How Does Relational Governance Affect Knowledge Collaboration in Integrated Project Delivery? A Transactive Memory System Process

Abstract

Integrated project delivery mode (IPD) depends on high-level knowledge collaboration among project parties. Therefore, knowledge collaboration is critical for IPD to improve knowledge management performance and sustainable competitive advantage. However, effective knowledge collaboration is difficult to achieve because of the diverse knowledge and expertise area of IPD project parties. For a high level of cross-disciplinary knowledge collaboration, this study examines how relational norms and trust as two effective relational governance mechanisms affect knowledge collaboration through verifying the role of transactive memory system (TMS). Then, we proposed statistical hypotheses and tested them by using quantitative data from a questionnaire survey. The research findings present a remarkable indirect influence of relational norms and trust on knowledge collaboration via the mediating role of TMS. This study contributes to the literature in project and engineering management by demonstrating the significant role of TMS in IPD collaboration, especially the mediating effect of TMS on the relationship between relational governance and knowledge collaboration. The research findings provide the collaborative governance strategies for engineering managers by developing a well-functioning TMS to realize holistic knowledge collaboration for IPD projects.

Keywords:

• Integrated project delivery
• relational norms
• trust mechanism
• transactive memory system
• knowledge collaboration

EMJ Focus Areas:

• Knowledge Management
• program & project management
• engineering management profession
• strategic management

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely appreciate the helpful and valuable suggestions from all reviewers and editors. We are also grateful to MCC Huatian Engineering & Technology Corporation for their assistance in preparing this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Project No. 19YJC630019), Jiangsu Province University Philosophy and Social Science Research Foundation of China (Project No. 2017SJB0182), Soft Science Research Project of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China (Project No. 2019-R-017), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 71872126)

Notes on contributors

Jiajia Cheng

Jiajia Cheng, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Tech University. She received her PhD in management science and engineering from Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. Her current research interests include construction management, knowledge governance, and collaborative management in the Integrated Project Delivery context.

Contact: Jiajia Cheng, PhD, School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, China; [email protected]

Lianying Zhang

Lianying Zhang, PhD, is a professor of construction management in the College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University. As a researcher in construction management, he has in-depth research and rich experience in project organization management and cross-functional project team management. He is currently involved in research on project governance, project innovation management, and construction project management.

Jianghong Chen

Jianghong Chen, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Tech University. Her current research interests center on lean construction.

Lixuan Jiang

Lixuan Jiang, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Tech University. Her research interests include knowledge management and integrated team.

Yuan Lin

Yuan Lin, MA, is currently a senior civil and structural Engineer in MCC Huatian Engineering & Technology Corporation. He has undertaken the design and construction management of many large metallurgical projects in China.