The reluctance of construction purchasers towards project partnering

While the literature argues that there are several benefits for construction purchasers who join forces to co-develop the project with contractors and to increase cooperation between the various project stakeholders (construction partnering), little research has been done on the reasons for the lack of extensive diffusion of such methods in the construction industry. This paper aims at understanding the rationale behind the reluctance of construction purchasers for this coordination mechanism in France. In particular the paper investigates the impact of the characteristics of the project but also of the characteristics of the purchasing companies in their project procurement behaviour. The findings reveal that the characteristics of the purchasing companies in terms of purchasing strategy, structure and culture seem more explanatory of their procurement behaviour than of the project characteristics. The paper suggests that the lack of diffusion and understanding of construction partnering may be due to the resistance of purchasers who feel threatened by the structural changes it involves in their purchasing habits.     

合作竞争:中外银行新型伙伴关系的形成

互惠互利是中外资银行合作发展的根本原因。中外银行需要从排他性竞争走向合作竞争，建立全新的合作竞争的伙伴关系。文中引入合作竞争的理论，运用资源依赖性、博弈论和交易成本学的观点分析中外银行进行竞争合作的动因，提出通过竞争合作建立中外银行新型伙伴关系的具体策略，并对在伙伴关系过程中应注意的问题进行探讨。     

伙伴模式关键影响因素研究

伙伴模式是基于信任、开放、沟通、团队、共享思想的“双赢”模式上的新型的工程项目管理模式,目前伙伴模式的应用仍然面临很多的问题。分析研究了影响伙伴模式成功的关键因素,并依据实际工程情况,提出了相应解决方法的建议。     

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.     

Differences Between Clients’ and Vendors’ Perceptions of IT Outsourcing Risks: Project Partnering as the Mitigation Approach

Information technology (IT) outsourcing has been a business practice for more than two decades. Researchers have suggested successful risk management as a key factor in successful IT outsourcing projects implementation. The documented investigations, however, have mainly addressed risk management only from a single perspective of either clients or IT vendors. Considering only one perspective allows for an omission of possible risks considered critical by the other party, as suggested by agency theory. This study explored the potential perception inconsistency regarding the risks between the client and the vendor for IT outsourcing projects by using a quasi‐Delphi approach. The analysis results indicated some inconsistencies in the risks perceived by the two parties: (1) the clients regarded (a) lack of vendor commitment to the project and (b) poor vendor selection criteria and process as top critical risks but the vendors didn't; and (2) on the other hand, the vendors perceived (a) unclear requirements and (b) lack of experience and expertise with project activities as significant risks but the clients didn't. Insights into how the client and the vendor perceive risks may help both parties determine how to partner and manage project risks collaboratively to succeed in outsourcing.     

战略Partnering模式在建设项目中的适用条件研究

战略Partnering作为一种柔性化的管理模式，能够化解建设项目各参与方之间对立的关系，建立长期合作的双赢局面，近十多年来已在国际上得到成功地实践。但随着在国外项目中应用的逐渐增多，成功和失败的案例都在增加。实践证明，并非所有企业、所有项目都适用于该模式。文章立足于战略Pannering模式应用的理论基础，主要从主观方面详细分析了应用此模式需要具备的条件。     

项目文化建设的实施障碍及对策探讨

针对建筑业常见的利益冲突问题及对抗性的项目文化，提出了建设基于信任、合作的项目文化的重要意义。从项目文化磁场的角度分析了项目文化的形成机理，得出通过项目文化建设来加快制度建设与实施新型项目管理模式的可行性，并以此为基础，从项目核心文化建设、组织模式变革及信息技术应用、组织文化塑造等方面提出了项目文化建设的对策及建议，旨在促进传统项目管理模式的变革，提高项目管理水平。     

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。     

Exploring the structural effects of internetworking

Extant theory presents conflicting perspectives on how internetworking might affect the organizational structures of established firms. One prediction is that internetworking could narrow organizational scope and deepen specialization, reduce hierarchy, and increase external partnering. A second contends that internetworking might increase scope, expand hierarchy, and decrease external partnering. Analysis of a multinational sample of 469 firms reveals that deeply internetworked firms are more focused and specialized, less hierarchical, and more engaged in external partnering than less intensively internetworked organizations are. No scope broadening or hierarchy expansion effects are observed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

国际工程项目管理新模式-Partnering模式研究

项目管理模式是影响工程项目成功的关键因素,传统工程项目管理模式存在不足,近年来在发达国家和地区常用伙伴关系（Partnering模式）。在分析Partnering模式基本要素和类型的基础上,研究了Partnering模式的组织结构、工作流程和主要运作内容。