机与对公司价值影响,证明在特定时期不能排除项目投资方与项目管理层之间存在委托-代理问题.     

Project success and project team management: Evidence from capital projects in the process industries

Efficient project execution is a key business objective in many domains and particularly so for capital projects in the process industries, but existing project management research gives little direction about how project team factors influence three important capital project outcomes: cost, schedule, and operability. After an extensive cross-disciplinary review of the general team and project management literatures, we constructed and tested a theoretically based, five-dimensional model of organizational context, project team design, project team leadership, project team processes, and project outcome factors. We examined the model by means of an empirical study of 56 newly completed capital projects executed by 15 Fortune 500 companies in the process industries. The results indicate the value of disaggregating project outcomes for research purposes. Different bundles of project team factors were found to drive project cost, schedule, and operability. Project team efficacy, cross-functional project teams, autonomous project team structure, and virtual office usage were the strongest predictors of project cost effectiveness. Continuity of project leadership, cross-functional project teams, and project manager incentives were the strongest predictors of project construction schedule. In contrast, clear project goals and an office design to facilitate effective communication were the main predictors of plant operability. Implications of these findings for researchers and project practitioners are discussed. One major practical implication of our findings is that project managers need to clearly focus and prioritize their goals for each project so they can adopt the appropriate bundles of project team practices that will facilitate their goal achievement.     

项目融资新模式——RCP

RCP模式是为克服非经营性基础设施项目和准经营性基础设施项目的融资难题而出现的一种全新的项目融资模式,该模式的基本原理是用高收益的资源开发项目补偿非经营性或准经营性基础设施项目的投资,从而保证投资者获得合理的投资回报.本文对这种项目融资模式的基本原理及运作程序进行了详细分析,并对使用该模式进行项目融资的优缺点、使用中注意的问题进行了讨论.RCP项目融资模式的出现,对解决基础设施建设资金不足、加快基础设施项目的建设步伐具有重要的现实意义.     

A multiobjective optimization model for project selection with probabilistic considerations

When faced with limited resources, project managers must determine which projects to fund at what levels from a pool of potential ones. This problem of project selection is inherently multiobjective since various factors, such as the available budget, the chance of success, and the efficient allocation of the project team, must be considered simultaneously. The uncertainty of the data at the time decisions are made further complicates project selection. In this paper, a multiobjective, integer-constrained optimization model with competing objectives for project selection is formulated using probability distributions to describe costs. The objectives correspond to important project criteria, such as: rank (value), managerial labor needed, and average cost. The subjective rank is determined via the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The model is applied to a data set from a US government agency that involves 84 separate projects. The results indicate improved budgetary efficiency compared to the actual project selection, thus supporting use of the model for public sector project selection. The model is unique since it integrates multiobjective optimization, Monte Carlo simulation, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process.     

Public Funding for Science and the Value of Corporate R&D Projects; Evidence from Project Initiation and Termination Decisions in Cell Therapy

How do firms decide which R&D projects to pursue and which ones to cast aside? We use a real options approach to advance our understanding of how firms manage uncertainties in R&D project management, in particular uncertainties linked to the external scientific environment. Our findings highlight how these uncertainties have an impact on the initiation and discontinuation of R&D projects. We examine these effects in the context of shifts in US science policy in the cell therapy field, using a dataset on 570 R&D projects in the global cell therapy sector, initiated over the period 1986–2011. We find decreased R&D project initiation rates and higher discontinuation rates for projects initiated by US firms in the aftermath of policy shifts that increased uncertainties about public funding support for US cell therapy research. We also highlight how this effect was reversed as the US public funding outlook for such research recovered.     

Effects of attention and reliability on the performance of online medical crowdfunding projects: The moderating role of target amount

Medical crowdfunding platform helps numerous patients access enthusiastic donors and address financial difficulties, but many crowdfunding projects fail to reach their target amount. Thus, how a crowdfunding project can attract considerable donors is questionable. This study examines the effects of attention and reliability on the performance of online medical crowdfunding projects and how target amount changes such effects. Based on objective data of 1177 crowdfunding projects from 2016 to January 2018 in a large medical crowdfunding platform in China, we find that the project donor’s attention (the number of forwards and comments) and reliability (the number of dynamic updates, empirical users, and pictures) positively affect the medical crowdfunding performance of the projects. However, target amount weakens the positive effects of the number of forwards and comments in online medical crowdfunding projects. Therefore, project sponsors should set reasonable target fundraising amounts while showing attention and reliability to donors. Compared with previous research that mainly explores the influence of external factors on crowdfunding outcomes from the perspective of donors, this paper focuses on the internal project factors and explores the concerns and trustworthiness of crowdfunding projects, enriching the literature related to fundraising ability in the project.     

船企科研项目动态风险管理研究

船企科研项目是以高新技术船舶领域为研究对象的应用研究类国家项目,是一项庞大的系统工程。在实施过程中,其受到各种因素影响进而不能实现既定目标。为了实现对此类项目的风险管控,确保项目目标的顺利完成,论文构建了基于霍尔维度分解的风险管理四维模型,对不同维度进行有效分析。论文运用PDCA循环法对船企科研项目进行动态风险管理,核心方式是通过时间维度、要素维度、流程维度、知识维度进行全要素、全过程、全系统的动态风险管理,以保证项目各个阶段的目标依次实现。论文的意义在于为船企科研项目的动态风险管理提供有效参考。     

FIDIC建造合同条件在我国电气工程项目中的应用研究

随着全球经济一体化的进一步发展,在电气设备工程领域,工程项目的各个参与方都面临着国外企业的激烈竞争。合同在工程项目中的作用也由经济契约发展为一种管理方式,FIDIC合同条件的应用越来越广泛。本文以大量的实践调研和文献研究为前提,以我国市场经济建设为背景,讨论了FIDIC建造合同条件的特点以及在我国电气工程项目中的应用局限性,并根据其本土化应用的局限性,提出了针对性的建议。     

A multiple criteria methodology for priority based portfolio selection

This paper presents a new methodology combining multiple criteria sorting or ranking methods with a project portfolio selection procedure. The multicriteria method permits the comparison of projects in terms of their priority based on qualitative and quantitative criteria. Then, a feasible set of projects, i.e. a portfolio, is selected according to the priority defined by the multiple criteria method and satisfying a set of resources and logical constraints. The proposed portfolio selection methodology is called Priority Based Portfolio Selection (PBPS) and can be applied in different contexts. We present an application in the urban planning domain where our approach allows us to select a set of urban projects based on their priority, budgetary constraints, and urban policy requirements. Given the increasing interest of historical cities to reuse their cultural heritage, we applied and tested our methodology in this context. In particular, we show how the methodology can support the prioritization of the interventions on buildings with some historical value in the historic city center of Naples (Italy), taking into account several points of view.     

IS／IT项目关键成功因素的系统思考

在对项目关键成功因素的有关研究进行评述的基础上,提出一个IS/IT项目关键成功因素模型, 该模型包含三个部分:与项目干系人有关的因素、与项目生命周期有关的因素和项目支持因素。在项目实施 过程中,不同的关键成功因素相互作用并最终促成IS/IT项目的成功。     

A conceptual framework for tackling knowable unknown unknowns in project management

Understanding and dealing with the unknown is a major challenge in project management. An extensive body of knowledge—theory and technique—exists on the “known unknowns,” i.e., uncertainties which can be described probabilistically and addressed through the conventional techniques of risk management. Although some recent studies have addressed projects where the existence of unknown unknowns (unk unks) is readily apparent or may be assumed given the type of project—e.g., new product development or new process implementation—very little work has been reported with respect to projects in general on how a project manager might assess its vulnerability to unk unks. In this paper, we present a conceptual framework to deal with (i.e., recognize and reduce) knowable unk unks in project management. The framework is supported by insights from a variety of theories, case analyses, and experiences. In this framework, we first present a model of the key factors—relating to both project design and behavioral issues—that increase the likelihood of unk unks and a set of propositions linking these factors to unk unks. We then present a set of design and behavioral approaches that project managers could adopt to reduce knowable unk unks. Our framework fills a gap in the project management literature and makes a significant practical contribution: it helps project managers diagnose a project to recognize and reduce the likelihood of unk unks and thus deal more effectively with the otherwise unrecognized risks and opportunities.     

项目风险管理的实物期权方法

分析了基于概率方法依据的假设在项目风险管理中的不适用性,并从实务操作中的预算储备和阶段性决策等应对措施中获得实证解释。在此基础上,用实物期权方法拓展项目风险管理的思路。对各种实物期权进行了分类和讨论。     

围垦工程造价控制的重点

围垦工程均建设在滩涂软基上,受潮汐影响,具有特殊性。本文结合作者对围垦工程实施过程碰到的问题,总结出几条围垦工程造价控制的重点,以共同探讨。     

Conceptual estimating tool for technology-driven projects: exploring parametric estimating technique

This paper examines a parametric estimating technique applied to technology-driven projects. Parametric cost estimating is a widely used approach for bidding on a contract, input into a cost benefit analysis, or as the pre-planning tool for project implementation. Extensive literature reviews suggest that effective parametric estimating methodology is becoming an essential tool for technology-driven organizations. The use of parametric estimating in budgeting, scheduling, and control of projects will enhance the ability of project management organizations to effectively and efficiently utilize valuable resources. The benefit of parametric estimating is its use as an estimating model for better determining potential resource requirements during the project pre-planning and conceptual phase.     

影响建设项目合同不完备性的因素分析

从交易成本理论角度分析建设项目合同设计和选择逐渐成为项目研究中的重要课题。合同不完备性作为交易成本理论的关键合同分析维度,与交易属性密切相关。建设项目合同不完备性选择同样受到资产专用性、不确定性、复杂性和项目工期等交易属性的显著影响。本文在交易成本理论治理逻辑下,构建了一个简化的建设项目合同不完备性分析框架,并在此基础上探讨了影响建设项目合同不完备性选择的因素及其影响作用。     

Capabilities exchange through business interaction: An empirical investigation of a client–IT supplier relationship

This article focuses on the opportunities for capabilities exchange within a specific business-to-business context: the relationship between a client and an information technology (IT) supplier. Research on the features of this type of relationship, although fairly extensive, has focused on IT implementation issues, relationship between IT resources, organisation performance and competitive advantage, IT outsourcing relationships and definition of IT capabilities. However, our understanding of the context where IT capabilities are exchanged within consultancy projects and how this exchange emerges is rather limited. The paper aims to bridge this gap by adopting the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) group's interaction approach as a tool for conducting an in-depth investigation of a case study to analyse the context, the parties and the interactions through which IT capabilities are exchanged. The research reveals that interpersonal relationships between users and consultants within consultancy projects are crucial to establish a long-lasting and stable relationship. As a result, during consultancy projects IT-related resources, in the form of IT physical infrastructures, human IT resources and IT intangible resources are exchanged and combined to create or enhance IT capabilities. Furthermore, we also claim that the success of such an exchange depends very much on the degree of social and interpersonal exchange.     

基于决策树技术的信息化项目文化冲突研究

企业在信息化项目实施的各个环节中普遍存在各种各样的冲突．对冲突进行有效识别，依据冲突类型选择合适的对策．是降低项目风险、实现项目效益的关键。信息化项目的高复杂性、高风险性对项目的冲突管理提出了较高的要求．目前对信息化项目中的冲突管理研究较多集中于管理理念和理论分析层面。结合文化冲突特点的实证研究较少。决策树方法是数据挖掘及数据分析中广泛应用的技术。具有清晰直观、易于解释的优点。本文通过决策树C5．0算法，尝试运用数据挖掘技术进行文化冲突研究。通过对项目中6种冲突管理决策类型的分析，提供了依据冲突情景选择应对策略的分类决策方法。实验证明，该方法可行。本研究为我国企业在信息化项目中遇到的冲突问题。提供了应对方法，同时也扩展了数据挖掘决策树技术的应用领域。