Partnering relationships in construction: A literature review

There is no unified view as to what partnering relationships are in the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature in order to identify the main assumptions about partnering relationships in construction research and practice. The literature is compared to the Construction Industry Institute’s (CII, 1991) frequently cited definition of partnering as a long-term commitment between two or more parties in which shared understanding and trust develop for the benefits of improving construction. The literature review reveals a tendency to focus on project partnering in dyads between clients and contractors and there is also an emphasis on formal tools to develop these relationships, even if social aspects and relationship dynamics are recognised. The paper discusses these findings and suggests that, in order to increase the understanding of the substance and function of partnering relationships, it could be useful to incorporate knowledge from theoretical perspectives that are more in line with the CII definition. Two perspectives that seem particularly interesting in this respect are Supply Chain Management (SCM) and the Industrial Network Approach (INA), both of which focus on long-term relationships between actors beyond the dyad. INA also emphasises the informal aspects of relationship development. Incorporating these dimensions of partnering relationships requires processual and longitudinal studies, which are relatively rare in the contemporary partnering literature.     

Impact of firms׳ policies on Chinese industrial purchasers׳ ethical decision making

This article investigates the impact of firms׳ policies with respect to procurement, sales, and interfirm personal relationship (guanxi) on industrial purchasers׳ inclination to adopt gray procurement (a particular type of unethical behaviors in industrial purchasing) using data from industrial purchaser’s in China. The effect of a firm׳s purchasing policy on purchasers׳ behavioral intention towards gray procurement was, in addition to the direct effect, mediated by the purchasers׳ ethical judgment of the practice. The application of double standards (i.e., a firm forbids gray procurement by its own purchasers but tolerates its salespersons offering inducements to its customers׳ industrial purchasers) had both main effects and moderating effect on the purchasers׳ ethical judgment of the practice, which increases the purchasers׳ behavioral intention towards the practice. The two moderating effects of guanxi policy counteracted each other in direction, so jointly the effect of guanxi policy on the purchasers׳ intention may depend on the relative strength of the two moderating effects.     

Procurement of logistics services and sustainable development in Europe: Fields of activity and empirical results

This paper strives to answer the general question; how far purchasers of logistics services take into account aspects of sustainable development. Modeled on the German Sustainable Development Strategy, which is based on the EU Sustainable Development plan, five fields of activity are defined: the reduction of transport intensity and emission, the reduction of land use, the choice of carrier under consideration of sustainable aspects, the permanent improvement of working conditions, and the enhancement of qualified employment. Then, propositions for purchasing companies of logistics services are developed, which contribute to safeguard ecological as well as social sustainability. In order to conduct an explorative study, a questionnaire was sent to 750 purchase and logistics managers. It was found that purchasing companies place high value on ecological and social aspects. But the perceived importance is not associated with purchasing companies' own contributions to logistics service providers' sustainable activities. Additionally, it was seen that purchasing companies exert only a minor influence on logistics service providers regarding ecologically and socially sustainable actions. A fundamental precondition for a sustainably oriented procurement of logistics services can be seen in the purchasing companies' awareness of the need for integrating sustainable aspects in economic decisions.     

Partnering in the construction industry—Problems and opportunities

During recent years partnering has been on the top of the management agenda in the construction industry. Despite this attention there is limited and partly contradicting evidence of the impact of these efforts. The objective of this literature-based paper is to explore why it has been difficult to realise potential partnering benefits on the strategic level, while partnering in individual projects has improved construction performance. The analysis builds on a comparison of the features of business relationships in construction with the characteristics of so called ‘high-involvement relationships’ based on close cooperation. It is concluded that prevailing supply arrangements established to handle the particular conditions in the construction industry makes it unlikely for partnering to reach outside the individual project. Taking the step to strategic partnerships would require modification of some of the basic assumptions and norms of industry efficiency. On the basis of this analysis we explore potential consequences of modifications of current behaviour with respect to decentralisation and competitive tendering. The paper is finalised with a suggestion for a differentiated approach to partnering.     

浅谈工程项目中的材料采购管理

本文介绍了工程项目中采购及采购管理,讨论了在项目中材料采购管理存在的主要问题,并提出了相应的解决措施,以期为工程项目建设企业在材料管理方面提供新的思路和帮助。     

石油物资集中采购模式的分析

实行石油物资的集中采购，能有效降低采购成本,提高油田经济效益，对油田企业至关重要。近年来，我国三大石油公司大力推行集中采购，取得十分明显的经济效果。由于物资种类多,采购规模大，因而相应的供应商数量也非常多。而油田多以传统采购模式为主，采购部门重复，采购效率低下。采购成本增加。在此分析集中采购在石油物资采购中的优势，以期达到降低采购成本，增加油田效率的目的。     

新时期深化军队物资采购改革探讨

提出为进一步深化军队物资采购改革,提高我军物资采购建设水平,应引入先进采购思想、研究应急采购方式、发展电子采购模式、强化采购法制建设等。     

A portfolio approach in the e-purchasing of materials

By improving the procurement process purchasing departments are becoming more and more strategic in order to increase overall companies performances. In the last years, web-based tools have effectively supported this trend by offering to buyers useful tools in order to help their activities. Purchasing departments have now to choose the right tool for the right purchase in the right supply market; for this reason it is important for them to adopt a portfolio approach exploiting all the different solutions offered by the technology according to the different situations.In this perspective, this paper identifies four most common purchasing approaches adopted by companies, which drivers are considered to choose among these, and which level of performances companies achieve through the identified approaches.Empirical evidence is based on a survey research involving 162 US companies.     

PURCHASING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: INTERACTIONS,POLICIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The mechanisms are examined by which environmentally informed business practices and technologies may diffuse through industry as a result of the ‘greening’ of purchasing and supply. The efforts of official bodies in the UK to raise environmental awareness among industrial purchasers are reviewed. It is then argued that the supply chain model is an important way of interpreting the industrial landscape from a green perspective and that it is in some ways a more hopeful and positive starting point for achieving industrial transformation. The results of an analysis of some UK companies practices in using their purchasing policies to ‘green’ their supply chains are presented and opportunities for further research indicated.     

供应链采购与传统采购的比较分析

传统采购侧重于采购交易活动,供应商和采购方之间经常要进行询价、报价、还价等来回谈判,双方是典型的竞价关系。供应链采购则注重对采供关系的管理,双方是合作关系。文章分析了二者的各自特征,指出了供应链采购的新变化及其发展趋势。     

浅谈加强军工科研单位采购物流管理的对策

物资采购管理是企业管理的一个重要组成部分,也是供应链管理中的一个重要环节。企业为了提高管理水平,实现企业价值的重要作用,就需要加强对采购的管理。而军工科研事业单位物资采购管理同样具有必要性和重要性,同时由于单位性质、所承担的任务的特殊性也决定了其物资采购管理的特殊性。文章对军工科研单位采购物流管理中存在的局限性进行了分析,从制度建设、采购绩效评价、构建信息资源管理平台三个方面,探讨了加强采购物流管理的对策。     

项目全过程管理中政府采购思路和技术方法的建设与发展

项目全过程管理为政府采购工作带来挑战,同时也为政府采购思路和技术方法提供了创新、发展、提升、深化的机遇。论文从明确性、定时性和可控性等多方面入手,分析项目全过程管理的特点,进一步阐述了项目全过程管理为政府采购工作带来的挑战,并根据问题提出了项目全过程管理背景下政府采购思路与技术方法的建设路径。     

试论中国文化对实施PARTNERING模式的影响

Partnering模式于20世纪80年代起源于美国,目前已经在美国、澳大利亚、日本、欧洲、新加坡以及中国香港的建筑界得到了广泛使用。业界人士普遍认可Partnering模式的优势,如:有利于改善项目参与各方之间的关系,有利于降低工程费用、缩短工期、提高工程质量、减少合同纠纷和诉讼方面,收益非常明显。从本质而言,Partnering模式是古老的“握手”式的商业模式,这种模式在全世界,特别是在东方获得广泛的应用。本文旨在讨论中国文化及其对实施Partne- ring模式的影响。研究结果表明,中国文化与Partnering模式的一些要素吻合,因此能够促进其在建筑界的实施。     

An Inquiry to Move an Underutilized Best Practice Forward: Barriers to Partnering in the Architecture,Engineering, and Construction Industry

There is an obvious need in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry for improved project team integration through project delivery to ensure improved project outcomes. The literature reports that, among other methods, project partnering, when followed successfully, provides a great opportunity to improve project performance via improved collaboration among key project stakeholders (e.g., owner, designer, contractor) and reduce claims as a result while letting all project members stay in their traditional roles and work under any contractual framework, including design‐bid‐build. Despite its potential and history in the United States since the late 1980s and being classified as one of the best practices by the Construction Industry Institute in 1996, partnering continues to be underutilized. Existing research on partnering is mostly limited to public projects such as mega roadway and bridge projects. Guided by the literature, the aim of this research is to understand and report barriers to project partnering in the United States from both vertical/horizontal and public/private construction sectors. Via a comprehensive literature review, followed by a Delphi survey of partnering experts, this study systematically classified barriers to project partnering. In study results, implementation barriers to partnering during project delivery are more frequently pronounced than the barriers to its adoption. Of the top reported barriers to project partnering, the majority are cultural; project team related barriers show the greatest area of potential for improvement; and contrary to the literature, none is legislative. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by drawing attention to project delivery and management practices in the AEC industry to improve team collaboration and chances of successful implementation and adoption of integrative practices.     

工程合作伙伴模式研究综述

合作伙伴模式在建筑行业中的应用是近年项目管理研究的重要主题之一。本文的主要目的是对国内外相关学者的研究成果进行介绍。大量的研究证明合作伙伴模式在提高生产效率，降低建造费用，提高项目满意标准和减少建造时间等方面都比传统工程建造模式更为优越。随着合作伙伴模式的推广应用，出现了一系列应用规范和概念，而新近的研究集中于探索如何促使合作伙伴模式能够得到成功的应用。通过总结相关的研究成果，结合中国实际进一步对合作伙伴模式的研究做出了展望。     

浅议物资采购质量管理对策

物资采购质量控制工作作为一项系统工程,庞大而复杂,但是为了有效的提高物资采购的质量以及工作效率,文章对物资采购质量管理存在问题进行了分析,从构建采购质量管理体系及细分采购质量评价指标两方面,探讨了加强物资采购质量管理的对策。     

How and when do purchasers successfully contribute to the implementation of circular purchasing: A comparative case-study

The transition towards a circular economy puts pressure on organizations to purchase in a circular manner. The aim of this research is to investigate the role, behaviors, and characteristics of purchasers in the circular purchasing process, and the contextual factors that influence circular purchasing. To address this aim, we interviewed purchasers, supervisors and policy makers of seven Dutch organizations. The results of the comparative case-study show that the main roles of the purchaser are those of coordinator, facilitator and advisor, and that the successful circular purchaser can best be described as intrapreneurial, sustainability-minded and knowledgeable about the circular economy. Purchasers are successful in implementing circular purchasing when they share responsibility with budget holders and when they are part of organizations that have processes in place to ensure the inclusion of circularity in their purchasing projects. The drivers that influence the success of circular purchasing can be described as creating a sense of direction and grasping the complexity of the circular economy. Furthermore, the market, organizational, legal, conceptual and cultural constraints that limit the success of circular purchasing were identified.     

我国企业战略采购的问题及实施策略研究

文中首先阐述了战略采购定义和内涵、战略采购对企业战略实施的价值,然后通过分析我国企业战略采购存在问题,提出了实施企业战略采购的对策建议。战略采购对企业采购具有重要的意义,要做好战略采购,建议从采购计划、供应商的选择和管理、采购组织和业务流程重组、战略采购目标管理体系构建等方面着手实施。     

Bundling and joint marketing by rival firms

We study joint marketing by firms who price discriminate between consumers who patronize only one firm (single purchasers) and those who purchase from both (bundle purchasers). Firms either set the price of the bundle and then compete along side the bundle; or they determine a rebate that is applied to joint purchasers and then set prices. Even though the pricing structure in the joint marketing scheme is determined noncooperatively, the commitment to the joint marketing agreement allows firms to leverage their stand‐alone prices—leading to higher profits and lower consumer surplus in either case, compared to both uniform pricing and independent price discrimination without a joint marketing agreement. Nevertheless the two schemes differ dramatically, in that rebates increase joint purchasing, whereas bundle pricing diminishes bundle purchases.     

完善海军航材采购制度的对策和建议

海军航空兵部队的建设和发展对海军航材采购提出了新的要求。本文就如何完善海军航材采购制度提出以下对策和建议:加强采购人才培养,建立健全航材采购法规制度,降低航材采购成本,加强对航材采购的监督。