Exploring Governance Mechanisms in Megaprojects: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

Abstract

Megaproject governance defines the organizational goals and outlines the mechanisms necessary for their realization. This paper systematically explores megaproject governance studies using a mixed-method approach, aiming to develop a holistic framework for analyzing governance mechanisms within the megaproject landscape. The PRISMA road map is used in this study to conduct a systematic literature review. A bibliometric analysis is conducted on the research documents that are found in the “Web of Science Core Collection” and “Scopus” databases for the time interval of 1995 to the present. Based on the PRISMA protocol, the study reviewed 1,300 titles and abstracts and examined 78 full articles. The results indicate that the scholarship on megaproject governance has predominately increased over the past decade and will continue to be a significant research area in the megaproject research domain. The study’s primary theoretical contribution is the development of a comprehensive governance mechanism framework, comprising a total of 13 mechanisms grouped into contractual and relational mechanisms. As the scholarly interest in megaproject governance continues to grow, this study emphasizes the essential need for further exploration and sets the stage for future research directions.

Keywords:

• Megaprojects
• governance
• governance Mechanisms
• megaproject Performance
• contractual Governance
• relational Governance

EMJ Focus Areas:

• 540 Engineering Management Profession
• 590 Organization Development & Change
• 610 Organization & Work System Design
• 630 Program & Project Management

Disclosure Statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Nos: 72072131, T2261129476].

Notes on contributors

Mohammed Taha Alqershy

Mohammed Taha Alqershy is a Ph.D. scholar in the Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. He holds a Master’s degree in construction engineering and management. His research interests include governance of megaprojects, social responsibility in megaprojects, stakeholder management, organizational behavior, and artificial intelligence in construction management. He has published several papers in leading academic journals.

Qian Shi

Qian Shi is a distinguished professor and Board Member of the Global Accreditation Centre of PMI. He earned his Ph.D. from Tongji University. From 2001 to 2002, he was a visiting scholar at the Vienna University of Technology (TU-Wien). He is currently a professor in the Department of Construction Management & Real Estate, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University. He serves as the chairman of the project management division of the Shanghai Society of Civil Engineering. His research focuses on project management, green building, urban renewal, and construction management. He has been involved in many large construction projects, such as the Beijing Daxing International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai World Expo 2010, Guangzhou University City, and Guangzhou Asian Games.

Feng Zhang

Feng Zhang is an assistant professor of project management at Kunming Metallurgy College’s Civil Engineering School and a Ph.D. candidate in construction management at the School of Economics and Management, Tongji University. His research interests lie in the fields of construction risk management and project management, with a particular focus on the competencies, roles, and performance of project managers, as well as the governance of inter-organizational relationships, emphasizing contractual and relational mechanisms and the implications of using digital technologies such as blockchain.