Improving collaborative innovation performance in megaprojects: a system dynamic approach
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 17 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The development and evolution of stakeholder collaborative innovation in megaprojects is impacted by various influencing factors. The effect of influencing factors on collaborative innovation performance (CIP) in megaprojects is not a simplistic linear relationship but an iterative and non-linear relationship that requires a dynamic perspective to analyze. Therefore, this paper adopts the system dynamic (SD) approach to investigate the dynamic and interactive relationships between the CIP and the influencing factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The study first develops a research framework with the system boundary of “CIP system – organizational collaboration subsystem – knowledge collaboration subsystem – strategic collaboration subsystem”. Then, the causal relationship model, the stock-flow model, and the mathematical equations were determined based on the literature review and the expert interviews. Finally, five performance improvement scenarios were designed according to the practice context of CIP in megaprojects, and simulations were performed using the Vensim PLE software to investigate the CIP from a dynamic perspective.
Findings
The findings reveal that the effect of different influencing factors on CIP grows non-linearly, with the cumulative effect becoming more pronounced as time advances. The incentive mechanism has the most significant effect, and the combined effect of multiple influencing factors has a highly significant facilitating effect on improving CIP. Strategic collaboration, organizational collaboration and knowledge collaboration are mutually conditional and reinforcing with each other, which ultimately promotes the improvement of CIP.
Originality/value
This study uncovers the inherent pattern and the interactive dynamic mechanism of factors for improving CIP in the context of megaprojects. It enriches the theoretical research in the area of collaborative innovation in megaprojects and provides practical management strategies for improving CIP.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (Grant No. X23017) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72371189).
Citation
Chen, X., Zhu, W., Chen, Y. and He, Q. (2024), "Improving collaborative innovation performance in megaprojects: a system dynamic approach", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-07-2023-0738
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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