An investigation of key precursors of megaproject crises
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
ISSN: 1753-8378
Article publication date: 1 July 2022
Issue publication date: 1 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Detecting precursory signals is critical to increasing the resilience of megaprojects to crises. This study aims to investigate key crisis precursors to better apprehend traces of megaproject crises and proactively respond to approaching crises, thereby increasing project resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the theory of weak signals, 25 potential precursors of megaproject crises are extracted. Using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), four models were tested to identify key crisis precursors based on a questionnaire survey of 168 megaproject participants in China. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to examine the differences in participants’ perceptions of key crisis precursors.
Findings
Four key crisis precursors were identified: Imbalance of Benefits and Costs, Irresponsible and Unqualified Key Participants, Regulatory Mechanisms Lacking Transparency and Flexibility, and Information Uncertainty and Asymmetry. Compared with senior executives, team members think that key crisis precursors related to regulatory mechanisms and key participants are more likely to trigger crises, which affects responsive actions toward detected crisis precursors. The findings help identify problems at an early stage and enable timely intervention to mitigate crises.
Research limitations/implications
Detection of key crisis precursors allows for proactive and targeted actions to mitigate crises. Megaproject development is affected by institutional mechanisms. The influence of institutions on the effectiveness of crisis management needs further investigation.
Originality/value
Limited attention has been paid to recognizing precursors of megaproject crises. This study identifies four key crisis precursors by uncovering the interrelationships among potential precursors, which enables rapid adaptation to future crises.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: The author is grateful to the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( No. 72174117).
Citation
Wang, A. (2022), "An investigation of key precursors of megaproject crises", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 938-959. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-09-2021-0234
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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