Challenges with collaboration: the interaction of formal and informal ties in infrastructure construction
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2024

Collaborative project delivery models (CPDM) have been introduced in infrastructure construction delivery to improve project outcomes and reduce adversity characteristic for the field. Recent research discusses the interaction of formal and informal governance but highlights the need for further research into the interaction as well as its functions and dysfunctions. With help of a social network lens, we study how collaboration in a CPDM can be understood by the interaction of formal and formal ties and their (dys)functions. Based on 45 in-depth interviews, observations and document analysis, we studied two major infrastructure construction projects utilising a CPDM and the challenges caused by the interaction of formal and informal ties. Our results indicate that these two types of ties interact in a cyclic fashion, where formal ties form the foundation to develop informal ties, and informal ties shape how formal ties are understood. Strong formal and informal ties have both positive as well as negative consequences for collaboration in a CPDM. Furthermore, although these challenges can be beneficial to certain parties in the project, they can also be dysfunctional to other parties. The research contributes to the academic debate on the interplay between formal and formal ties.

tie interaction

formal ties

project delivery

informal ties

project network

Infrastructure construction

Författare

Anna af Hällström

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Service Management and Logistics

Petra Bosch-Sijtsema

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Innovation and R&D Management

León Poblete

Uppsala universitet

The University of Sydney

Construction Management and Economics

0144-6193 (ISSN) 1466-433X (eISSN)

Vol. In press

Ämneskategorier

Byggproduktion

Ekonomi och näringsliv

Datavetenskap (datalogi)

DOI

10.1080/01446193.2024.2371153

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2024-07-26