Interorganisational project dynamics: A longitudinal study of perceptual distance and client-contractor collaborative relationships

Despite the importance of good collaborative relationships in interorganisational projects, clients and contractors often develop adversarial relationships due to perceptual distance about key project issues. In this case study research, we investigated how perceptual distance emerges and changes over time, and how the collaborative relationship between client and contractor develops alongside these dynamics. In this exploration, we built upon agency theory and stewardship theory as complementary perspectives for understanding client-contractor collaborative relationships. We gathered quantitative and qualitative data in two projects, conducting three assessments in about one year. We found that perceptual distance increased and decreased over time, and that a reduction was typically associated with the collaborative relationship being characterized by stewardship rather than agency. These findings suggest that a regular assessment and evaluation of partners’ perceptions of critical project issues is warranted to timely detect and counteract perceptual distance. Moreover, partners would best adopt a stewardship orientation to reduce perceptual distance, although this may take considerable effort given the distributive nature of many pre-project negotiations.     

Growth-focused or profit-focused firms: Transitions toward profitable growth

Profitable growth is the most desirable state tourism and hospitality firm managers can hope to achieve. In reality, however, it is not easy for a tourism and hospitality firm to consistently grow and accumulate profits. In order to achieve profitable growth, some firms focus on sales growth while victimizing profits, while others concentrate on profits and hold off on growth. To better understand these strategies, this study investigated the growth state, profit state and transitions of restaurant firms. The findings of this study supported that profit-focused firms are more likely to achieve profitable growth than growth-focused firms. In addition, growth-focused firms with low liquidity had a higher likelihood of transitioning to a state of low growth and low profit in the short-term, and this liquidity effect was more serious for small firms in terms of long-term performance. Further, when profit-focused firms had few growth opportunities, large free cash flows increased the likelihood of transitioning to a state of low growth and low profit in the short-term. More detailed results are provided in this paper.     

Robotics projects and learning concepts in science, technology and problem solving

This paper presents a study about learning and the problem solving process identified among junior high school pupils participating in robotics projects in the Lego Mindstorm environment. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) How do pupils come up with inventive solutions to problems in the context of robotics activities? (2) What type of knowledge pupils address in working on robotics projects? and (3) How do pupils regard or exploit informal instruction of concepts in science, technology and problem solving within a project-based program? Data collection was made through observations in the class, interviews with the pupils, observations of the artifacts the pupils had constructed, and analyses of their reflections on each project. The study revealed that the pupils had often come up with inventive solutions to problems they tackled by intuitively using diverse kinds of heuristic searches. However, they encountered difficulties in reflecting on the problem solving process they had used. In robotics projects, the pupils deal primarily with qualitative knowledge, namely, the ability to identify specific phenomena in a system or factors that affect system performance. The study also showed that pupils are likely to benefit from implementing informal instruction on concepts in science, technology and problem solving into a project-based program. This type of instruction should take place in the context of pupils’ work on their projects, and adopt a qualitative approach rather than try to communicate in the class procedural knowledge learned by rote.     

历史冲击下的工业集聚:来自156项工程的经验证据

历史冲击是催生产业集聚的重要因素之一,规模报酬递增和正反馈效应使得在历史冲击下形成的产业集聚得以自我强化,进而实现持续领先。本文考察了“一五”计划时期实施建设的156项工程对中国工业集聚的长期影响,结果发现:第一,通过持续提升所在城市的工业集聚水平,156项工程能够长期塑造中国工业集聚的空间格局;第二,156项工程作为一种历史遗产在远离港口的内陆地区被更好地继承下来,对于内陆地区所在城市工业集聚水平的提升效应更强,这表明156项工程不仅在中华人民共和国成立初期平衡了沿海与内地的发展差距,对于新时代区域协调发展依然具有重要意义。实证结论在进行一系列稳健性检验后依然成立。研究156项工程对于工业集聚的长期影响和空间差异,有助于我们更加深刻地理解中国特色社会主义政治经济学。     

Assessment of passenger benefits brought about by international airport projects

This study sets forth a method to calculate the passenger benefits of an international airport project and assesses the passenger benefits brought about by two international airport projects.An international airport project mainly increases the number of flights and the possibility of determining convenient timetables. It does not significantly decrease the flight time of international travel. Thus, the user benefits brought about by an international airport project cannot be expressed by the conventional concept of ‘traveling time’, which is the term generally used.In this study, the ‘Expected Value of Traveling Time’ and ‘Expected Value of Generalized Cost’ are presented as indexes to evaluate improvements in convenience brought about by international airport projects. The passenger benefits of two airport projects in Japan are measured by consumer surplus calculated from the demand function using these indexes.These indexes are accurately calculated taking into consideration factors such as scheduling connections between domestic and international transport, and so enable a grasp not only of reductions in flight time, but also of passenger benefits resulting from international airport projects, such as increases in the number of flights and reductions in the time required to make transfers during domestic travel.     

Unpacking the client(s): Constructions, positions and client–consultant dynamics

Research on management consultancy usually emphasizes the role and perspective of the consultants. Whilst important, consultants are only one element in a dynamic relationship involving both consultants and their clients. In much of the literature, the client is neglected, or is assumed to represent a distinct, immutable entity. In this paper, we argue that the client organisation is not uniform but is instead (like organisations generally) a more or less heterogeneous assemblage of actors, interests and inclinations involved in multiple and varied ways in consultancy projects. This paper draws upon three empirical cases and emphasizes three key aspects of clients in the context of consultancy projects: (a) client diversity, including, but not limited to diversity arising solely from (pre-)structured contact relations and interests; (b) processes of constructing ‘the client’ (including negotiation, conflict, and reconstruction) and the client identities which are thereby produced; and (c) the dynamics of client–consultant relations and how these influence the construction of multiple and perhaps contested client positions and identities.     

基于模糊综合评价模型的森林生态旅游项目风险研究——以山西禹王洞森林公园为例

从系统性出发,指出森林生态旅游项目经营开发中面临两大类风险:内部风险和外部风险,运用模糊隶属函数定量描述不同风险因子风险等级,通过构建模糊综合评价模型分析其内部风险和外部风险水平,进一步研究指出其主要风险因子,提出应根据不同风险具体情况采取有针对性的风险控制措施。最后以山西禹王洞森林公园为例进行了实例研究。     

二次能源利用项目投资决策的影响因素分析

基于我国二次能源再利用在财政、征地、税收及信贷等方面的政策约束,以华菱湘钢高炉煤气发电项目为例,研究了二次能源利用项目投资决策的影响因素。根据华菱湘钢高炉煤气发电项目的可研报告,综合分析了企业生产、成本及价格等因素对华菱湘钢高炉煤气发电项目的影响,并将所得税优惠等优惠政策纳入投资决策,具体探讨了政策优惠对项目决策的重大影响。我们认为,国家在具体落实当前的政策的同时,应进一步提供力度更大的政策支持。     

Profitable growth: Avoiding the ‘growth fetish’ in emerging markets

Growth management is a challenging but critical corporate strategy facing the fast economic growth in emerging markets. An overemphasis on growth would lead to the growth fetish, where growth is unqualified and seen as an end in itself. By examining the performance of 105,260 firms in key sectors of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) from 2002 to 2011, this study presents quantitative evidence that supports a profit-oriented strategy as a more effective path to sustained profitable growth in emerging markets. To further support this argument, this study also provides qualitative evidence of a group of 70 sustained high-performing firms that are superior to their peers (the top 500 private companies in each of the BRIC countries) in terms of profit, growth, market share, and efficiency over a 10-year period. The study shows that sustained profitable growth requires qualified sales growth (i.e., organic growth), competence-based and competence-enhancing growth, and continuous product diversification.     

基于计算实验方法的地铁工程成本管控行为激励机理研究

发展城市地铁是城市轨道交通建设的主导方向,也是地铁建设企业实现可持续发展的重要保障。大规模地铁建设需要对成本管控行为的机理、规律有进一步认识和研究。基于激励视角,识别了我国地铁工程成本管控行为激励因素,运用计算实验方法建立模型,设计实验情景,设置实验参数,研究了激励因素对地铁工程成本管控行为的作用机理。实验结果表明：环境、工作、回报、管理因素对地铁工程成本管控行为变化具有显著影响。其中,环境因素具有调节作用,工作因素具有推动作用,回报因素具有促进作用,管理因素具有引领作用。实验结果可为地铁工程成本管控提供启示与借鉴。